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Some Alabama counties among highest SNAP users in nation

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Some Alabama counties among highest SNAP users in nation


Some parts of Alabama are among the nation’s most reliant on food benefits, data shows.

About 15% of Alabamians will feel the impacts of a pause on Supplemental Nutrition Aid Program benefits if a weekslong government shutdown does not end by Nov. 1. That’s about 754,000 people – many of whom are children, senior citizens and individuals with disabilities.

But the need is much more pronounced in some of the state’s rural Black Belt counties, AL.com found, where as many as one in three residents received SNAP benefits in 2024.

Few other counties in the U.S. have higher enrollment rates than west Alabama’s Wilcox, Perry and Dallas counties, according to a recent report from the Associated Press.

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Nearly half of Alabama households receiving food stamps reported having a child under 18 or someone with a disability living among them. And two in five lived with at least one senior citizen, according to 2024 Census survey data.

Need closely mirrors racial wealth gaps in the state. Recent research from the Economic Policy Institute found that cuts to SNAP could disproportionately harm families of color.

Nearly a quarter of Black householders in Alabama were enrolled in SNAP benefits last year, compared to just 8% of white householders. About 15% of Hispanic and Native American householders in the state also received benefits.

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Statewide, SNAP enrollment ranged from just 5% of the population to up to 38%.

Shelby County, which has the lowest share of residents living below the poverty line, saw the lowest SNAP participation rates, at just 5.5%.

Other high-need counties span across much of lower and west Alabama, with Greene, Lowndes, Sumter and Butler counties reporting enrollment rates of more than 25%.

Far-reaching impacts

Nationwide, SNAP disbursements have been on the decline since reaching a peak in 2012. Today, far fewer Alabamians are receiving benefits than did a decade ago.

It’s a trend that largely mirrors economic patterns, experts say: As employment and income levels improve, fewer people enroll in food benefits. The country saw some of its lowest poverty rates in history in 2019, before swinging back up slightly during the pandemic.

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The shutdown began on Oct. 1, after Democrats refused to pass the Republican-sponsored bill to fund the government unless health care tax credits, part of the Affordable Care Act, were extended.

The Trump administration has confirmed it would not use roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits flowing into November.

As states like Alabama brace for a pause, researchers and advocates warn of far-reaching impacts.

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In addition to sending more than $140 million in food benefits to Alabamians each month, the program supports more than 7,800 jobs and $350 million in wages for grocery employees statewide, AL.com reported earlier this week. Cuts or interruptions to the program could cost Alabama up to $1.7 billion in annual federal funds, resulting in a $2.6 billion economic loss.

Alabama’s Department of Human Resources said individuals can still apply for SNAP during the pause and that current recipients must still recertify their benefits, report as they normally would and submit all normal documentation.

“These steps are of the utmost importance so DHR can submit each recipient’s benefit file as soon as the suspension is lifted; in other words, this will allow recipients to more quickly use their November funds in the grocery stores,” the press release said.

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Alabama Shakes Set Spring 2026 Tour Dates

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Alabama Shakes Set Spring 2026 Tour Dates


Alabama Shakes have lined up a string of North American tour dates for 2026. Brittany Howard and the band’s spring run includes multiple stops in Florida and a concluding two-night stint at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Colorado. Check out the new dates, plus their previously announced festival shows, European itinerary, and Zach Bryan support dates, below.

Support for the headline shows comes from Joy Oladokun, Mon Rovîa, Lamont Landers, and JJ Grey & Mofro. For every ticket sold, $1 will go towards nonprofits around the United States via the Alabama Shakes Fund, a press release notes. There is, as yet, no word on a follow-up to the band’s 2015 album, Sound & Color, but they did sign to Island this year and release their first single since that record.

Alabama Shakes:

04-16 Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront ~
04-17 Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena ~
04-18 Charleston, SC – High Water Fest
04-22 Memphis, TN – Grind City Amphitheater +
04-24 Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park +
04-25 Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater +
04-26 St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre %
04-28 Tallahassee, FL – Adderley Amphitheater %
04-29 Boca Raton, FL – Sunset Cove Amphitheater %
04-30 Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound %
05-02 New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-24 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
05-25 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
06-13 Manchester, Tennessee – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
07-01 Leeds, England – Millennium Square
07-02 Wasing, England – On the Mount at Wasing
07-03 London, England – Alexandra Palace *
07-05 Ghent, Belgium – Gent Jazz Festival
07-07 Lucca, Italy – Summer Festival
07-09 Lisbon, Portugal – NOS Alive Festival
07-10 Bilbao, Spain – BBK Live
07-11 Madrid, Spain – Noches del Botanico
07-25 Eugene, OR – Autzen Stadium ^
09-19 Dover, DE – The Woodlands ^

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~ with Joy Oladokun
+ with Mon Rovîa
% with Lamont Landers
# with JJ Grey & Mofro
* with Tyler Ballgame
^ supporting Zach Bryan



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Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

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Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State


COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.

The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.

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The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.

Up next

Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.

Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

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Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show


Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.

The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.

The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.

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We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?

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The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?

Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?

We’re so appreciative of our sponsors who make the show possible. Check out Derek Daniel State Farm in Alabama for your insurance needs. We’re also proud to partner with Purple Turtle Roofing on the program. From your first call to the final nail, our mission is to make sure you feel confident, cared for, and covered, literally.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.

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The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.


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