AL.com
Police apprehend raccoon bandit at bank
- Title
- Police apprehend raccoon bandit at bank
- Runtime
- 1:13
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Gardendale Police responded to a call from Regions Bank on Saturday after "reports of a bold burglary". The culprit was a raccoon.
“We’re happy to report the masked bandit was safely apprehended and returned to his wooded home unharmed,” police wrote on Facebook.
“Just a reminder: our officers stay committed to catching every suspect—no matter how fast or furry they may be.”
Reporting by Joseph D. Bryant
Read more on AL.com.
#animals #funnyanimals #raccoon #lawenforcement #localnews #birminghamalabama #gardendalealabama
- Title
- Islamic school drops plan to move to Hoover after public backlash
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Less than a week after Hoover’s planning and zoning commission rejected their proposal, school leaders for the Islamic Academy of Alabama told the city that they were rescinding their application.
The planning and zoning commission issued its rejection, which is advisory, following a hearing where several residents said they didn’t want the Muslim school in their community.
The day after the hearing, Tuberville appeared on an Infowars podcast, to decry Islam and the school. He said there was no room for Muslims in Alabama and called the religion a cult that was a threat to America.
The Islamic Academy of Alabama, which has existed for nearly 30 years, sought to relocate from its current facility in Homewood to a larger, more modern building in a Hoover office park.
Reporting by Joseph D. Bryant
Read more on AL.com
#muslimcommunity #privateschool #hooveralabama #birminghamalabama #localnews #religion
- Title
- Alabama teen faces attempted murder, terrorism charges after school threats
- Runtime
- 0:38
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Athens High School student Carson Albert Butler, 18, was indicted by a Limestone County Grand Jury on Nov. 14. He is set to have a pretrial detention hearing on Dec 10.
Butler allegedly made online threats to intentionally cause the death of Athens High School students, faculty, as well as school resource officers, in the summer of 2025.
The threats were posted to several online sites, including a “No Lives Matter” group, a violent organization within an extremist crime network. The Athens Police Department assisted the FBI in identifying Butler.
Butler is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and one count of terrorism. He is currently being held at the Limestone County Jail.
Reporting by Megan Plotka
#gunviolence #highschool #investigation #alabama #crime
- Title
- Alabama teen ordered to take anger management classes after shooting stepfather
- Runtime
- 0:49
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Marquese Donshae Gunter, 19, pled guilty to second-degree assault and received probation with anger management, according to Attorney Andy Hamlin.
Gunter shot his unarmed stepfather, Travis Smith, earlier this year in Lamar County. Smith survived the shooting.
Gunter has been held on $750,000 bond since his arrest.
Hamlin said Gunter admitted in court Friday to shooting Smith, who was unarmed on a couch.
Gunter, Smith and Gunter’s mother shared an apartment. Gunter fled but later returned with a stolen gun.
Speculation that Gunter acted in self-defense during a domestic dispute was later disproven by evidence.
At a bond hearing earlier this week, according to publish reports, the victim asked that the charges against his stepson be dropped.
Reporting by Carol Robinson
#lamarcounty #shooting #selfdefense #domesticviolence #angermanagement
- Title
- Trump’s offshore drilling could have huge impact on AL coast: ‘Single oil spill is all it takes’
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Last month, the Trump administration published the proposed 11th National Offshore Leasing Program, which will provide 34 new offshore lease sales, including seven in the Gulf of Mexico.
The draft proposal is currently open for public comment until Jan. 23, 2026. Lease sales are proposed in “Program Area A” of the proposal, including much of the Alabama coast, every year from 2027 to 2031.
On Dec. 10, the Trump administration will hold the first lease sale as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which mandated 36 oil and gas sales in the Gulf and in Cook Inlet in Alaska by 2040.
As part of the first sale, 32 three-mile-by-three-mile blocks will be offered for lease just a few miles from the coast of Fort Morgan and the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.
A second lease sale will be held in March 2026, when 15,000 lease blocks will be available for lease throughout the Gulf.
“A single oil spill is all it takes to...
- Title
- SEC to increase scholarship limits for football
- Runtime
- 0:36
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- The SEC will increase its football scholarship limit to 105, according to a report Friday by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
The House lawsuit settlement finalized last summer allowed schools to have a maximum of 105 scholarship players, but the SEC at the time voted to remain at 85. After another vote, the limit increased to 105.
Several other conferences — including the Big Ten and Big 12 — have already increased their scholarship limit to 105, so the SEC will now be in line with those leagues.
Schools are not required to go to 105 scholarships if they choose, but are now free to do so. It was not immediately clear if the limits would go into effect for the spring semester or for the 2026 season.
