GADSDEN, Ala. — Protesters rallied outside the Etowah County Detention Center last weekend, demanding its immediate closure and the release of immigrants detained inside, as renewed allegations of abuse and neglect reignited the long-running “Shut Down Etowah” campaign. Advocates say the facility, which has housed both local inmates and immigration detainees, is emblematic of a…

AUBURN, Ala. — The Department of Homeland Security has revoked the visas of 15 Auburn University students and staff, thrusting Alabama’s international student community into uncertainty and fear amid a sweeping federal crackdown on legal immigration status. The action, part of a broader national policy shift under the Trump administration, has left students who were…

ONEONTA, Ala. — A four-year-old boy from Oneonta shot himself in the arm and leg on April 4, leading to a shocking discovery by Blount County deputies. When investigators searched the family’s Sugarland Lake area home, they found about 30 snakes—some alive, some dead and covered in maggots—kept in open plastic containers on shelves. Several…

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…