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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The nation of Denmark has been making the news lately because of Donald Trump and Greenland. The island nation belongs to the Danish, and the re-elected President wants to buy it or take it over. But, that’s not the only thing Denmark is aware of when it comes to the United States. This year marks key anniversaries in the U.S. civil rights movement. How Denmark views this history can give a window into how Europe sees the United States.
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A lawsuit filed by 17 states, including Alabama, challenging federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions may proceed, a federal appeals court ruled. The Eighth Circuit Court’s decision on Thursday reverses the Eastern District's dismissal of the case in June due to lack of standing.
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The Alabama Supreme Court has cleared the way for the execution of a man whose innocence claim is supported by a juror from his trial. Justices on Friday authorized the execution of Robin “Rocky” Myers. He who was convicted in the 1991 killing of his neighbor. The execution will be carried out by nitrogen gas at a date set by the governor’s office.
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A federal scholarship aimed at boosting students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities has been put on hold, including in Alabama. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which provided recipients with full tuition and fees for students studying agriculture, food or natural resource sciences at one of 19 universities.
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White House negotiators are talking with Europe over tariffs on Aluminum and steel. And postponed tariffs against Canada and Mexico could expire as soon as next week. Officials at the Port of Mobile are watching all this activity. The State says the port generates close to one hundred million dollars a year in revenue.
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Alabama is back in the win column after defeating Kentucky at home ninety six to eighty three. Star guard Mark Sears scored thirty as the number four ranked Crimson Tide bounced back from losses to Auburn and Missouri. Chris Youngblood added fourteen points in the win of the number seventeen ranked Wildcats.
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The Alabama Department of Public Health is celebrating 150 years of service. The organization began in 1875 when leaders decided that a state system was needed to advocate for public health.
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Stone toolmakers and flint knappers from around the county are headed to Alabama. They're coming to town as The University of Alabama Moundville Archaeological Park hosts its annual Knap-In. This year's event is set to take place from Feb. 28 through March 1.
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A small Alabama city has placed its entire police force on administrative leave a day after a grand jury recommended the department be abolished. Hanceville Mayor Jim Sawyer says the Cullman County Sheriff’s Department will take over law enforcement duties as city officials mull the next steps.
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The U.S. Supreme Court says people left waiting for months on their unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic in Alabama can sue the state. The Friday ruling reverses an Alabama Supreme Court decision that found the plaintiffs must go through an unemployment agency appeals process before they can sue.
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The City of Mobile is currently celebrating Mardi Gras. But with the celebration comes trash that ends up on roads, sidewalks and in waterways. To prevent this, several organizations partnered with the city a few years ago to create the Cleaner, Greener LoDa initiative.
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Alabama hosts Kentucky tomorrow in Tuscaloosa after back to back losses to Auburn and Missouri. The Crimson Tide is playing it’s final regular season games before the start of March Madness. Mizzou coach Dennis Gates headed off students who might have charged onto the court in celebration after the Tigers upset Alabama on Wednesday.