Pat Duggins
/
Pat Duggins
Graphite mines in the United States largely closed down seven decades ago. Mining the ubiquitous mineral found in everything from nuclear reactors to pencils seemed to make little sense when it could be imported inexpensively from other nations, especially China.That view is changing now. And, Alabama is among the states taking part.
Alabama Public Radio is proud to share the work of local artist Abi Brewer, who created an original painting exclusively for the station. Views of Home is done in collaboration for APR's 2025 Fall Pledge Drive, happening from September 10 - 19. The art is what Abi calls "a love letter to Alabama." The painting celebrates the different flora, fauna and landscapes of the Yellowhammer State.
News & Commentaries From APR
-
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti believes his four seasons working with Nick Saban helped him learn how to prioritize organization, avoid complacency and maintain high standards. In fact, Cignetti thinks it's a primary reason he's preparing for his first Rose Bowl as a head coach. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer feels similarly about the one season he spent at Indiana. -
Fans of the fictional superhero Superman got some welcome news last weekend. Director James Gunn announced that, in the sequel to this year’s motion picture featuring the “man of steel,” a familiar but underused silver screen villain would be included. The bad guy in the Superman sequel “Man of Tomorrow” would be the criminal android Brainiac. A University of Alabama graduate, and two-time Prime Time Emmy award winner, could say “been there, done that.” -
This week on StoryCorps, Ralph and Grace Hobbs record stories of their youth for their grandkids, leaving heartfelt anecdotes for future generations. -
Alabama and Indiana couldn't have more different football histories. This Indiana team couldn't be more unlike the program's painful past. Alabama will play No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in a national quarterfinal matchup between a blue blood and the ultimate upstart. Alabama is one of the most successful programs in college football, with six national titles this century. Indiana has never won a New Year’s Six game and has no bowl victories since 1991. -
A Brown University sophomore who was killed in an attack at the Rhode Island university was remembered Monday as “smart, confident, curious, kind, principled, brave,” at a funeral in her home state of Alabama. Hundreds gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham to remember Ella Cook, 19. -
-
Investigators in the shooting that killed an Alabama college student are talking about the high tech tip that blew the case wide open. Gunman Claudio Neves Valente is believed to be the shooter at Brown University who left sophomore Ella Cook of Mountain Brook dead. -
Christmas is a time for sharing, a lesson learned at the very first Christmas! -
The University of Alabama is the first team to advance in this year’s college football playoffs. Oklahoma was on its way to be the first team to beat Alabama twice in one season since Grover Cleveland was President. The Sooners led seventeen to nothing in the second quarter. That when the Tide came to life. -
A frantic search for the suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University ended at a New Hampshire storage facility where authorities discovered the man dead inside and then revealed he also was suspected of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor. Alabama college sophomore Ella Cook was one of the two fatalities at the Brown shooting. -
Alabama’s football season may come down to one game tonight. The Crimson Tide will play Oklahoma before a hometown crowd in Norman. The winner will face number one ranked Indiana in the Rose Bowl during the championship quarterfinals. The only playoff game tonight is considered a toss-up, and that’s generating interest among sports bettors in what looks like a lackluster post season for Las Vegas oddsmakers. -
A retired Army veteran pleaded not guilty Thursday in the 1997 killing of an Alabama woman whose remains were found near the victims of Long Island’s infamous Gilgo Beach killings. Andrew Dykes, who had also served as a Tennessee state trooper and a corrections officer, was charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Tanya Denise Jackson, a fellow military veteran with whom he had a child outside of his marriage, according to prosecutors on Long Island.
Latest News From NPR
- Top Instagram reels from Goats and Soda in 2025: Plumpy'Nut, aid cuts, soccer grannies
- 'The Rest of Our Lives' takes readers on a midlife crisis road trip
- Hunker down with these 13 mysteries and thrillers from 2025
- Should the U.S. model its vaccine policy on Denmark's? Experts say we're nothing alike
- Marijuana rescheduling would bring some immediate changes, but others will take time
Alabama is known for football and white barbecue sauce. But we’re also making our mark in science, literature and the arts—and we helped put astronauts on the moon! Join APR news director Pat Duggins as he takes up topics like this with interviews on APR Notebook.
Dr. Don Noble, specializing in Southern and American literature, gives his weekly review on the work of Alabama’s finest authors.
Host Cam Marston brings fun weekly commentaries on generational and demographic trends to provide new ways to interpret the changing world around us.
Speaking of Pets with host Mindy Norton is a commentary for people who care about pets and want to celebrate that special relationship between humans and animal companions.
Sports Minded podcast with host Brittany Young features interviews with coaches, athletes and sports personnel. Insight, commentary and analysis on professional, collegiate and high school sports can be heard here.
Quick-Fire Quips is centered around people who stand out in Alabama. Host Baillee Majors presents guests with a questionnaire of playful personal questions and questions about the Yellowhammer State.
-
More than 20 Republican senators have signed onto a letter urging Trump to keep marijuana a Schedule I drug as he prepares to potentially loosen regulations on it. Punchbowl News is reporting that Alabama U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville is among them. -
APR listeners have heard a lot from former newsroom intern James Niiler this year. He reports for us from his hometown in Arhus, Denmark. His stories have ranged from diabetes treatment in Denmark and how it could apply here in Alabama, to the fight over Danish held Greenland. With the holiday season upon us, we asked James to send us a story on how Denmark. Here’s his story about a jolly old elf with a snow white beard and a red suit. One difference is the lack of reindeer. The man in James’ tale drives a Coca-Cola Truck. -
Former University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron announced Wednesday that he is ending his campaign for lieutenant governor of Alabama to pursue a sports-related opportunity. McCarron did not disclose the details of the new position but said “football is calling my name once again.” The announcement comes two months after McCarron announced his bid for office. -
What does it take to build a better Alabama? Chris Sanders, Communications Director for the nonprofit Alabama Arise has some thoughts. He talks with Quick-Fire Quips host Baillee Majors about how grassroots power is transforming the Yellowhammer State, the not-so-hidden gems of Montgomery and his superstitions that keep Alabama Crimson Tide football winning. Plus, the mentality off, "We go further when we go together." -
Authorities have asked the public for any footage they might have of the gunman who fatally shot two students and wounded nine others at Brown University, even as they released a new video timeline and a slightly clearer image of a possible suspect. The shooter killed sophomore Ella Cook, of Mountain Brook, as well as another student. Nine others were wounded. -
This week on StoryCorps, Zuriel Hooks speaks with Angela Oliver about how they want to be remembered and how their ancestors have inspired their goals for their legacy. -
A group of students and professors at public universities across Alabama are asking an appeals court to halt a state law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public schools and prohibits the endorsement of what Republican lawmakers dubbed “divisive concepts” related to race and gender. -
Authorities knocked on doors Monday searching for any video there might be of the Brown University gunman, who could be seen in grainy footage walking away from the weekend attack that killed two students and wounded nine others. Ella Cook of Mountain Brook, Alabama was among the victims. -
-
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is gearing up for his first playoff game with the Crimson Tide. Oklahoma will host Friday’s game with the winner facing number one ranked Indiana at the Rose Bowl. The Sooners’ defense is ranked fifth in the nation for rushing and seventh for scoring points
