WABE's Week In Review

We're experiencing extreme heat and humidity but it isn't slowing runners and soccer fans. Plus, the FBI is directing more than 250  staffers to its investigation of the 2020 election in Fulton County over President Trump's false claims of election fraud in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has approved spending $7 million to officially acquire almost 3,000 acres of land near the Okefenokee Swamp formerly slated to become a mine. And metro area Venezuelans are hurrying to get aid to those in their home country after recent earthquakes. 

We wrap up the special session at the state Capitol where lawmakers delayed changing ballots and did not move on property taxes. Plus, developers are snapping up Georgia farmland for housing and other uses and that has some people worried. Also, a new report finds about half of Georgia households struggle to keep up with the rising cost of basic necessities like utilities and food, despite earning above the Federal Poverty Level. And the economy isn't much better for nonprofits as the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta says the staggering response they received for a new nonprofit funding initiative points to increased uncertainty in the sector.

Republican lawmakers announced they will not redraw congressional and state legislative districts for the 2028 elections during the current a special session called by Governor Brian Kemp. Plus, we hear about some of the biggest runoff election results around the state. And despite pushback, Flock cameras will continue taking a time-stamped photo of every passing vehicle at the Atlanta airport for at least another year. Also, a Georgia teenager saw his vision come to life on Monday as one of eight winners of a national musical theatre songwriting contest.   

The World Cup is underway and Atlanta is gearing up to host its first game. We look at preparations from transportation to fanfests to health and safety. And the Buford Highway Orchestra Project is a free program that started during the pandemic to help students who were feeling the fear and isolation of COVID. It now  serves as a reprieve from the stress of stepped up immigration enforcement. Plus, we continue our look at America celebrating its 250th birthday this year with a look through the Atlanta lens. 

Georgia's Primary runoff election is June 16 with early voting starting statewide June 8. We have more from recent debates of those battling for their party's nomination. Plus, about a week before a high-profile stabbing death on MARTA, Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt reassured the public and local leaders that overall crime on the transit system had decreased. And Georgia is among the states seeing a big increase in young uninsured children. Also, we remember Atlanta R&B legend Peabo Bryson, who died this week at 75 years old. 

The high-profile capital murder trial in Fulton County tied to the mass shooting and killing of several Asian women at Atlanta-area spas half a decade ago has stalled again. Meantime, the trial for alleged Apalachee High School shooter in 2024 will now take place outside of Barrow County at the request of the defense. Plus, the Georgia Public Service Commission has approved a deal to lower the rate Georgia Power charges for fuel, and the change is expected to reduce power bills for millions of Georgians. Also, two Georgia students finished top 30 in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee this week.  

In our post-Primary Election Day coverage, we breakdown the many runoffs next month. Plus, some races will not need runoffs after big and perhaps unexpected outright primary wins. We are also joined by the Political Breakfast team.    

We have a Primary Election special episode where we dive in to the races for Georgia governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general. Plus we'll hear about plans to battle redistricting in Georgia. Primary Election Day in Georgia is May 19.   

We look at the the life of Ted Turner--the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and environmentalist--whose impact stretches from media to nuclear disarmament. Plus, One of the few Black teachers ever hired by a south Georgia school district claims she was the victim of racial harassment and now, an appellate case is shedding light on the alleged behavior by school officials. We'll also have a look at the United States Soccer Federation officially opening its new home just south of Atlanta. And a tapestry, handmade by Atlanta stitchers, is on its way to Virginia to join an exhibition commemorating America's 250th anniversary. Also, North Atlantic Right Whales had their most successful calving season in more than 15 years. They give birth off Georgia’s coast each winter.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp says he will not delay the May 19th party primaries to allow for a special session to redraw congressional and state legislative lines following the controversial US Supreme Court decision that advocates say weakens the Voting Rights Act. Plus, an environmental group is suing the City of Griffin for allowing polluted wastewater and sewage into a tributary of the Flint River, which serves as a drinking water source for south Metro Atlanta. Also, Georgia U-S Senator Jon Ossoff is calling on the federal government to provide adequate care for pregnant, unaccompanied children in the immigration system after reports they're all being routed to a Texas shelter. And we'll look into whether FIFA's new human rights requirements will protect people in Atlanta during the World Cup. 

President Trump nominates another potential director of the CDC. And with a deadline looming to change how Georgia's ballots get counted in November, state leaders are scrambling to find a solution. Plus some community members and advocates say they’re frustrated, after no bills related to the data center industry passed during Georgia’s legislative session. And Fulton County's Sheriff is using drones to take out other drones trying to deliver contraband inside his jail. 

