The Brief from WABE

No race in the country has had more spent on TV ads than for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat; Hundreds of millions of dollars could be on its way to Grady Hospital in the aftermath of Atlanta Medical Center's closure; and how Atlanta's housing market became so red hot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cobb County authorities offer new details in the shooting deaths of two deputies; the British Consulate General in Atlanta is inviting the public to sign a book of condolences for Queen Elizabeth II next week; and the University System of Georgia announced it will extend a temporary waiver for SAT and ACT requirements at most public colleges and universities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tributes and condolences pour in from Georgia dignitaries after the death of England's Queen Elizabeth II; Atlanta's Latin American Association says there's been an increase in the number of asylum seekers in recent months; and sales of electric vehicles in the southeast U.S. have doubled in the past year, but still lag behind the rest of the countrySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta city officials are demanding more details on Wellstar Health System's planned closure of the Atlanta Medical Center; Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is isolating in India after testing positive for COVID-19; and a jury has awarded $77 million to the family of a man who died after being dismissed from an addiction treatment facilitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens tests positive for COVID-19; community groups are handing out bottled water after flooding in Northwest Georgia leaves thousands without running water; and more than 100,000 Georgians have requested absentee ballots for the November general election under new rules for mail-in voting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're live from DragonCon 2022 in this Brief, so keep that in mind when you listen. It was really, awesomely cool to see, but it was also really, awesomely loud. We return to our regularly scheduled studio after Labor Day. Godspeed. (No, really, it's worth a listen. I mean it.); Why being pregnant means you can bypass Atlanta traffic jams; and it's an otherwise sleepy weekend in the city this Labor Day. Not. Between the aforementioned DragonCon, Black Gay Pride, and something y'all get all worked up about down in these parts--college football--200k extra bodies are in town. Be safe. Have fun. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Closure of Atlanta's Wellstar Medical Center becomes a political issue; Try not to as he might, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) will have to testify before a special grand jury in Fulton County; and Delta's pilots up the pressure on the airline to reach a new contract with them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellstar said to be unloading Atlanta Medical Center; Fights are down in Clayton County Schools; and more Monkeypox vaccine is coming to the area.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Burning bridge is structurally sound, on first glance anyway; Fulton's DA tells celebrities that keeping their glam off social media might just help them not get robbed; and a Georgia Democratic U.S. Senator aligns with Alabama's GOP representation, but it could be much ado about nothing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major crash on an Atlanta Interstate and subsequent fire shuts down I-285 for most of the afternoon; Gov. Brian Kemp has to testify before a special purpose grand jury in Fulton County, but not before the election; and a local student is diagnosed with monkeypox. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas. Subpoenas.; Maybe it's the clear backpacks? Maybe not. Either way, Clayton County asks its parents not to cuss at home and to give educators a break as brawls early in the school year are up 200%; and better have about $25k if you want to bring a baby into the world. And that's just to get to their first birthday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A MARTA board member throws the agency under a rapid transit bus; Secretary Governor Senator Chancellor Sonny Perdue has questions before he'll make a judgement call on whether forgiving $10,000 in student loans is a positive or a negative--like what kind of car you drove or what brand of clothes you wore in college; And now that we've got that out of the way, we should play a game. Yeah? You're onboard? Cool. So here's how it works. I'm the Fulton County DA's office. You're any and every Republican lawmaker in Georgia (and one in South Carolina, if it tickles your fancy). Here we go. When I say 'subpoena,' you say, 'quash!' Ready? Okay!..."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cases of COVID-19 dip a smidge as a new, targeted booster vaccine nears; Georgia's governor and a South Carolina Senator still don't want to talk to a Fulton County special grand jury; and for our "Pretty Penny" series, a look at travel cost trends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Atlanta police officers charged in the 2020 killing of Rayshard Brooks will see those charges dropped as a special prosecutor finds they broke no law; Atlanta's average mortgage payment doubled in the past two years--housing prices are the focus in the latest installment of our series, Pretty Penny;" and because COVID-19 and monkeypox just aren't quite enough to completely consume our worrying heads, now there's confirmation of a bird flu outbreak in Georgia. You're welcome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midtown on lockdown; new rules for absentee ballots are in effect as the window to request one opens; and be it a new car or a used one, it'll cost ya a pretty penny.