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Joyland Closure Renews Questions about Avondale Site’s Restaurant Turnover
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Joyland’s permanent closure in Birmingham’s Avondale neighborhood has ended another short-lived restaurant run at a location best known for its years as Bottletree Café, the influential music venue that helped establish Avondale as a destination for live entertainment and independent businesses. Joyland closed after service Sunday, Aug. 2, nearly two years after…
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Alabama Jobless Rate Climbs in June
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama’s unemployment rate rose to 3.2% in June, up from 3.0% in May and 2.9% in June 2025, according to the latest data from the Alabama Department of Workforce and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state counted 76,641 unemployed people in June, compared with 72,046 in May and 67,728 a…
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Alabama Schools to Display Ten Commandments Under New Law
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama public schools are set to begin displaying the Ten Commandments in certain classrooms and common areas as the new school year starts, renewing a dispute over religion in public education and whether the state is promoting one faith tradition over others. Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 99 in April, requiring…
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Ralph Lauren Joins with Gee’s Bend Quilters on New Collection
BOYKIN, Ala. — Ralph Lauren has launched a new collection with the quilters of Gee’s Bend, the rural Alabama community whose handmade quilts have become some of the most celebrated works in American folk art. The collaboration, part of the company’s Artist in Residence program, went on sale July 28 and was created with Gee’s…
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Alabama Among States Hit Hardest as Student Loan Defaults Return
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Student loan defaults are climbing again in Alabama, putting the state among the hardest-hit in the nation as federal repayment and collection efforts resume after years of pandemic-era relief. A New York Fed analysis released in May found that states in the South have the largest share of newly defaulted borrowers, with…
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As Civil Rights Retreat in The South, UA Removes LGBTQ+ Protections
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama quietly removed explicit protections for LGBTQ+ people from its systemwide nondiscrimination policies in late 2025 and early 2026, a move critics say reflects a broader retreat from civil rights gains that is hitting the South hardest. Archives of the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity Programs show that language…
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