JASPER, Ala. — A former Walker County sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to two counts of civil rights violations for violently assaulting Tony Mitchell, an inmate who died weeks later after being jailed under brutal and inhumane conditions. Carl Lofton Carpenter, 55, admitted that during Mitchell’s 2023 arrest, he stomped on the…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An Alabama transgender woman, Cayla Calhoun, who left her home state searching for refuge from escalating anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, was assaulted near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., last month in an attack police are investigating as a possible hate crime. Calhoun, who grew up in Argo, Alabama, relocated to the nation’s capital…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The highly anticipated Opulence Drag Lounge & Taqueria, which promised to bring new life and inclusivity to Birmingham’s Five Points South, has abruptly terminated its entire staff and postponed its opening indefinitely after running out of funds and failing to secure necessary licenses. Opulence, founded by Scott Charby and Wade Brooks, was…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — DeVinci’s Italian Restaurant, a beloved fixture in Homewood for six decades, will close its doors for good in August after serving generations of Birmingham families. Opened in 1965 by Fred Koetter, a native of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, DeVinci’s quickly became a local favorite for its classic Italian fare and welcoming, laid-back atmosphere.…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama has surged to the top of the nation in the share of homes purchased by institutional investors, with nearly 11% of houses sold in the state during the first quarter of 2025 going to large investment firms and real estate companies. This marks a sharp increase from 9.7% a year ago,…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Trump administration has appointed two of Alabama’s most prominent and controversial climate scientists, John Christy and Roy Spencer, to advisory positions at the Department of Energy, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the broader scientific community and climate advocates. Christy and Spencer, both faculty at the University of Alabama…