A lack of information as the federal government bought Georgia warehouses to detain immigrants has exposed a whole other, non-immigration issue: There is no liaison to navigate between federal agencies and local officials. Plus, a key state lawmaker is raising constitutional questions about the homeowner property tax relief package passed in the final moments of Georgia's legislative session. Also, immigration and health care advocates are awaiting the governor’s signature on a bill that would clear the way for doctors trained outside the U.S. to get licensed in Georgia. And a Fulton County task force has worked for years to research and account for the harms done to Black people who were enslaved there, or who lived during the Jim Crow era. Now, the group is out with a big report, and one of their findings shows as much as around $900 billion in stolen labor over a decade of slavery in the county.

We take a look at several high-profile pieces of legislation that passed and failed at the state Capitol as the session wrapped up this week, including taxes breaks, education funding, data center reform and election changes. Plus, Georgia is seeing little relief at the gas pumps even after the state's gas tax was suspended. And, new Department of Homeland Security leadership could mean a slowdown for two Georgia warehouses slated to detain immigrants. Also, Astronauts are heading toward the moon for the first time in decades, and in Atlanta, engineers and scientists at Georgia Tech are looking on with excitement. 

"No Kings" protests are kicking off nationwide, including several in Georgia. Plus, Georgia’s U.S. Senators are calling on new Department of Homeland Security leadership to abandon plans to open an immigration detention facility about an hour east of Atlanta. Also, a bill that would change Georgia’s time zone and eliminate the twice-annual changing of the clocks made moves at the Capitol. And Atlanta-based delivery giant UPS is looking to cut 30,000 jobs this year as it changes its buyout offers. 

Officials in the small city of Social Circle, about an hour east of Atlanta,  have locked the water meter on the warehouse Immigration and Custom Enforcement bought to detain thousands of people. Plus, TSA workers in Atlanta and across the country have now missed one full paycheck, leading to staffing shortages with some needing to call out to take second jobs. And drinking water operators in metro Atlanta were forced to spend heavily to deal with smelly water going into people's homes, and now they are looking at how to prevent it in the future. Also, in our series Invisible Scars, we look at how women veterans in Georgia are finding healing after serving.

The ACLU and several Georgia human rights groups are asking the Department of Homeland Security to stop detaining immigrants in temporary holding cells in the basement of an Atlanta immigration office. Plus, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis blasted Republicans at the state Capitol who she says are targeting her for her prosecution of President Donald Trump and others in the 2020 election interference case. Also, state lawmakers look for alternatives to the QR codes on ballot used to tabulate votes for this year's midterm elections. And we look at the chaotic year at the Atlanta-based CDC.   

Candidates for Georgia's U.S. Senate seat weigh in on the controversial war in Iran launched a week ago by President Trump and Israel. Plus, we go to the town of Social Circle, east of Atlanta, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking at building a warehouse detention facility. And we have more on the guilty verdict of a man who gave his teenage son the AR-style rifle used in the Apalachee High School shooting in 2024. Also, we profile an artist who is finding redemption and healing through his new installation that was forged by fire.  We'll also investigate the case of an Atlanta area parkland that was exchanged with a developer who promised big things only to now have it possibly sold to build a data center. 

President Donald Trump was in Georgia touting his economic plan, including his sweeping tariffs. A day later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the president exceeded his authority in implementing them. Plus, Georgia lawmakers are making key changes to tax relief, college scholarships and mental health funding in this year's amended state budget. And Georgia Power bills could actually be going down this summer. Also, sponsors of a new bill in Georgia, that would further restrict access to abortion, say it would mean the end of the procedure in the state. And we'll hear from Douglasville's Elana Meyers Taylor... the most decorated Black Olympian in Winter Olympics history. 

Unsealed affidavits related to the FBI raid on the Fulton County elections hub shows it's part of an investigation into  "deficiencies or defects" in the 2020 vote count. It is part of President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud in Georgia. Also,a small Hall County city is asking the federal government to pause plans to use an industrial warehouse for an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement processing facility.  And jury selection is complete in the trial of the father of the alleged Apalachee school shooter. He faces 29 counts, including two counts of second-degree murder, and is one of a handful of parents around the country charged with crimes after their children are accused of committing acts of violence. Plus, after more than three decades as Southwest Atlanta's go-to African American bookstore, the Greenbriar Mall's MEDU Bookstore will close this summer.  

Fulton County leaders filed a motion this week in federal court wanting the return of 2020 election documents seized in a recent federal raid. Plus, Georgia lawmakers move forward on a bill to prevent local governments and school districts from opting out of a statewide cap on annual property tax increases. Also, a billionaire Trump supporter is joining the crowded race for Georgia governor. And we get updates on Marta as it prepares for the World Cup. 

