Alabama News

Kraft Heinz Foods Company has recalled approximately 367,812 pounds of fully cooked turkey bacon products that may be contaminated with listeria, according to a recent release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The products were produced from April 24 through June 11.

The problem was discovered after the establishment’s laboratory testing indicated the product may be contaminated with listeria, according to the release.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products as of July 3.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the USDA.

In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn and can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.

“Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food,” it reads.

Anyone concerned about an illness has been advised to contact a healthcare provider.

The following labels are included in the recall:

• 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of “Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL” and universal product code (UPC) “071871548601” printed on the packaging under the barcode, “use by” dates ranging “18 JUL 2025” to “02 AUG 2025,” and lot code “RS40.”
• 36-oz. packages containing three 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of “Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL” and universal product code (UPC) “071871548748” printed on the packaging under the barcode, “use by” dates ranging “23 JUL 2025” to “04 SEP 2025,” and lot codes “RS19,” “RS40,” or “RS42.”
• 48-oz. packages containing four 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of “Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL” and UPC “071871548793” printed on the packaging under the barcode and “use by” dates ranging “18 JUL 2025” to “04 SEP 2025,” and lot codes “RS19,” “RS40,” or “RS42.”

Consumers who have purchased these products have been urged by the USDA not to consume them.

The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, according to the release.

Shoppers with questions regarding the recall can contact Kraft Heinz Food Company consumer hotline at 1-800-280-7185 or email [email protected].

A British actor best known for his role in the Star Wars franchise has died. He was 87.

Kenneth Colley, who starred as imperial officer Admiral Piett in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” died “peacefully at his home in Ashford, Kent, on June 30 after contracting COVID and developing pneumonia,” according to his agent, Julian Owen, in a statement to the BBC.

Owens 60-year career spanned stage, film and television, including roles as Jesus in Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” for the BBC.

Colley was admitted to the hospital with an injured arm after a fall, but he quickly contracted COVID, which developed into pneumonia. He died with friends at his bedside.

Colley also starred in Clint Eastwood’s “Firefox” and the World War II series “War and Remembrance.”

Star Wars fans will remember his initial performance in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Darth Vader uses the Force to choke the general next to him while saying, “You have failed me for the last time.”

Looking frightened but resolute, Piett accepts his new position as admiral.

Colley reprised his role as Piett for the 2012 animated Lego production, “Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.”

Colley enjoyed traveling to Star Wars conventions and fan events all over the world and held several hobbies.

“Ken also loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars,” Owen said.

Birmingham brewery Uproot Brewing Co. is closing this weekend, after almost three years on Third Avenue South.

In a social media post, Uproot owner Nate Darnell said the last day for the tap room and brewery will be Sunday, July 6, explaining “it’s time we must switch gears.”

“Through the last two years, it’s brought us a lot of joy getting to share with you all our passion for creating craft beers, spirits, cocktails, and food. Yet at this juncture, we feel it’s the right time for us to downsize and give some time to other passion projects.”

Uproot Brewing set up shop in 2022 in the former location of Ghost Train Brewing.

However, Darnell said Uproot plans to stay in the game through contract brewing, collaborations with other brewers, and pop-ups.

“The brand and the beer isn’t going away,” the post stated. “We can’t thank y’all enough for the good times had, and look forward to the ones to come.”

The shortest offseason in sports belongs to the NBA, as things move very quickly following the end of the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals last weekend, with the draft taking place just three days later.

Another major milestone of the NBA offseason will be this weekend, as the Summer League will take place. A showcase for younger players to earn a place on the regular season roster, the Summer League is essential for any major NBA fan.

The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Miami Heat in the California Classic on Sunday. Bronny James will be on display, as he’ll be on the Lakers’ Summer League roster for the second-consecutive year. Rookie Adou Thiero will join him as well.

For the Heat, No.20 overall pick Kasparas Jakucionis will make his highly anticipated debut.

Fans looking to watch the Lakers vs Heat game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Lakers and Heat tipoff this weekend:

When: Sunday, July 6, 2025

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

Fans looking to watch the Lakers vs Heat game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

In his first seven seasons as the Denver Broncos’ left offensive tackle, Garett Bolles blocked for 12 starting quarterbacks, including two rookies. In his eighth season, Bolles blocked for one starting quarterback – rookie Bo Nix – and the tackle reached the NFL playoffs for the first time.

“As a young quarterback in this league, you can get jitters, get down on yourself,” Bolles said during an appearance on FanDuel Sports Network’s “Golic and Golic.” “But you never see that from him. You see calm, collected. Bo’s ready to rock every single day, and it’s so cool to see that. You talk about some of the greatest quarterbacks in our league with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees and all these guys and you look at their composure and their demeanor of being great. And that’s what Bo brings. He brings the composure not just to himself, but to his teammates. And when you’re in the huddle and you’ve got to drive the ball, we were one of the best two-minute teams in football last year. You see him make passes time and time again, and then just work on his craft in the offseason, getting ready for this minicamp that we just finished and now training camp. The sky’s the limit for the kid. …

“One throw that rings a bell to me is when we were playing the Cincinnati Bengals, and we were running a play-action pass. He launched the ball 60-plus yards in the air to Marvin Mims. What a freak of a throw that was. We all saw that, and just watching that ball in the sky and it was like, ‘Man, he had to put that right in his hands.’ To make that type of a throw to where he doesn’t skip a beat and he’s still running in stride, that’s a hard thing to do. A lot of quarterbacks underthrow or overthrow.

“Just to be that dialed in, and in big-time moments never be afraid of those moments. There’s times we had to score in the fourth quarter to win a game and there’s times where we had to drive in the fourth quarter in a two-minute drive or before halftime to put points on the scoreboard to win. No matter what the situation is, no matter the stress level it is, no matter how rocking the stadium is, that man never blinks, and it’s just super impressive to watch him lead our team and to be that example for us.”

RELATED: DENVER COORDINATOR ON BO NIX: ‘YOU CAN JUST FEEL THE COMFORT LEVEL’

After three seasons at Auburn and two at Oregon, Nix joined Denver as the 12th pick in last year’s NFL Draft. With the rookie starting every game at quarterback, the Broncos won 10 games and made their first playoff appearance since 2015.

The former Pinson Valley High School star completed 376-of-567 passes for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Nix posted the eighth-most passing yards and the second-most TD passes by a rookie in NFL history. He also finished sixth among rookies with 430 rushing yards in 2024, when four of his 92 carries went for touchdowns and 41 produced first downs.

On an appearance on NFL Network’s “The Insiders,” Bolles called Nix “a freak of nature.”

“He has swag, man. He really does,” Bolles said. “You would think a rookie like that would come in and it would be hard for him to adjust to the NFL life. And I think it just pays dividends to all the snaps that he had in college and the coaching staffs that he had there with Auburn and Oregon. And then coming to Denver and just embracing his role and being the leader that he is to lead our team down the field to score points. It spoke to us. We scored a lot of points last year, and we’re ready to build off of what we did last year and continue to get better each and every day.”

Denver’s 425 points in 2024 ranked as the most for the Broncos since the 2014 team scored 482 with Manning at quarterback.

Bolles isn’t alone in expecting Nix to lead the Denver offense to an even better showing in 2025.

“It’s definitely about building off what they did last year,” said Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024 season. “Obviously, going into the second year, he’s feeling more and more confident. Even though he was confident as heck his rookie year, you know he’s going to carry on that confidence and that composure and that swag with him going into Year 2, so I’m very excited for him, what he’s able to do for the offense”

On its summer break now, Denver gets back to work at training camp when the rookies report on July 16 and the veterans come in on July 22. The Broncos’ three-game preseason schedule starts on Aug. 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, and Denver kicks off its regular season on Sept. 7 against the Tennessee Titans.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Spain plays against Portugal in the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO group stage today. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT on FOX. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

Today’s match is the first game for both of these teams at the tournament. With this in mind, both teams are looking to secure three points for their country this afternoon.