Reporting by Creg Stephenson
Read more on AL.com
#SECfootball #scholarship #studentathlete #ncaafootball #collegefootball #collegefootballsaturday #sportsnews
- Title
- UA alumni offer to fund shuttered student magazines
- Runtime
- 0:53
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Alice, a magazine aimed at women, and Nineteen Fifty-Six, a magazine focused on Black lifestyle and culture, were suspended from The University of Alabama’s campus last week.
After the university broke the news to the two student magazines, an alumni group said it may be able to help.
“There’s a lot of alumni who are really fired up about this and really want to make sure these students don’t get deprived of what they deserve,” said Victor Luckerson, president and co-founder of Masthead. “So we’d be really excited to try to get these magazines printed for them in the spring, if that’s what the students want to do.”
Luckerson offers mentorship and support to journalism and communications graduates through his nonprofit, Masthead. He said each magazine costs about $7,500 to print 1,000 copies.
Meanwhile, more than 80 alumni said canceling the magazines is “the beginning of a slippery slope of censorship for all stude...
- Title
- Trump cuts to housing program cost Central Alabama $5.9M: ‘Nothing about this is normal’
- Runtime
- 1:20
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- A national housing program funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, is losing $5.9M in funding. Participants of the program are at risk of returning to homelessness.
The Continuum of Care program provides emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing and wrap-around services to help people with severe disabilities and mental illnesses who cannot otherwise afford housing on their own.
The program is the largest source of federal funding for homelessness assistance, with an annual budget of about $3.5B, serving over 750,000 people experiencing homelessness each year, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
There are more than 400 Continuum of Care programs across the nation, including nine programs that serve Alabama.
One Roof leads the Continuum of Care for Central Alabama, coordinating local organizations to ensure an effective, equitable response to homelessness.
...
- Title
- Prison inmates plan work strike as advocates say ‘humanitarian crisis’ rages on
- Runtime
- 2:11
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Advocates for incarcerated men and women say they are determined to keep the public spotlight on the “humanitarian crisis” depicted in the new HBO documentary about Alabama prisons.
“The Alabama Solution,” uses inmate-shot videos taken on contraband cell phones to reveal crowded dorms, men sleeping on concrete floors, and rats caught in an inmate’s water bottle.
The Free Alabama Movement released a list of nine demands that included changes in sentencing laws, parole board reforms, an expansion of medical furloughs and compassionate release, the abolishment of forced prison labor, and others.
Advocates plan a statewide inmate work strike in Alabama prisons starting Feb. 8, halting critical jobs for the system’s operations like laundry and food service.
Reporting by Mike Cason
Read more on AL.com.
#prisonreform #prison #HBO #documentary #strike #alabama #thealabamasolution #advocacy
- Title
- Student loan updates 2025: Nursing is no longer a professional degree
- Runtime
- 0:47
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- People who want to start a variety of healthcare careers may find it challenging to pursue their education due to a recent federal change.
Several positions were reclassified from a “professional degree” to a “graduate degree” under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Students in “professional” programs can borrow up to $50,000 a year, and $200,000 in total. All other graduate programs can borrow less than half of that figure, $20,500 per year and $100,000 overall.
The Department of Education recognizes the following programs
as professional:
- Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
- Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
- Clinical Psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.)
- Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
- Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)
- Law (L.L.B. or J.D.)
- Medicine (M.D.)
- Optometry (O.D.)
- Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
- Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)
- Theology (M.Div., ...
- Title
- Can someone with a 4th grade reading level be executed for murder? #alabama
- Runtime
- 1:43
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- When Joseph Smith was 27, he was involved in the brutal beating death of a man in Mobile. At the time, he was reading at fourth-grade level. Is it enough to keep him from being executed?
The federal courts think so. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall does not. And next week, Alabama will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to let the state put Smith to death even though two other federal courts already ruled that he is intellectually disabled. #alabama #supremecourt
- Title
- Human bones found by dog for over a year finally identified
- Runtime
- 0:57
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Human remains dragged to a Center Point home by a dog four different times in one year have now been identified as a 25-year-old man missing since 2024.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Thursday identified the victim as Curtis Taylor Jr., a visually impaired man who vanished nearly two years ago.
Taylor was last seen Feb. 6, 2024 when he told his mother that he was going to spend some time with his father. When she hadn’t heard from him in two weeks, she reached out and learned he had not gone to his father’s home.
Chicarin, a German Shepherd mix, was found by his owner playing with a skull in Aug. 2024. Police were called and searched the area around the residence but found no other human remains at the time.
Chicarin then found a tibia in December 2024 and a femur in April 2025. A search of the yard after the femur find turned up a jawbone. Sheriff’s investigators discovered the additional remains in Aug. 2025.
...
- Title
- Former Alabama star stands up for the WNBA
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Los Angeles Sparks guard Sarah Ashlee Barker stood up to an Internet troll on the court for the WNBA.
