The Brief from WABE

The trial continues for the father of the boy accused of shooting and killing people at Apalachee High School; Georgia Power gets billions in federal dollars toward savings on residents bills; and College Park prepares for this summer's World Cup matches.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Supreme Court's presiding justice diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer; Georgia House lawmakers pass early education literacy bill; and APS teachers learn how to teach the game of soccer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Governor Brian Kemp increased the 2026 state budget by nearly 1.4 billion dollars to help fund his priorities before it passed Wednesday; A new report from Emory University and reproductive-rights groups finds Georgia's abortion law continues to complicate health care for many pregnant and post-partum patients; A program from the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights trains volunteers to take notes in court and report back any misconduct.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anti-booting bill DOA, sponsor says; Georgia gets incremental victory in often-called "Water Wars" saga; and 'Figaro! Figaro! Fiiiiiigaro my!' $27.5-million gets the Atlanta Opera one fine future venue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marietta Police Department confirms its working with ICE; A new housing option for seniors is coming to the heart of downtown Atlanta; and what a million dollar grant can do to help Emory researchers better understand the long-term effects of data centers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several law enforcement leaders are backing a proposal to build a new state mental health hospital; City of Social Circle officials say they "continue to have more questions than answers" on how federal immigration officials plan to build a detention center there without infrastructure to support it; Democratic leaders are introducing legislation they say will safeguard against acts of voter suppression. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Power's parent company saw a good fourth quarter thanks largely to data centers; a high-ranking state senator won't seek re-election after more than two decades at the Gold Dome; and President Donald Trump holds his first event in Georgia since winning a second term.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State GOP holds on to Macon Senate seat; Georgia sees push to fully eliminate legal abortion; and the Atlanta start-up promising to ease your travel anxiety before you even check out of your hotel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several Apalachee High School students testify in day two of Colin Gray trial; Georgia lawmakers remember influence of Rev. Jesse Jackson; and the City of Atlanta honors a Black Little League team of yesteryear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A jury trial begins in the Apalachee High School shooting; Various groups file suit to protect ballots seized in FBI raid on Fulton election office; and an Atlantan brings home the Gold from the Winter Olympics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The State Senate has passed a Republican-backed package of bills to significantly cut state income taxes; The MARTA Board of Directors says they've done nothing wrong after a committee vote behind closed doors to halt work on the Eastside Beltline streetcar project; the National Center for Civil and Humand Rights in Atlanta is offering special programming every Saturday during Black History Month.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Environmental groups challenge state lawmakers to revisit Georgia Power's approved expansion; Can drones stop a school shooting in process?; and Broadway Sideways: a fresh take on show tunes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A jury is set in the trial of a father whose son is accused of fatal school shooting; Fulton County pressures feds to inventory, provide copies of documents seized in elections office raid; and a look at secrecy surrounding South Carolina's frightening measles outbreak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Affidavit made public surrounding FBI raid on Fulton Elections office; More police are part of the reason violent crime has fallen, but it's not the only factor; and Atlanta's own Spike Lee turns back the clock to 1988. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DOJ given Tuesday deadline to unseal documents related to FBI raid of Fulton elections office; man falsely charged and detained for kidnapping sues police, prosecutors; and Southwest Atlanta Black bookstore to close after 35 years in business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annual 'Latino Day at the Legislature' takes serious tone amid ICE raids; City of Atlanta and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper settle Clean Water Act lawsuit; and the end of a 50-year era. Art Papers announces it will cease publication at the end of the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ten-thousand gallons of jet fuel leaked from Hartsfield-Jackson, EPA says; AJC to cut 15% of workforce, half from its newsroom; and a fourth GOP U.S. Representative from Georgia will not be running for re-election to the House. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Memorial details are released for slain Gwinnett County officer; a Georgia billionaire inspired by Donald Trump enters race for governor; and a push for metal detectors for all Georgia schools advances under the Gold Dome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Gwinnett County police officer is dead, another seriously injured, after a shootout inside a local hotel room; the latest between President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney puts Savannah-based Gulfstream Aerospace at the center of the controversy; and who's at fault after decades of toxic PFAS releases directly into water sources for parts of North Georgia and Alabama? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Students at schools and colleges across Metro Atlanta are ‘walking out’ as part of a nationwide strike — which calls for a day of “no work, no school, no shopping”; The Venezuelan man convicted of killing a Georgia nursing student in 2024 is in court Friday requesting a new trial; the commissioner of Georgia's behavioral health agency talks about the state being released from a 2010 federal settlement agreement to improve treatment conditions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local lawmakers react to FBI raid of Fulton Co. election office; a judge rules against the federal government's stripping of EV charger funding from Georgia and half the other U.S. states; and WABE Arts asks, "What's feeding you?"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FBI raids Fulton Elections office over 2020 ballots; ICE quietly opens satellite office in College Park; and outgoing GOP Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols reflects on his 15 years in the job. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Court rules challengers to 2021 Georgia voting law lack standing; more Georgia schools to get funding to test for lead; and a candidate for Georgia Lt. Gov. pushes to change name of local mountain to honor Donald Trump. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta is among dozens of US cities that have seen homicides drop to levels not recorded since before the pandemic; public health giant Dr. William Foege died over the weekend in Atlanta at the age of 89; and a Georgia-based app helps people cut back on drinking, whether for "dry January" or beyond. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meteorologists at the National Weather Service are expecting a major ice storm to hit the Atlanta area this weekend, potentially creating long lasting travel and power interruptions; Officials with Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport are incorporating some new equipment in preparation for this weekend’s winter storm; A group of 26-year-old Georgia Southern Graduates are helping Atlanta’s Unhoused express themselves — through music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dangerous ice storm setting up for North Georgia over the weekend and could linger into the workweek; Atlanta's airport bolsters efforts to combat human trafficking in advance of FIFA 2026 World Cup; and do you fancy a jennie? Here's a 'hen't: grab your gun. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forecasters say a winter storm is likely to hit North Georgia over the weekend and residents should prepare now; State lawmakers pump the brakes on new data centers; and how a Georgia college student's efforts are helping foster children across the U.S.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia opts-in to new federal tax credit for "school choice"; Students from a dozen metro high schools and colleges walk out of class in protest of ICE arrests; and UGA researchers uncover what's making monarch butterflies sick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Jon Ossoff is calling again for the Trump Administration to change its tariff policies as a recent report found that it could push Georgia’s economy towards a recession; State lawmakers are reacting to Georgians' growing frustration with data centers with bipartisan legislation going after a major tax break; and federal policy changes have shifted the way ICE operates in Georgia. We hear from WABE immigration reporter Emily Wu Pearson about what she's focusing on in 2026See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his final State of the State address, Gov. Brian Kemp proposes several new ways of spending the state's surplus; East Point temporarily pulls the plug on any potential new data centers; and Delta employees to get profit-sharing bonus equal to about one month of pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twenty-two people qualified to be on the ballot to serve out Marjory Taylor Green's term; Georgia Power says customers could see their monthly bills go down; and extra toll lanes are top-of-mind for Gov. Brian Kemp, who offered up his legislative priorities this morning at the annual "Eggs and Issues" breakfast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From property taxes to birth control, state lawmakers are busy making the legislative sausage. We break down a few of the proposals; the head of an Atlanta HBCU says he was ousted without notice; and the skies were especially friendly for Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines in 2025.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner fines companies for failing to cover mental health on par with other medical issues; a conversation with the new head of the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association; and WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali breaks down 'day one' of the 2026 legislative session.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton is looking for volunteers to help with its annual point in time count, to help track and respond to homelessness in the county; the city of Lovejoy is further enforcing a curfew for minors after increased criminal activity over the last year; and a chimpanzee sanctuary in North Georgia is looking for college volunteers to spend their spring break taking care of retired research primates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's Speaker of the House Jon Burns outlines his priorities for the upcoming legislative session; a New York man pleads guilty to threatening the wife of a Georgia immigration officer; and why 4,600 people in DeKalb County call an extended-stay motel "home." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's attorney general says he will charge for a second time 61 people arrested during protests of Atlanta's public safety training center; legalized sports betting is likely to make its annual appearance under the Gold Dome again this session; and Georgia's unemployment numbers better than U.S. average.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Kemp chooses date for special election to fill MTG's vacated Congressional seat; Rep. Doug Collins faces investigation for nepotism within his office; and Georgia GOP lawmakers expected to outline plans for eliminating state income tax. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State health officials issue urgent request for Georgians to get a flu shot; the CDC's list of recommended vaccines just got a bit shorter; and a major shakeup within the Falcons' management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final deadline to enroll in a “Georgia Access” health plan is coming up and the insurance is a lot more expensive for many in Georgia this year; Beverage giant Coca-Cola plans to lay off 75 employees at its Atlanta corporate headquarters as part of a broader reorganization of its workforce this year; and as we look back at some of WABE's most poignant stories from 2025, we hear about a Georgia non-profit offering incarcerated mothers the opportunity to reconnect with their childrenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years after RICO indictments were handed out against "Stop Cop City" protesters, judge throws out the charges; Animal control in Fulton County now the responsibility of county police after botched incidents involving Lifeline Animal Project; and first-day hikes on the first day of 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline-making monks make stops in metro Atlanta after 2,300-mile journey; APD says it plans to question hundreds of parents after Atlantic Station melee; and the artist behind a reflective new art installation at Piedmont Park. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's two new state energy regulators have both now been officially sworn in; Thousands of refugees admitted into Georgia during the Biden Administration will face reassessment; and WABE’s DorMiya Vance delves into the journey of local residents navigating the ongoing data center boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three escaped inmates from DeKalb County Jail caught; wombat scat as communication; and how a drag show has become a Christmas traditionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three inmates are on the run after escaping from the DeKalb County Jail; G-DOT suspends roadwork for the holiday travel peak; and why rural Georgia might experience an extra tough holiday season because of interruptions to federal programs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County says the damage left by a recent fire at the main jail on Rice Street has made over 500 beds at the already-crowded facility unavailable; The Georgia Public Service Commission Friday unanimously approved an expansion deal for Georgia Power expected to cost at least 15 billion dollars; Conservation partners have completed a major deal on the Georgia-Alabama state border covering 10,000 acres of critical forest and watersheds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federal Dept. of Justice sues Georgia's Secretary of State for not handing over private election ballots; Georgia's utility regulators are set to vote on a massive and controversial Georgia Power expansion plan; and the father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter wants text messages with his son thrown out before his trial begins in February. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two labor unions come out in opposition of major railroad merger; Atlanta's housing market shows a major shift from this time last year; and Atlanta's VA Medical Center expands efforts to keep women veterans safe during and after pregnancy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is set to testify Wednesday before a State Senate committee investigating her; The city of Atlanta says it's dropping its traditional 'Peach Drop' this New Year's Eve at Underground Atlanta and doing a fireworks and drone countdown instead; and Actor and comedian Marlon Wayans speaks with WABE Arts about the filming the upcoming Scary Movie 6 in Atlanta and the city's role in his long-term career and personal plans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Atlanta-based UPS for allegedly stealing tens of millions of dollars in pay from seasonal workers; Georgia’s newly-elected public service commissioners are calling on the current commission to delay a vote on Georgia Power’s expansion plans; and WABE hears from the founders of Pro-Civica, a Georgia-based company that partners with state and local corrections agencies to offer a rehabilitative curriculum emphasizing civic-minded behavior. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Fulton County to get ahold of its 2020 general election ballots; The Federal Emergency Management Agency is announcing more than 1 billion dollars in funding for Georgia; and WABE's Medical Wealth Gap series wraps up with a profile of Clarkston's Mosaic Health Center, a medical clinic for serving the community's refugee, immigrant and migrant population without insurance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Atlanta is ranked among the top 10 worst traffic cities in the country, according to a recent analysis by a transportation research firm; Democratic U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock says America is in a 'spiritual crisis' saying part of the solution is making the American dream attainable for all; and WABE Arts looks at a new PBS documentary following a youth orchestra highlighting the Buford highway corridor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.