Auburn University PhD student Chris Hamilton recently discovered a new species of spider and promptly named it after music legend Johnny Cash. Aphonopelma johnnycashi is one of 14 new tarantula species discovered by Hamilton in the United States. This particular species was discovered near Folsom State Prison in California, where Johnny Cash famously performed a […]

MADISON, Wis. — The perpetually offended atheists group that has routinely targeted Alabama towns and schools in recent years has now penned a letter to President Barack Obama demanding he “do something” about the “reprehensible prejudice and ubiquitous social stigmatization” of America’s “freethinkers, atheists and agnostics.” Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-presidents of the […]

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn University took another step towards the top of collegiate research last week when it unveiled a $1 million campus supercomputer that was built in-house at the university. The supercomputer was created with the help of 30 research groups on campus, and is expected to bring in top researchers to the school. […]

On Sunday night, women all over America went wild for Doody. That’s right, with a cast list that included Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Hudgens, and Carley Ray Jepsen, a character named Doody was the breakout star of Fox’s production of Grease: Live. Native Alabamian Jordan Fisher portrayed the classic character for the live production. […]

(Video above: Karim Shamsi-Basha looks into Syria from Israel’s Golan Heights) By Karim Shamsi-Basha Eerie landscape laden with conflict loomed while I felt the wind on my palm through the open car window. Knowing that I couldn’t see my sister, who was 50 miles away, added to the haunting feeling. The car drove through farms […]

(Video above: Derrick Henry delivers closing prayer at National Prayer Breakfast) WASHINGTON — Heisman-winning University of Alabama running back Derrick Henry delivered closing prayer at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. With President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama seated just to his right, Henry prayed “in Jesus’ name” for Americans who have fallen […]

Imagine a home that not only anyone would want to live in, but everyone could also afford. An Auburn University design program is working on making that dream a reality. The Rural Studio, founded in 1993, is an off-campus design-build program that is part of Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction. The program […]

By Alec Harvey When the producers of “The Amazing Race” first approached Cole LaBrant (@TheSuperCole on both Twitter and Instagram) about competing on “The Amazing Race,” he had no idea who his partner might be. They found Cole, a freshman at Troy University, through his 6.5 million followers (and astounding 3 billion loops) on the […]

By Michael Sznajderman The Alabama Workforce Council formally presented its latest recommendations to Gov. Robert Bentley this week, capping months of work and research aimed at better preparing Alabama’s workers and students for a competitive, global economy. In January 2015, the 40-member advisory council presented its first findings and recommendations to the governor, which included […]

The “street life,” as Deanglo, a Birmingham resident, calls it, has become a pop culture phenomenon in recent years. The fascination with, if not outright glorification of violent criminal activity and the spoils that sometimes come with it permeates the entertainment choices of many Americans, even in the Bible Belt. Alabama sports website and liberal […]

By Move I-20/59 coalition leaders Gail Andrews; Dell & Dixon Brooke, Jr.; Will Brooke; Ralph Cook; George French; Kathryn & Raymond Harbert; Kate Nielsen; Ruffner Page; & Lucy & Temple Tutwiler, III John Cooper’s recent editorial, “Here’s why we must improve and replace Birmingham’s downtown bridges,” is more of the same “we know best” rhetoric […]

According to the newly released Almanac of American Philanthropy, Alabamians are among the most generous people in America. The Almanac includes research into charitable giving and breaks it down by various geographical and demographic variables. According to the state-level data, Alabama is America’s third most generous state. Here is a look at the top 10 […]

Your browser does not support iframes. (Video above: A time lapse of the SunTrust Park construction — Nov. 2015) Starting in 2017, when baseball fans in Atlanta close out the national anthem with “…the home of the brave(s),” that home they’re singing of will have been built in part by Alabama-based construction juggernaut Brasfield & […]

As the Alabama legislature enters the 2016 session, legislators have one thing on their mind: how can we make the state of Alabama flourish again? As elected leaders, we understand our joint responsibility to create more jobs, maintain a stable economy, and perhaps the most significant task—work together to create a brighter future for Alabama. […]

By Michael Sznajderman The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting the potential for severe weather Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night for large portions of Alabama. The most significant threat is in western counties, with severe thunderstorms, quarter-size hail, damaging winds and tornadoes possible. As of midday Monday, the NWS was predicting a more limited risk for severe […]

Weston, Jackson, and I have some HUGE news to announce. We decided that the best way to announce it this year would be to incorporate the biggest movie out in 2015. Hope everyone enjoys the big news and the dedication to the star wars geeks out there like Weston. Thank you SO MUCH to Adam […]

OPELIKA, Ala. — Bennie Adkins turns 82 today. Exactly 50 years ago, Mr. Adkins was in the jungles of Vietnam. He returned to the United States a legend among Army Rangers, and almost a half-century later was awarded the Medal of Honor for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty during […]

RELATED: Don’t miss Yellowhammer’s upcoming Alabama Economic Growth Summit Made In Alabama asked Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle to outline his economic development priorities for 2016 and provide insight on why the city has been able to land a series of major projects in the past couple of years. Here are his remarks. Q: What are […]

RELATED: Don’t miss Yellowhammer’s upcoming Alabama Economic Growth Summit Made in Alabama asked Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson to share his economic development priorities for 2016, which is shaping up to be a monumental year for the Port City. Here’s what the mayor said. Q: What are your economic development priorities in 2016 and what would […]

RELATED: Don’t miss Yellowhammer’s inaugural Alabama Economic Growth Summit Made In Alabama asked Birmingham Mayor William Bell to share his thoughts on the economic development successes recorded by the state’s largest city in 2015 and where Birmingham is headed in the new year. Here’s what he said. Q: What are the 2015 highlights for you? […]

With the deadly, mosquito-borne Zika virus sparking panic in South America and popping up in a handful of places in the southeastern United States, Alabamians are beginning to wonder, should we be worried? Zika was first discovered in Uganda in 1947. It spread rapidly across Africa, then popped up in various regions of the world […]

A massive nationwide study of Americans’ overall well-being reveals that while daily life for most U.S. residents has not gotten better in recent years, Alabamians’ well-being has improved faster than citizens of any other state in the country. According to the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Alabama has gone from ranking 46th in 2014, to 28th […]

(Video above: “I-20: The Sex Trafficking Superhighway”) Anna* grew up in what she describes as a “middle-to-upper class family” in Alabama. On her sixteenth birthday, her parents got her a Honda Accord. “I had my wheels, I had my freedom,” she says. But like many American teenagers, Anna’s relationship with her parents was sometimes frayed […]

By By Jacki Lowry In 1978 Bill Waldrop had a vision for improving the lives of those living in Double Springs, Alabama, his wife’s hometown. Waldrop began building his first grocery store, to alleviate the burden of those within the community forced to drive a half hour to the nearest market. Gateway Foods, Inc. soon […]