The former Spain Park High School and Alabama star was half of a one-on-one game for the content creators 4 Fun Guys, who brought in a social-media boaster who said there wasn’t a WNBA player who could beat him.
Before their one-on-one game, Barker answered simply, “No,” when asked if she thought her opponent stood a chance against her.
Barker won the game 11-2 in the video posted on the WNBA Got Game YouTube Channel: “If you think I was hard, imagine, like, my teammates, who are literally the greatest of the great.”
On Monday, Barker made her debut as a color analyst on ESPN+’s televised coverage of the undefeated Alabama women’s basketball team’s 79-65 victory over Kennesaw State.
Reporting by Mark Inabinett
#wnba #sarahashleebarker #4funguys #lasparks #losangelessparks
- Title
- Ty Simpson: From small-town kid to Alabama's QB star
- Runtime
- 1:36
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Ty Simpson’s journey to QB at Alabama was full of faith and patience. Learn how Ty’s upbringing in Martin, Tennessee paved the way for him to be one of the top passers in the SEC. #alabama #football #alabamafootball #SEC #tysimpson
- Title
- Alabama home found full of caged monkeys
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Agents with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are currently investigating a Mobile County home that is reported to contain over a dozen monkeys in cages.
Officials told WKRG they’re taking inventory of the animals on the property, which also includes domestic cats and dogs. WKRG spoke with a couple neighbors who had encounters with the animals.
“I don’t know them, personally,” neighbor Tara Summers told the outlet.
“When I was a kid, I did play with the monkeys once, actually, because they had pigs that got out in the neighborhood that randomly came into the yard.”
“I’ve actually had the monkeys bite me before,” said neighbor Masey Miller.
“I remember back when I was like 16, it was like three years ago, one of the monkeys was, like, sexist. And they didn’t like women, so it was always biting girls. That’s why it bit me. I think."
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, no one has been arrested, according ...
- Title
- Only 3 states block undocumented students from college, and Alabama is one of them
- Runtime
- 2:19
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Alabama is one of three states that block undocumented students from college, and with increased immigration arrests nearly doubling in the state and the freezing of the DACA policy, it’s getting tougher for immigrants to get an education. Reporting by Rebecca Griesbach as part of a series about the challenges and opportunities facing Latino students in Alabama. Supported by a grant from the Education Writers Association. #alabama #immigration #trump #DACA
- Title
- AJ McCarron leads latest fundraising for lieutenant governor, still trails Wes Allen
- Runtime
- 1:07
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Former Alabama quarterback and political newcomer AJ McCarron led five Republican candidates for lieutenant governor in fundraising in November.
McCarron raised $105,760 for the month, his first full month of fundraising since announcing his first run for office in October.
Former Alabama quarterback and political newcomer AJ McCarron led five Republican candidates for lieutenant governor in fundraising in November.
Tuesday was the due date for monthly campaign finance reports with the secretary of state’s office. The McCarron campaign released a statement.
“When a newcomer and first time candidate raises more than $105,000 during the first month of his candidacy, it delivers a strong message of support and scares the heck out of the political insiders who created Montgomery’s good ol’ boy system,” it said.
Almost half of McCarron’s money came from Angus Cooper of Mobile, who gave $50,000. The rest came from a...
- Title
- What are Trump accounts? Who qualifies for $1,000 per child funding?
- Runtime
- 1:01
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- The White House’s plan for “Trump Accounts” received a massive boost this week when a tech billionaire and his wife pledged $6.25B into the efforts.
Trump Accounts are part of the president’s Working Families Tax Cut Act and in Trump’s words, “help millions of Americans harness the strength of our economy to lift up the next generation."
All U.S. citizens born between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2028 will be eligible for the tax-deferred savings account.
Any child under 18 with a valid Social Security number may open a Trump account. However, the government contribution will only go to those born between 2025-2028.
Each account will start with $1,000 in seed money from the government. The funds will be invested in the stock market and remain private property under guardian control until the child turns 18.
The Trump Accounts will only be invested in broad U.S. equity index funds that track the stock market and c...
- Title
- Nick Saban talks prospects for Alabama in SEC championship, playoff games
- Runtime
- 0:43
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Nick Saban and Miss Terry talk about teaching and football at the 14th annual Nick's Kids Teaching Excellence event.
#alabamafootball #rolltide #sec #secchampionship #nickskids
- Title
- Police say video shows man killed by officer posed ‘immediate threat’
- Runtime
- 2:09
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- A 26-year-old man shot dead by Birmingham police “posed an immediate threat” to officers and residents in the area, Chief Michael Pickett said Wednesday as he released body camera and housing authority security video.
