Judge Overturns Confederate Monuments Law
A Jefferson County circuit judge struck down a state law to preserve historical markers, saying the state violated the U.S. Constitution. The ruling comes after the state sued Birmingham for covering a Confederate monument and fined the city for violating the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act.
Judge Mike Graffeo says the state cannot force Birmingham to maintain a Confederate monument with a law passed by the state Legislature in 2017.
Lawyers for Birmingham argued the monument offended most residents.
David Dinielli of the Southern Poverty Law Center says cities express their values through their monuments, and says demographics were a factor in the ruling.
“The majority of the legislature, which is white, was issuing a rule that governed and limited the ability of Birmingham, which is a majority black city, to govern itself and make its own decisions,” Dinielli says.
The ruling may impact similar cases in other parts of the country, he says.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time that a court has held that one of these monument preservation laws violates the U.S. Constitution,” Dinielli says.
Alabama State Attorney General Steve Marshall sued Birmingham the day after it covered the monument in Linn Park. He says he will appeal the ruling.
A runway under construction at Newark’s beleaguered airport reopens early
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised airport officials, unions and workers for completing the estimated 60-day project 13 days early. The Newark airport has been hobbled by delays.
Raids and revenge tips: Inside ICE’s Puerto Rico deportation operation
Rebecca González runs one of ICE's local domestic intelligence offices. She told NPR how her agents are tracking down immigrants in Puerto Rico to deliver on President Trump's mass deportation promise.
Marc Maron ends iconic podcast after 16 years: ‘We’re burnt out’
Marc Maron has interviewed Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman, former President Barack Obama and many more. But after 16 years and 1,600+ episodes, he's ready to call it quits.
Trump’s budget calls for a 15% funding cut to the Education Department
New details of the administration's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 came after a federal judge blocked the president's efforts to close the U.S. Education Department.
Homeland Security pulls down list of ‘sanctuary’ cities and counties after backlash
The list included dozens of cities and counties that DHS said was in noncompliance with federal statutes and had come under intense criticism from some mayors and law enforcement.
A Manson Family member was recommended for parole again. But she’s not free just yet
Patricia Krenwinkel was 21 when she participated in the August 1969 murders. Her parole recommendation would need to be approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who rejected the last one in 2022.