The FBI raided the election office of Fulton County this week looking for records from the 2020 election in Georgia. President Trump disputed his loss in the state saying the election was stolen. Several audits showed Trump's claims were false. Also, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has opened a satellite office in College Park to accommodate as the agency ramping up its actions around the country. Plus, Georgia was given millions of dollars for officials to test drinking water at schools, but less than a quarter have yet done so. Ninety percent of those who have found unhealthy traces of lead in drinking fountains and elsewhere. And we have an exit interview of sorts from the Republican who lost his seat on the Public Service Commission last year after the election became a national talking point and saw higher than expected turnout. 

Georgia officials are warning residents to brace for the severe wintry weather hitting much of the county. Plus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has filed a bill to pause building new data centers in Georgia. And judges here are seeking funds from the state for better personal security when they're not at the courthouse. Also, researchers from UGA say their new peer reviewed study has the best evidence on one of the biggest recent scientific debates in Georgia-- surrounding potential mining near the Okefenokee. And a new project aims to showcase the musical talent of folks living unhoused in Atlanta. 

Governor Brian Kemp is proposing new spending for state workers including teacher pay raises as well on million to help curb homelessness. Plus, another metro Atlanta city is pausing data center development as the area continues o see rapid growth in the large facilities.  And some Georgia Power customers may see some relief later this year on their bills. Also, three inmates are killed and dozens injured at an understaffed Georgia prison after a fight breaks out at the facility. And we look at how Georgia is impacted by the Trump administration's immigration policies.   

Lawmakers present different ideas on making life more affordable by cutting taxes as the Georgia legislative session is set to begin. And we look at a report on the DeKalb County families living in extended stay hotels because they can't afford a more permanent place to live, and how that can take a toll on their safety, health and finances. We hear from one of the many thousands of people from Venezuela now living in Atlanta on what he thinks of what's happened there. Plus, a report from a protest in Atlanta in response to the fatal shooting of a woman in Minnesota by an ICE officer.   

Fulton County DA Fani Willis appeared before a committee that's investigating her and forcefully pushed back against lawmakers. Plus, military veterans face a greater risk for pregnancy complications than civilians. So the Atlanta VA is working to connect pregnant and postpartum vets with extra support to try to better protect their health. And we have updates on Georgia Power expansion plans, data centers, an animal shelter in DeKalb and a push to teach more Black kids to swim.   

In a surprise announcement, Georgia Power says it's reached an agreement with state regulators on a massive, controversial expansion plan that covers $15 billion in construction. Plus, a federal judge is ordering Georgia's prison system to provide hormone therapy for transgender inmates. And Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to appear next week before a Georgia State Senate Committee that is investigating her for alleged misconduct connected to her prosecution of the now-dismissed 2020 election interference case, which included the indictment of President Donald Trump. Also, we continue our Medical Wealth Gap series exploring just how much insurance plans are going to spike if Congress can't work out a deal. 

Fulton County taxpayers could be forced to pay millions of dollars of legal fees after a judge dismissed the 2020 election interference case involving President Donald Trump. And the Atlanta Board of Education has voted to either re-purpose or completely close 16 schools over the next couple of years. Plus, we look at a local nonprofit expanding services to open a women-only facility to help those experiencing homelessness. Also, we'll have the first two parts of our Medical Wealth Gap series exploring how Georgians are impacted by rising costs and cuts in federal funding. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains thousands of immigrants across Georgia mostly in rural communities in the south of the state. This summer, WABE’s immigration reporter Emily Wu Pearson visited Lumpkin, one of those communities, to learn how increasing detentions under the second Trump Administration is affecting the area.  Story 1: Unlike in the U.S. Court system for citizens, legal representation is not guaranteed for detained immigrants. And lawyers costs thousands of dollars. We hear from a small group of attorneys working pro bono to help.  Story 2: Immigration cases are often open to the public. We hear from a group of volunteers who watch hours of court proceedings to keep tabs on the judicial system.  Story 3: With detention centers in such rural locations, family members often have a hard time getting to and staying near facilities. We look at the journey to help family members and those trying to make those trips a little easier.  Story 4: Millions of dollars a month flow to companies operating immigrant detention facilities in Georgia. We look at where the money comes from and where it goes.  For more on this series, go to wabe.org/detention 

Georgia's superintendent calls for pay raises for teachers. It comes at a time when schools are having a hard time getting some students back in the classroom. We look at how chronic absenteeism still remains well above pre-pandemic numbers. Plus, attorneys are gathering Northwest Georgia residents to continue fighting against extensive chemical contamination in the Dalton area. And the state requires mental health treatment be covered by insurance companies the same as physical illness, But that is not always happening. We hear about how advocates are trying to save lives by making sure the law is followed. Also, we go inside Georgia's backlogged immigration courts. 