Jamal D’Angelo Williams died early Saturday less than an hour after he was shot one time by an officer responding to a Shot Spotter call at the Rev. Dr. Morrell Todd Homes public housing complex in the Kingston community.
Williams’ mother, Priscilla Mahand, told AL.com earlier this week that she was heartbroken over the killing of her only child, and just wanted to know what happened.
“Whether he was right, whether he was wrong, either way it’s not going to bring him back,” Mahand said. “But I just want that peace for me because that’s my baby.”
Williams had been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. According to Mahand, Williams stopped taking medication when he got old enough to make t...
- Title
- University of Alabama suspends two student magazines to comply with anti DEI regulations
- Runtime
- 0:53
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- The University of Alabama on Monday announced to staff of two student-run publications that the magazines would be suspended effective immediately in compliance with federal regulations.
Alice Magazine, which celebrated its 10th year this month, describes itself as “a fashion and wellness magazine,” on its website.
Nineteen Fifty-Six, which was established in 2020, describes itself as “a student-run magazine focused on Black culture, Black excellence, and Black student experiences at The University of Alabama.”
UA officials cited a memo released by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi this summer claiming that DEI initiatives can be considered discriminatory and may be in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.
Steven Hood, vice president of student life, told the staff of both publications Monday night that because they target specific groups, they are “unlawful proxies” per the guidelines of Bondi’s letter.
- Title
- How much will Alex Golesh make as Auburn head coach?
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Auburn officially hired its newest head coach on Sunday, signing former USF head coach Alex Golesh to an incentive-laden six-year deal.
Golesh’s base salary will average $7.4 million per year, according to a copy of the terms sheet obtained by AL.com. His salary will start at $6.75 million, but his deal features a $250,000 escalator after each year.
By comparison, former Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze had a base salary of $6.5 million per year. Notably, there is no bonus for simply reaching a bowl game, a difference from Freeze’s contract.
Golesh’s contract is loaded with incentives too. He can make up to an extra $5.5 million per year from regular season win bonuses alone.
In total, Golesh’s bonuses include:
- An additional
- $1.5 million for nine regular season wins
- $2 million for 10 regular season wins
- $1 million for 11 regular season wins
- $1 million for 12 regular season wins<...
- Title
- Medicare announces price cuts for 15 prescription drugs including Ozempic
- Runtime
- 0:49
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- The cost of 15 prescription drugs will be lowered following negotiations with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Some negotiated costs for the drugs on the list include:
- Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy, for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and weight loss - $274 negotiated price, down from the $959
- Tradjenta, Type 2 diabetes - $78, down from $488
- Ibrance, breast cancer - $7,871, down from $15,741
- Breo Ellipta, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - $67, down from $397.
- Vraylar, Bipolar 1 disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia - $770, down from $1,376
The price cuts were negotiated through a program created under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Those price cuts will go into effect in 2026; new prices for the 15 medications will take effect in 2027.
The negotiated prices are what Medicare pays drugmakers for the medications and are not necessarily the prices patients ...
- Title
- What’s the minimum salary to be financially comfortable in 2026?
- Runtime
- 0:38
- Date posted
- 11 months ago
- Description
- Financial advice website GoBankingRates checked with experts for their opinion on what the minimum salary is to feel a sense of money security in the next year.
There are many variables that can determine this number, but experts say there is a clear baseline salary that can cover essentials like rent, groceries and some recreational activities along the way.
Jimmy Fuentes, a consultant for California Hard Money Lender, said it would take a household salary of more than $80,000 in 2026 to achieve that financial security level.
Reporting by Greg Garrison
Read more on AL.com.
#income #salary #inflation #costofliving #financialfreedom #money
- Title
- Alabama man charged in conspiracy to export AI technology to China
- Runtime
- 0:56
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- A north Alabama man has been arrested for his alleged role in an illegal conspiracy to send artificial intelligence (AI) technology to China.
According to a release from the Department of Justice, Brian Curtis Raymond, 46, of Huntsville, was one of four individuals arrested in connection to the alleged conspiracy.
According to the indictment, all of the alleged conspirators worked to transport NVIDIA Graphics Processing Units (GPU) to China from Malaysia and Thailand in violation of U.S. export laws.
Raymond has been charged with conspiracy to violate Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), two counts of ECRA violations, smuggling, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of money laundering.
If convicted on each charge Raymond could face up to 190 years behind bars. The other alleged co-conspirators all face similar charges.
Reporting by Patrick Darrington
#AI #NVIDIA #DOJ #crime #conspiracy
- Title
- Small Alabama town will soon open its very first public library
- Runtime
- 0:43
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Construction is underway in the small town of Orrville, which has a population around 150 residents, on its very first public library.
The library has been in the works for years, with officials first breaking ground on the project in 2023 after Congresswoman Terri Sewell announced a half-million dollars in federal funding for the project.
