BW Recommends is a rundown of stories you might have missed this week. It offers insight into issues important to our area and sometimes tickles your curiosity.

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See What $362M in Earmarks Could Fund in Alabama and Your Area (Alabama Daily News)

Alabama’s representatives and senators in Washington are working to secure funding for about 174 projects in Alabama, including money to buy biotechnology research equipment for Southern Research. Alabama Daily News reports the projects in an interactive map by project and congressional sponsor.

Analysis Says Alabama Department of Corrections Received $5 Billion in State Funding in Five Years (Alabama Reflector)

A report from Alabama Appleseed, a criminal justice advocacy organization, details increases in spending in the corrections system, the second-most-expensive sector of state spending.

As Opposition to an Alabama Medical Waste Treatment Facility Boils Over, a Mysterious Facebook Page Weighs In (Inside Climate News)

Dozens of residents packed the Blount County courthouse last week to oppose Harvest Med Waste Disposal’s proposal to establish a facility that would be the first to bring ozone sterilization of medical waste to Alabama. Representatives with the company say it’s safe technology that would create jobs in the region. But nearby residents say they fear the dangers of trucks that would be hauling hazardous medical waste into and out of their community as well as the proximity of the facility to Gurley Creek.

APT to Reduce Staff After Federal Funding Cuts (Alabama Daily News)

The public television station is cutting 11 positions, about 15% of its staff, after losing more than $2 million in federal funding.

‘High-stakes litigation’ to decide fate of Alabama’s controversial form of execution: Is it inhumane? (AL.com)

A federal court heard arguments last week on whether Alabama’s method of executing inmates by nitrogen hypoxia is humane. Experts testified about witnessing movements, gasping for air and panic while inmates were being executed, but there is disagreement about whether those were signs of distress.