Fifteen years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster off the Gulf Coast, the effects of the largest oil spill in U.S. history are still being felt. Oil company BP has paid billions of dollars in damages, propelling ambitious coastal restoration projects. APR news was recognized with a national Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists for our documentary on the tenth anniversary of the Gulf oil spill.

Alabama lawmakers advanced legislation that would allow local law enforcement to enforce immigration law, as conservative legislators push for increased alignment with the federal government's crackdown on immigration. The bill was dubbed "Laken Riley Act," named after the 22-year-old Augusta University student who was killed last year in Georgia by an undocumented immigrant.

School material could look very different if two bills before the Alabama legislature become law. One measure would mandate the displaying of the Ten Commandments in an expansion of Christian texts in public schools, while deleting references to drag shows and the displaying of pride flags. Another bill would require schools to change their maps and materials to say “Gulf of America.”

Alabamians may find themselves quoting Longfellow today. Governor Key Ivey says the state will join the nation in a commemoration known as “two lights for the future.” The day remembers the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride during the Revolutionary War.

The Alabama legislature is working to make Hollywood feel more at home in our state. A bill is making its way through the Senate in Montgomery to add incentives for people who make movies or commercials here in Alabama. APR student reporter Barry Carmichael spoke to one Mobile resident whose movie making experience including meeting the actor who played Luke Skywalker.

A growing number of conservative leaders are pushing states to upend the long-standing U.S. constitutional right to free public education for children, regardless of immigration status. Alabama tried to enforce a state law to keep undocumented migrant children from public schooling, but agreed to a legal settlement on the matter and the law was blocked.

The Trump administration is expected to reverse a controversial 2023 decision on the permanent location of U.S. Space Command, perhap as soon as month’s end. Alabama is watching what happens since Huntsville is one possible landing spot.

The Trump administration has granted nearly seventy coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. The list includes the Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves seven southern states including Alabama.

Alabama did better than some states and worse than others when it comes to identity theft. The financial website Wallethub looked at data from the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission on issues like identity fraud complaints and state policies on data dumping and stopping spyware. Alabama was ranked midway at number twenty six nationally.

Today is April fifteenth. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean a panicked trip to your accountant. The Internal Revenue Service says Alabama is among a group of states who are getting an extension to file their taxes. The new deadline is May first. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are getting a break because of damage from Hurricane Helene last September.

Tyler Booker, Deontae Lawson, Jalen Milroe, and Malachi Moore gathered in front of Denny Chimes on the Tuscaloosa campus of the University of Alabama. Moore is returning for another year with the Crimson Tide football team. Milroe, Lawson, and Booker have all reportedly declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Huntsville defense contractor Teledyne Brown is on a list of twelve U.S. companies under an export ban from China. The communist nation is cutting off customers who are considered “dual use.” In other words, China components that could be used for either civilian or military purposes.