WABE's Week In Review: Recent Episodes
WABE
Each week, WABE's Managing Editor Alex Helmick takes a look at the work from his team of award-winning reporters, producers and hosts.
An electric vehicle maker opens its east coast headquarters in Atlanta. Georgia's candidates for governor dig into data centers. Chastain Park has big plans for new green space. A program in rural Georgia aimed at reducing gang activity is closing following federal cuts to community safety grants. And a song meant to inspire the community in a metro area city is AI generated. City leaders say that doesn't cancel out the positive message.
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The teenager who killed four people at Apalachee High School was sentenced to life without parole Tuesday, days after he pleaded guilty to all 55 charges against him. His father who gave the teen the assault-style rifle used in that mass shooting was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In March, 55-year-old was convicted of multiple charges including second-degree murder, a first for a parent of a school shooter. Plus, two Democratic candidates will face off next month in a special runoff election to serve Georgia’s 13th Congressional District to finish the term of the late Congressman David Scott. And Georgia businesses are preparing to weather another potential round of tariffs, this time on Canada. Also, a new action plan for Georgia’s coastal salt marsh calls for not just protecting the existing marsh but also giving it room to migrate.
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A 16-year-old awaits sentencing after pleading guilty this week to killing four people and injuring several others in a shooting at Apalachee High School nearly two years ago.
There's more data center news in metro Atlanta, on the other side of the state and in Washington.
We hear from people who turned out to see President Donald Trump this week when he spoke at a high school in Cobb County and dig into polling in the governor's race ahead of the November election.
And we visit a metro Atlanta business that's found success making cars that look vintage but have all the trappings of a modern luxury automobile.
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President Donald Trump used his Thursday primetime address to raise doubts about the integrity of American elections without providing evidence of illegal voting, --including that Georgia's voter rolls have been compromised by the Chinese government. Plus, Georgia Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and President Trump’s nominee to become the next Director of National Intelligence squared off during Jay Clayton’s hearing before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee this week. And a 45-year-old man died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this week while being transferred between two Georgia detention centers. Also, World Cup matches are over in Altanta after this week's epic semifinal matchup that saw Argentina defeat England 2-to-1.
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We're experiencing extreme heat and humidity but it isn't slowing runners and soccer fans. Plus, the FBI is directing more than 250 staffers to its investigation of the 2020 election in Fulton County over President Trump's false claims of election fraud in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has approved spending $7 million to officially acquire almost 3,000 acres of land near the Okefenokee Swamp formerly slated to become a mine. And metro area Venezuelans are hurrying to get aid to those in their home country after recent earthquakes.
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We wrap up the special session at the state Capitol where lawmakers delayed changing ballots and did not move on property taxes. Plus, developers are snapping up Georgia farmland for housing and other uses and that has some people worried. Also, a new report finds about half of Georgia households struggle to keep up with the rising cost of basic necessities like utilities and food, despite earning above the Federal Poverty Level. And the economy isn't much better for nonprofits as the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta says the staggering response they received for a new nonprofit funding initiative points to increased uncertainty in the sector.
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Republican lawmakers announced they will not redraw congressional and state legislative districts for the 2028 elections during the current a special session called by Governor Brian Kemp. Plus, we hear about some of the biggest runoff election results around the state. And despite pushback, Flock cameras will continue taking a time-stamped photo of every passing vehicle at the Atlanta airport for at least another year. Also, a Georgia teenager saw his vision come to life on Monday as one of eight winners of a national musical theatre songwriting contest.
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The World Cup is underway and Atlanta is gearing up to host its first game. We look at preparations from transportation to fanfests to health and safety. And the Buford Highway Orchestra Project is a free program that started during the pandemic to help students who were feeling the fear and isolation of COVID. It now serves as a reprieve from the stress of stepped up immigration enforcement. Plus, we continue our look at America celebrating its 250th birthday this year with a look through the Atlanta lens.
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Georgia's Primary runoff election is June 16 with early voting starting statewide June 8. We have more from recent debates of those battling for their party's nomination. Plus, about a week before a high-profile stabbing death on MARTA, Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt reassured the public and local leaders that overall crime on the transit system had decreased. And Georgia is among the states seeing a big increase in young uninsured children. Also, we remember Atlanta R&B legend Peabo Bryson, who died this week at 75 years old.
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The high-profile capital murder trial in Fulton County tied to the mass shooting and killing of several Asian women at Atlanta-area spas half a decade ago has stalled again. Meantime, the trial for alleged Apalachee High School shooter in 2024 will now take place outside of Barrow County at the request of the defense. Plus, the Georgia Public Service Commission has approved a deal to lower the rate Georgia Power charges for fuel, and the change is expected to reduce power bills for millions of Georgians. Also, two Georgia students finished top 30 in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee this week.
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In our post-Primary Election Day coverage, we breakdown the many runoffs next month. Plus, some races will not need runoffs after big and perhaps unexpected outright primary wins. We are also joined by the Political Breakfast team.
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We have a Primary Election special episode where we dive in to the races for Georgia governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general. Plus we'll hear about plans to battle redistricting in Georgia. Primary Election Day in Georgia is May 19.
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We look at the the life of Ted Turner--the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and environmentalist--whose impact stretches from media to nuclear disarmament. Plus, One of the few Black teachers ever hired by a south Georgia school district claims she was the victim of racial harassment and now, an appellate case is shedding light on the alleged behavior by school officials. We'll also have a look at the United States Soccer Federation officially opening its new home just south of Atlanta. And a tapestry, handmade by Atlanta stitchers, is on its way to Virginia to join an exhibition commemorating America's 250th anniversary. Also, North Atlantic Right Whales had their most successful calving season in more than 15 years. They give birth off Georgia’s coast each winter.
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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp says he will not delay the May 19th party primaries to allow for a special session to redraw congressional and state legislative lines following the controversial US Supreme Court decision that advocates say weakens the Voting Rights Act. Plus, an environmental group is suing the City of Griffin for allowing polluted wastewater and sewage into a tributary of the Flint River, which serves as a drinking water source for south Metro Atlanta. Also, Georgia U-S Senator Jon Ossoff is calling on the federal government to provide adequate care for pregnant, unaccompanied children in the immigration system after reports they're all being routed to a Texas shelter. And we'll look into whether FIFA's new human rights requirements will protect people in Atlanta during the World Cup.
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President Trump nominates another potential director of the CDC. And with a deadline looming to change how Georgia's ballots get counted in November, state leaders are scrambling to find a solution. Plus some community members and advocates say they’re frustrated, after no bills related to the data center industry passed during Georgia’s legislative session. And Fulton County's Sheriff is using drones to take out other drones trying to deliver contraband inside his jail.
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A lack of information as the federal government bought Georgia warehouses to detain immigrants has exposed a whole other, non-immigration issue: There is no liaison to navigate between federal agencies and local officials. Plus, a key state lawmaker is raising constitutional questions about the homeowner property tax relief package passed in the final moments of Georgia's legislative session. Also, immigration and health care advocates are awaiting the governor’s signature on a bill that would clear the way for doctors trained outside the U.S. to get licensed in Georgia. And a Fulton County task force has worked for years to research and account for the harms done to Black people who were enslaved there, or who lived during the Jim Crow era. Now, the group is out with a big report, and one of their findings shows as much as around $900 billion in stolen labor over a decade of slavery in the county.