In order to win today’s game, Spain will need great performances from their star players Claudia Pina and Esther Gonzalez. Both players have scored four goals in the Nations League, which leads the Spain offense.

In order to win this group stage game, Portugal will need to rely on their star player Carole Costa. She leads the team with two goals in the Nations League, so she will try to find the back of the net this afternoon.

Notably, the Portugal squad has only scored five goals in six games at the Nations League. With this in mind, Portugal’s offense will try to bounce back today.

Fans can watch the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO group stage for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

Macy Gray, dubbed one of the most legendary R&B artists of the age, has two upcoming Alabama shows scheduled for Aug. 7 and 8 as part of her 25th anniversary “On How Life Is” world tour.

The North American portion of Gray’s world tour officially kicks off this month in Anaheim, California on July 10, and from there, Gray will travel across the country for a slew of shows at some of the most popular venues.

Gray decided to hit the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her debut album “On How Life Is,” which released in 1999 and went on to obtain triple-platinum status following its overnight success.

The five-time Grammy award nominee is set to perform at the VBC Mars Music Hall in Huntsville on Thursday, August 7 before traveling to Mobile for her second Alabama performance at the Mobile Saenger Theatre on Friday, August 8.

Where can I find last-minute Macy Gray tickets?

Though pre-sale for Gray’s “On How Life Is” world tour happened back in March, those hoping to catch the iconic R&B artist performing live can still find tickets available for purchase through Ticketmaster and other secondary market sites such as Vivid Seats, StubHub, Viagogo and Seat Geek.

Macy Gray Huntsville tickets

Those hoping to catch Gray’s performance in the Rocket City can find the current ticket prices below.

Ticketmaster: Tickets start at $64.55 per person

Vivid Seats: Tickets start at $87 per person

StubHub: Tickets start at $84 per person

Viagogo: Tickets start at $82 per person

Seat Geek: Tickets start at $80 per person

Macy Gray Mobile tickets

Those looking to catch Gray’s performance in Mobile can find the current ticket prices below.

Ticketmaster: Tickets start at $55.95 per person

Vivid Seats: Tickets start at $77 per person

StubHub: Tickets start at $73 per person

Viagogo: Tickets start at $71 per person

Seat Geek: Tickets start at $69 per person

Macy Gray full tour schedule

• July 10 – Anaheim, California – House of Blues Anaheim
• July 12 – San Francisco, California – Palace Of Fine Arts Theatre
• July 14 – Portland, Oregon – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
• July 15 – Seattle, Washington – The Crocodile
• July 16 – Vancouver, Canada – Commodore Ballroom
• July 18 – Spokane, Washington – Bing Crosby Theater
• July 19 – Boise, Idaho – The Egyptian Theatre
• July 21 – Aspen, Colorado – Belly Up Aspen
• July 22 – Denver, Colorado – Paramount Theatre
• July 23 – Fort Collins, Colorado – Washington’s
• July 25 – St. Louis, Missouri – The Pageant
• July 26 – La Vista, Nebraska – The Astro
• July 27 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – The Fillmore Minneapolis
• July 29 – Chicago, Illinois – Ramova Theatre
• July 30 – Canton, Ohio – Canton Palace Theatre
• Aug. 1 – Indianapolis, Indiana – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
• Aug. 2 – Pelham, Tennessee – The Caverns
• Aug. 3 – Cincinnati, Ohio – The Ludlow Garage
• Aug. 4 – Louisville, Kentucky – Mercury Ballroom
• Aug. 6 – Augusta, Georgia – Miller Theater
• Aug. 7 – Huntsville, Alabama – Mars Music Hall
• Aug. 8 – Mobile, Alabama – Saenger Theatre Mobile
• Aug. 9 – Houston, Texas – House of Blues Houston
• Aug. 10 – Austin, Texas – Paramount Theatre
• Aug. 12 – Albuquerque, New Mexico – KiMo Theatre
• Aug. 15 – El Cajon, California – The Magnolia
• Aug. 16 – Los Angeles, California – Palace Theatre

Whitman, Alabama refuses simple categorization.

