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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For the first time in 108 years, Chris’ Hot Dogs is reportedly changing hands. The owners of the Montgomery eatery confirmed the sale in a Facebook post over the weekend. The restaurant with its distinctive green awning has a client list that includes Doctor Martin Luther King, junior, country music legend Hank Williams, and writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. -
The State of Alabama says over thirteen thousand members of the U.S. military are stationed in Alabama. When family members factored in, that number reportedly increases to fifty five thousand. And, that doesn’t count the estimated twenty six thousand servicemen and woman in the Alabama National Guard. All are waiting on Wednesday when the Pentagon is supposed to issue paychecks. -
Thirty-five men have died by court-ordered executions in the U.S. so far this year, including one early Friday, with seven others scheduled to be put to death later this month. The increase in executions is largely being driven by four states — Alabama, Florida, Texas, and South Carolina — that have carried out 76% of this year's court-ordered killings. -
Alabama moved up two spots to number six in the AP Top 25 poll. Missouri, which started 5-0, fell two spots to Number 16 after its three-point home loss to the Tide. Alabama was followed by Texas Tech, Oregon, Georgia and LSU. -
Number eight ranked Alabama scraped out a 27-24 victory over number fourteen. The Tide sealing the deal with a fourth-quarter interception from Dijon Lee Jr. with 37 seconds left. It’s Alabama’s third straight SEC win, sending the Crimson Tide to 5-1 on the season and emerging as a true contender. -
Ty Simpson threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including the clincher on fourth down to Daniel Hill with 3:16 to go, and eighth-ranked Alabama held off number fourteen ranked Missouri 27-24 on Saturday to give the Crimson Tide their fifth consecutive win. -
A juvenile male was arrested Friday for his part in a shooting that killed two people and injured 12 others in a crowded downtown nightlife district in Alabama’s capital city this past weekend, police said. Montgomery police announced that the boy has been charged with capital murder and 12 counts of assault. His name wasn't immediately released. -
A federal judge refused to stop an upcoming nitrogen gas execution in Alabama saying the inmate was unlikely to prevail on claims that the method, which has been used multiple times, is unconstitutionally cruel. Chief U.S District Judge Emily Marks declined a request from Anthony Boyd to block his scheduled October 23rd execution. -
Heather Campbell lost her job working for a food bank over the summer because of federal funding cuts. Her husband serves as an officer in the Air Force in Alabama, but now he’s facing the prospect of missing his next paycheck because of the government shutdown. If lawmakers in Washington don't step in, Campbell’s husband won’t get paid on Wednesday. -
A recent raid by ICE raid agents who rounded up South Korean workers in Georgia could have economic impact in Alabama, and also raise political issues in the Peach State. Namely, Georgia Brian Kemp be tough on immigration and still encourage foreign investment? The detentions sparked questions in South Korea about its relationship with the United States, especially when Hyundai and its partners, including in Alabama.