The election interference criminal case in Georgia against President Trump and several others will move forward after a new prosecutor was appointed before Friday's deadline. Plus, Georgia officials are preparing for the winter  and how to prepare the public for potential winter storms. Also, Atlanta is set to have a new professional sports team — a National Women’s Soccer League expansion franchise. And we go to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin to look at  conditions in and round the massive facility for those who work there and those who are kept inside. 

We breakdown some of the biggest races from Tuesday election. Plus, a new poll suggest Georgia voters support vaccine mandates for kids. And we look at what one school and some young filmmakers are doing to try and succeed in Georgia's film industry as it continues to see a decline in productions. Also, a former Department of Justice official is honored for her work at Fulton County Jail.   

The city of Atlanta and other partners are trying to fill in the gap that will be left by residents using SNAP losing the benefit. Meantime, Georgia says it will not help some of the 1.4 million people living here that receive SNAP with Governor Brian Kemp saying the state will not bail out the federal government. Plus, Georgia Head Start programs will shutter as the federal government remains shutdown. Also the election for two seats on the utility regulatory board has become a high-profile race with both parties pouring in cash. And how one Atlanta-based artist is using video games to translate the emotions of isolation fueled by the immigration experience. 

The election for two seats on Georgia's Public Service Commission, the board that regulates your utilities, is now more high profile than ever with national dollars coming in. Plus, a fired Georgia teacher is suing her district over her first amendment rights for what she posted about the killing of Charlie Kirk. And Georgia environmental activists are asking the state to permanently protect areas around the Okefenokee Swamp from mining. We'll have officials with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources explaining what they're considering to make more money from parks. Also, we look at how some local groups are trying to help victims of violent crime get compensated. 

DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Devon Horton resigned on Wednesday just days after a federal indictment against him in the state of Illinois for an alleged kickback scheme at his previous school district. Plus, more than five dozen detainees at the Fulton County Jail are currently sleeping on the floor, while a new diversion center designed to help prevent overcrowding is struggling to fill its beds. Also food vouchers for TSA workers offered by the city of Atlanta are allegedly caught up in federal government red tape. And an Atlanta food institution-- "Eats"-- closes its doors. 

DeKalb County's school board has suspended Superintendent Devon  Horton with pay following a federal indictment in the Northern District of Illinois. He's accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks on a school construction project while a superintendent in suburban Chicago and faces 17 federal charges of embezzlement, wire and tax fraud. Also, thousands of Georgia moms and young kids are at risk of losing federal food assistance, depending on how long the current government shutdown lasts. Plus, some Atlanta’s senior residents will get help staying in their homes through a program that’ll cover their property taxes. And school book bans in Georgia are coming largely from Cobb County as the trend grows nationwide.  

We take a local look at the impact here from the federal shutdown from the airport to natural disaster response to the healthcare implications. Plus, Coastal Georgia residents will get to vote on a controversial zoning change for an historic Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island. And Atlanta Public Schools has launched a new text message hotline to help students work through mental and emotional challenges they may be experiencing. Also, international students in Georgia could see limits to the amount of time they can stay in the U.S. with F-1 visas.

The State Senate in Georgia is looking at ways to possibly incorporate a plan from several Republican state lawmakers and candidates who are pushing to eliminate the state income tax. Plus, it has been a year since Hurricane Helene ravaged parts of Georgia. We look at how some residents are rebuilding in ways that has them more prepared for the next storm. And Georgia will now have to do more to track food insecurity in the state following cuts to a federal program by the Trump administration. We also examine the local impact on the new fee for H-1B visa applicants. 

Federal officials ordered CDC workers back to in-person work this week about a month after a gunman shot hundreds of rounds at the buildings and killed a police officer. Plus, the Trump administration is pausing the reasonable accommodation for CDC workers with disabilities that allowed them to work remotely. Plus, the crowded race for Georgia governor gets more crowded. And we look at the electric vehicle sector post Hyundai immigration raid and just as Rivian broke (ceremonial) ground on its factory outside of Atlanta. 

Hundreds of South Koreans who were working on building an electric vehicle battery plant near Savannah are now back in South Korea, following last week's ICE raid. We look at what happened and the business and political implications of the raid. Plus, the latest in the case against people who were protesting Atlanta's public safety training center, an update on MARTA and new information about the state of DeKalb County's tree canopy. 