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's what happened today in the 'Things you can't do in Georgia according to court rulings today' category: 1. Tell the Governor his version of Medicaid expansion is not gonna fly. As such, if you're someone who will benefit from that limited expansion, it might behoove you to remember the sage words of the Atlanta native known as RuPaul: "You better work!" Or, if you're feeling frisky, Brittney Spears offered similar advice when she said, "You better WORK [expletive]." 2. Offer a voter a bottle of water if said voter is at a polling location, no matter how much said voter is sweating or melting or even if said voter is on fire+; 3. Vote for a Public Service Commissioner++; or 4. Avoid testifying before a Fulton County special purpose grand jury, no matter how hard you try if your name is Lindsey Graham and you're a Republican U.S. Senator from South Carolina.  + Judge's decision was because of proximity to election, not, apparently, because of the merits of the law ++ This could have changed within the time it took me to type this sentence. This just in. In fact, the story has changed after the Sec. of State says he's withdrawn the contest so there will be NO PSC vote on your ballot. The story contained within has been updated to reflect the latest.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta officials move quickly to remove a hate symbol from the city's LGBTQ core; Delta's CEO says the carrier is almost to its optimum staffing level and that hiring will likely taper off soon; and Awnaw! A member of Nappy Roots becomes the latest shooting victim in the city after he was jumped, kidnapped and shot in the leg trying to escape an attempted robbery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rudy comes to Atlanta, but he isn't happy about it; Gov. Kemp lives in Atlanta, but still isn't happy about his appearance before a special grand jury; and how rising temperatures affect your kid's classroom time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Profits for Atlanta-based The Home Depot were drippin' from their display fauCets in Q2; UGA is the defending national champion in college football. Apparently, that's not enough to get the most love from college coaches; and WABE legal analyst Page Pate breaks down what former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani might or might not say when he appears tomorrow before a special purpose grand jury.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) really doesn't want to come to Atlanta; Rudy Giuliani really doesn't want to come to Atlanta; and in related news, two high-profile Trump cronies are set to come to Atlanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want a monkeypox vaccine? In Atlanta? You better be quick (and your WiFi better be, too). Actually, since we're on the subject, you'd better just sit there, not blink, and anticipate the appoint times going live. Because if you hesitate a millisecond, you ain't gettin' that shot. Matter of fact, there are 240 appointments for *how* many millions of folks?; On again. Off again. On again. Off... now are we talking about my relationship or whether the Georgia Public Service Commission race will be on November's ballot? ; and lots of folks want one of them fancy new Rivian EVs. Problem is, they still can't find the parts to make enough of them. Guess that means another year on MARTA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump done got him a real life Southern defense lawyer. Two, in fact; Gov. Kemp wants to get re-elected really bad. [OK-your turn, and all together: 'How Bad Does He?'--Good! That was good. Y'all have done this before, haven't ya?] He wants to get re-elected SO bad, he's willing to give back another $2-billion of your cash to do it.; Moving on now. And, yes. Sure. He said really homophobic things, and there was that felony thing, too. And some gun charges. Drug deals. And he's talked about his child's hymen in the media. But. Who hasn't? Plus, everybody deserves a second chance, and Atlanta hip-hop icon T.I. is no exception. All the good work he's done since raking in the cash and fame got him some right good recognition from both the state and the federal governments. Way to go, Clifford! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A day after unveiling her economic plan, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams tests positive for COVID-19; a major project to bring a terminal hotel to Atlanta's airport quietly goes away; and after being offline for two weeks, Atlanta's National Weather Service radar is back online. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rudy Giuliani couldn't possibly make it to Atlanta today to chat with that special Fulton County Grand Jury because his heart condition prevented him from getting on a plane. So, a Fulton County judge, not wanting Giuliani to suffer a broken heart for missing that conversation, postponed his appearance 'til next week. And in a total, "Bless your heart!" momemnt, the judge said if he still can't get on a plane, they'll even sport him a bus ticket to get his rear to his second favorite city on Earth. (Can you imagine?!); Sen. Lindsey Graham's [R-SC] attorneys didn't even pull the doctor's note card, but instead just aruged that same U.S. Constitution thingy Trump is accused of trying to circumnavigate shields Graham from having to testify at all; and Georgia GOP officials (the same ones who re-drew districts that now dillute into oblivion any cohesive Black democratic voting block) tell a court, Naah, race has NOTHING to do with why it's impossible for Black people in Georgia to elect a fellow African-American to office. NOTHING. It's their fault, actually. Somehow. Just trust us. Oh, and will you please put the PSC race back on the ballot for November? You're the best!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The men who killed Ahmaud Arberry get life in prison sentences. Again; the U.S. Senate's reconciliation bill includes provisions from Georgia (and excludes some, too); and if you think it's hot, just think about if your office was outside. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's system of electing members to the Public Service Commission gets sent back to the drawing board; an Atlanta physician discusses what monkeypox looks like from her practice; and why even the worst seat at Truist Park isn't so awful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monkeypox is spreading; Loggerheads are breeding; and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is fighting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overheard at Plant Vogtle today (maybe--but don't quote me on it): "Fire 'em up!"  Don't you love the smell of new nuclear in the summer?  Okay, Sure. Construction took a smidge more than twice the cash originally forecast to build the two new nuclear reactors--but, hey, what's an extra $16-billion? Am I right?! And sure, this was all supposed to happen like, what, six years ago? Details. Plus, who's counting anyway? Okay, okay. Granted. Georgia Power customers have been funding the work on their electricity bills month after month for all those years while deadline after deadline passed and the cost overruns saw no limits. But hey. All in the past, no? Afterall, one of the new units is constructed! And it could generate power as soon as next year!  Also on The Brief: The area's major philanthropic arm kicks in millions to relocate the residents of Forest Cove; and Democratic U.S. Senator, Rev. Raphael Warnock, talks insulin, Medicare prescription caps, student loan forgiveness, and (almost) fully answers a question about debating his GOP opponent, Herschel Walker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A U.S. Senator fights a bit more to keep from testifying before a special grand jury investigating Donald Trump's post-election behavior; Third party candidates who find it too hard to get onto Georgia's ballot hope to convince the U.S. Supreme Court of their plight; and Sprite fans, don't worry--it'll still taste the same once those green bottles are no more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Music Midtown, this is the day the music died; the Atlanta City Council approves a six-figure donation to a non-profit abortion fund; and why an embryo/fetus could save its parents $3,000 on this year's state taxes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monkeypox cases are increasing exponentially. Monkeypox vaccines are not.; a federal indictment accuses the Atlanta-based 'Black Hammer Party' of being aligned with 'Hammer and Sickle'; and Georgia teachers get a separate check to buy classroom materials, which hopefully means they won't be spending so much of their own money to outfit their classrooms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With violent crime up in the city, Atlanta's mayor says he and APD are doing "everything possible" to combat it; Not there yet, but at least a smidge closer--the Chattahoochee River gets some bipartisan love from federal lawmakers; and Camden County *REALLY* wants a spaceport. And by Camden County, we mean officials, not residents. Cause they don’t want it *REALLY* bad.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CEO of a Georgia gunmaker testified in front of Congress on Wednesday. Sen. Raphael Warnock is touting the passage in the Senate of a bill that invests $50 billion in domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. A look at candidate Stacey Abrams' plan to address Georgia's housing problems; and a conversation about how women of color in Georgia will be affected by the state's new abortion law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With federal courts proving unfavorable, a group of abortion rights advocates turn to state court to challenge Georgia's more restrictive abortion law; The best line from today's Congressional hearing on conditions at the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta was easily, "It is never a good idea to leave prison doors open." Uhhhh. No arguments; and Atlanta in general is a hot city [Now don't you dare give into the urge to chuckle 'Hotlanta" at this point, either. Resist. No good will come of it.], but at the street level, that heat can be worse than the ones just a block or two away. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calling the optics "horrific," a Fulton Co. judge first scolds, then removes, D.A. Fani Willis from prosecuting GOP Lt. Gov. nominee Burt Jones for his alleged involvement in attempts to thwart Joe Biden from becoming President; Next time you flush your toilet, there's a chance Fulton County will scoop it up to track for Monkeypox; and anyone who has been around these parts for more than a minute knows summer in Georgia means it'll be hot. But don't be so quick to dismiss the heat as just a fact of life. WABE kicks off "The Heat Effect," a series of stories looking at how increases in temperature affect all our lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Atlanta attorney convicted of murdering his wife only to be de-convicted could be re-convicted; Ten-million bucks and ten years later, even after getting FAA approval, Camden County's proposed spaceport just entered a big NIMBY black hole; and Georgia forfeits $1.8 billion to attract a manufacturing facility valued at $5.5 billion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years after Georgia lawmakers passed a more restrictive abortion law--and one day after a federal appeals panel let it stand--Georgia's Department of Revenue is still working out the details of how to handle fetuses as dependents; A skeptical judge rules 11 'fake' electors must accommodate a Fulton County special grand jury's subpoena; and Georgia Power's plan for making electricity for the next 20 years involves sun, storage, and shi...stuff. It involves stuff. Stinky, smoldering stuff.