Advertise on podcast: WABE's Week In Review

Some advocates are raising questions after the State Election Board’s Executive Director called on the Trump Administration to examine whether Georgia should be allowed to use its current voting machines. Plus, we breakdown the one and only debate in Georgia's race for governor. Also, nearly two weeks after termed-out Governor Brian Kemp signed the initial gas tax suspension, high diesel prices continue to impact Georgia’s agriculture sector. And five-and-a-half years after the Atlanta spa shootings, where eight people were killed, new delays in Fulton County's death penalty case against the alleged gunman have drawn a rare rebuke from the presiding judge. Atlanta officials are wrapping up the design phase of a transformation project for a memorial and park on the 75-acre site of the former Chattahoochee Brick Company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DeKalb County is suing a real estate company over a controversial 2021 land swap just after it reopened a large portion of Intrenchment Creek Park that had been blocked off for years because of the deal. Plus, backlash over the possible sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County is intensifying after city officials proposed using the proceeds for Mayor Andre Dickens' neighborhood reinvestment plan. Also, some immigrants who are legally in Georgia could lose their health coverage as more provisions of the Republican law H.R. 1 took effect October 1. And MARTA is looking to expand transit on Atlanta's Southside through a rapid bus expansion project, but some residents have questions. We'll also hit the campaign trail with Georgia's race for U.S. Senate.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some local lawmakers are joining the push for guardrails on police surveillance as a growing national concern over the misuse of automated license plate readers, like those made by Atlanta-based Flock Safety. And diesel prices in Georgia recently hit the highest level on record. We look at the pressure it is placing on food supply, transportation and retail prices. Plus, as Google looks to cut a deal for energy for its data centers, one climate group is releasing tips for how to understand the massive facilities popping up all over the state. Also, the Atlanta City Council made moves on parental leave, rail on the Beltline and rules around short-term rentals.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teachers in rural Georgia create a support system for students whose parents have been detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. A church in Buckhead that was started after the Civil War by people who had been enslaved is recognized for its long history. We look at a new program in Georgia for employers to provide health insurance funding to their staff. And the CDC's director makes one of her first public appearances.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and election officials from nine other states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop mail-in ballot restrictions put forth by the Trump Administration. Plus, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering eliminating public notice requirements for air pollution permits, and it could change how Georgians hear about proposed data center projects in their area. Also, a large-scale, targeted immigration operation in Atlanta over the summer shows U.S. officials are taking a quieter approach than they did in Chicago and Minneapolis. We'll also hear the on-going impacts of the 9/11 terrorist attacks 25 years later.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Homeland Security is asking a federal judge to pause a lawsuit filed by a Georgia city. The suit is trying to block an empty warehouse from being converted into an immigrant detention center. The candidates for Georgia Governor are weighing in on the use of automated license plate readers, like those made by Atlanta-based Flock Safety, just as Florida is ending its use on state highways. Plus, some Georgia businesses worry that costs may rise as President Donald Trump’s trade battle with Canada intensifies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Power has agreed to new protections it says will shield ordinary customers from the costs of serving data centers. Critics of the utility are cautiously optimistic. And staying on the controversial facilities,  a movie production company in southwest DeKalb County is vying for community approval in a mission to pivot its business to build and operate a data center on its property. Plus, Georgia’s immigration detention centers have improved their inspection scores compared to last year, but accounts from people in detention do not match the scores. And an Augusta woman who spent more than a decade in prison is now back home after prosecutors heard testimony this week that she was convicted of a crime that never occurred.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former CDC researchers in Atlanta are objecting to President Donald Trump’s executive order to separate the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three different shots. Plus, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is blasting the Democratic National Committee after the city was not included as a finalist to host its convention in 2028. And a Cobb County Sheriff's program is offering a select group of women in jail a chance to reconnect with their kids. Also, entertainers Eric Andre and Clayton English have reached a settlement with the police force at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, ending a controversial policy they argued in a federal lawsuit targeted Black passengers and violated the constitutional rights of travelers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interim MARTA General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt is getting the job on a permanent basis after leading the agency for the past year. Plus, the nation's largest credit bureau, Atlanta-based Equifax, has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for $100 million for miscalculating credit scores. Also, you may see Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms--both Democrats--on the campaign trail together, which is something you may not see from their Republican challenges Congressman Mike Collins and Rick Scott. And we look at how one group is helping refugee women find place, purpose and friendship by hitting the great outdoors.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An electric vehicle maker opens its east coast headquarters in Atlanta. Georgia's candidates for governor dig into data centers. Chastain Park has big plans for new green space. A program in rural Georgia aimed at reducing gang activity is closing following federal cuts to community safety grants. And a song meant to inspire the community in a metro area city is AI generated. City leaders say that doesn't cancel out the positive message.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The teenager who killed four people at Apalachee High School was sentenced to life without parole Tuesday, days after he pleaded guilty to all 55 charges against him. His father who gave the teen the assault-style rifle used in that mass shooting was sentenced to 15 years in prison.  In March, 55-year-old was convicted of multiple charges including second-degree murder, a first for a parent of a school shooter. Plus, two Democratic candidates will face off next month in a special runoff election to serve Georgia’s 13th Congressional District to finish the term of the late Congressman David Scott. And Georgia businesses are preparing to weather another potential round of tariffs, this time on Canada. Also, a new action plan for Georgia’s coastal salt marsh calls for not just protecting the existing marsh but also giving it room to migrate.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 16-year-old awaits sentencing after pleading guilty this week to killing four people and injuring several others in a shooting at Apalachee High School nearly two years ago.  There's more data center news in metro Atlanta, on the other side of the state and in Washington.  We hear from people who turned out to see President Donald Trump this week when he spoke at a high school in Cobb County and dig into polling in the governor's race ahead of the November election.  And we visit a metro Atlanta business that's found success making cars that look vintage but have all the trappings of a modern luxury automobile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump used his Thursday primetime address to raise doubts about the integrity of American elections without providing evidence of illegal voting, --including that Georgia's voter rolls have been compromised by the Chinese government. Plus, Georgia Democratic U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and President Trump’s nominee to become the next Director of National Intelligence squared off during Jay Clayton’s hearing before the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee this week. And a 45-year-old man died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this week while being transferred between two Georgia detention centers. Also, World Cup matches are over in Altanta after this week's epic semifinal matchup that saw Argentina defeat England 2-to-1.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.