The library is being built right next to its town hall on Highway 22. The Dallas County town is hopeful construction will be finished by March 2026.
Currently, the closest public library is in Selma, which is around 15 miles away. Orrville Mayor Louvenia Lumpkin said they’re hoping the new library can host classes in addition to providing books and internet access to the community.
Reporting by Amber Sutton
#alabamalibraries #orrvillealabama #dallascountyalabama #publiclibrary
- Title
- Huntsville’s Downtown Rescue Mission gives free turkey meals to 850 families
- Runtime
- 1:05
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- About 850 families received turkeys and boxes with all of the trimmings at Huntsville’s Downtown Rescue Mission on Evangel Drive on Monday and Tuesday.
In addition to a turkey, each box contained mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, yams, cranberry, mac-n-cheese and rolls, serving four to six people. Only one box per family was permitted.
Overholt said about 250 volunteers were involved in the effort. About 20 of them were passing out boxes and turkeys on Tuesday morning.
The demand for meals was higher this year because area residents were furloughed and SNAP benefits delayed because of the federal government shutdown, mission public relations coordinator Ashleigh Hayes said.
While the free turkey meal distribution ended Thursday, the Downtown Rescue Mission is not done providing free Thanksgiving meals. The mission is hosting Thanksgiving banquets Wednesday and Thursday at 11 a.m.
Reporting by Scott Turner
...
- Title
- Stillman College secures $1.04 million in funding through new HBCU program
- Runtime
- 1:11
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Stillman College, a Tuscaloosa-based HBCU, was 1 of 11 HBCUs chosen to become part of the HBCU Brilliance Initiative, a new program that is the first-of-its-kind.
The HBCU Brilliance Initiative provides each college with $40,000 grants, up to $1 million in low-interest financing and opportunities to expand their network of financial experts and advisors.
According to the American Council on Education, private HBCUs experienced the deepest decline in federal funds per student between 2003 to 2015. The initiative hopes to bridge that gap.
According to Yolanda Page, president of Stillman College, the $40,000 grant will be used to conduct preliminary work, while the $1 million in financing gives Stillman the ability to kick infrastructure projects into motion. Another priority for the grant is digitizing important documents.
The college’s proposal focuses on four areas, including condition assessments of campus buildings and using some ...
- Title
- What does forgiveness have to do with Robert Plant?
- Runtime
- 6:59
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Alabama Media Group cartoonist JD Crowe talks about forgiveness at the Story Slam event at The Book Cellar in Fairhope, Alabama.
Video by Andolyn Fitzgerald
- Title
- Man sentenced to life in prison after 2018 Birmingham robbery spree
- Runtime
- 0:57
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Darius Monterro Williams, 40, received a life sentence without parole for multiple violent robberies in Birmingham targeting Hispanics, including putting a gun to a toddler’s head.
Williams was charged on five counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, and one county each of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle and animal cruelty.
Williams was sentenced to life without parole in each of the robbery convictions, 20 years on the kidnapping and gun convictions and one year for the animal cruelty conviction.
Williams has multiple prior robbery convictions dating back to 2009 in Jefferson County and is currently serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison for gun charges related to the 2018 crime spree.
All of the crimes happened on Aug. 22, 2018 in the Ensley area. The spree began about 7 a.m. that Saturday and concluded around 7 p.m. after a police chase.
Reporting by Carol Robinson<...
- Title
- Cullman teen adopted by teacher after death of her parents dies unexpectedly
- Runtime
- 1:12
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Students and staff at St. Bernard Preparatory School are mourning the loss of one of the school’s brightest students, Sarah Cumbie.
Cumbie fell critically ill on Nov. 16 after being found unresponsive at home. She was transported to Cullman Regional Medical Center and later transferred to intensive care at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.
The 17-year-old died on Nov. 21 after being on life support since the onset of the sudden illness five days earlier. Tests are being done to determine the cause of death.
Craig Mann, a teacher at the school, and his wife adopted Sarah after Sarah's mother died in a car accident shortly after her father died of COVID when Sarah first came to St. Bernard as a seventh grader.
“Academically gifted, Sarah learned just this month that her ACT ‘super score’ had reached an impressive 32, positioning her for four years of tuition-free study at the University of Alabama — her dream school," St. B...
- Title
- Alabama universities ranked on list of 'Sexiest Mascots in College Football'
- Runtime
- 0:45
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- In a list called “Hotties Deserving a Heisman: The Sexiest Mascots in College Football,” the site BetUS ranked 149 Division I mascots from varying conferences.
University of South Alabama’s Miss Pawla and SouthPaw took the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the Top 10 “Hotties for Heisman” list.
