Alabama

Alabama’s 2nd nitrogen gas execution raises questions about method’s future use

As Alabama sets the course for the controversial execution method's future, activists and legal scholars say eyewitness accounts could halt widespread adoption.

Alabama voting FAQ: How to register, cast your ballot for Nov. 5 election

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Here’s how to register to vote, submit an absentee ballot, find your polling location and more.

Alabama, Mississippi receive millions to improve rural health care; here’s how they’ll spend it

The federal funding from the Biden-Harris administration will help each state improve maternal health care and opioid addiction treatment in rural communities.

How Alabama food banks are keeping rural communities fed

As the November election approaches, food insecurity is one issue that’s top of mind for residents in Alabama’s newly redrawn District 2.

A new EPA grant is sending millions to the Alabama Black Belt to solve sanitation issues

The team that received the $14 million grant is also partnering with others to help fully address the Black Belt's sanitation issues.

Voting advocates in Alabama’s District 2 are training, gearing up for 2024 election

Nearly 40 participants took part in a recent Community Action Training to better prepare for the majority-Black district’s first election since being redrawn.

Women’s health care in the Gulf South is ‘bleak,’ new report says. Here’s how Alabama ranks

Poor ratings in preterm birth rate, infant mortality led to Alabama ranking 45th in the U.S. in the Commonwealth Fund's new "scorecard" on women's health care.

Thousands of Dollar General stores now sell fresh produce. Could it improve rural food access?

The discount store chain has added fresh fruits and vegetables at more than 5,400 stores. Grocery store advocates say the move could hurt mom-and-pop grocers.

Price increases? Job losses? How will UAB’s acquisition of St. Vincent’s impact local health care?

The president of Alabama’s hospital association says the acquisition will help maintain access to care, but some economists predict the move will lead to job cuts and higher health care costs.

UAB to acquire Ascension St. Vincent’s for $450 million

Under the agreement, UAB will assume control of all Ascension St. Vincent's hospitals and providers in Alabama.

A family’s search for their native and formerly enslaved heritage in South Alabama

The Tate Family has spent nearly two decades uncovering records that establish their ancestors' time in Alabama before its statehood.

Alabama actress finds home at center stage

Alabama actress Lily Kate Gwin, 22, was adopted at birth. She found home through her adoptive parents and her chosen home, the theater.

Gulf South states among U.S. leaders for juvenile life without parole sentences, study shows

A youth sentencing study shows Alabama and Mississippi are among just four states that top the nation in new juvenile life without parole sentences since 2012.

Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?

Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care

Alabama’s racial, ethnic health disparities are ‘more severe’ than other states, report says

Data from the Commonwealth Fund show that the quality of care people receive and their health outcomes worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s your favorite thing about Alabama?

That's the question we put to those at our recent News and Brews community pop-ups at Hop City and Saturn in Birmingham.

What happens when a rural hospital shuts its doors? Look to Pickens County

Residents in the west Alabama county warn that the lack of emergency care can have deadly consequences. It's a fate that could befall a growing number of rural communities.

This new high-speed fiber internet project aims to close the technology gap in Alabama’s Black Belt

The $230 million project, which broke ground in Selma in early March, will reach around 53,000 homes and businesses.

Alabama pharmacists urge lawmakers to pass HB 238

Supporters of the legislation say it would create a more transparent reimbursement system for struggling pharmacies. The bill's opponents worry it could drive up insurance costs.

Anti-DEI bill faces opposition from students across Alabama

College students across the state are speaking out against Senate Bill 129, which would restrict the funding of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

What architects learned from 30 years of building affordable homes in Alabama’s Black Belt

Auburn University’s Rural Studio is sharing its wealth of knowledge with partners in a half dozen states to help solve rural homelessness.

‘Sick!’ New kids book by Alabama author explores how animals fight germs

A new children's book by Alabama author Heather Montgomery explores how animals fight off pathogens.

We want to hear from you: District 2 in Alabama

Help us report on your new district and the 2024 elections

As March 5 primary election nears, some voters are still unaware of District 2 change

Civics education groups, like the South Alabama Black Women’s Roundtable, are working to notify voters of the change made by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling.

Meet the Alabama woman who is turning her farm into an indigenous food forest

As the climate changes, some Gulf South producers are focusing on ways to preserve the land.

The Gulf South’s rejection of the Summer EBT program puts further strain on child hunger issues

Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have opted out of the USDA’s Summer EBT program, but advocates say the need is far greater than one program.

MLK Day is Monday. In Alabama and Mississippi, it’s also Robert E. Lee Day.

Here’s a quick history lesson on why the unlikely joint celebration of a civil rights icon and a Confederate general is still happening.

Place, Erased: A virtual listening session with the Gulf States Newsroom; watch replay

Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's listening session for its recent series about towns transformed by major environmental shifts.

Alabama and Georgia propose a deal to settle their water war over the Chattahoochee River

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Tuesday they will ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a plan that would guarantee minimum water flows at Columbus, Georgia and in southeast Alabama.

How a pianist is using classical music to bridge divides in Alabama

Classically trained concert pianist, Miki Sawada, is aware of the impression classical music has. She's trying to bring the music to a wider audience and bridge the country's divides.

Alabama makes the College Football Playoff

Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were selected Sunday and Florida State became the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the field.

A pro jiu-jitsu league is bringing grapplers from across the globe to a small city in Alabama

For acclaimed grappler Brandon Mccaghren, Decatur, Alabama, was the perfect place to grow the Professional Grappling Federation from idea to reality.