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We take a look at several high-profile pieces of legislation that passed and failed at the state Capitol as the session wrapped up this week, including taxes breaks, education funding, data center reform and election changes. Plus, Georgia is seeing little relief at the gas pumps even after the state's gas tax was suspended. And, new Department of Homeland Security leadership could mean a slowdown for two Georgia warehouses slated to detain immigrants. Also, Astronauts are heading toward the moon for the first time in decades, and in Atlanta, engineers and scientists at Georgia Tech are looking on with excitement.
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"No Kings" protests are kicking off nationwide, including several in Georgia. Plus, Georgia’s U.S. Senators are calling on new Department of Homeland Security leadership to abandon plans to open an immigration detention facility about an hour east of Atlanta. Also, a bill that would change Georgia’s time zone and eliminate the twice-annual changing of the clocks made moves at the Capitol. And Atlanta-based delivery giant UPS is looking to cut 30,000 jobs this year as it changes its buyout offers.
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Officials in the small city of Social Circle, about an hour east of Atlanta, have locked the water meter on the warehouse Immigration and Custom Enforcement bought to detain thousands of people. Plus, TSA workers in Atlanta and across the country have now missed one full paycheck, leading to staffing shortages with some needing to call out to take second jobs. And drinking water operators in metro Atlanta were forced to spend heavily to deal with smelly water going into people's homes, and now they are looking at how to prevent it in the future. Also, in our series Invisible Scars, we look at how women veterans in Georgia are finding healing after serving.
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The ACLU and several Georgia human rights groups are asking the Department of Homeland Security to stop detaining immigrants in temporary holding cells in the basement of an Atlanta immigration office. Plus, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis blasted Republicans at the state Capitol who she says are targeting her for her prosecution of President Donald Trump and others in the 2020 election interference case. Also, state lawmakers look for alternatives to the QR codes on ballot used to tabulate votes for this year's midterm elections. And we look at the chaotic year at the Atlanta-based CDC.
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Candidates for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat weigh in on the controversial war in Iran launched a week ago by President Trump and Israel. Plus, we go to the town of Social Circle, east of Atlanta, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking at building a warehouse detention facility. And we have more on the guilty verdict of a man who gave his teenage son the AR-style rifle used in the Apalachee High School shooting in 2024. Also, we profile an artist who is finding redemption and healing through his new installation that was forged by fire. We'll also investigate the case of an Atlanta area parkland that was exchanged with a developer who promised big things only to now have it possibly sold to build a data center.
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President Donald Trump was in Georgia touting his economic plan, including his sweeping tariffs. A day later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the president exceeded his authority in implementing them. Plus, Georgia lawmakers are making key changes to tax relief, college scholarships and mental health funding in this year's amended state budget. And Georgia Power bills could actually be going down this summer. Also, sponsors of a new bill in Georgia, that would further restrict access to abortion, say it would mean the end of the procedure in the state. And we'll hear from Douglasville's Elana Meyers Taylor... the most decorated Black Olympian in Winter Olympics history.
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Unsealed affidavits related to the FBI raid on the Fulton County elections hub shows it's part of an investigation into "deficiencies or defects" in the 2020 vote count. It is part of President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud in Georgia. Also,a small Hall County city is asking the federal government to pause plans to use an industrial warehouse for an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement processing facility. And jury selection is complete in the trial of the father of the alleged Apalachee school shooter. He faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, and is one of a handful of parents around the country charged with crimes after their children are accused of committing acts of violence. Plus, after more than three decades as Southwest Atlanta's go-to African American bookstore, the Greenbriar Mall's MEDU Bookstore will close this summer.
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Fulton County leaders filed a motion this week in federal court wanting the return of 2020 election documents seized in a recent federal raid. Plus, Georgia lawmakers move forward on a bill to prevent local governments and school districts from opting out of a statewide cap on annual property tax increases. Also, a billionaire Trump supporter is joining the crowded race for Georgia governor. And we get updates on Marta as it prepares for the World Cup.
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The FBI raided the election office of Fulton County this week looking for records from the 2020 election in Georgia. President Trump disputed his loss in the state saying the election was stolen. Several audits showed Trump's claims were false. Also, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has opened a satellite office in College Park to accommodate as the agency ramping up its actions around the country. Plus, Georgia was given millions of dollars for officials to test drinking water at schools, but less than a quarter have yet done so. Ninety percent of those who have found unhealthy traces of lead in drinking fountains and elsewhere. And we have an exit interview of sorts from the Republican who lost his seat on the Public Service Commission last year after the election became a national talking point and saw higher than expected turnout.
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Georgia officials are warning residents to brace for the severe wintry weather hitting much of the county. Plus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has filed a bill to pause building new data centers in Georgia. And judges here are seeking funds from the state for better personal security when they're not at the courthouse. Also, researchers from UGA say their new peer reviewed study has the best evidence on one of the biggest recent scientific debates in Georgia-- surrounding potential mining near the Okefenokee. And a new project aims to showcase the musical talent of folks living unhoused in Atlanta.
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Governor Brian Kemp is proposing new spending for state workers including teacher pay raises as well on million to help curb homelessness. Plus, another metro Atlanta city is pausing data center development as the area continues o see rapid growth in the large facilities. And some Georgia Power customers may see some relief later this year on their bills. Also, three inmates are killed and dozens injured at an understaffed Georgia prison after a fight breaks out at the facility. And we look at how Georgia is impacted by the Trump administration's immigration policies.
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Lawmakers present different ideas on making life more affordable by cutting taxes as the Georgia legislative session is set to begin. And we look at a report on the DeKalb County families living in extended stay hotels because they can't afford a more permanent place to live, and how that can take a toll on their safety, health and finances. We hear from one of the many thousands of people from Venezuela now living in Atlanta on what he thinks of what's happened there. Plus, a report from a protest in Atlanta in response to the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota by an ICE officer.
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Fulton County DA Fani Willis appeared before a committee that's investigating her and forcefully pushed back against lawmakers. Plus, military veterans face a greater risk for pregnancy complications than civilians. So the Atlanta VA is working to connect pregnant and postpartum vets with extra support to try to better protect their health. And we have updates on Georgia Power expansion plans, data centers, an animal shelter in DeKalb and a push to teach more Black kids to swim.
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In a surprise announcement, Georgia Power says it's reached an agreement with state regulators on a massive, controversial expansion plan that covers $15 billion in construction. Plus, a federal judge is ordering Georgia's prison system to provide hormone therapy for transgender inmates. And Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to appear next week before a Georgia State Senate Committee that is investigating her for alleged misconduct connected to her prosecution of the now-dismissed 2020 election interference case, which included the indictment of President Donald Trump. Also, we continue our Medical Wealth Gap series exploring just how much insurance plans are going to spike if Congress can't work out a deal.
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Fulton County taxpayers could be forced to pay millions of dollars of legal fees after a judge dismissed the 2020 election interference case involving President Donald Trump. And the Atlanta Board of Education has voted to either re-purpose or completely close 16 schools over the next couple of years. Plus, we look at a local nonprofit expanding services to open a women-only facility to help those experiencing homelessness. Also, we'll have the first two parts of our Medical Wealth Gap series exploring how Georgians are impacted by rising costs and cuts in federal funding.
