New Mayor Council Act Leaves Pronounced Rift Among Birmingham City Leaders

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:470;s:4:"file";s:49:"2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-336x329.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:329;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:47:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-480x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-318x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:318;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-271x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:271;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-480x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Esther Ciammachilli
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_backup_sizes] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:7:{s:9:"full-orig";a:3:{s:5:"width";i:480;s:6:"height";i:640;s:4:"file";s:26:"city-hall-photo-esther.jpg";}s:14:"thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"city-hall-photo-esther-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:11:"medium-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"city-hall-photo-esther-336x448.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:448;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"city-hall-photo-esther-254x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:254;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:23:"wbhm-featured-home-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"city-hall-photo-esther-233x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:233;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:27:"wbhm-featured-carousel-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"city-hall-photo-esther-199x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:199;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:19:"post-thumbnail-orig";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"city-hall-photo-esther-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:201939;s:14:"optimized_size";i:147536;s:7:"percent";d:26.940000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:55217;s:14:"optimized_size";i:40065;s:7:"percent";d:27.440000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-336x329.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29093;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21202;s:7:"percent";d:27.120000000000001;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:83:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3353;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3320;s:7:"percent";d:0.97999999999999998;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-480x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:41498;s:14:"optimized_size";i:30055;s:7:"percent";d:27.57;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:25039;s:14:"optimized_size";i:18263;s:7:"percent";d:27.059999999999999;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-318x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26877;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19458;s:7:"percent";d:27.600000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/12/city-hall-photo-esther-e1450825905268-271x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20862;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15173;s:7:"percent";d:27.27;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1654518535 
1463070399

Birmingham City Hall.

Esther Ciammachilli, WBHM

Earlier this week, the Birmingham City Council narrowly reelected Johnathan Austin as council president. Steven Hoyt was elected the new president pro-tem. This shuffle was the result of changes to the Mayor Council Act, approved recently by the Alabama Legislature. This move is causing some new tensions among council members. To discuss this and other news, we turn to Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD.

 

A Song for the Cahaba River

As the Cahaba’s “charismatic” namesake lily blooms, an old festival and a new musical tribute celebrate Alabama’s longest free-flowing river.

Trump says it may be better to let Ukraine, Russia ‘fight for a while’

In an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Trump likened the war between Russia and Ukraine to a fight between two children who hate each other.

Smoke knows no boundaries: What Canada’s fires mean for the U.S. in the future

More than 200 wildfires are raging across Canada, sending a thick blanket of choking smoke through the U.S. Midwest. Experts says climate change means U.S. residents better get used to it.

What the Trump-Musk breakup may mean for SpaceX and Tesla

From space travel to military operations to the future of green energy, the U.S. has become reliant on Elon Musk's business empire. But it won't be easy for the government to end its reliance on Musk.

Judge puts temporary hold on Trump’s latest ban on Harvard’s foreign students

Admitted students around the world are anxiously tracking the school's feud with the Trump administration, which is seeking to keep it from enrolling international students.

Private lunar lander from Japan crashes into moon in failed mission

The Tokyo-based company ispace declared the mission a failure several hours after communication was lost with the lander.

More Front Page Coverage