MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers are doubling down on efforts to inject religion into public education, pushing bills that would both require daily prayer “consistent with Judeo-Christian values” and mandate school districts to let students leave campus for off-site religious instruction. These proposals, far from fostering inclusion or educational excellence, reveal a profound lack of…

LOWNDES COUNTY, Ala. — A landmark federal agreement aimed at remedying decades of sewage and sanitation problems in Lowndes County has been abruptly canceled, leaving residents and advocates worried that progress on basic public health protections may stall. The Department of Justice ended the 2023 environmental justice settlement earlier this month, citing new executive orders…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama State House, a fixture of state government for nearly four decades, is set to be demolished after lawmakers move into a new facility, following recent legislative approval and years of debate over the building’s future. The State House at 11 South Union Street has a history distinct from the iconic…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers have approved an additional $35 million for the CHOOSE Act, the state’s education savings account (ESA) program, after nearly 37,000 students applied for funding in its first year. The increase raises the program’s total funding to $135 million for the 2025-2026 school year, but it still falls short of covering…

GADSDEN, Ala. — Towana Looney, a 53-year-old grandmother from Gadsden, has returned to dialysis after her body rejected a genetically modified pig kidney that sustained her for 130 days. The transplant, performed at NYU Langone Health in New York on Nov. 25, 2024, marked the longest survival recorded for a recipient of a pig organ….