Bankrupt Birmingham + Could Reproductive Rights Derail Trump?
Feb 27, 2024
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The podcast discusses Birmingham City Council's financial crisis, the impact of IVF on the US Presidential Race, and the Alabama Supreme Court case on embryo rights. It also explores online hate towards female football pundits and Nikki Haley's strategy in the Republican race.
Birmingham City Council faces severe financial strain due to outstanding equal pay claims and costly IT systems, necessitating service cuts and job reductions.
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling frozen embryos as children has halted IVF procedures, sparking legal uncertainties and impacting couples midway through treatment.
Deep dives
Financial Strain on Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council faces severe financial strain due to outstanding equal pay claims and issues with costly IT systems, leading to an inability to balance finances. To address this, significant service cuts, asset sales, and job reductions are necessary, with a 10% increase in council tax planned over two years, affecting services like bin collections, youth services, and cultural organizations.
Impact on IVF Treatments in Alabama
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos should be considered children has frozen IVF procedures in the state. This decision implies discarding non-viable embryos could be legally seen as murder, affecting couples midway through the process. Doctors are uncertain of their legal standing, with IVF treatment hospitals pausing procedures until legislature clarifies the law.
Political Landscape on Reproductive Rights
The topic of reproductive rights, including IVF treatments, has become a divisive political issue. Republicans face a balancing act between conservative and moderate positions on IVF to retain support, with Trump advocating for IVF protection while Harris blames him for the crisis. Democrats leverage such issues as rallying points, amidst ongoing legislative challenges to reproductive rights.
Presidential Nomination Race Dynamics
Nikki Haley's continued presence in the Republican nomination race despite Trump's dominance indicates a belief in Trump's soft support among GOP voters. Haley aims to test her electability theory in upcoming primaries, targeting states with suburban demographics less inclined towards Trump. The 2024 presidential election is expected to be a fierce and close contest, requiring political engagement and rest amidst the anticipated intensity.
Today, we look at the financial crisis at Birmingham City Council, which has led to the “largest” budget cut in local authority history + How is IVF impacting the US Presidential Race?
The council is attempting to fill a £300m budget shortfall over the next two years after effectively declaring itself bankrupt in September. Plans to tackle the deficit over the next two years were signed off by the cabinet on Tuesday ahead of being voted on by the full council on 5 March. Adam speaks to BBC political correspondent Alex Forsyth and Jane Haynes politics editor at Birmingham Live.
Plus, as Alabama’s supreme court defines frozen embryos as children, many IVF clinics stop their work. To find out more about the reproductive rights debate which is splitting the US Republican party Adam speaks to US special correspondent Katty Kay and chief election & campaign correspondent for CBS News, Robert Costa.
You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere
Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Joe Wilkinson and Sam McLaren. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
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