MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed Executive Order No. 743 on Thursday, directing state-chartered banks to avoid denying services based on customers’ political views or beliefs, aligning the state with a similar federal directive from President Donald Trump. The order responds to claims of “debanking,” where individuals or businesses allege banks cut ties…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Birmingham is set to host the World Dodgeball Association World Cup in summer 2028 at the Birmingham CrossPlex, bolstering the city’s status as a global sports destination. The Birmingham City Council approved a $50,000 funding agreement for the tournament during its March 24 meeting, after the Budget and Finance Committee advanced it…

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — North Alabama could become home to a new fleet of small modular nuclear reactors under a multibillion-dollar agreement between the United States and Japan that supporters say will boost manufacturing and keep the state an energy exporter. The plan, announced this month by President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi,…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — For months, many Alabamians thought the state had effectively shut down “hemp stores” that sold delta‑8 and other THC products — and in some places, it looked that way. Now, as new rules kicked in on Jan. 1 and local governments scramble to respond, some of those same shops are getting a…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is leading a coalition of 24 state attorneys general urging federal health officials to permanently block Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP dollars from funding gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, a move critics say threatens access to essential care for transgender youth. The letter, filed as public comments on…

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — House Bill 403, part of a broader push to rein in data center incentives and protect ratepayers, would require the Alabama Public Service Commission to ensure that retail power contracts with “large load” data centers recover all additional grid and fuel costs directly from those facilities. The measure targets data centers with…