Other notable mascots on the list include University of Alabama’s Big Al at No. 16, Auburn’s Aubie the Tiger at No. 88, and UAB’s Blaze the Dragon at No. 131.
The criteria for sexiest mascot included appearance, personality, confidence and presence.
Reporting by Kelly Kazek
Read more on AL.com
#collegefootball #wareagle #rolltide #mascots #southalabama #alabamafootball #auburnfootball #gojags #goblazers #blazethedragon #uab #auburnalabama #secfootball
- Title
- Trump’s $2000 stimulus payment: Latest update is not good news if you're wanting a check
- Runtime
- 0:45
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- President Donald Trump has said he wants to send Americans a $2,000 dividend generated by revenue from tariffs on foreign goods.
Details on the payments are scarce, other than Trump stating that they would go to low- and moderate-income individuals, and “high-earners” would be excluded.
No details were provided on those cutoff ranges, or if the payments would be per family or individual. No timeline was given other than Trump saying they would “probably” go out in the middle of 2026 or “a little bit later than that.”
Some lawmakers, including members of the president’s own party, are pushing back against the idea and it can’t move forward without Congressional approval.
Reporting by Leada Gore
Read more on AL.com
#stimuluscheck #trumpadministration #tariffs #donaldtrump #congress #update
- Title
- Doug Jones will enter 2026 Alabama governor’s race
- Runtime
- 0:57
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Following weeks of hints and speculation, it’s official: former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones plans to enter the Alabama governor’s race against current U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville.
The news was first reported on “The Voice of Alabama Politics,” an online news and analysis show hosted by Bill Britt, editor of the Alabama Political Reporter. AL.com has independently confirmed the announcement.
“I got a call from those very, very close to former U.S. Senator Doug Jones," said Bill Britt, editor of the Alabama Political Reporter. "And we can now report with certainty that Doug Jones will file his paperwork with the Secretary of State this coming week to run for governor of Alabama.”
Jones had previously hinted that he would seek the Democratic nomination. Asked about it at a forum held by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell in Birmingham earlier this month, he said, “Stay tuned.”
Jones represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate from 2018 to 2021. H...
- Title
- Britt joins push for long-term funding for maternal mortality research
- Runtime
- 1:37
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala) joined Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to reintroduce the NIH IMPROVE Act, which would ensure consistent funding for research on maternal care and mortality.
In 2019, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative.
IMPROVE supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health care for women before, during, and after pregnancy.
The program currently lacks a sustained funding source, Britt’s office said in a recent news release. The IMPROVE Act would authorize $73.4 million annually for seven years to support research on potential causes of maternal mortality.
“I’m proud to fight for moms and women across Alabama and America. This bipartisan legislation will support targeted funding for critical research to improve health outcomes for women throughout their pregnancy journey," ...
- Title
- Alabama teacher arrested, fired as video appears to show her hitting child with belt 20 times
- Runtime
- 0:47
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- According to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Nicole Staples, a 2nd grade teacher at Cottage Hill Christian Academy, was charged with willful abuse of a child under 18 Wednesday evening.
The video shows her outside of school striking the child over 20 times before pulling him by his hair.
Cottage Hill said in a release that Staples was fired following her arrest, “in accordance with institutional policy.”
Staples was named co-Teacher of the Year by the school in May, according to social media posts that have been deleted.
Reporting by Patrick Darrington
#mobilealabama #beating #student #teacher #arrested #elementaryschool
- Title
- House repeals shutdown provision that let Tuberville sue government
- Runtime
- 1:06
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- The House voted Wednesday to repeal part of a new law that gives senators the ability to sue the federal government if their personal or office data is accessed without their knowledge.
Under the new law, the senators can sue for up to $500,000 in damages for each instance of data retrieval without their knowledge.
The 427-0 vote was a bipartisan rebuke after Majority Leader John Thune added the provision to the funding bill that passed earlier this month ending the nation’s longest government shutdown.
Phone records of as many as 10 senators were analyzed by the FBI in 2023 as part of an investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville previously suggested he will “sue the living hell” out of Biden administration officials who accessed his phone records.
While Tuberville characterized the situation as former President Joe Biden tapping his phone...
- Title
- Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal possible site for new nuclear project
- Runtime
- 0:56
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal is one of nine installations on a list of possible sites for a new nuclear program by the U.S. Army. Redstone could receive nuclear microreactor power generators by 2030.
The small reactors are part of the Army’s Janus Program designed to deliver “secure, resilient, and reliable energy to support national defense installations and critical missions,” according to the Army.
According to Stripes.com, microreactors are generally 100 to 1,000 times smaller than a conventional nuclear reactor and can be small enough to be transported via tractor trailer.
The reactors can produce up to 50 megawatts of power and can function independently of the traditional electric grid, the site said.