It’s part documentary, part literature, part civic ritual. Blending journalism, poetry, and art, Whitman, Alabama offers a portrait of America built one encounter at a time. In it, 21st-century Alabamians voice lines from Walt Whitman’s epic American poem Song of Myself. The words of a Northern poet enmesh with Southern lives, revealing who we are as Americans—past, present, and future. The project asks a radical question: Can we understand America by listening closely to just one state?

Whitman, Alabama answers: yes.

You can’t find Whitman, Alabama on a map—no matter how hard you look.

Yet it exists.

It exists when real people across Alabama do something they wouldn’t normally do: recite poetry while complete strangers record them on camera. They say yes to the moment—and we never stop being surprised, or grateful, for their generosity.

It takes time out of their day. Requires vulnerability and a leap of faith—trusting us to make something meaningful with their voice and their image.

At its core, Whitman, Alabama is about expanding our sense of self—how large we are. Or, as Whitman put it, recognizing that we “contain multitudes.”

I love comic books and have very specific opinions on gummy bears and donuts. I speak a little Dutch, laugh with a wheeze, and have broken a heart or two (had mine broken as well). I grew up on football and think raw hot dogs taste good. I’m also a woman, bi-racial, and gay.

People are complicated and surprising. Once we accept that, we’re more likely to find opportunities to connect and understand each other.

In Whitman, Alabama, we live—and invite others to live—in a different kind of space.

The language is different. The vibe is different. The ethos is different. And people are responding to that.

Some Alabamians who no longer live in the state have told us it made them yearn for home.

People who’ve never been to Alabama are telling us they plan to visit.

So many have said it made them fall in love with their fellow Americans again.

The participants in this project are truly brave. They’re put in the spotlight, working with antiquated poetic language—words far from most people’s daily speech. Some stumble, mispronounce, start over—and keep going. Others deliver the poem as if poetry is their mother tongue. All of them bring something real.

And then, something unexpected emerges on camera. What you see isn’t them declaring who they are. It’s them, stepping into who they could be.

Welcome to Whitman, Alabama—not a real city with traffic tickets and junk mail, census boxes and soundbites, but a place built on community, poetic exchange, and shared humanity. Here, we win by showing up—fully, bravely, and as ourselves.

Auburn men’s basketball isn’t resting on its laurels following a Final Four run in 2025.

After the successful season that featured arguably the toughest schedule in program history, the Tigers are set to face another gauntlet in the 2025-2026 season. It includes nonconference games against Houston, Purdue, Arizona, Michigan, Oregon and NC State, followed by the grind of the Southeastern Conference.

The difference this season is that Auburn will do so with a revamped and brand-new team.

Last year, the Tigers felt equipped to handle the daunting nonconference schedule with an experienced team and a group that had continuity. Associate head coach Steven Pearl didn’t suggest that this year’s team can’t handle it, but it’s a different kind of challenge.

“Some people think, ‘Oh, it’s not as tough as last year.’ I disagree, because the competition is just as good, but we’re playing with 10 new guys,” Pearl said at the Auburn Ambush event in Alexander City. “I feel like it was even harder than it was a year ago, just based on what our roster is like.”

Star point guard Tahaad Pettiford is the only scholarship returner from last year’s Final Four team. The group Auburn brought in around him is talented, but doesn’t have the experience playing together that last year’s team did.

That can make the heavyweight bouts that Auburn will have in the beginning of the season tough, as the team will still be in the early stages of learning how to play together.

On the other side of that coin, it’s arguably the fastest way for a team to learn how to play together, even if it results in a couple of early losses.

“We’ll obviously be really challenged heading into another really challenging SEC schedule,” Pearl said. “It’s going to be daunting, but it will obviously help us get ready for league play — and it will obviously help us get ready for the tournament.”

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at@peter_rauterkusor email him at[email protected]m