Showdown Over Birmingham’s Minimum Wage

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/02/minimumwageprotest.jpeg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:360;s:4:"file";s:31:"2016/02/minimumwageprotest.jpeg";s:5:"sizes";a:7:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"minimumwageprotest-336x202.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:202;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"minimumwageprotest-140x140.jpeg";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:29:"minimumwageprotest-80x80.jpeg";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:31:"minimumwageprotest-600x338.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"minimumwageprotest-518x311.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:518;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"minimumwageprotest-442x265.jpeg";s:5:"width";i:442;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"minimumwageprotest-125x125.jpeg";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] => Ashley Cleek
        )

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

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

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:107586;s:14:"optimized_size";i:84133;s:7:"percent";d:21.800000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:59:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/minimumwageprotest.jpeg";s:13:"original_size";i:107586;s:14:"optimized_size";i:84133;s:7:"percent";d:21.800000000000001;}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:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}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
        )

)
1658584799 
1456385136

The Birmingham City Council and the state legislature are in a showdown over the minimum wage. The Birmingham City Council passed an ordinance on Tuesday to raise the city’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and make it effective Wednesday. It was an attempt to get ahead of a bill in the legislature which would prevent local governments from setting their own minimum wages. That bill has passed the House and is being considered by the Senate Thursday. We talk about the situation with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald. He also remembers To Kill a Mocking Bird author Harper Lee, who died last week at age 89.

 

How China came to rule the world of rare earth elements

The U.S. once controlled the market on rare earth elements, sought after for a range of technologies. But in the last few decades, China has cornered that market and surpassed the U.S.

The U.N.’s highest court will decide on the climate obligations of countries

After years of lobbying by vulnerable island nations, the U.N. asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion, a non-binding but important basis for international obligations.

Thousands protest as Zelenskyy signs bill weakening anti-corruption agencies

Ukraine's parliament passed legislation that will tighten oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies, which critics say could significantly weaken their independence.

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic officials bar transgender women from Olympic women’s sports

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee tells the federations overseeing swimming, athletics and other sports that it has an "obligation to comply" with an executive order issued by President Trump.

Irondale police deny wrongdoing in death of Alabama man, dispute family’s account

Police employed no excessive force in the events leading up to the August 2024 arrest and death of Phillip Reeder, the City of Irondale and its police department said in a joint statement late Monday.

U.S. withdraws from U.N. cultural agency over ‘divisive social and cultural causes’

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the U.S. took issue with UNESCO's focus on the U.N.'s sustainable development goals and the decision to include Palestine as a member state.

More Front Page Coverage