The nine sites were identified through an analysis and on-site assessments that included mission-critical installations, energy requirements, power infrastructure, and technical considerations.
It’s not a g...
- Title
- US Postal Service announces major increase in prices
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- USPS filed a notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission asking for the price adjustment for certain shipping products.
Shipping price increases will take effect Jan. 18, 2026.
There are no increases planned for mailing services and the price of First Class stamps will remain the same.
Stamp prices rose from 73 cents to 78 cents in July.
In a statement, USPS said prices for shipping services are determined by market conditions, while mailing service prices are set by the Consumer Price Index.
“The governors believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the organization with needed revenue," USPS said.
Reporting by Leada Gore
#USPS #priceincrease #mail #postalservice #shipping #packages
- Title
- Auburn’s anti-DEI compliance forms: What will happen to faculty members?
- Runtime
- 0:52
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Auburn professors face no legal consequences for not turning in an anti-DEI law course compliance form, but it’s unclear if they could lose their jobs.
A faculty senate meeting was held with the provost and general counsel Nov. 12 to answer lingering questions from professors about compliance forms sent to faculty on Oct. 31.
SB 129 went into effect October 1, 2024. The law bans divisive concepts, diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programming and training in public colleges and other state agencies.
Part of SB 129 states that schools can’t “require or compel students to adopt, affirm, assent to, or agree with divisive concepts.” Divisive concepts include color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
Public organizations can lose state funding if the law is violated.
Faculty members were asked to sign the forms ensuring their courses are in compliance and aren't violating the law.
#alabam...
- Title
- Senate candidate suggests deploying National Guard to Alabama’s ‘two largest Democrat-ran cities'
- Runtime
- 0:55
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, AL-01, mentioned the possibility of the National Guard being deployed in Alabama during a hearing on the topic of Restoring Law and Order in High-Crime Cities Wednesday.
In the hearing, Moore asked witnesses if cities that have had National Guard deployments have “seen improvement enough that would warrant the National Guard coming to Alabama.”
While Montgomery and Birmingham have some of the highest rates of violent crime in Alabama, both saw drops in crime over the first half of 2025.
Rafael Mangual, a senior policing fellow with conservative think tank the Manhattan Institute, told Moore that evidence suggests that while the National Guard presence has been a deterrent in cities that effect is limited.
Moore is running in the Republican primary for the Senate seat Tuberville now holds. Tuberville is foregoing a run for re-election to run for governor.
Reporting by Patrick Darrington
- Title
- Richard Scrushy sues to overturn $3.2B HealthSouth fraud fine
- Runtime
- 1:07
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy is suing the law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings for malpractice, fraud and conspiracy.
Scrushy’s alleges that Bradley Arant lawyers in 1998 were hired to represent him and his interests but later aligned with HealthSouth in 2002.
In another court filing, Scrushy asked a judge to toss the firm from the court case where the $3.2 billion judgment against him still stands.
While in federal prison in 2009 Scrushy was also found liable in a civil case related to the HealthSouth accounting fraud and slapped with $3.2 billion in damages. This is the judgment that he is seeking to reopen.
According to an affidavit providing details from the firm’s side, the firm did represent Scrushy and his wife, but that all remaining matters open for Scrushy were dropped when his office was raided.
Scrushy insists he only recently learned about the firm’s involvement on both sides because his assi...
- Title
- Woman arrested in penis costume at protest bodycam footage
- Runtime
- 3:00
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Newly released bodycam footage shows a Fairhope police colonel confronting and arresting a 61-year-old grandmother dressed in an inflatable penis costume during a protest last month.
Footage provided to AL.com by Renea Gamble’s legal team captures Col. Andrew Babb telling Gamble her costume would not be tolerated in a “town that has values.”
Gamble’s attorneys filed a 13-page brief seeking dismissal of misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest based on the camera footage. The filing argues the arrest violated her First Amendment rights as she was engaged in political protest during the Oct. 18 “No Kings” demonstration along Greeno Road.
The case is being heard in Fairhope Municipal Court and is due for trial on Jan. 6, 2026.
The arrest and images of a grandmother in an inflatable penis costume have generated national media attention, including being featured by late-night comedian Stephen Colbert.
- Title
- Full bodycam footage of arrest of Fairhope woman dressed in penis costume
- Runtime
- 13:12
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Full bodycam footage of arrest of Fairhope Protestor dressed as male genitalia. A 61-year-old woman dressed as a giant penis was handcuffed and arrested at Fairhope’s “No Kings” demonstration Saturday.
While similar protests around the country were widely reported as peaceful with minimal police interaction or arrests, the Fairhope arrest has sparked outrage and ridicule.
The arrest happened after officers were dispatched regarding complaints about “traffic hazards in the area.”