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains thousands of immigrants across Georgia mostly in rural communities in the south of the state. This summer, WABE’s immigration reporter Emily Wu Pearson visited Lumpkin, one of those communities, to learn how increasing detentions under the second Trump Administration is affecting the area.
Story 1: Unlike in the U.S. Court system for citizens, legal representation is not guaranteed for detained immigrants. And lawyers costs thousands of dollars. We hear from a small group of attorneys working pro bono to help.
Story 2: Immigration cases are often open to the public. We hear from a group of volunteers who watch hours of court proceedings to keep tabs on the judicial system.
Story 3: With detention centers in such rural locations, family members often have a hard time getting to and staying near facilities. We look at the journey to help family members and those trying to make those trips a little easier.
Story 4: Millions of dollars a month flow to companies operating immigrant detention facilities in Georgia. We look at where the money comes from and where it goes.
For more on this series, go to wabe.org/detention
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Georgia's superintendent calls for pay raises for teachers. It comes at a time when schools are having a hard time getting some students back in the classroom. We look at how chronic absenteeism still remains well above pre-pandemic numbers. Plus, attorneys are gathering Northwest Georgia residents to continue fighting against extensive chemical contamination in the Dalton area. And the state requires mental health treatment be covered by insurance companies the same as physical illness, But that is not always happening. We hear about how advocates are trying to save lives by making sure the law is followed. Also, we go inside Georgia's backlogged immigration courts.
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The election interference criminal case in Georgia against President Trump and several others will move forward after a new prosecutor was appointed before Friday's deadline. Plus, Georgia officials are preparing for the winter and how to prepare the public for potential winter storms. Also, Atlanta is set to have a new professional sports team — a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise. And we go to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin to look at conditions in and round the massive facility for those who work there and those who are kept inside.
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We breakdown some of the biggest races from Tuesday election. Plus, a new poll suggest Georgia voters support vaccine mandates for kids. And we look at what one school and some young filmmakers are doing to try and succeed in Georgia's film industry as it continues to see a decline in productions. Also, a former Department of Justice official is honored for her work at Fulton County Jail.
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The city of Atlanta and other partners are trying to fill in the gap that will be left by residents using SNAP losing the benefit. Meantime, Georgia says it will not help some of the 1.4 million people living here that receive SNAP with Governor Brian Kemp saying the state will not bail out the federal government. Plus, Georgia Head Start programs will shutter as the federal government remains shutdown. Also the election for two seats on the utility regulatory board has become a high-profile race with both parties pouring in cash. And how one Atlanta-based artist is using video games to translate the emotions of isolation fueled by the immigration experience.
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The election for two seats on Georgia's Public Service Commission, the board that regulates your utilities, is now more high profile than ever with national dollars coming in. Plus, a fired Georgia teacher is suing her district over her first amendment rights for what she posted about the killing of Charlie Kirk. And Georgia environmental activists are asking the state to permanently protect areas around the Okefenokee Swamp from mining. We'll have officials with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources explaining what they're considering to make more money from parks. Also, we look at how some local groups are trying to help victims of violent crime get compensated.
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DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Devon Horton resigned on Wednesday just days after a federal indictment against him in the state of Illinois for an alleged kickback scheme at his previous school district. Plus, more than five dozen detainees at the Fulton County Jail are currently sleeping on the floor, while a new diversion center designed to help prevent overcrowding is struggling to fill its beds. Also food vouchers for TSA workers offered by the city of Atlanta are allegedly caught up in federal government red tape. And an Atlanta food institution-- "Eats"-- closes its doors.
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DeKalb County's school board has suspended Superintendent Devon Horton with pay following a federal indictment in the Northern District of Illinois. He's accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks on a school construction project while a superintendent in suburban Chicago and faces 17 federal charges of embezzlement, wire and tax fraud. Also, thousands of Georgia moms and young kids are at risk of losing federal food assistance, depending on how long the current government shutdown lasts. Plus, some Atlanta’s senior residents will get help staying in their homes through a program that’ll cover their property taxes. And school book bans in Georgia are coming largely from Cobb County as the trend grows nationwide.
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We take a local look at the impact here from the federal shutdown from the airport to natural disaster response to the healthcare implications. Plus, Coastal Georgia residents will get to vote on a controversial zoning change for an historic Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island. And Atlanta Public Schools has launched a new text message hotline to help students work through mental and emotional challenges they may be experiencing. Also, international students in Georgia could see limits to the amount of time they can stay in the U.S. with F-1 visas.
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The State Senate in Georgia is looking at ways to possibly incorporate a plan from several Republican state lawmakers and candidates who are pushing to eliminate the state income tax. Plus, it has been a year since Hurricane Helene ravaged parts of Georgia. We look at how some residents are rebuilding in ways that has them more prepared for the next storm. And Georgia will now have to do more to track food insecurity in the state following cuts to a federal program by the Trump administration. We also examine the local impact on the new fee for H-1B visa applicants.
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Federal officials ordered CDC workers back to in-person work this week about a month after a gunman shot hundreds of rounds at the buildings and killed a police officer. Plus, the Trump administration is pausing the reasonable accommodation for CDC workers with disabilities that allowed them to work remotely. Plus, the crowded race for Georgia governor gets more crowded. And we look at the electric vehicle sector post Hyundai immigration raid and just as Rivian broke (ceremonial) ground on its factory outside of Atlanta.
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Hundreds of South Koreans who were working on building an electric vehicle battery plant near Savannah are now back in South Korea, following last week's ICE raid. We look at what happened and the business and political implications of the raid. Plus, the latest in the case against people who were protesting Atlanta's public safety training center, an update on MARTA and new information about the state of DeKalb County's tree canopy.
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Two top officials who resigned last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of grave threats to public health under the Trump Administration, as Georgia's two U.S. Senators call for U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. And we mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. Plus, a visit to a bookstore in Marietta that makes sure LGBTQ folks are the main characters of their stories, and we explain why state scientists are studying rusty fish hooks left behind in rivers and streams.
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Dozens of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention former and current employees demonstrated this week in support of the agency's top leadership, several of whom resigned following the firing of CDC director Susan Monarez. Plus, we have more from Georgia lawmakers about the mobilization of the National Guard in an effort to assist at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the state. And the Atlanta City Council is caught in the middle of a fight over what to do about the deterioration of the Fulton County Jail, where some people held there are again sleeping on the floor. We'll also look at how those who fled Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago have made an impact in Atlanta.
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Fulton County commissioners gave the green light to a new $1.1 billion jail project in na effort to replace the beleaguered current facility. Meantime, some of them could face jail or fines for refusing to appoint controversial Republicans to the election board. Plus, hundreds of workers at Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received permanent termination notices this week, according to the American Federation of Government Employees. And we look at why food banks here say they are seeing such an increase in need.
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A week after the shooting at the headquarters of the CDC in Atlanta we look at how anti-vaccine rhetoric and unfounded claims against health professionals has led to violence and threats toward them and their institutions. Plus, insurance on the ACA marketplace could spike if Congress fails to act. And what does the future look like for Georgia parks that rely on federal funding. Also, we track how well sea turtles are adapting to climate change.
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Delta Air Lines officials say they will not use personal data in AI pricing after facing criticism from U.S. Senators. Plus we explore how federal cuts under the Trump administration could impact organizations helping refugees settled in Atlanta, aiding low income residents in need of healthcare and maintaining the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. And we look at Georgia's impact in the Voting Rights Act which was passed 60 years ago this week.
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As the Trump administration continues cutting tens of thousands of jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, staff and vets who rely on Atlanta's VA braces for changes. We also profile a program that helps those previously incarcerated find housing that is now struggling to stay intact after federal funds are drying up. And as a variety of industries in Georgia--from construction to tech--report they're struggling to find skilled workers, we look at a new trade school aiming to help bridge the gap between education and labor. Plus, we have a remembrance of philanthropist and developer Tom Cousins, who died this week.
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Georgia’s abortion law took effect three years ago this week. It limits allowing the procedure to roughly the first six weeks of pregnancy, and some Atlanta abortion rights advocates, doctors and patients say it continues to interfere with reproductive healthcare. Advocates and lawyers for a Spanish-language journalist fighting deportation from Georgia say they believe his plight is retaliation for his work. A new report from the University of Georgia says the state needs better coordination to prepare for worsening disasters like hurricanes and heat waves. Last month, a meteorite made a bit of a scene in metro Atlanta, streaking across the sky before shooting through the roof of a house in Henry County. We examine the space rock.
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MARTA's Board of Directors says CEO Collie Greenwood, who is Canadian, is taking early retirement after he stepped down abruptly this week over immigration issues. A prominent Georgia Republican is apologizing for an alleged Ponzi scheme that cost investors millions in the now defunct First Liberty Building and Loan. Georgia’s physician shortage could grow worse because of changes to medical student-loan programs under President Donald Trump's spending and tax bill that passed earlier this month. Georgia leaders and education advocates are calling on Governor Brian Kemp to push for the release of federal funds for after-school and summer programs after the Trump administration announced it would withhold $200 million in previously approved education funding for the state.
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We review plans from Fulton officials that would see property owners in the county face a 12.5% tax rate increase. Plus, members of Georgia’s Africa legislative caucus are calling on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to stop the Trump Administration's plan to ban visitors from African and Caribbean countries. And we look at the big numbers being touted by candidates for Georgia's governor and where that money is coming from. (Here's a hint: Loans.)
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President Trump's spending plan could have big impact on Georgia. We look look at the thousands of solar jobs at stake as well as how it could affect Georgia's state budget. Plus, a local journalist who was arrested while covering a protest on Chamblee Tucker Road is now out on bond from an immigration detention center. Atlanta after-school and summer program providers are sounding the alarm after the Trump administration abruptly paused their federal funding. And as many folks "shoot the Hooch" over the holiday weekend, we look at how clean (or not) the Chattahoochee River actually is.
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We look at the confirmation hearing for the proposed new head of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta as well as more funding and program cuts. Plus, a Salvadoran journalist is now fighting deportation after he was arrested in Georgia while covering a protest as he faces new criminal charges in Gwinnett County. And the future is uncertain for federal programs that help elderly and low income Georgians pay energy bills but there may be alternatives.
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A Georgia woman declared brain dead but kept on life support because she was pregnant was removed from her ventilator this week, days after her baby was delivered by emergency C-section. Plus, a local journalist is awaiting a bond hearing from the Folkston ICE Processing Center in southeast Georgia after he was arrested while livestreaming police conduct at an Atlanta area protest. We also have more on Georgia politicians being rattled by the recent assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker at her home.
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We have more on possible domestic terrorist charges for demonstrators deemed by authorities to have caused violence during anti-Trump administration protests. Plus, the fight is still over Head Start, the federally funded, free childcare and learning program for kids in low-income families. Also, the primary for voters to weigh in on utility regulars with the Public Service Commission starts next week and we preview the issues and the candidates.
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We have a deeper dive on the complex and controversial case at Emory Healthcare where a pregnant woman declared ‘brain dead’ is being kept on life support. Hospital officials say that’s because Georgia’s abortion law, but there’s disagreement among many, including conservatives. Plus, we take several looks at the economy: From what the Federal Reserve of Atlanta says about jobs to how to balance demands of data centers with their communities to high schoolers showing their personal finance skills.
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On this episode of WABE's Week In Review, we dive into several areas of possible or likely cuts in federal funding from the Trump administration. We dive into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, where more than 1.4 million Georgians could see changes to the help they get from the nation's largest food-aid program. Plus, advocates for historic preservation initiatives in Georgia are raising concerns about delayed federal funding and possible cuts that they say the cuts threaten development and revitalization programs around the state. And we look at how cities are planning to deal with a loss in federal money.
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An Emory University Hospital patient declared "brain dead" remains on a ventilator to sustain her pregnancy, and Atlanta health providers and advocates are speaking out saying Georgia's six-week abortion law is forcing this decision. Plus, Governor Brian Kemp joined members of the Public Service Commission to advocate for a deal that would pause electricity rate increases right before the Commission’s long-awaited election. And Atlanta art organizations are reeling as the National Endowment for the Arts cancels funding. Also we look at Congress cutting billions in funding and how that could impact hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients in Georgia.
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In our special series called "Server South: What's powering Atlanta's data center growth and what it means for you," we explore the controversial issue of these massive warehouse facilities. From the use of resources and land to the their importance to our everyday life, data centers are popping up across metro Atlanta.
We hear about how artificial intelligence is forcing more and more centers. And we have a story about citizens in one metro Atlanta town fighting against a center in their backyard.
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Two-term Georgia Governor Brian Kemp says he is passing on running for the U.S. Senate in next year’s midterm elections, a blow to Republicans who spent months courting him to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. And we have more on federal cuts proposed or planned for programs that give access to opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan, research best healthcare alternatives for Black children, fund the Americorps staff and several climate change fighting initiatives. Plus, Atlanta Police outline plans for their budget.
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Officials formally opened the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a controversial project that's seen protests and legal challenges. Plus, Governor Brian Kemp signed a high-profile bill this week that cements legal access to in-vitro fertilization services into state law. And we explore the far-reaching implications in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's policies.
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As Pope Francis is buried this weekend, we hear from Atlantans about his legacy and what characteristics they are looking for in the next pontiff. Plus, Governor Brian Kemp took a victory lap this week after signing a once-in-a-generation overhaul of Georgia’s civil litigation rules. It's a shining moment for a term-limited governor as he weighs his political future. The National Rifle Association finished its annual meeting in Atlanta this week, as Georgia gun-owners consider recent events having to do with firearm safety. And we have more on Georgia's film industry is going through what some are calling a slowdown ,which was a topic of conversation at the 49th annual Atlanta Film Festival this week. Also, shrimpin' ain't easy: the plight of Georgia's shrimping boat captains.
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We have more on the impact in Georgia of federal cuts including the cancelation all contracts with Atlanta's refugee resettlement groups. The cuts also call for canceling the lease for an office in metro Atlanta that monitors rivers for flooding and pollution and trimming Medicaid money. Plus, the state of Georgia is cutting taxes and giving rebates again. And we examine how animals use natural medicines to cure their illnesses.
