Muscogee (Creek) Nation awaits a federal judge’s decision about whether the court will allow their case to move to discovery. For more than two decades, the Muscogee have been in a legal battle to restore Hickory Ground, one of their sacred sites, and reclaim the remains of their ancestors. But for more than a decade, a casino has stood over the site in Alabama. 

Plus, “Closer Look’s” annual graduation series kicks off with Sophie Kalmin, a 2026 graduating senior from Emory University, who majored in American studies and minored in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies. Kalmin reflects on her academic journey and how her decades-long friendship with Mumbles, a white southern rhinoceros at Zoo Atlanta, inspired her to pursue a career on Capitol Hill.