The Brief from WABE

Two groups of Georgia church denominations sue the federal government over immigration enforcement; the state looks to further restrict DEI in schools; and politics reporter Rahul Bali looks at a few legislative nuggets as the General Assembly nears the half-way mark.                                     //See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GOP expands its investigative reach to include Stacy Abrams; What the CFPB means locally; and an Atlanta City Council member resigns to accept head job at local private school.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As he tells it, Atlanta's mayor is doing a pretty good job; Cargo ships can't get enough of Savannah's wide, deep ports; and Georgia Power and its state regulators are hot and bothered over a huge influx  of data centers in Georgia.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insurers would have to give 60 days notice to consumers before dropping them; lawmakers consider prohibiting smart phones in the classroom; and Atlanta's about to see some seriously wet weather.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's Supreme Court Chief Justice announces he'll step down; Atlanta's BeltLine celebrates a milestone for affordable housing in 2024; and is it too late to stop Atlanta's public safety training center, AKA "Cop City"? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's GOP looks to bid ERIC farewell; State government throws money at Georgia hurricane clean-up; and the danger of skipping a vaccine meeting when you're the CDC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Governor Brian Kemp is one step closer to overhauling Georgia’s civil litigation rules, commonly known as “tort reform"; The Fulton County Board of Education has voted to close two under-attended elementary schools following months of pushback; and federal employees in Georgia are reacting to President Donald Trump's decision to dismantle large swaths of the federal government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DeKalb County Police, on the verge of seeing a massive influx of new and better paid officers, will soon be under new leadership; The DOGEy policy influence federal actions are having on state regulations; and the 76 passengers of Delta flight 4819 are to get a $30,000 check. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former GOP Senator from Georgia confirmed to lead federal Small Business Administration; Parents look more likely to receive a state tax break as proposal gains momentum under Gold Dome; and why the panda could make a valiant return to Atlanta's Zoo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CDC employees protest federal layoffs; The future of school zone traffic cameras is in question; and ideas to memorialize the mostly Black men who were imprisoned in Fulton County's 'Chain Gangs,' -- forced to labor in penal camps with no pay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 jet comes to rest upside down after landing in Toronto; The City of Atlanta's first and only Inspector General steps down; and overall, Georgia's students struggle to rebound academically to pre-pandemic levels. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal judge has again ruled against a man on Georgia's death row who wants to be executed by firing squad instead of by lethal injection; The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is losing about 10 percent of its staff; Georgia lawmakers are beginning to dig into the details of a sweeping school safety bill drafted in the aftermath of the deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chief judge of the largest federal trial court in Georgia is retiring, creating a vacancy for President Donald Trump to potentially fill; Former staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are urging Governor Brian Kemp to protect the Okefenokee Swamp ahead of federal rollbacks; Georgia state lawmakers have started digging into Governor Brian Kemp’s signature policy push of tort reform.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's Senate passes tax free period for guns, ammo, and gun safes; The head of Atlanta's City Council will not seek re-election; and the role non-Jews must play in reducing the spread of anti-Semitism.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trans-care in Georgia GOP's crosshairs; Georgia's DC Democratic delegation push back on Trump's CDC cuts; and Coke outlines ways to sidestep Trump tariffs on aluminum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia lawmakers are looking to expand how DNA is collected from migrants in the U.S. without legal status who have been charged with a crime; A bipartisan group of lawmakers have filed legislation at the State Capitol to protect artists from their work being used in criminal proceedings against them; and the voice of Ash Ketchum from the English-dubbed Pokémon series makes an appearance at Atlanta Collect-A-Con.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's Senate passes trans sports bill that aligns with Pres. Trump's executive order forbidding trans women from competing on women's sports teams; the state fines the City of Atlanta for a sewage release on the 'Hooch; and why local law enforcement might struggle to be a part of enforcing the Lakin Riley Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State looks to refund, lower income taxes; Communities protest ICE immigraiton detention efforts; and why GALEO says they're unsdure if they'll support Georgia's Democratic U.S. Senators fir reelection after the pair's support of the Laken Riley Act.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted today 3-2 to terminate Superintendent Calvin Watts' contract; Governor Brian Kemp has rolled out a sweeping package to curb civil lawsuits in Georgia; and we speak to AJC education reporter Martha Dalton about the upcoming implementation of Georgia's school voucher program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Party leaders court Gov. Kemp to make a U.S. Senate run in 2026; President Donald Trump's first signed bill of his second administration bears the name of a murdered Georgian, Laken Riley; and bringing back Atlanta's south downtown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning from SCOGA's Chief Justice; Norfolk-Southern settles for $22-million over 2023 train derailment; and why saffron could be the equivalent of gold to Georgia's farmers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A weekend of round-ups of suspected undocumented immigrants ensues across Georgia; Reaction to the roughly 40 Georgians charged and pardoned in the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol; and the City of Atlanta looks to pass a 30-day moratorium on encampment clearings following the death of Cornelius Taylor.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal appeals court hears arguments challenging Georgia's Congressional districts; State lawmakers pivot to accommodate Trump order on taxing tips; and Atlanta sees a handful of finalists for coveted James Beard award.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency says communities impacted by a second winter snow storm are now recovering... including parts of the state that almost never see any snow  – like South Georgia and the coast; and Georgians could start seeing new options for where to give birth and get maternity care after a recent change to longstanding state rules over where certain health facilities can operate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jury selection begins in trial of DA charged with obstructing investigation into Ahmaud Arbery murder; Senators vet Doug Collins for Sec. of Veterans Affairs appointment; and why data centers might not be the type of development Atlanta really wants to attract.                                                         See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bird flu disrupts Georgia's poultry sector; Reaction to Pres. Trump's second innauguration; and reflecting on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this national day of remembrance.