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We look at how federal policy changes and massive cuts could impact Georgia, including immigration officials arresting more than 1,500 people in the state since Inauguration Day. Plus, library officials as we'll as weather forecasters here are seeing or set for budget cuts that could limit access to information from online databases to emergency weather hitting the area. Also, we are in Augusta for a unique look at he Masters golf tournament in an area hit hard just months ago by Hurricane Helene. And two important stories about keeping mothers and babies safe and connected even when they are separated by bars and/or mental illness.
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We have more on the ramifications of federal cuts to Georgia. We have more on the job layoffs at the Atlanta-based CDC. We also hear from an historic HBCU on the path forward amid the dismantling of the Department of Education. Plus, Atlanta is one of the main spots for relocating refugees, but those agencies are seeing contracts canceled and aid closed off. And we hear from scientists on a new way to spread their message (and coping mechanism): stand-up comedy.
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Georgia lawmakers made big moves this week pushing forward the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a ban on cell phones for students in K-8,and a pay raise for Governor Brian Kemp. Meanwhile, a state House committee is also hearing a proposal to ban all abortions in Georgia, but that measure has opponents on both sides for different reasons. Plus, we examine another new federal slashing plan that cuts jobs from the Atlanta-based CDC. And we interview the new head of the Southeast's department of the Environmental Protection Agency. And how the dismantling of the Department of Education could eliminate a farmworker program in Georgia.
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We look at Georgia's General Assembly passing tort reform, the top legislative priority for Governor Brian Kemp. Plus, lawmakers act to move forward protections for IVF, punishments for librarians and support for the state's sliding film industry. Also, Atlanta's City Council is temporarily exempting the Beltline and other infrastructure projects from the city's rules about protecting and removing trees. Plus, firings and funding cuts at the National Weather Service and other agencies have some worried about Georgia’s upcoming hurricane season. And we examine a pilot internship program with Atlanta music legend Jermaine Dupri and Emory University.
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We hear more from federal workers fired from local offices of the IRS and HUD as well as ongoing drama at the CDC and the Office of personnel management. Plus, we talk to the consuls general of Canada and Mexico about the trade war with the U.S. And MARTA stands behind its assessment of public funds.
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We look at some of the bills that passed or failed on Crossover Day, the time when a bill lives on as it goes to the other chamber or essentially dies for the session. The moves includes the failure of a bill to ban DEI in schools and the passing of a plan to lower the state income tax. Plus, we look at more impact locally from federal decisions in Washington, D.C., including in Atlanta at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health researchers. And City Lights Host Lois Reitzes announced her retirement from WABE this week after 45 years on air. We hear from her on why and what is next.
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We dive into the impact decisions in Washington, D.C. are having in Georgia, including the ramifications of dismantling a major regulatory body that stemmed from a crisis that decimated this region. And we head to the legislative session for a breakdown of big-ticket legislation that is headed for crossover day, including IVF treatment access and gambling. We also go inside one of Atlanta's Black churches that was recently given money to preserve its history.
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We look at the impact in Atlanta of the Trump administration's policy firing federal workers, specifically at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Plus, we dive into some proposed state legislation that would put more pressure on local governments to clear homeless encampments or possibly pay homeowners whose values dropped because of them. Also, education researchers say students in Georgia have still not recovered academically to pre-pandemic achievement levels.
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In this special episode of the Week In Review, we take a look at our multi-part series on maternal health called Missing Moms from WABE Health Reporter Jess Mador.
Georgia can be a dangerous place to be pregnant and give birth. The state’s maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the United States. But the risks are not equal. Black Georgians are much more likely than other women to experience complications or die during or after pregnancy.
Families want change. Policymakers and advocates are pushing solutions. To understand what is — and is not — working to address Georgia’s maternal health crisis, we’re exploring the complex factors behind it and what’s being done to address it.
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The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now modifying the content on its website to "comply with President Trump's Executive Order" to dismantle DEI programs within the government. Also, Waffle House says it will charge extra for eggs as millions of chickens have been culled in response to the bird flu outbreak. Plus, we have more on Fulton County facing a lawsuit over its interpretation over the homestead exemption tax law that has some residents seeing massive tax bills.
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We have more on President Donald Trump signing the Laken Riley Act into federal law as he was surrounded by the late Georgia nursing student's family this week. Plus, Democrats in the state legislature are making another attempt to extend health coverage to more Georgians under Medicaid, and this time, four Republicans have already signed on. Also, we look at the impact on Georgia homeowners as half of the state's 180 school districts have started the legal process to opt out of the Homestead Exemption law, according to a survey from the Georgia School Superintendents Association.
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We look at another case of bird flu at a commercial facility in north Georgia, and how it has forced the killing of millions of birds and seen prices increases. Plus, dozens of people who live in Georgia were among those who received pardons from President Trump for their participation in the January 6th insurrection. And cars abandoned along the roadways, thousands without power, water mains busted, we'll look at the impact of the most recent winter storm to hit Georgia. Also, Jan. 20 might feel like a long time ago now, but it was a big day this week. We'll have local reactions to the presidential inauguration, MLK Day celebrations and the college football championship here in Atlanta.
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We take a deep dive into state politics as Governor Brian Kemp charts a course for tort reform, his biggest issue this session. It could have a big impact on the civil litigation, the business community and those who were done wrong and seeking damages. Plus, we look at the republican infighting at the Capitol that saw one GOP lawmaker arrested and another, one of the powerful politicos there, facing criticism from his own party. And a water main break in Dekalb County impacted thousands of residents, forcing a boil advisory for days, and now some lawmakers are using the incident to highlight the need for increasing water and sewer rates. Also, a ruling on right whales could hurt the survival of species that give birth off Georgia's coast.
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Georgia's legislative session is set to start next week and Speaker Jon Burns is promising support for legislation to protect in-vitro fertilization. Also, the number of people who are homeless in Georgia stayed mostly flat over the past year, but it still totals more than 12,000 people statewide. Plus, we look at he ceremonies honoring the only U.S. president from Georgia, Jimmy Carter, who died last month at 100 years old.
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In this special Week In review episode, we look at the impact of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at his home in Plains,Ga. Carter was 100 years old. We dive into his impact on environmental policy as well as his humanitarian work with Habitat for Humanity.
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We'll have more on an uptick in state funding for higher education has brought down the cost of attending Georgia’s public colleges and universities in recent years. Plus, Atlanta officials are spending millions to build two grocery stores in so-called food desert locations in the city. And a Virginia-based homebuilder says it is set to build hundreds of houses in Gwinnett County. Also, Atlanta's famed New Year's Eve Peach Drop is back on this year after a hiatus in 2023.
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In this special episode of the Week in Review, we showcase our series "Six Million and Lonely" by All Things Considered host Jim Burress and producer Christopher Alston.
It looks at the growing problem of loneliness, especially in the metro Atlanta area, where a U.S. Census Bureau quarterly survey found people here were the second most isolated in the country. The series highlights the problems and finds some solutions to combat social isolation and loneliness.
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A Georgia appeals court ruled this week that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office should be removed from the election interference case involving President-Elect Donald Trump and 14 others. the judges said Willis' her personal relationship with a special prosecutor created an “appearance of impropriety.” And we'll also look at why thousands of Amazon drivers picketed this week at multiple facilities across the country, including in Atlanta. Plus, we take a tour of Atlanta's controversial Public Safety Training Center. The facility dubbed "Cop City" by its opponents is now built after years of clashes and protests. We look at how police aim to provide security there while building a community and repairing relationships.
