The Brief from WABE

Mandatory minimums make a comeback despite years of bipartisan reforms to Georgia's criminal justice system that generally concluded such approaches are ineffective at solving the underlying issues behind crime; Heavier trucks get a green light, but just kinda and not for long; and why a Manhattan DA's prosecution of Donald Trump could complicate Fulton County's stronger case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The clean up following the wreck in Ohio of a train owned by Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern should take about three months, according to the U.S. EPA; In the last weeks of the Georgia legislative session, lawmakers continue to work on bills dealing with housing; A Jonesboro man is being sentenced to federal prison for hate crimes, for shooting into convenience stores in Clayton County in 2021 in an attempt to kill Black and Middle Eastern people; Black Children with COVID-19 were more likely to be severely ill, hospitalized or die during the pandemic than white children, according to the Morehouse School of Medicine; and the Gold Dome Scramble crew discusses guns and gambling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asian Americans are paying tribute to the lives lost in the Atlanta area spa shootings two years ago today and demanding action against what they say is ongoing hate and violence against AAPI communities; Victim advocates are trying to help families impacted by the shooting figure out the legal system; Georgia lawmakers move forward a bill blocking doctors from helping transgender kids from getting some gender-affirming care; Morris Brown College is making a comeback and building a new ... hotel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton Commissioners want to file a complaint with the Department of Justice for Wellstar Health System's closing down of two Atlanta-area hospitals in majority Black communities; A proposal to pay full tuition for all HOPE scholars in Georgia's public colleges has hit a roadblock; Fulton County is moving forward with a study on building a $2 billion jail almost four times the size of the overcrowded facility on Rice Street; And the status of a proposed titanium mine near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Joe Biden says former President Jimmy Carter asked him to deliver his eulogy. Carter remains in hospice care in Plains, Georgia; Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill will serve time in federal prison for mistreating inmates; State lawmakers are approving another round of tax refunds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of an activist killed as the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in South Dekalb County are suing the city of Atlanta to release more police-worn body camera footage of the incident; Georgia will soon require every public school to run an annual intruder alert drill; With just a little more than two weeks left in the legislative session, we get caught up on the bills set to pass and those with a tougher road. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery are appealing their federal hate crime charges; Gwinnett County police are trying to rebuild the relationship with the community they police; a program in Northeast Georgia is taking a different approach to addressing opioid addiction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Anti-Defamation League says Georgia saw a spike in white supremacist propaganda last year; a look at what's in Georgia's $32 billion 2024 state budget; and the latest in events for the whole family from How Do You Atlanta.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bill to limit mining near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has stalled in the General Assembly; Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is criticizing fellow Republican top election officials for pulling out of a national voter database; A new report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control suggests that black adults visit the ER more frequently than others for mental health concernsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following Crossover Day, Georgia lawmakers have just about 10 working days left to pass new laws; the long behind schedule Vogtle nuclear power plant has achieved a key step towards actually providing electricity; and a week of scheduled action against the planned Atlanta police training facility continues after violent protests broke out over the weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tough weekend at 'Cop City," as nearly two dozen are arrested on domestic terrorism charges; All kinds of bills face their make it or break it moment under the Gold Dome on Crossover Day; and why you might be able to see the Braves play this season if you only want to see one game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NIMBYs win (as in, "Not In My Buckhead, Y'all"); Renters are a step closer to getting more protections; and got bettin' money in your pocket? Keep driving. Georgia isn't ready to expand gaming in the state just quite yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buckhead cityhood supporters say they'll continue to fight after suffering a major setback; local election offices will no longer be allowed to accept grants to help run elections; and WABE's politics team looks back on a busy week at the state capitol. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like a Chinese spy balloon, your power bill is about to go up up up; Delta pilots get a sweet raise after contentious contract negotiations lead to a contract; and even as Rivian struggles financially, Georgia lawmakers remain all-in on the company's planned factory outside of Atlanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why a 'dangerous' dog bill under state senate consideration could include a pug as easily as a pitbull; regulations on your leaf blower are coming. But don't worry. It's a regulation to prevent any regulation. So. Blow away!; and the word on WERD. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The party-line vote to make Atlanta's Buckhead community the City of Buckhead; Lawmakers know they have to get EV drivers to pay for road upkeep. And they have. But apparently not enough; and even more reasons scientists say E-O has got to go.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia lawmakers are considering another round of bills focused on transgender kids; the number of people staying at Georgia hotels is expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels this year; and WABE's politics team reviews the week at the state capitol.