MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal court ruled Thursday that Alabama’s Republican-led legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters when it drew congressional districts, permanently blocking the state from using its own map and requiring continued use of a court-ordered plan that led to the state’s second Black congressman. The three-judge panel found that Alabama’s 2023 congressional…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Birmingham Children’s Theatre is confronting a funding crisis after the National Endowment for the Arts terminated a grant agreement, part of sweeping federal cuts that have upended arts programming across the city and the nation. The NEA’s decision, announced last Friday, rescinded funds that had already been awarded to BCT, leaving…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers have passed a bill granting the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board sweeping authority over the sale and regulation of consumable hemp products, marking one of the most significant shifts in drug policy in recent years. The measure, House Bill 445, cleared the state Senate on Monday in a 19-13 vote…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — At first glance, the Asian needle ant seems unremarkable-small, dark, and easy to overlook as it scurries beneath logs or leaf litter. But this invasive species, first recorded in Alabama as far back as 1939, is quietly making a comeback, raising new concerns for residents and scientists alike. Native to East Asia,…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, claims the social media giant is fueling a youth mental health crisis by addicting children to harmful content and misleading parents about safety features. But for many, the move feels less like a defense of kids and more like…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An adventurous kangaroo named Sheila turned heads and halted traffic after escaping onto Interstate 85 in Macon County on Tuesday, causing a two-vehicle crash and prompting a temporary shutdown of the busy Alabama highway. The marsupial, owned by Patrick Starr of Lee County, reportedly slipped out of her enclosure late Tuesday morning…