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First Read: Curry Presents First Budget Proposal

Mayor Lenny Curry says his top priority of safety is reflected in the proposed budget he presented to the City Council on Monday. An investigation is underway by the state of Florida into Redflex, the company that helps cities catch red-light runners on camera, and after 54 years of animosity, the United States and Cuba have formally restored diplomatic ties.

Welcome to WJCT First Read, your daily weekday morning round-up of stories from the First Coast, around Florida and across the country.

Here are 8 stories you might have missed.

Mayor Curry Proposes City Budget, Talks Safety, $58M Unused Dollars

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry presented his budget proposals to the City Council Monday morning. Curry told City Council, “I stand here willing to give the sheriff the resources that he and his people need to make sure that Jacksonville is a safe city.

Red-Light Camera Company Under Florida Law Enforcement Scrutiny

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is going to investigate whether a political bribery scandal at the Redflex firm extends to its red-light camera contracts with five Florida cities, including here in Jacksonville.

St. Johns River Dredging Forum To Be Held Tuesday Night

The Jacksonville Port Authority says the extra depth is needed for JAXPORT to compete for the much larger cargo ships that will soon be coming through the Panama Canal. Environmentalists, however, say the project could compromise water quality and destroy many of the river’s ecosystems.

New Artifacts For USS Adams Museum Arrive In Jacksonville

David Suckow says he was one of the first to serve on the USS Conyngham in the early 1960s. Now, 50 years later, he and other naval veterans are bringing together artifacts that will be part of the proposed USS Adams Museum in downtown Jacksonville.

Mayor Curry Proposes City Budget, Talks Safety, $58M Unused Dollars

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry presented his budget proposals to the City Council Monday morning. Curry told City Council, “I stand here willing to give the sheriff the resources that he and his people need to make sure that Jacksonville is a safe city.

Failed Strut Likely Caused SpaceX Rocket To Explode, Elon Musk Says

"The preliminary conclusion is that the failure arose from a strut in the second stage liquid oxygen tank," Musk said Monday at a news conference.

After 54 Years, The U.S. And Cuba Formally Restore Ties

After 54 years of animosity, the United States and Cuba have formally restored diplomatic ties. That means that the U.S. opened an embassy in Havana and Cuba opened an embassy in Washington, D.C., this morning.

After Supreme Court Ruling, Will Lawmakers Revisit Tweaking Stand Your Ground Law?

The Florida Supreme Court recently ruled on a case relating to Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law. The matter—which pit State prosecutors against public defenders and defense lawyers—was also a matter of contention during last year’s legislative session.

Sen. John McCain: Trump Owes Vets, Not Him, An Apology

Sen. John McCain took the high road on Monday, saying Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump did not owe him an apology. Trump, McCain said during an interview with MSNBC, "owes an apology to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who have undergone a prison experience in serving their country."

Get all the latest headlines online at WJCTNews.org, on our Facebook page and on Twitter @WJCTJax.

Ray Hollister can be reached at rhollister@wjct.org, 904-358-6341 or on Twitter at @rayhollister.