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A run along the Atlanta beltline commemorates three years since Ahmaud Arbery was murdered; Donald Trump’s defense lawyers are blasting the Fulton special grand jury after the foreperson went public; and WABE follows up with the state's first free pre-school in DeKalb county. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speeding up an anti-semitisim bill in the Georgia House; the Tara Theater's next chapter will look a lot like its previous ones, just with a storyline a bit closer to home; and Atlanta's newest record low February temperatures aren't what you think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Atlanta Hawks decide to go coach shopping; Health insurance is expensive, so sorry about your luck local school districts. You're gonna have to pay more for increasing premiums; and the well-wishes continue to flood Plains, Ga as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter surrounds himself with loved ones in his final days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As former President Jimmy Carter enters hospice, folks across the metro share their memories and respects; Carter's progressive stance on racial equality; and DeKalb prosecutors' newly-discovered favorite charge: domestic terrorism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new FDA rule could make a life-saving overdose reversal drug available over the counter; the WABE Politics team reacts to the partial release of a Fulton special grand jury investigation into Donald Trump; and Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young's All-star snub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sliver of a special grand jury report's inquiry into former Pres. Donald Trump and his allies' attempts to alter the outcome of Georgia's 2020 election became public info. today; advocates call for overhauling the way police handle tense situations following a record number of police-involved shootings last year; and legislating lower home prices without actually legislating lower home prices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From promoting religious freedom to phone call prohibition, there's a whole lot of lawmaking going on; we're about to get some of the dirt Fulton County's extra-special super-duper grandest of them all jury stirred up about a former president who tried to pressure state officials to change the outcome of 2020's election; and just days after receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor, Atlanta businessman and community leader Tommy Dortch has died. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why a memorial statue under the Gold Dome is a partisan question; Georgia's AG adds his name to a legal brief that challenges the FDA's 2000 approval of a drug used to induce abortion; and Cupid, draw back your bow...and let your arrow--actually, Cupid, scratch that. Go ahead and put that bow back in your quiver, get a gun, and shoot it until it won't shoot anymore because you don't need a permit. After all, you're in Georgia. And don't expect that to change this legislative session, either.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County's extra special grand jury report that recommends whether D.A. Fani Willis should file charges against former Pres. Donald Trump and/or his cronies for efforts to overturn 2020's election results [gasp for air to transition from that impossibly long backstory to the meat of the report] will remain hush-hush. Kinda; Now that it has funding, what will Fulton County's Reparations Task Force recommend? "Stay tuned."; and Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, Atlanta's first Black first lady, is laid to rest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia lawmakers debate allowing fattened up payloads--up to an additional five tons-on state roadways; On paper, the state struggles to attract police officers; and Atlanta's entry into this year's Puppy Bowl gives a whole new meaning to Bleu cheese. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of Manuel Teran has serious questions about the body camera footage released by Atlanta Police; the IRS is suggesting Georgia taxpayers hold off on filing their 2022 tax returns; and Georgia rent prices are still climbing, but slower than they were during the height of the pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After SOTU, VPOTUS turns focus to GA; the state GOP lawmaker push to make Buckhead a separate city finds traction. Again.; and why Black entrepreneurship is big in the ATL. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From state lawmakers' testy exchange about banning a COVID-19 vaccine requirement to a re-do of Georgia's 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, Tuesday proved a busy day of making law under the Gold Dome; state GOP lawmakers hate the idea of expanding Medicaid in Georgia. A new poll finds they're on their own with the issue, as the majority of Georgians support the move; and the astronomical chances Camden, Ga will ever see a space port.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anti-Semitic flyers in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody raise concern among the area's Jewish community; The parents of the "Cop City" demonstrator killed in a police shoot-out want more answers; and Georgia's Sec. of State is all about moving up Georgia's presidential primary. In 2028. Problem is the Dems had an earlier date in mind. Like four years earlier.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft pumps the brakes on its major tech hub in Atlanta's Westside; Georgia sniffs out what it might be like to run its own health insurance marketplace; and 1,791 reasons to bring back profanity to Forsyth County's school board meetings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picture it. The calendar says you're more than half-way through your current pay period, but your bank account is still full. Like, absurdly full. You're rolling in the green. Drippin', even. What do you do? [I have absolutely no idea. Nary a clue. It's never happened to me, and it's safe to say it likely never will. But.] If you need some advice, the state of Georgia can offer a few ideas, apparently. Because that's EXACTLY the case lawmakers find us in right now. Awash with cash. Also, GOP leaders want bail to get more prohibitive, not less. And a bill unlikely to go anywhere would up the state's cigarette tax by 20-cents. Sure, that would still put it under a fraction of the U.S. average, generate a ton of cash to fund any number of programs, and save a good number of lives. But naah. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More trimming at Rivian, even before it begins construction on a multi-billion-dollar factory just east of Atlanta; You'll need four minimum-wage jobs to afford the rent for an average one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta; and safe, for now: dogs scheduled for euthanasia in DeKalb County make it to forever homes, just in time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Kemp rolls out the red carpet for EV manufacturers, even if the state hasn't quite figured out how to regulate them; the public safety training facility dubbed "Cop City" by its detractors is one step closer to being constructed; and fond of the South? So are a lot of Yankees--a million of 'em last year alone. Bless their hearts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Imminent." That's what describes the poo that's about to hit the proverbial air rotator related to Fulton County's indictment of those accused of attempting to undo Georgia's 2020 election results [not to name any names, but Donald Trump]; Former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, now a CNN political commentator, says he thinks the aforementioned person is going down in the aforementioned sweep; and dogs. Canines. Pups. They're not just man's best friends. That's an understatement. They're kind of the best creatures on Earth, for one thing, and if humans were as forgiving and loyal as dogs are, we'd all be in a better.... I digress. Y'all. DeKalb County's animal shelter is about to euthanize dozens and dozens of pups because of overcrowding. Picture that. How can you not go save one? PLEASE go adopt one and love it half as much as it will love you, and you'll feel good about what you've done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is again catching heat; A majority of Georgians now support legalizing medical and recreational marijuana; and a fond farewell to WABE Deputy Managing Editor Susanna Capelouto.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the violence at the future site of a police training facility, Gov. Brian Kemp declares Georgia is in a state of emergency; Dems push for Georgia to move up its presidential primary; and maybe next year, Mr. Jones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GBI decides on a special prosecutor to investigate an officer-involved fatal shooting involving a state trooper; the state's public colleges and universtities hope to get a reshaken (never stirred) state funding model; and the state of the state through the eyes of Gov. Brian Kemp.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guinea worm disease declines thanks to help from the Carter Center; Smyrna-based Glock guns are found at more crime scenes nationwide than any other gun manufacturer; and will the report from the special grand jury investigating Trump's 2020 claims of election fraud in Georgia be released? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A judge is preparing to hear arguments on whether to release a special grand jury report on the investigation into efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results; Georgia Department of Corrections plans to downsize the state’s largest women’s prison; and we hear from a residential housing expert with the Federal Reserve about Atlanta's housing market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GBI says there's no body camera footage from the shooting of a state trooper and shooting and killing of a protestor near the proposed site for Atlanta's Public Safety Training Facility. Both pro and anti abortion groups rally at the Gold Dome. And a look at Lunar New Year celebrations in the perimeter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GBI charged 7 people with domestic terrorism a day after an officer was shot and a protestor was killed at the proposed police training facility site. Governor Brian Kemp is giving more HOPE to college kids. And a look at people who are navigating GA's restrictive abortion laws in the wake of losing Roe protections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authorities are responding to a shootout at the hotly contested proposed training facility known as "Cop City"; changes to the state budget could affect how much money Georgia schools get; and while it might be "Dry January" for some, the latest episode of How Do You Atlanta has events for drinkers and teetolars alike.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electric vehicles are getting special attention in the state budget; Georgia now has one of the largest Asian-American legislative delegations; and an annual teacher survey reveals educators' priorities for the coming year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several events took place around Atlanta in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 2023, including an address by President Joe Biden at the civil rights leader's former church; Dr. King's daughter, Bernice, also spoke at Ebenezer Baptist Church about how well our current leaders are living up to her father's vision; and Morning Edition host Lisa Rayam speaks with King's niece, Alveda King, about her own father's legacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia public school teachers are set for another salary increase; DeKalb's already backed up court docket will be on hold until April; and the Gold Dome Scramble team breaks down the start of the legislative session.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New manufacturing jobs coming to Georgia will help boost domestic solar panel production; some Atlanta police will be allowed to take their patrol cars home; and Brian Kemp begins his second term as Georgia's 83rd governor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp previewed his priorities for this year's legislative session at the annual Eggs and Issues Breakfast; Republican Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia has introduced a bill to overhaul the tax system; and find out about upcoming cultural events around Atlanta with the latest episode of WABE and Rough Draft's How Do You Atlanta.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UGA is number one for the number two time in a row; Why college football is a lot more lucrative than it used to be; and is UGA's outgoing team the best ever? [And there are lots of non-football-y things to hear, too. Promise.]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.