Georgia Today

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked many people around the metro Atlanta area by announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. She has said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. But her critics have said that what she calls a “COVID Crime Wave” and her handling of the firing of Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot Rayshard Brooks last summer, has ma...

2020 was an election year that saw record turnout by men and women from both parties. But the women’s vote was decisive in helping Joe Biden capture the White House and in pushing Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to victory in the tight Senate runoffs. And it’s not just the ballot box where women are making their mark in Georgia politics. More women, and women of color, are also running fo...

The deadly Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob was a glimpse into what many experts have long warned: Homegrown extremism is on the rise across the U.S. On Georgia Today, guest Chris Joyner from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks on what’s known about violent white supremacist groups operating in Georgia.

Jimmy Carter may be the only American president to have used the White House as a stepping stone. Turned out of office after one term, Carter went on to global esteem as a champion of public health, a geopolitical negotiator, and an advocate for democratic representation. Georgia-born brothers and filmmakers Will and Jim Pattiz, revive the debate over Carter’s White House legacy in their new film...

Stories of unexplained illnesses, cancers and death have been the talk of Juliette, Georgia, for years. The town outside Macon is home to Georgia Power’s Plant Scherer, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the country. Juliette residents say coal ash from the plant is poisoning their water supply. Now, they’re calling for policymakers to help.

Secret tapes, scandal, sanctions. It's a story that strikes at the heart of Georgia's passion for high school football. And Valdosta football is the stuff of legend. The Wildcats claim among the most wins of any team in state history. Now, the organization is the subject of multiple investigations and a broiling scandal that's attracting national attention. We'll get into all that and more on Geor...

The waters off the Georgia coast are a vital calving ground for the North Atlantic right whale. This calving season, which winds down in April, has been a rare bright spot for the critically endangered whales, with scientists counting more babies than in the last three seasons combined. But experts say the gains may not be enough to save the species. On this episode of Georgia Today, we hear the l...

Voting rights groups continue to push back against the state's sweeping new election law. After a 2020 election that saw record voter turnout statewide, Democrats say the Election Integrity Act will make it harder for many Georgians to vote, especially voters of color. Republicans argue it will expand voter access. The measure signed by Gov. Brian Kemp passed without Democratic support, catapultin...

After the massacre at three Asian-owned massage businesses in and around Atlanta, we're joined by Atlanta-based CNN correspondent Natasha Chen, who says the Georgia shootings could mark the beginning of a new chapter for Asian-American social justice activism in the United States.

Millions of stimulus checks begin hitting most Americans bank accounts this week after passage of the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also known as the COVID-19 Stimulus Package. On Georgia Today, we hear how the plan intends to help the state's Black farmers.

When will you be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine? On Georgia Today, Andy Miller of Georgia Health News explains why the state is so far behind on its vaccine rollout.

After record election turnout that led to big Democratic wins in Georgia, Republican lawmakers are now pushing legislation that would restrict voter access. On Georgia Today, GPB producer Rahul Bali explains how elections could look the next time Georgians head to the polls.

Weeks before the 1960 presidential election, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for participating in a lunch counter sit-in in Atlanta and sentenced to four months of hard labor. Thanks to some back-channel moves by the Kennedy campaign, King was released from prison. On Georgia Today, author Paul Kendrick explains how that changed party allegiances for Black and white voters in the South for gen...

During the Great Migration, six million Black Americans moved from the South up North. They wanted work opportunities and a respite from the sting of racist Jim Crow laws. Guest host Leah Fleming talks with New York Times columnist Charles Blow, who is pushing for a reversal of the Great Migration. He’s written about it in his new book, "The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto."

With Georgia teachers still not vaccinated, when can our public schools fully reopen? On Georgia Today, GPB health care reporter Ellen Eldridge discusses the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and its impact on teachers.

On Georgia Today, GPB political reporter Stephen Fowler discusses Georgia's role in former President Trump’s second impeachment trial, and whether there could be criminal charges tied to Trump’s interference in the presidential election.

A liquid nitrogen leak last week at a poultry processing plant in Gainesville killed six people and injured a dozen others. The tragedy brought into focus an industry that's lightly regulated and heavily staffed by undocumented workers.  On Georgia Today, Richard Fausset of The New York Times talks about the tragedy in the self-professed “Poultry Capital of the World.”

During the Great Migration, six million Black Americans moved from the South up North. They wanted work opportunities and a respite from the sting of racist Jim Crow laws. Guest host Leah Fleming talks with New York Times columnist Charles Blow, who is pushing for a reversal of the Great Migration. He’s written about it in his new book, "The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto."

Henry "Hank" Aaron, a longtime Atlanta Braves player and Hall of Famer, was laid to rest this week. He died at the age of 86. On Georgia Today, ESPN senior writer Howard Bryant discusses the complicated life of a baseball legend and American icon.

Host Steve Fennessy talks with Grady Memorial Hospital physician Kimberly Manning on the roots of distrust amid the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and her personal mission to persuade communities of color to take the vaccine. Dr. Manning is also associate vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion at Emory University's Department of Medicine.

For decades, Jim Galloway has been on the frontlines of Georgia’s most consequential political stories. He retires Friday, Jan. 15, after more than 40 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. On Georgia Today, Galloway reflects on a career covering covering Georgia politics, and his worries about the future of the GOP.

In the week since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the FBI has announced dozens of arrests, with many more to come. Some of the rioters have lost their jobs, others placed on no-fly lists. Chris Joyner is an investigative reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He discusses his reporting on Georgians swept up in the insurrection.

What a week. Somewhere between the president's call to Brad Raffensperger on Saturday and the seething and lawless mob in our nation's capitol on Wednesday, Georgia hosted a momentous election. On this week's Georgia Today, host Steve Fennessy talks with GPB political reporter Stephen Fowler on coming to terms with a historic week for Georgia, and for America.

Political columnist Jim Galloway has been on the frontlines of Georgia’s most consequential political stories. He retires in January from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. On Georgia Today, Galloway reflects on 40 years of covering Georgia politics, and his worries about the future of the Republican Party.

Kwanza Hall is Georgia’s newest congressman, even if he is serving for just a month. On Georgia Today, host Steve Fennessy talks with Rep. Hall about his legislative priorities and what it's like following in the footsteps of his predecessor — the late civil rights icon, John Lewis.