Two top officials who resigned last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning of grave threats to public health under the Trump Administration, as Georgia's two U.S. Senators call for U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. And we mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. Plus, a visit to a bookstore in Marietta that makes sure LGBTQ folks are the main characters of their stories, and we explain why state scientists are studying rusty fish hooks left behind in rivers and streams.

Dozens of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention former and current employees demonstrated this week in support of the agency's top leadership, several of whom resigned following the firing of CDC director Susan Monarez. Plus, we have more from Georgia lawmakers about the mobilization of the National Guard in an effort  to assist at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the state. And the Atlanta City Council is caught in the middle of a fight over what to do about the deterioration of the Fulton County Jail, where  some people held there are again sleeping on the floor. We'll also look at how those who fled Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago have made an impact in Atlanta.   

Fulton County commissioners gave the green light to a new $1.1 billion jail project in na effort to replace the beleaguered current facility. Meantime, some of them could face jail or fines for refusing to appoint controversial Republicans to the election board. Plus, hundreds of workers at Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received permanent termination notices this week, according to the American Federation of Government Employees. And we look at why food banks here say they are seeing such an increase in need.    

A week after the shooting at the headquarters of the CDC in Atlanta we look at how anti-vaccine rhetoric and unfounded claims against health professionals has led to violence and threats toward them and their institutions. Plus, insurance on the ACA marketplace could spike if Congress fails to act. And  what does the future look like for Georgia parks that rely on federal funding. Also, we track how well sea turtles are adapting to climate change. 

Delta Air Lines officials say they will not use personal data in AI pricing after facing criticism from U.S. Senators. Plus we explore how federal cuts under the Trump administration could impact organizations helping refugees settled in Atlanta, aiding low income residents in need of healthcare and maintaining the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. And we look at Georgia's impact in the Voting Rights Act which was passed 60 years ago this week.   

As the Trump administration continues cutting tens of thousands of jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, staff and vets who rely on Atlanta's VA braces for changes. We also profile a program that helps those previously incarcerated find housing that is now struggling to stay intact after federal funds are drying up. And as a variety of industries in Georgia--from construction to tech--report they're struggling to find skilled workers, we look at a new trade school aiming to help bridge the gap between education and labor. Plus, we have a remembrance of philanthropist and developer Tom Cousins, who died this week.      

Georgia’s abortion law took effect three years ago this week. It limits allowing the procedure to roughly the first six weeks of pregnancy, and some Atlanta abortion rights advocates, doctors and patients say it continues to interfere with reproductive healthcare. Advocates and lawyers for a Spanish-language journalist fighting deportation from Georgia say they believe his plight is retaliation for his work. A new report from the University of Georgia says the state needs better coordination to prepare for worsening disasters like hurricanes and heat waves. Last month, a meteorite made a bit of a scene in metro Atlanta, streaking across the sky before shooting through the roof of a house in Henry County. We examine the space rock.   

MARTA's Board of Directors says CEO Collie Greenwood, who is Canadian, is taking early retirement after he stepped down abruptly this week over immigration issues. A prominent Georgia Republican is apologizing for an alleged Ponzi scheme that cost investors millions in the now defunct First Liberty Building and Loan. Georgia’s physician shortage could grow worse because of changes to medical student-loan programs under President Donald Trump's spending and tax bill that passed earlier this month. Georgia leaders and education advocates are calling on Governor Brian Kemp to push for the release of federal funds for after-school and summer programs after the Trump administration announced it would withhold $200 million in previously approved education funding for the state.  

We review plans from Fulton officials that would see property owners in the county face a 12.5% tax rate increase. Plus, members of Georgia’s Africa legislative caucus are calling on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to stop the Trump Administration's plan to ban visitors from African and Caribbean countries. And we look at the big numbers being touted by candidates for Georgia's governor and where that money is coming from. (Here's a hint: Loans.) 

President Trump's spending plan could have big impact on Georgia. We look look at the thousands of solar jobs at stake as well as how it could affect Georgia's state budget. Plus, a local journalist who was arrested while covering a protest on Chamblee Tucker Road is now out on bond from an immigration detention center. Atlanta after-school and summer program providers are sounding the alarm after the Trump administration abruptly paused their federal funding. And as many folks "shoot the Hooch" over the holiday weekend, we look at how clean (or not) the Chattahoochee River actually is. 

We look at the confirmation hearing for the proposed new head of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta as well as more funding and program cuts. Plus, a Salvadoran journalist is now fighting deportation after he was arrested in Georgia while covering a protest as he faces new criminal charges in Gwinnett County. And the future is uncertain for federal programs that help elderly and low income Georgians pay energy bills but there may be alternatives.