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years in the making, a federal appeals court gave the green light to Georgia's abortion law that bans the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected; Rudy Giuliani wanted a choice about responding to a Fulton County special grand jury summons. A New York judge delivered, giving the former Trump campaign attorney the choice of showing up or getting locked up. His call; and basketball legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier gets a hero's welcome--and a pretty sweet honor--by his former high school.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sixteen top state GOPers learn they're targets of a special grand jury investigation in Fulton County; Cobb's East Side Elementary to upset parents: "No way our War Eagle is anti-semetic! The Nazi version looks over its left shoulder and carries a swastika in its talons. Our logo's War Eagle looks over his left shoulder and carries the initials 'ES' in his talons. Clearly, they're worlds-apart different;" and that old Commodore 64 in the depths of your closet? Pull that out and see how popular you are at the next vintage computer festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another elected GOP official fights a subpoena to appear before Fulton County's special grand jury looking into whether former Pres. Donald Trump and his cronies illegally interfered with Georgia's 2020 election; Delta orders a lot of shiny new planes; and MARTA's latest soccer station debuts in DeKalb.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Georgia's most influential Republicans asks a judge to stop Fulton County's DA from prosecuting him; Cobb County's School Board hastily votes to arm some school employees; and Monkeypox cases are on the rise in metro Atlanta.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) REALLY doesn't want to come to Atlanta to answer a special grand jury's questions about election interference; Gwinnett is Great(er) in terms of adding new residents; and only Phoenix bested Atlanta in a ranking of the nation's cities seeing the sharpest increases in housing costs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multi-million dollar fundraising hauls are coming in for Georgia's U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican nominee Herschel Walker; Afghan women who evacuated to Georgia last year reflect on taking their families and leaving everything behind; and rural Georgians are seeing more guaranteed income programs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal judge rules getting an absentee ballot in your mailbox when you've not asked for it could lead to confusion. So, better not allow that; State health officials strap in and ready for the next strain of COVID-19; and you thought residential rents were high along the BeltLine? Yeah. They look downright cute compared to commercial rents. That's why BeltLine officials are now focusing on keeping commercial rental rates in check. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the debate over gun control and its subsequent implementation, Georgia takes a prominent place; Herschel Walker, the GOP nominee for one of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats, tosses a WABE reporter from a public event this weekend; and for one abortion services non-profit, the message post-overturning of Roe vs. Wade isn't all that different from before the decision. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nineteen people in Georgia either now have, or have had, Monkeypox. A vaccine just became available. Good luck getting it, though, as there's about one dose for every 8,300 Georgians; No bond for Gunna; and what to do with all that state tax money?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"They tried to make me go to testify, but I won't go, go, go!" --U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to Fulton County following being subpoenaed by a special grand jury looking into Pres. Trump's alleged interference in the 2020 election; Hartsfield-Jackson's Concourse D ['D,' as in 'David,' (those who ride the Plane Train at will totally get that. 'David' is incorrect, by the way--at least under the official NATO phonetic alphabet. 'D,' officially, should be "as in 'Delta'." Think about it though--if that's the phonetic example read over the Plane Train’s PA, everyone who halfway hears it would be all like, "Delta concourse? That's what I'm flying... better get off here!" And that'd be pandemonium, especially in Atlanta, where Delta Air Lines operates like 70+% of all flights.] gets $50-million in federal cash to get fatter; and Georgia's Sec. of State, Republican Brad Raffensperger, says purging the official voter list by tens of thousands of folks helps more people vote, and makes it easier for them to do it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Was it the work of God or Satan? Depends on whom you ask in Elbert County, Ga. Either way, somebody (or some diety) sure didn't care for the Georgia Guidestones—so much so, they blew ‘em up this morning. [Law enforcement frowns on that type of thing, by the way]; Why Georgia's increasing COVID numbers tell us little about the state of the pandemic; and come along as members of the Muscogee Creek Nation see an essential part of their homeland for the first time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County's extra-special super duper grand jury looking into whether Donald Trump's also extra-special super duper grand quest to overturn the 2020 election broke Georgia law summonsed Rudy Giuliani, Lindsay Graham, and a host of other close Trump associates to testify; Atlanta's City Council passes a resolution that holds bad landlords criminally responsible for their properties' bad conditions; plus, the troubling relationship between banning abortion and higher maternal death rates in Georgia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New [fiscal] year, new laws; For one of Georgia's U-S Senators, the Pills Are Too Damn High; and attacking Atlanta's rapidly-expanding crime rate with a different kind of court--no gavels here, but plenty of bleachers instead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.