Pat Duggins
News DirectorPat Duggins is APR’s news director. As a kid, he watched the Apollo manned moon launches along Florida’s space coast. Pat later spent 14 years covering NASA for NPR. After re-organizing the APR newsroom, he and the team were honored with over 150 awards for excellence in journalism. That includes APR being the first radio newsroom to receive RFK Human Rights’ “Seigenthaler Prize for Courage in Journalism.” Pat holds a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and has published two books on NASA. When he’s not at APR, he enjoys cooking with Lucia, and tending his beloved fig tree.
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The Crimson Tide is within two games of possibly losing a shot at the playoffs. And, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek are reporting on rumors that Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is in the running to replace the newly fired James Franklin in charge of the Penn State Nittany Lions. One report quotes a source close to DeBoer refuting the reports. A lot of others are “keeping their powder dry.” -
Published reports are swirling over what critics say started as a story in the college newspaper at Penn State. Specifically, that the Nittany Lions need a new head coach, and one name in the running is that of the Crimson Tide’s current head coach, Kalen DeBoer. Five days ago, The Daily Collegian ran a piece titled “If Alabama does the unthinkable, is Kalen DeBoer the guy for Penn State?” At first, local news outlets appeared to chortle over the possibility. Now, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated are reporting on it. -
The board overseeing Alabama public libraries on Thursday voted to remove books that discuss being transgender from the teen and children’s sections of all public libraries in the state. The Alabama action is the latest salvo in the national fight over library content that has frequently centered on titles with LGBTQ+ themes and characters. -
Coming off a home loss to Oklahoma and with lower-division Eastern Illinois visiting Saturday, number ten ranked Alabama will try to reclaim its rhythm before the Iron Bowl. Saturday represents the last chance for the Crimson Tide to tune up its game before the now all important Iron Bowl. Alabama’s Homecoming loss to Oklahoma means its path to the playoffs has narrowed -
The Mobile based band “The Red Clay Strays” took a top honor during last night’s Country Music Awards. The country rock band won vocal group of the year, which broke a seven year streak by Old Dominion in that category. Billboard Magazine listed the win for the Strays as a “surprise” during last night’s CMA’s . -
A federal judge has ordered Alabama to use a new state Senate map in upcoming legislative elections after ruling that districts drawn by lawmakers illegally diluted the voting power of Black residents in the state’s capital city. U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections. -
A historic ocean liner will become the world’s largest artificial reef after it's sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast early next year. Okaloosa County officials announced Tuesday that they expect to sink the SS United States in early 2026 about 22 nautical miles (41 kilometers) southwest of Destin and 32 nautical miles (59 kilometers) southeast of Pensacola. -
Facing a public backlash, the commission that oversees Alabama Public Television voted Tuesday to continue paying its contract with PBS, rejecting an effort — at least for now — to be the first state to cut ties with the broadcast giant because of politics and federal budget cuts. -
Roy Wood, Jr. has come a long way from Birmingham. He launched his comedy career making prank phone calls for a local radio station in the Magic City in 2001. Along with his current success as a stand up comic, Wood is host of CNN's panel show "Have I Got News For You." That followed eight years as a correspondent on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." Wood is also out with a new book titled The man of many fathers. It's a memoir focusing on his relationship with his dad, civil rights era journalist and radio show host Roy Wood, Sr, All of that's coming up on APR Notebook. -
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey urged the board that oversees Alabama Public Television to delay any decision on severing ties with PBS until it has studied Alabamians’ opinions on the matter and developed a plan for what comes next.
