The Brief from WABE

The governor touts record tax revenues in his State of the State, and pledges to give a big chunk of the surplus to teachers; Democrats respond with, "Hey--Remember that Medicaid expansion thing you swore was too expensive?"; and why the head of GSU's Economic Forecasting Center says he's stocking up now on things he'll need a few months out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tax refund, everyone? Gov. Kemp brings the bacon to the annual Eggs and Issues breakfast; If the Omicron strain is less severe than other COVID-19 variants, you wouldn't know it by looking at area hospitals; and the father convicted in 2016 of purposefully leaving his child in a hot car to die will argue before the Supreme Court of Georgia that the original trial court made lots of mistakes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The reason COVID data was nonexistent this week? IT at DPH is so Y2K, apparently; The President and Vice President pick Atlanta's AUC to push for federal voting rights protections; and it's easy for UGA fans to overlook that 40+ year championshipless stretch when ya Dawgs end the season at the top. Crimson who? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The President and VP head to Atlanta tomorrow to push for federal voting rights legislation, but some voting rights groups say they should stay in DC; Georgia's COVID-19 numbers reported in one day top the six figure mark; and not that UGA fans are worked up about it, but the Bulldogs are vying for the national football championship tonight. Go Dawgs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life in prison. That's the sentence for three men convicted of murdering Ahmad Arbery; Georgia's tax revenue picture is so good... [How good is it?!] It's SO good, the governor wants to give every state employee a $5k annual pay bump; and what the head of Atlanta Public Schools (which holds WABE's broadcast license) has to say to parents who were upset this week at a last-minute shift to virtual learning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The person who decides what ideas get consideration under the Gold Dome says 2022 will not be the year when distracting topics like abortion get a reading. No sir, no ma'am. Instead, the GOP will stick to things like expanding access to guns and how race is taught in public schools; We can't tell you how many COVID infections the state saw today because for the second time this week, officials say a data issue got in the way; Former Senator Johnny Isakson, who stepped down in 2019 due to a battle with Parkinson's, was remembered today as one of the last great middle ground seekers in the Senate; and a year after insurrection threatened democracy, U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D- Ga 5) recounts the moment and the causes behind it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Governor Kemp gets fired up about folks being able to carry guns without a permit; A prominent name in the state's GOP says the party will get it all wrong if it focuses on guns and abortion and other incendiary topics during the upcoming legislative session; and it's not felt like winter across the state. But is it about to? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands across Georgia remain without power after storms, heavy wind and even snow in some parts brought down power lines; Atlanta has a new mayor as Andre Dickens is sworn in; and if 2021 was an 'off' political year in Georgia, someone forgot to pass along that memo. Hear those stories and lots more in the first episode of The Brief from WABE for 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infections of the record-breaking Omicron variant are starting to sound like a broken record; hospitals across the metro aren't preparing for a crisis--they say that crisis is here; and just as Gov. Kemp signs into law new, Republican-favoring legislative districts for Georgia, the ACLU sues to stop them on the basis they violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omicron continues its rapid rampage across Georgia, with the National Guard on standby to help at state testing centers; a warning from top health officials and the state's attorney general about fake COVID tests; and the area could see a lot of rain as strong storms move through the region in the coming days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omicron's spread leads to the single biggest day for new COVID-19 infections so far this pandemic, with Fulton County reporting more than 14,000 cases; the peach will have to wait another year to drop; and implicit racial bias and its potential influence on Georgia's high infant mortality rates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Omicron promises to fuel an exponential increase of COVID-19 infections in metro Atlanta; Gov. Kemp seeks to make Juneteenth a state holiday; and metro Atlantans tell us how their yuletide celebrations look different amid the pandemic and its latest variant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta is bringing back a mask mandate. Georgia is not; Georgia's Gov and Atty General sue the Biden Administration. Again; and the state looks to educate a workforce to fit the electric vehicle wave coming. It's all in today's Brief from WABE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia lawmakers from both sides of the isle remember former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson as a statesman invested in reaching common ground. This, a day after the Republican died at the age of 76; COVID's latest variant is coming in a big way; and federal officials give the green light to Camden County to move forward with a spaceport. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh, my! [cron] Officials predict the latest COVID variant could spread extremely quickly, especially with holiday gatherings upon us; GOP Senate hopeful Herschel Walker never graduated from the Univ. of Georgia, although you'd think otherwise if you'd read his website; and the "Super Bowl of HBCUs" is back in Atlanta after a year off for COVID. Want a ticket? Too late. Seats are sold out, promising one of the biggest events yet for Mercedes-Benz Stadium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia announces it's wooed the biggest car company you've never heard of; if there ever was a time to be jobless in Atlanta, November was it; and it's taken two years to clean up one shipwreck, but Georgia (finally) bids adieu to the Golden Ray. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infectious disease experts are urging Georgians to get a Covid-19 booster to help better protect themselves from the omicron variant. Feral hogs, a nuisance on the Georgia coast for years, are now being blamed for making marshes more vulnerable to climate change. An Atlanta actor discusses the state of the film industry in Georgia; and ground is broken near city hall for a memorial to the victims of the Atlanta Child Murders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six million Georgia residents have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine over the past year, but state health officials are still hoping to persuade millions more to roll up their sleeves as holiday travel season continues. Georgia’s Republican House Speaker previews the upcoming legislative session; and a new center in Atlanta will help address those who stutter, thanks to the financial support of Atlanta United and Falcons’ owner Arthur M. Blank.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitalizations from Covid-19 are on the rise across Georgia, especially in the northwest part of the state. The Red Cross says Georgians can help tornado relief efforts across the South and Midwest by donating blood. Gov. Brian Kemp faces a primary challenge in 2022 after falling out of favor with former President Donald Trump. And Atlanta’s Peach Bowl returns to full capacity Dec. 30th, meaning an uptick in short-term rentals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's Republican Party "is going to suffer a bloodbath," claims one of the state's top Republicans after former U.S Senator turned GOP gubernatorial hopeful David Perdue sues to overturn the 2020 election; Georgia Republicans are making Buckhead cityhood a statewide issue; and what housing affordability looks like in a neighborhood where housing prices have become anything but. It 's just a sample of what you'll hear in The Brief from WABE News for this Friday, December 10th, 2021. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta’s mayor-elect and Georgia’s Republican governor met in person Thursday, hoping to mend the relationship that was strained under the current mayoral administration; another case of the Omicron variant is detected in Georgia; Atlanta continues to outpace the nation when it comes to the rate of inflation; a financial analyst in the “poultry capital of the world” weighs in on the state of the economy in Gainesville.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia’s state income tax makes up between $13-14 billion of the state’s budget, but some 2022 Republican candidates are campaigning to do away with it; new documents reveal Cobb County schools surveyed parents about Covid-19 testing this summer, but then ignored the results; and an organization focused racial equity in the South is out with a new report.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The transition period between Atlanta mayoral administrations will likely be filled with questions about the Buckhead city movement; a judge in Georgia puts the vaccine mandate for federal contractors on hold for now; an Emory University professor says the baseball lockout isn’t likely to curb fan enthusiasm following the Braves’ World Series title. Plus...dancing robots.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former U.S. Senator David Perdue draws strong reaction from both parties after he announces a run for governor in 2022. Georgia educators explore ways they can help students re-capture learning lost during the pandemic shutdown; and how will supply and labor issues affect future foreign investments in Georgia?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta's Mayor-Elect is ready to keep Buckhead from becoming its own city; Democrats canvas the state to drum up support for Pres. Biden's Build Back Better Bill; and the urgent message from those who run Atlanta's animal shelter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Brian Kemp says he's prepared to fight Stacy Abrams' bid for Georgia governor. He almost says the same thing about a potential challenge from fellow GOPer, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue. For Mayor-Elect Andre Dickens, it's fixing the current out-of-control housing market that's on his plate; and speaking of that market. Is it about to fix itself? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Separate police shootouts end in multiple deaths and serious injuries, including one officer; Stacey Abrams announces her run for Georgia Governor; and a shift is coming to Atlanta City Hall after Andre Dickens wins the contest for mayor, and Doug Shipman beats a longtime incumbent for council president. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Election Day across the metro. Again; Nine billion dollars in federal road and transportation funds might not go as far as it used to, thanks to labor shortages and high materials prices; and after years of pushing for a memorial at the former Chattahoochee Brick Company, advocates could soon get their wish. That's if the City of Atlanta can pull off the land's purchase. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A local sheriff asks a federal judge to dismiss his indictment over use of excessive force related to a restraint chair; No cases of the Omicron version of COVID-19 are in Georgia. Yet; and "Take This Job and ...." reshape it into something flexible and equitable, says a Clayton State professor. And if CEOs do, many fewer employees will leave. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A verdict in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery- -GUILTY.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fate of three white men accused of killing Amhaud Arbery last year is now in the fate of the jurors; the legal wheels are in motion for Robert Aaron Long, the person behind this spring's Atlanta-area spa shootings; and this Thanksgiving will be remembered as the year of high gas prices and low food supplies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attorneys in the Brunswick murder trail of Ahmaud Arbery's accused killers present their final arguments; a new poll shows a potential toss-up in the runoff for Atlanta mayor; and two Democratic representatives but just one seat. Um. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's GOP redraws the state's 14 U.S. House districts, rebuffs allegations that the new map gerrymanders out Democratic Rep. Lucy McBath; You get a booster. You get a booster. EVERYONE(ages five and up) gets a COVID-19 vaccine booster under CDC guidelines released today; and closing arguments could begin in Brunswick next week as the trial of three men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The defense calls just one of three defendants in the trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery; School's back in session, and not on Zoom this year. What that means for students and teachers who have to re-adapt; and a Buckhead Bye Bye is one step closer to being a thing after key legislation was filed under the Gold Dome today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia sues the federal government over the Biden Administration's vaccine mandate; a North Georgia private boarding school settles a lawsuit with 20 former students who say a former educator molested them; and a conversation with the CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which seemed to thrive despite the pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the trial of three white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery, the judge dismisses a motion to strike high-profile Black clergy from the proceedings. Again; COVID-19 numbers are creeping up once again, and the partisan accusations of unfairness and misconduct aren't new, but the lines of Georgia's 56 Senate districts are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cobb County School District maintains its accreditation (for now); Georgia is in a COVID-19 lull, but that could change this winter; and a week into the U.S. borders re-opening to international travelers, we hear from two Atlantans who have seen the closure's effects over the last 20 months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of electric vehicles is bright, but what incentives consumers need to spur EV uptake sparked discord among Georgia lawmakers; the GOP wants Gwinnett County's Board of Commissioners to grow, but that push isn't going over as smoothly as some might expect; and WABE legal analyst Page Pate offers insight on the hiring of a federal law clerk with a history of what many call racist behavior. and beliefs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day four of testimony in the trial of the three white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery , and neighbor and law enforcement testimony dominated the proceedings; That old adage about pleasing some of the people none of the time? It's especially apropos when it comes to redrawing Georgia's legislative districts; and Gwinnett officials are ready to fork over as much as $10,000 if you can help them catch an arsonist who set fire to a clothing rack at the Mall of Georgia in Buford. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia remembers a legendary Senator who, in the face of adversity, only fought harder; New district lines advance under the Gold Dome. Are they fair? Depends on who ya ask; and Georgia's largest mall was evacuated because of a fire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years of waiting, it looks like Atlanta's Summerhill neighborhood will soon see a grocery store close to home; The Atlanta City Council now must decide what to do with a zoning plan meant to spur housing after it got a tepid response from just about every neighborhood group in the city; and any elf looking to take up residence on a Cobb County shelf this holiday season better think twice. That's because a judge there banned the vexing little figures as a gift to parents everywhere. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day one of opening statements in the trial of three men accused of killing Ahmad Arbury got underway in Brunswick; Didn't Georgia outlaw daylight saving time? So why are we 'falling back' this weekend?; And a victory so big it needed not one--but two--parades--the Atlanta Braves and their fans celebrate winning the World Series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid a controversy over the racial make up of the jury in the trial of three men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery, opening statements are finally set; The GOP walks a fine line when it comes to re-drawing the state's legislative boundaries; and tomorrow is Braves Day in Georgia. Seriously. The Governor said so and everything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Braves win the World Series; Atlanta's key elected positions go to a runoff after no candidate brought home a majority win; Just as it looks like a jury is set for the trial of the men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbury, objections over the racial makeup of those jurors put the brakes on opening arguments; and did we mention The Braves won the World Series?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Election Day, and Atlanta votes whether everything old is actually new again; The Braves could bring home a World Series Championship tonight; and the CDC seems on-board with vaccinating kids 5-11 for COVID-19. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A day before Election Day, and the ballot for Atlanta Mayor remains long. But will lines to cast ballots also be long? Maybe. Probably not; the political chess match known as redistricting begins just as the election wraps; and perhaps the Braves are just giving fans their moneys worth, or perhaps they chose not to show off. Either way, they dropped Game 5 Sunday to the Astros. Okay, Braves. Let's not do that again in Tuesday's game six. Cool? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state sues the feds over a requirement that all federal contractors be fully vaccinated; The Braves play host to the Astros at Truist Park, the first time the area's hosted a World Series game in more than 20 years; and longtime WSB-TV anchor Jovita Moore dies just months after learning she had an aggressive form of brain cancer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could Gov. Kemp face an unexpected opponent?; Atlanta prepares to host Game Three of the World Series; and should you get a booster for COVID-19? One expert says it's confusing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of a man killed by three Georgia sheriff's deputies wants prosecutors to push for a second trial after a deadlocked jury forced a mistrial. The head of Atlanta's Center's for Disease Control and Prevention is calling on ADULTS to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as federal regulators get closer to authorizing shots for more children. Former Georgia Senator David Perdue may consider a run for governor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.