Federal judge hears request to block an upcoming nitrogen gas execution in Alabama

The state of Alabama urged a federal judge Tuesday to allow the nation's fourth execution with nitrogen gas to proceed next week, but a doctor who witnessed an earlier execution by the new method told the judge the inmate appeared to be in distress and awake minutes longer than officials predicted.


Amid sewage issues, a nonprofit is helping Alabama Black Belt residents find solutions

As the region grapples with poor sanitation, groups like the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program are taking it upon themselves to address the issue.

Birmingham’s new resilience chief looks to protect residents from climate change

“Fundamentally, to me, it's about survival,” says Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, Birmingham’s new chief resilience and sustainability officer about fighting climate change.

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Alabama’s foster care caseworker turnover is at 50%. What can be done?

Alabama is struggling to keep foster care caseworkers on the job. The state reports a turnover rate of 50%in 2024. Why does the state have such a high turnover rate and what is being done to fix this? 

Alabama woman with a functioning pig organ is thriving after a record 2 months

An Alabama woman passed a major milestone Saturday to become the longest living recipient of a pig organ transplant – healthy and full of energy with her new kidney for 61 days and counting.

Man charged with 11 homicides — including two mass shootings in Birmingham — pleads not guilty

Damien McDaniel is accused of killing 11 people between July and September of last year in Birmingham — which would account for over 7% of all homicides in the city in 2024.


Trump’s geographic renaming plans leave mapmakers pondering what to do next

Mapmakers and teachers are re-thinking what to call the gulf of water between Mexico, the United States and Cuba after President Donald Trump ordered it renamed from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. There's no agreed-upon scheme to name boundaries and features shared by countries. And map lines are inherently political.

Watch: ‘Voices of District 2’ highlights challenges, strengths of Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District

Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's virtual listening session discussing its coverage of Alabama's 2nd Congressional District during the 2024 election.

From grief to leadership: Randall Woodfin’s journey in ‘Son of Birmingham’

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin really likes music. That’s one of the throughlines in his new memoir Son of Birmingham which is out January 21. In it he touches on his time in office, the influence of his older brother who died at the hands of gun violence, and of course, his favorite tracks.

Alabama supreme court grants breastfeeding women exemption from jury duty after public outcry

The Alabama Supreme Court issued an administrative order that requires Alabama judges to have written procedures excusing breastfeeding mothers from jury duty. Previously, state code did not specifically make exemptions for nursing mothers.

Alabama inmate asks court to block nitrogen gas execution

Demetrius Terrence Frazier is scheduled to be executed Feb. 6. His attorneys in a Wednesday court filing asked a judge to block the execution unless the state makes changes to the protocol.

Lawsuit by college professors and students challenges Alabama’s anti-DEI law

The complaint asserts the new law violates the First Amendment by placing viewpoint-based restrictions on educators’ speech and classroom lessons.