#nokings #nokingsday #arrest #lawenforcement #firstamendment #fairhopealabama #protest #police
- Title
- Jemison residents protest ICE collaboration after roadside checkpoint arrests
- Runtime
- 1:07
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Jemison residents held a rally against the city for helping U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detain undocumented immigrants.
About 10 people were detained by local police and ICE agents at roadside checkpoints on Nov. 11, according to organizers of the rally.
“They are at our kids’ sports events, they are at our children’s school," said Veronica Ayala, community organizer for the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. "And then they are giving each other high fives while they are taking our family members away?”
After the arrests officers took the detainees to Jemison City Hall where they were held temporarily. The next day, residents protested the city’s collaboration with federal agents.
While Jemison does not have a formal collaboration agreement with ICE, a new state law, SB53, took effect in October, allowing local police to ask people their immigration status.
“This checkpoint was prett...
- Title
- Katie Britt and Tuberville back releasing Epstein Files
- Runtime
- 1:03
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously voted to pass legislation from the House that will compel the Department of Justice to release all files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The measure now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk who was mentioned in newly leaked emails last week between Epstein and a reporter saying the president “knew about the girls,” according to the Associated Press.
Sen. Katie Britt said she hopes to have “justice for these individuals and that there is absolute accountability.”
Britt joined Sen. Tommy Tuberville who said he would support the effort to release the Epstein files to silence the “yelling” Democrats.
Britt and Tuberville have questioned why Democrats did not seek the release of the Epstein files when they were in power under former President Joe Biden’s leadership.
Reporting by Patrick Darrington
Read more on AL.com
#Epsteinfiles #t...
- Title
- ‘I wish the death penalty was available’: man sentenced to 965 years for child sexual abuse
- Runtime
- 1:06
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Jason Hudson, 48, was sentenced to nearly 1,000 years in prison after he made home videos of himself sexually abusing, sodomizing, and raping a child under the age of 12.
An Autauga County jury found Hudson guilty of 84 counts of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, sex abuse of a child and incest.
Hudson was also found guilty on five counts of production of child pornography and 75 counts of possession of child pornography.
District Attorney CJ Robinson said Hudson downloaded tagged images of child pornography on information sharing platforms. Those image downloads notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
NCMEC then coordinated with the Autauga County Sheriff’s Office to launch an investigation. Investigators found thousands of obscene images in Hudson’s possession.
Hudson’s wife, 37-year-old Farren Jill Hudson, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to sodomy and was sentenced to 30 years...
- Title
- Stimulus 2025: When Trump’s $2,000 tariff checks could arrive
- Runtime
- 0:59
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- This week, President Trump provided more information on the proposed $2000 tariff dividend payments.
“We’re going to be issuing dividends later on, somewhere prior to, you know, probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that. Thousands of dollars for individuals of moderate income, middle income,” Trump said in remarks to reporters in the Oval Office.
Details on the payments are scarce, other than Trump stating that they would go to low- and moderate-income individuals, and “high-earners” would be excluded.
Congress would have to approve any payments, something Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stressed when speaking to Fox News. Any payments would “need legislation,” Bessent said, but added the checks “could go out.”
The cost of the payments could exceed $200B if checks are issued to individuals and not per U.S. household. That’s more than the government collected in tariffs in 2025 and about half t...
- Title
- Loxley welcomes German manufacturer with tree planting at $61M facility site
- Runtime
- 1:17
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- Butting USA, a German stainless steel manufacturer, is establishing its North American headquarters in Loxley, Alabama with a $61 million investment.
The company celebrated the start of its construction project by planting an oak tree, a “symbolic rooting ceremony” for longevity and growth to come.
The investment is being split into two phases. The first phase of the investment is expected to be complete in early 2027, and the second phase at the end of 2029.
The company vows to add at least 83 new full-time jobs with an average hourly wage of $30. According to the Department of Commerce, the state is anticipating a $26.3 million addition of new revenues over 20 years.
In addition, the state estimates the facility generating $118.4 million in new payroll over 20 years.
Reporting by John Sharp
#loxley #mobile #steelplant #germanmanufacturing
- Title
- Bessemer greenlights $14 billion data center with rezoning
- Runtime
- 1:04
- Date posted
- 12 months ago
- Description
- On Tuesday the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of rural land just southwest of Birmingham to make way for the development of an 18-building hyperscale data center campus.
The developer is proposing the $14 billion project as a 4.5 million-square-foot campus, the Birmingham Business Journal reported. The data center would take roughly eight years to build in several phases, the developer previously told the city council.
While the site is in Bessemer, many of the residents who live closest to it on unincorporated land have expressed concerns over noise, electricity and water usage, environmental protection and other issues with the project.
Reporting by Hannah Denham
#bessemer #datacenter #AI
