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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It wasn’t immediately clear how quickly the debit cards that beneficiaries use to buy groceries could be reloaded after twin rulings by federal judges. That process often takes one to two weeks. The website USAfacts says 750,000 Alabamians use SNAP dollars to afford enough to eat. -
Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must to continue to fund SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using contingency funds during the government shutdown. An estimated 750,000 Alabamians depend on SNAP benefits to eat. -
A federal judge in Boston on Thursday seemed skeptical of the Trump's administration's argument that SNAP benefits could be suspended for the first time in the food aid program's history because of the government shutdown. The website USA Facts says 750,000 Alabamians use SNAP benefits to buy groceries. -
Immigration authorities did not receive word of a court order blocking the removal of a man living in Alabama until after he had been deported to Laos, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday, dismissing claims that officials violated the order. -
Colorado officials filed a lawsuit claiming the relocation of U.S. Space Command to Alabama was illegally motivated by President Donald Trump's desire to punish Colorado for its mail-in voting system. The litigation announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asks a federal judge to block the move as unconstitutional. -
The investigation continues into what Alabama law enforcement says was a foiled series of attacks on Synagogues. The Clarke County Sheriff’s office announced the arrested of Jeremy Shoemaker. Investigators believe the suspect was planning multiple attacks on Jewish synagogues across Alabama and surrounding states. Law officers says Shoemaker had a suitcase full of ammunition and body armor when he was taken into custody. It's apparently not an issue confined to Alabama or the United States. -
Alabama residents who depend on SNAP benefits for groceries are facing what could be a tough November. State officials say there will be no food stamp dollars next month, and it’s not just hungry families who may be hit. Eighteen rural Alabama counties are reportedly at risk of losing grocery stores if SNAP benefits are cut. The Center for American Progress used data from the USDA for its findings with Dallas and Wilcox counties at the top of the list. -
The Alabama Department of Human Resources confirmed that recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or Food Stamps will not receive aid during the month of November. Federal funding for the benefits was anticipated to end on Saturday due to the ongoing federal budget shutdown. The website USA Facts says over 750,000 Alabamians use SNAP to ensure they have enough to eat. -
Jimmy Wales, of Huntsville, is the founder of the online website Wikipedia. He also just authored his first book, “The Seven Rules of Trust,” which will available in bookstores starting tomorrow. It’s based on his work to establish the internet encyclopedia, which is reportedly visited by a billion people every month. -
The Louisiana State University Tigers fired coach Brian Kelly following a blow-out loss to Texas A & M. That 49-25 walloping on Saturday dropped the Tigers out of the AP rankings. LSU’s second quarter lead was short-lived, as Texas A&M went on to outscore them 35-7 in the second half. That means the Crimson Tide may spend this weekend off wondering which LSU it will face when Alabama resumes play on November 8th. The Tigers’ running backs coach Frank Wilson will step in for Kelly.
