diff --git a/backend/app/categories/controller.py b/backend/app/categories/controller.py
index 101d480..660ccfc 100644
--- a/backend/app/categories/controller.py
+++ b/backend/app/categories/controller.py
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-from typing import List, Union, Dict
+from typing import Dict, List, Union
 
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
 from motor.motor_asyncio import AsyncIOMotorClient
 
-from app.utils.token import verify_token
-from app.utils.mongodb import get_database
-from app.models.base import ObjectID
-from app.models.responses import ResponseBase, ItemInResponse, ItemsInResponse
-from app.models.category import Movie, Anime, Show, Music
-
+from ..models.base import ObjectID
+from ..models.category import Anime, Category, Movie, Music, Show
+from ..models.responses import (CategorysInResponse, ItemInResponse,
+                                ItemsInResponse, ResponseBase)
+from ..utils.mongodb import get_database
+from ..utils.token import verify_token
 
 router = APIRouter()
 
diff --git a/backend/app/core/controller.py b/backend/app/core/controller.py
index 5bc7252..d63745d 100644
--- a/backend/app/core/controller.py
+++ b/backend/app/core/controller.py
@@ -1,19 +1,24 @@
 import hashlib
-import urllib
 import logging
 import random
+import urllib
+
+import jwt
 
+import ujson
 from cas import CASClient
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
-import jwt
 from motor.motor_asyncio import AsyncIOMotorClient
 from starlette.responses import RedirectResponse
-import ujson
 
-from app.utils.cas import get_cas
-from app.utils.token import verify_token
-from app.utils.mongodb import get_database
 from config import SECRET_KEY
+from ..models.category import Category
+from ..models.responses import (CategorysInResponse, ResponseBase,
+                                UsersInResponse)
+from ..models.user import User
+from ..utils.cas import get_cas
+from ..utils.mongodb import get_database
+from ..utils.token import verify_token
 
 router = APIRouter()
 
@@ -37,6 +42,34 @@ async def login_route(next: str = "/", ticket: str = None, cas_client: CASClient
         }
     else:
         logging.debug(f"CAS verify ticket response: user: {_user}")
-        # TODO add additional login functionality here
-        redirect_url = f"{next}#/?user={_user}"
-        return RedirectResponse(url=redirect_url)
+        if await db["core"]["users"].find_one({"username": _user}):
+            _res = await db["core"]["users"].update_one({
+                "last_login": attributes["authenticationDate"]
+            })
+        else:
+            _res = await db["core"]["users"].insert_one({
+                "username": _user,
+                "last_login": attributes["authenticationDate"],
+                "first_login": attributes["authenticationDate"],
+            })
+
+        jwt_token = jwt.encode({'username': _user}, str(
+            SECRET_KEY), algorithm="HS256").decode()
+        return ResponseBase(data={
+            "token": jwt_token
+        })
+
+
+@router.get("/categories", response_model=CategorysInResponse, dependencies=[Depends(verify_token)], tags=["fetch", "categories"])
+async def get_category_list(db: AsyncIOMotorClient = Depends(get_database)) -> CategorysInResponse:
+    """Returns list of categories available"""
+    categories = [Category(**category) async for
+                  category in db["core"]["categories"].find()]
+    return CategorysInResponse(data=categories)
+
+
+@router.get("/users", response_model=UsersInResponse, dependencies=[Depends(verify_token)], tags=["fetch", "users", "testing"])
+async def get_users_route(db: AsyncIOMotorClient = Depends(get_database)) -> UsersInResponse:
+    """Get user information for logged in user"""
+    users = [User(**user) async for user in db["core"]["users"].find()]
+    return UsersInResponse(data=users)
diff --git a/backend/app/models/category.py b/backend/app/models/category.py
index 7472d09..d73d427 100644
--- a/backend/app/models/category.py
+++ b/backend/app/models/category.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 class Category(Base):
     """Category definiton"""
-    _id: CategoryEnum
+    id: CategoryEnum = Field(None, alias="_id")
 
 
 class ItemBase(Base):
diff --git a/backend/app/models/responses.py b/backend/app/models/responses.py
index f8d88d2..a308ab1 100644
--- a/backend/app/models/responses.py
+++ b/backend/app/models/responses.py
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
-from typing import List, Optional, Union
+from typing import List, Optional, Union, Dict
 
 from .base import Base, ObjectID
-from .category import Anime, Movie, Music, Show, Book
+from .category import Anime, Movie, Music, Show, Book, Category
 from .user import User, Like
 
 
 class ResponseBase(Base):
     """Base return response"""
     success: bool = True
-    error: Optional[List] = None
+    error: Optional[List]
+    data: Optional[Union[List, Dict[str, str]]]
 
 
 class ItemInResponse(ResponseBase):
@@ -31,3 +32,7 @@ class UsersInResponse(ResponseBase):
 
 class LikeInResponse(ResponseBase):
     data: Like
+
+
+class CategorysInResponse(ResponseBase):
+    data: List[Category]
diff --git a/backend/app/models/user.py b/backend/app/models/user.py
index 22f5070..f8a4ce1 100644
--- a/backend/app/models/user.py
+++ b/backend/app/models/user.py
@@ -22,6 +22,5 @@ class Like(Base):
 class User(Base):
     id: ObjectID = Field(None, alias="_id")
     username: str
-    password: SecretStr
     ratings: List[UserRating] = list()
     likes: List[Like] = list()
diff --git a/backend/app/user/controller.py b/backend/app/user/controller.py
index edc020c..46d55df 100644
--- a/backend/app/user/controller.py
+++ b/backend/app/user/controller.py
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
 from motor.motor_asyncio import AsyncIOMotorClient
 
-from app.utils.token import verify_token
-from app.utils.mongodb import get_database
-from app.models.base import ObjectID
-from app.models.user import User, LikeEnum
-from app.models.responses import UserInResponse, UsersInResponse, LikeInResponse
+from ..models.base import ObjectID
+from ..models.responses import LikeInResponse, UserInResponse, UsersInResponse
+from ..models.user import LikeEnum, User
+from ..utils.mongodb import get_database
+from ..utils.token import verify_token
 
 router = APIRouter()
 
@@ -15,16 +15,9 @@
 @router.post("/signup", tags=["signup", "auth", "testing"])
 async def signup_route(user: User, db: AsyncIOMotorClient = Depends(get_database)):
     """Signup route (for testing)"""
-    # TODO signup functionality
     return {"success": True}
 
 
-@router.get("/", response_model=UsersInResponse, dependencies=[Depends(verify_token)], tags=["fetch", "bulk"])
-async def get_users_route(db: AsyncIOMotorClient = Depends(get_database)) -> UsersInResponse:
-    """Get user information for logged in user"""
-    # TODO fetch users functionality
-    return {"success": True}
-
 
 @router.get("/{user_id}", response_model=UserInResponse, tags=["fetch"])
 async def get_user_route(user_id: ObjectID,
diff --git a/backend/app/utils/token.py b/backend/app/utils/token.py
index 80f1304..9829c99 100644
--- a/backend/app/utils/token.py
+++ b/backend/app/utils/token.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from config import SECRET_KEY
 
 
-async def verify_token(authorization: str = Header(None)):
+async def verify_token(authorization: str = Header("Authorization")):
     """Verify JWT token for protected routes"""
     # NOTE: remove if extra jwt auth not required
     try: