Birmingham City Budget
The budget includes $1 million in appropriations for a study into the feasibility of a streetcar system in downtown and another $1 million in funds to help restore Bethel Baptist Church, an instrumental civil rights meeting place.
Councilors have been critical of the mayor for not providing a formal capital projects budget. William Bell says the mayor is in violation of the Mayor-Council Act for not doing so. Royal says there could be fear of reprisal in the city’s legal department if something is said about it.
WBHM’s Steve Chiotakis spoke with Councilor Roderick Royal about the budget process, some of the things he approves or rejects and what to expect in the ultimate vote.
Abrego Garcia says he was severely beaten in Salvadoran prison
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported from the U.S. in March, says he was brutally beaten and subjected to psychological torture while held in one of El Salvador's most notorious prisons.
Netherlands police embrace a public health approach to drugs. Will it work in the South?
Despite the opioid crisis’ deadly toll, U.S police treat drug use as a criminal issue. But in the Netherlands, a public health approach has seen better results.
Pope Leo’s scandal-plagued hometown sees a bright future in buying his childhood home
Pope Leo grew up in a small brick house in the Chicago suburb of Dolton which is now up for auction. The village's board of trustees voted to buy it, in the hopes of creating a historic attraction.
House Republicans pass Trump’s megabill, sending the package to his desk to be signed
The Republican leaders overcame objections from within their own party, marking a victory in their quest to fulfill President Trump's campaign promises.
NASA spots a new comet flying in from a distant star system
The newly discovered interstellar visitor is just the third of its kind and fascinates astronomers who hope to learn from it about galaxies far, far away.
How the Irish band Kneecap went from rising hip-hop group to global lightning rod
Kneecap, three young men from Northern Ireland who rap in Irish, has risen to prominence in recent years, with controversy surrounding its shows and political statements.