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Georgia governor Brian Kemp signs on with some two dozen other republican governors across the country in expressing support for President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Plus, we examine where tens of millions of dollars in opioid settlement money is going in Georgia. Also the spotted lanternfly, a tree-sucking, rapidly multiplying insect that’s already invaded other U.S. states, is now in Georgia.
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Three Georgia politicians, who didn't win their last election bids, are set to join the new Trump administration. We'll look more at what former Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler as well as former Congressman Doug Collins are slated for. Plus, the man found guilty last month of murdering Laken Riley on the campus of University of Georgia is asking for a new trial. The case became a political flashpoint during an election year as Jose Ibarra was in the country illegally. Also we explain the milestone hit by Georgia's school voucher program. And we go to the coast, where the first critically endangered right whale calf of the season has been spotted.
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Jose Ibarra, who was in the country illegally, was found guilty of killing nursing student Laken Riley in case that became a political football this election year. Plus, a Georgia State Election Board member wants the state to provide voters’ personal information to the makers of EagleAI, a controversial tool for challenging voter eligibility. Also, we look at how the incoming Trump administration may impact environmental and immigration issues Georgia. And TSA officials predict this Thanksgiving travel season will break records with score of passengers set to travel through Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.
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A federal investigation has found Fulton County Jail is violating the civil rights of people in its custody by failing to protect them from violence, using excessive force, and holding them in filthy and unsafe conditions. Sheriff Patrick Labat says the issues predate his tenure but he believes the problems outlined by the department of justice are fixable. Plus, DeKalb County is planning to raise water and sewer rates to make major improvements to its water system. And we go inside a program that sends medical professionals to new and expecting moms in an effort to curb Georgia's extremely high maternal mortality rate.
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We spend the first half of the show detailing some of the impact from Tuesday's election on Georgia: From taxes to transit to runoff races. Then we remember billionaire co-founder of Home Depot Bernie Marcus, who died this week. Plus, the late music producer Rico Wade is honored by East Point with monument dedicated by the city and his closest friends and colleagues. Also, we hear an auctioneering prodigy in action.
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Jeffrey Williams, also known as rapper Young Thug, is now pleading guilty in the massive gang and racketeering trial. Plus, we explore the complicated relationship between former President Donald Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after the Kemp is not at another Trump rally in Georgia. And metro Atlanta’s housing prices have surged in the last couple of years, so what are Trump and vice president Kamala Harris saying about what they would do to help those who can't buy and are being priced out on rent? Also, we have more on what some metro Atlanta law enforcement officials are doing to increase security this heated election season.
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WABE's Marisa Mecke explores a 2023 raw sewage spill from a Fulton County water treatment plant that forced officials to close off huge swaths of the river. The incident poured in millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river that supplies Atlanta with a majority of its drinking water. How officials handled the situation has left doubts about how seriously authorities take sewage pollution in Atlanta for many of the groups aiming to protect the river.
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Georgians continue to be courted by presential candidates and their surrogates. Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were here this week with Harris campaigning alongside former president Barack Obama for the first time. And an update on the three white men who are serving life sentences after murdered Ahmaud Arbery as they seek a new trial. Plus, "Jailbots!" The sheriff in Cobb County is using high-tech guards to keep watch on inmates. Also, right whales are showing some positive population numbers.
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The chemical fire just south east of Atlanta in Conyers at the Biolab facility last month has some lawmakers calling for the facility to be shuttered, some lawyers talking class action lawsuit. Meanwhile, the state has opened a community center to help residents. Plus, a Georgia grand jury has indicted a father and son for their alleged parts in last month's mass shooting at Apalachee High School that killed two students and two teachers last month. And the former Atlanta Medical Center site is taking another step toward redevelopment.
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As Georgia and other states were trying to recover from hurricane Helene, Milton hit. We look at the impact from the two storms. Plus, fallout from the chemical fire at the Biolab facility in Conyers continues as some residents want the facility shutdown as the blaze sent plumes of chemicals into the air around metro Atlanta. And Atlanta has one of the largest Jewish communities in the country. We are with them as they remember and mourn the October 7th attack that saw scores of people killed, injured and kidnapped one year ago.
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We explore the impacts of Hurricane Helene in Georgia: Thousands still without power, scores of homes and businesses ruined and at least 33 people in Georgia alone were killed. Plus we have more from the visits this week by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump (both times). And some are calling for the closure of a plant near Atlanta where a chemical fire sent a huge plume to the air. We'll also have a look at a damning Department of Justice report on Georgia's prisons.
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A special grand jury that investigated efforts to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia recommended indicting 39 people, according to a final report unsealed Friday. Plus, the balance of power in Congress and the legislature is on the line as a trial is now underway in Georgia to decide whether the state’s political maps must be redrawn before the 2024 election. And transgender children in Georgia will once again be barred from starting hormone replacement therapy. A federal judge reversed her own order temporarily blocking the restrictions after a higher court allowed Alabama to resume enforcing a similar law.
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Our team looks at the historic week that was in Georgia when former President Donald Trump on Thursday turned himself in to Fulton County Jail. Trump and 18 others face election interference charges in a massive conspiracy case in Fulton County, and Friday was the deadline for them to surrender. Plus, UPS workers ratify a labor deal with the delivery giant, ending the chance of a crippling work stoppage. Also, Georgia is a major player in agriculture and is expanding its portfolio to now include citrus.
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Fulton County's District Attorney announced the indictment of former President Donald Trump and 18 others late Monday night. It stems from an alleged conspiracy to illegally overturn Georgia's presidential election results in 2020. We look at what sparked the investigation, reaction after the wide-ranging indictments were announced, attempts to move it out of Fulton County and what booking might look like when defendants turn themselves in. Plus, just days after the indictments were announced, Trump's rivals for the GOP presidential nomination came to Georgia to campaign.
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Former President Donald Trump is likely to get indicted in Fulton County early next week. It will be his fourth indictment, and experts are across the spectrum on whether the Fulton case is duplicative or critical in the quest for justice. Also, Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson is blasting his predecessor for the handling of millions of agency dollars. Plus, Georgia's Stewart Detention Center, one of the country's largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, has seen some of the highest death-in-custody numbers in the nation.
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Former President Donald Trump’s activities in Georgia play a central role in the federal criminal charges filed against him. and that comes as the state's own charges are expected soon. Plus, almost 3 million people in Georgia rely on Medicaid for health insurance but with rules changing, thousands are losing coverage. And the family of a man whose dead body was found covered in bed bugs in his cell at the Fulton County Jail has agreed to settle a civil lawsuit.
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Rudy Giuliani is no longer contesting that he made claims after the 2020 election about two Fulton County election workers were false. We also look at the similarities and differences between the federal and state probes into election interference by former President Donald Trump and his allies like Giuliani. Plus, UPS and the Teamsters union struck a deal to avoid a strike of some 340,000 thousand workers. And Atlanta remembers former City Council President and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington Sr.
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We look at the impact of Georgia's restrictive abortion law, which went into effect one year ago this week. Former President Donald Trump's lawyers are renewing a bid to disqualify the Fulton County District Attorney from prosecuting him. Plus, opponents of Atlanta's controversial Public Safety Training Center are launching a paid operation to get the issue on the ballot. And we explore how Georgia's non-union workers in the film and tv industry are feeling the impact of the actors and writers strike.