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fallout continues after a GOP Senator is arrested before Gov. Kemp's State of the State address; DeKalb Police hear from residents who feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods; and the argument for better resources for those without housing in rural areas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Brian Kemp makes it clear he expects state lawmakers to pass tort reform this session; A GOP state lawmaker finds himself in handcuffs after a scuffle at the Gold Dome; and as Atlanta's population continues to expand, look for more and more storage units to pack the landscape.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Kemp looks to expand Medicaid to low income parents with children under the age of six, despite remaining firmly against fully expanding Medicaid; the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta is set to resign for Donald Trump's pick to take over; and how a Ukrainian-American in Atlanta feels about the incoming administration and its potential to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major gas pipeline between the Gulf and the East Coast is shut down because of a leak in Paulding County; Tort reform tops Gov. Brian Kemp's legislative focus; and what does the automotive market look like in 2025? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day one of the 2025 legislative session concludes under the Gold Dome; local non-profits look to turn the fundraising heat up after a challenging 2024; and the Atlanta Police Department gets bigger even as crimes decrease.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Metro Atlanta braces for a rare winter storm; a state GOP official says he'll support protecting IVF; and former president Jimmy Carter is laid to rest at his lifelong home in Plains, Ga.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A winter storm is all but guaranteed for Friday into Saturday, although what that will look like is up in the air; Georgia's GOP House Speaker is concerned too many students might be eligible for the state's new education vouchers; and Plains, Ga readies to welcome its most famous resident--former president Jimmy Carter--for the final time.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare winter storm threatens to hit metro Atlanta; Georiga's GOP outsts former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan; and former President Jimmy Carter's body arrives in Washington.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suspect in killing of MARTA bus driver still on the run; Judge holds Guiliani in contempt of court for failing to turn over assets to two Fulton County election workers he defamed; and thousands pay respects to former president Jimmy Carter in the first 24 hours. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plans are in place for Atlantans to pay respects to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; Vincent Fort, the longtime state senator, is remembered as a tireless advocate for those government had left behind; and the Fulton County Jail enters a consent decree with the feds to improve conditions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia issues guidelines for Kratom; a local homeslss non-profit sees its relationship with city government get even frostier; and despite frigid weather on its way, Atlanta last year saw its hottest on record (but still not nearly hot enough to call this place "Hotlanta." Please, don't do that.) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta celebrates the legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100; and the Peach Drop is back at Underground Atlanta.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Virginia-based homebuilder says it is set to build hundreds of houses in Gwinnett County; Georgia Tech Football makes its second-straight bowl appearance, as they take on Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl Friday; and the agency that regulates the certification process to become a police officer in Georgia will see several changes in the new year, starting with its leader.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Brian Kemp urges GOP lawmakers in DC to pass spending bill with disaster relief funds attached; The 176 people who died this year unhoused are remembered; and why it matters to Atlanta's elder population to see lowered feelings of loneliness and isolation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton Co. DA Fani Willis is disqualified from prosecuting former President Donald Trump; Some gasoline (figurative--not literally) is poured on Georgia's decades-long water war; and for our series, "Six Million and Lonely," we hear from a young Atlantan who turned the social isolation of his disability into an entrepreneurial opportunity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unionized Amazon workers at a north metro Atlanta warehouse have voted to authorize a strike; President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Georgia football great Herschel Walker to be Ambassador to The Bahamas; In Part Two of our series, Six Million and Lonely, we look at efforts to better understand and alleviate the loneliness struggle for Atlanta's refugee and immigrant communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The family of the environmental activist shot and killed by Georgia state troopers is filing a lawsuit against three law enforcement officers; Republicans met at the Capitol Tuesday to cast 16 electoral votes for Trump; WABE's series "Six Million and Lonely" begins by asking Atlantans how they define isolation and why public health officials are so concerned.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asylum seekers in Georgia are having less success in their cases this year than in the year before; The Georgia Department of Corrections is receiving yet another slate of recommendations to improve its ability to operate secure and safe facilities; WABE health reporter Jess Mador speaks with former CDC Director Tom Frieden about potential changes under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chemical manufacturer BioLab has set a deadline of New Year's Eve for Georgians affected by a large chemical fire to submit their claims for reimbursement; A Georgia Senate committee wants the legislature to prohibit public high schools, colleges and universities from allowing transgender athletes to play on girls or women's sports teams; A Georgia senate committee is recommending the state increase funding for its child care program for working families.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County is looking for volunteers to help conduct its annual snapshot of people currently experiencing homelessness; A much larger pool of Georgia's students could be eligible for a new school voucher program than originally planned; Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is joining Republican governors across the country in expressing support for President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Brunswick district attorney charged with interfering in the police investigation of the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery has made her first court appearance; The Chancellor of the University System of Georgia says schools are receiving an influx of out-of-state applicants because of how administrators handled campus protests over the war in Gaza; and meteorologists, emergency managers, and other leaders in Georgia are gearing up for another round of severe weather in 2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A "swatting" incident in North Georgia leaves one woman dead; DeKalb residents' relative silence over proposed hike to water and sewer bills leads officials to table vote; and Fulton Sheriff pushes again for a new jail after stepping back just weeks ago.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suspect in UHC CEO's murder boarded a bus that originated in Atlanta; how a strong GOP presence in Congress is shaping the politics of Georgia's delegation; and Atlanta Fed Chair Raphael Bostic keeping a close eye on the employment market for upcoming interest rate vote. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.