MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would require all public K-12 schools to begin each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and compel local school boards to vote on allowing daily classroom prayers, a move that has reignited debate over free speech, church-state separation and inclusivity in the state’s…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — P.F. Chang’s China Bistro has agreed to pay $80,000 and overhaul its employment practices at its Birmingham restaurant to settle a federal religious discrimination charge brought by a job applicant who said he was denied work after asking for Sundays off for religious observance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced this week.…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Birmingham will launch a sweeping crackdown on neglected, blighted properties next month under a new ordinance that allows the city to foreclose on non-owner-occupied homes with unpaid code enforcement liens. The measure, approved by the City Council and set to take effect Oct. 1, enables officials to seize abandoned, vacant or nuisance…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones on Monday called on Alabama and the nation to confront the dangers of political rhetoric after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, drawing historical parallels to Alabama’s own violent past and sharply criticizing the divisive language that dominates modern politics. Speaking just days after Kirk…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After decades defined by vacant blocks and shuttered buildings, Birmingham’s downtown is seeing its biggest residential construction surge in generations, signaling both renewed investment and rising national prominence in the multifamily housing sector. The metro area is expected to add 1,711 new apartment units in 2025, nearly triple last year’s total, according…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Birmingham police and the Jefferson County District Attorney have ruled a late-night shooting at Elyton Village public housing as justifiable, following a fatal altercation involving a reported home break-in. Authorities identified the victim as Tedarius Montez Seawright, age 33, who died from a gunshot wound after entering an apartment on the 1400…