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Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have filed new motions to disqualify Fulton County's District Attorney from investigating him. Meantime, the Department of Justice says it is investigating the Fulton County Sheriff's Office for civil rights violations at the county jail. Plus, Georgia’s massive film and TV industry is bracing for the impacts of an historic double strike. And the University of Georgia's Athletics Association and a former star football player are facing a lawsuit over a deadly January crash.
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Labor talks between UPS, the world's largest parcel delivery company, and the Teamsters, the union representing some 340,000 employees, broke down this week. Plus, Fulton County officials say it could take a couple weeks to figure what caused one of the county's wastewater treatment plants to malfunction, pumping millions of gallons of partially treated sewage into the Chattahoochee River, one of Georgia's most important waterways. And we hear about an Atlanta nonprofit that helps disabled entrepreneurs achieve success.
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Four families are suing to block Georgia’s restrictions on gender-affirming care for transgender children, which took effect July 1. And Atlanta community health advocates slammed Wellstar Health System leaders during an in-person public hearing in Augusta this week as Wellstar eyes a merger with Augusta University Health System (after shuttering facilities in Atlanta). Plus, recent neo-Nazi demonstrations in Georgia have brought new attention to proposed state legislation on anti-Semitism. We also hear from LGBTQ+ rappers in Atlanta about being out and proud in the city's hip hop scene.
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Dekalb's District Attorney pulls out of the multijurisdictional prosecution of more than 40 cases involving opponents of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The state is now prosecuting solo. We hear from DA Sherry Boston on why she removed her office. Plus, Georgia has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. We look at the impact from the Dobbs decision here, one year later. And Fulton County's Sherriff is threatening to sue the county board of commissioners over a resolution asking him to give regular updates on the condition of the jail's facilities.
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State lawmakers are again looking at Georgia's tax credit for the television and film industry, which has made the area a major player in entertainment. And the head Atlanta's Grady Health System says it is still operating over capacity as the only Level 1 Trauma center in the city is seeing an increase in patients following the closure of two Wellstar facilities. Plus, a long-running disagreement over sea turtles between Georgia environmental activists and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is officially over.
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After a marathon meeting, Atlanta's City Council approved more than $30 million to help build the proposed Public Safety Training Center in South Dekalb County. Opponents are now gathering signatures to get the measure on the ballot. And we bring you our "Beyond Pride" series, a look at LGBTQ+ issues in Georgia, including a possible new HIV vaccine and the soon-to-be enforced medical care on transgender kids. Plus, we examine the future of nuclear power after the first new reactor built in the U.S. in more than 40 years is now up and running in Georgia.
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We are just days away from Georgia's runoff election day that will decide the state's next U.S. Senator. We hit the campaign trail with both Warnock and Walker. Plus, the high-profile shooting in Atlanta that killed two kids and injured four others still has investigators and a community looking for answers.
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The Georgia Supreme Court is allowing the state’s ban on abortion at around 6-weeks of pregnancy to once again take effect. Meantime, Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker faced more evidence of an alleged relationship with a woman who claims he paid for her abortion.
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A Fulton County judge blocked Georgia's restrictive ban, a move that will likely see it go to the Georgia Supreme Court and maybe back to lawmakers. Meantime, Governor Brian Kemp, fresh off his re-election, is using his machine to boost Republican Senate challenger Hershel Walker in the runoff against incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock.
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We breakdown the Georgia's midterm elections, including the U.S. Senate race going into overtime and Republicans taking all statewide offices by 5-10 percentage points.
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The midterms are coming and our Politics team breaks down the scenarios that await in the biggest races in the state as once again Georgia will be in the spotlight come election day. Plus, we look at how a small bureaucratic error can cost some folks their homes in a system that appears to be broken.
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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hershel Walker is facing a second allegation that he forced a woman to have an abortion. He denies the claim. Meantime, Georgia's abortion law, H.B. 481, is at the courts as opponents say banning the procedure after just six weeks is a violation of patients' privacy. And former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows must testify in a Fulton County special grand jury looking at election meddling in 2020. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham is fighting his subpoena and the U.S. Supreme Court is now involved.
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Georgia's U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock says his church has not evicted anyone from property connected to it, as his opponent Republican Hershel Walker claims. Plus, celebrities and big political names are coming to Georgia to support their candidates. And we have a look at a Georgia company looking to create a solar super highway along stretches of roads.
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We take a look at how the Atlanta suburbs that helped put two Democratic U.S. Senators and Joe Biden in office are leaning for the midterms. We also take a look at how some are campaigning on gun rights and access to Asian American voting blocs. Plus, the Veterans Affairs department is finally making changes to how it treats sick vets.
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Georgia Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Herschel Walker is denying reports that he paid for an ex-girlfriend's abortion. Walker is running on an anti-abortion rights with no exceptions platform. Meantime, his son called his father a liar. Plus, Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat is calling on Atlanta officials to let his department start housing inmates in the city's jail ahead ASAP.
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State regulators held hearings this week on Georgia Power's request for significant rate increases. The utility also prepared for Hurricane Ian, which ultimately seemed to spare the state from the most severe damage. We also look at a Democratic candidate who says she's not getting the love from her own party. And Jimmy Carter turns 98 years old. We look at how politics in Georgia have changed in his lifetime.
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Georgia officials moved through a long-stalled final approval for low-THC cannabis oil. We also look at what some experts say will test Georgia's elections. And we are with the final tenants as the move out of the dilapidated Forest Cove apartments.
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Governor Brian Kemp and his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams weigh in on the closing of the Atlanta Medical Center, leaving the city with just a single level one trauma facility. We also examine the education plans for the two gubernatorial candidates. Plus, WABE staff remembers our legal analyst Page Pate who tragically drowned last Sunday.
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Law enforcement from around Georgia and the country are mourning the deaths of two Cobb County Sheriff's deputies on Thursday night. They were attempting to deliver a warrant. Plus, northwest Georgia saw torrential rain that led to flooding and the closure of a local water treatment facility, cutting off water to thousands.
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We look deeper into the special grand jury in Fulton County's election-meddling investigation, including big names battling subpoenas. Plus, some worry Georgia's abortion law could impact treatment to those who suffer a miscarriage. And what Cobb County schools still needs to do to educate students, parents and administrators about an important history.
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Charges were dismissed this week against two Atlanta Police officers involved in the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside a fast food restaurant in 2020. More of former President Trump’s White House and campaign aides could be forced to appear in front of a special grand jury in Fulton County. Plus, we have an interview with USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue, a look at a controversial mine plan moving forward and the cost of a tasty burger.
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Rudy Giuliani became the most high profile ally of former President Donald Trump to testify this week in Fulton County’s special grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia. Fulton commissioners back a controversial plan to use Atlanta's city jail to house inmates. And South Dekalb residents at a public housing complex can stay in their homes for now.
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We look at how construction workers are doing their jobs as Atlanta is experiencing its hottest summer yet. And as temperatures rise, some people suffer without air conditioning. Plus schools are back and educators are having to deal with Georgia's new "divisive concepts" law.
