Free Bus Rides
The price of oil topped $121 a barrel, suggesting the price we pay at the pump will continue to climb as well. That’s part of the reason behind Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford’s proposal to eliminate fares on city buses this summer. So with gasoline prices on the rise, would free buses make a difference?
However, this plan to eliminate fares on Birmingham’s buses may not happen. Several days after approving the plan, a majority of City Council members say they no longer support four months of free bus rides at city expense. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Birmingham City Councilwoman Carol Duncan and asked what prompted the reconsideration.
Listen to the Duncan interview
WBHM’s Steve Chiotakis talked with Marva Douglas, a bus rider who helped organize the now-defunct Citizen United for Regional Transit, or CURT. She says no matter the fare — free, or even a dollar — she uses the system as much as it allows her to.
Listen to the Douglas interview
The Council is expected take up the issue this morning (Tuesday, May 6).
Listen in real time to the Birmingham City Council meeting (starting at 9:15)
~Special thanks to Colin Quarello
Massacres in eastern Congo cast doubt on U.S. mediated peace deal
Rwanda backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed hundreds of villagers in July, according to Human Rights Watch, raising doubts about Trump backed peace process.
One civilian injured in crash with D.C. National Guard military vehicle
The military vehicle, which is designed to withstand explosive attacks, collided with a "civilian vehicle" just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Dependent on foreign sales, U.S. wheat farmers hoping longtime partners stick with them
As President Trump's tariffs kick in, American companies that rely on imports are worried about rising costs and passing them onto consumers. But some U.S. exporters are worried too.
The legacy of civil rights martyr Jonathan Daniels
Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of Daniels’ killing at the hands of an Alabama county official. Today, the Episcopal Church venerates Daniels as a saint and martyr. For the anniversary, Episcopalians from around the country gathered for an annual pilgrimage to the site of his death in Hayneville.
Swimmers are warned to avoid East Coast beaches as Hurricane Erin moves north
The National Hurricane Center is urging beachgoers to stay out of the water. Parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks are under mandatory evacuation orders.
Some Florida farmers reduce crops as deportation fears drive workers away
U.S. farmers are feeling the impact of Trump's immigration crackdown. In some communities, immigration raids have slowed farm operations. NPR reports from Central Florida's strawberry region.