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We look at the short eternity until Georgia's high-profile election, and how the state's gun laws reportedly caused the cancellation of one of the city's most popular music festivals. And we continue our look at how extreme heat is impacting Georgia, including if Atlanta needs a Chief Heat officer.
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Candidates in Georgia's midterm elections are focusing on different priorities: economy versus abortion rights. And we highlight the first three episodes of "The Heat Effect," our series on the impact of extreme heat on Georgia, which includes how peach farmers are adapting to a warming climate.
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A federal court removed the block on Georgia's six-week abortion ban and with it, created "personhood" for the embryo/fetus. We also look at the political wrangling the ruling has caused among candidates for the heated midterm election in November. Plus, the Chattahoochee River could see a cash infusion to continue its development.
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Cobb County's school board voted this week to allow some personnel (not teachers) to carry guns in schools. It is a move facing opposition from many parents. Plus, four detainees at Stewart Detention Center say they were sexually assaulted by a staff nurse. And what, if anything, can convince hardcore conspiracy theorist that Georgia's 2020 election was not rigged?
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Georgia Democrats look to make their primary for selecting a president more significant by moving it up the calendar. And then we have a look at why salt marshes on Georgia's coast are so important to birds, critters and climate change. Plus, how the Muscogee Creek Nation is shaping development in the Okefenokee Swamp some 200 years after they were forced out of Georgia by the U.S. government.
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We look at when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals might rule on Georgia's restrictive 2019 abortion bill that has been help up in the legal system. And we crunch the numbers to see how or if the controversial voting laws passed by state lawmakers had any impact in Georgia's May primary. Plus, sea turtles make a triumphant return on Georgia's coast.
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We look at the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on the state. And Georgia politics had another busy week as we had a runoff election and were featured in one of the Jan. 6 Congressional hearings. And just to catch our breathe, we profile a unique food festival.
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Officials from Georgia continue to testify at the Jan. 6 hearings on the insurrection at the Capitol with new evidence emerging that one Georgia Congressman lead a tour the day before the deadly riot. Plus, the runoff election here on Tuesday is set to test if Trump has any sway with voters after none of the candidates he endorsed ousted statewide Republican incumbents.
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Georgia is set to play a relatively prominent role in the Congressional hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reportedly testifying to the committee. Raffensperger is also up for re-election and we look at his Democratic challengers, who are in a runoff. Plus, some in the Republican want to change Georgia's open primary system after thousands crossed over to vote in the GOP races.
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Fulton County's special grand jury on alleged election meddling in 2020 by former President Donald Trump and others continued this week with testimony from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. We also hear from doctors and their concerns over helping women who have pregnancy complications if Roe v. Wade is overturned. And we look at how technology is helping sell and rent houses in the Atlanta's hot real estate market.
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Georgia Republican incumbents beat back challenges in statewide contests from candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump. The WABE team looks at Georgia's primaries on Tuesday and the races to come this November. Plus, we hear from one teacher who is finding a way to talk about race in the classroom despite new rules banning "divisive concepts."
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Georgia's primary this upcoming Tuesday sees Trump-endorsed candidates taking on a number of fellow Republican incumbents. We look at how battleground Georgia is likely another test of former President Donald Trump's influence on the party. Plus, some Atlanta ride-hailing companies are trying unique ways in an effort to take on Uber and Lyft. And low-income students are being gifted bank accounts by one metro Atlanta school district.
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Georgia's primary is less than two weeks away and the Republican campaign is getting heated, including the on-going false claims of a stolen election in 2020. Plus, we look at the hot housing market in metro Atlanta and how investors are playing a role in spiking prices. And we hear from people dealing with past hurricane damage as a new storm season begins. Also, another multi-billion dollar electric vehicle plant could be coming to Georgia and how the legacy of Black women leaders is being instilled to the next generation.
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The WABE team looks at the potential impact on abortions and politics in Georgia if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Plus, we review the sweet deal the state gave Rivian to build its multibillion dollar electric car factory east of Atlanta. Also, we examine the Atlanta Opera versus makeup artists over unionizing, landlords and renters who are dealing with rising rents in Atlanta and one mother of a transgender kid on officials ruling her child can't play on the team of her gender identity.
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Georgia's has new education laws, including restrictions on how teachers talk about race and a ban on transgender kids from playing sports that match their gender identity. Governor Brian Kemp battled with former Georgia U.S. Senator David Perdue in two debates in less than a week. Both debates devolved into the false narrative of election fraud during the 2020 election. And fast action by Georgia beekeepers saved the lives of thousands of bees stranded at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene defends herself in a case calling for her to be taken off the ballot for her alleged support of the January 6 insurrection. And an Emory expert details what he expects from the loosening of mask mandates on flights and public transportation. We also hear from metro Atlanta students pushing to change the name of their school named after a Confederate general. Plus, how federal funds are helping refugees in Georgia keep their businesses and Atlanta is set to turn the site of an old factory with a dark past into a memorial to honor its forced labor victims.
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Georgia's governor signed the Constitutional Carry Act into law which allows the conceal carrying of a gun without a permit. And we look at the impacts of trying to cap the cost of insulin, reissuing a federal program for school lunches and voting rights legislation.
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Georgia's legislative session ends this week as lawmakers move through a bill that would allow athletic associations to ban trans girls from playing in girls' sports. Also, Governor Brian Kemp signed a major mental healthcare overhaul. Plus, we look at the upcoming 2022 elections, how inflation is hitting childcare facilities and the future of energy in Georgia.
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As we near the last days of Georgia's legislative session, big moves were made on reducing regulations on guns, increasing ease of banning books in schools and opening access to mental healthcare. Plus, Atlanta airport workers finally get a raise, inside the politics of the 2020 election and Ukrainians in Georgia helping their homeland.
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Georgia is ranked as one of the worst states in the country when it comes to access for mental healthcare. We look at legislation designed to change that by attracting psychiatrists, nurses and others to the state. Plus, water spinach, a staple in Asian cuisine, is set to hit Georgia stores soon after a long battle over the leafy green vegetable.
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Georgia lawmakers rushed pass legislation before Crossover Day on Tuesday, including the changing of more election laws, suspending the gas tax and banning the teaching of "divisive concepts" (aka Critical Race Theory). We also look at what has and hasn't changed one year on from the spa shootings as those killed are remembered.
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State lawmakers are moving through a number of bills that would change public schools in the Georgia, including bans on teaching racism, making it easier to ban books and keeping transgender students from participating in sports. We also hear from former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young on turning 90. And how women could be vital in helping Georgia's construction industry.
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A federal judge ruled this week that Georgia's redrawn voting maps will stand for the 2022 election. A lawsuit claimed the maps diluted the vote of minorities in violation of the Voting Rights Act. Meantime the state Senate moved a bill to ban abortion medication by mail, and the state House passed a plan to cut taxes. We also looked a survey of teachers that says 20% are considering leaving the profession, a truck driving school hoping to help with the supply chain backlog and Emory scientists pushing to get kids more pumped about science.
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WABE's Managing Editor Alex Helmick looks at how the murder of Ahmaud Arbery changed Georgia. The high-profile killing led lawmakers to pass a state hate crimes law and gut Georgia's Civil War Era citizen's arrest law. We hear from those in Brunswick who were outside the courthouse for the latest guilty verdict of the three men who murdered him. And we hear about what is next for the case.
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