The Brief from WABE

Governor Brian Kemp is one step closer to overhauling Georgia’s civil litigation rules, commonly known as “tort reform"; The Fulton County Board of Education has voted to close two under-attended elementary schools following months of pushback; and federal employees in Georgia are reacting to President Donald Trump's decision to dismantle large swaths of the federal government. See omn...

DeKalb County Police, on the verge of seeing a massive influx of new and better paid officers, will soon be under new leadership; The DOGEy policy influence federal actions are having on state regulations; and the 76 passengers of Delta flight 4819 are to get a $30,000 check.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former GOP Senator from Georgia confirmed to lead federal Small Business Administration; Parents look more likely to receive a state tax break as proposal gains momentum under Gold Dome; and why the panda could make a valiant return to Atlanta's Zoo.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CDC employees protest federal layoffs; The future of school zone traffic cameras is in question; and ideas to memorialize the mostly Black men who were imprisoned in Fulton County's 'Chain Gangs,' -- forced to labor in penal camps with no pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 jet comes to rest upside down after landing in Toronto; The City of Atlanta's first and only Inspector General steps down; and overall, Georgia's students struggle to rebound academically to pre-pandemic levels.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal judge has again ruled against a man on Georgia's death row who wants to be executed by firing squad instead of by lethal injection; The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is losing about 10 percent of its staff; Georgia lawmakers are beginning to dig into the details of a sweeping school safety bill drafted in the aftermath of the deadly mass shooting at Apalachee H...

The chief judge of the largest federal trial court in Georgia is retiring, creating a vacancy for President Donald Trump to potentially fill; Former staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are urging Governor Brian Kemp to protect the Okefenokee Swamp ahead of federal rollbacks; Georgia state lawmakers have started digging into Governor Brian Kemp’s signature policy push of tort reform....

Georgia's Senate passes tax free period for guns, ammo, and gun safes; The head of Atlanta's City Council will not seek re-election; and the role non-Jews must play in reducing the spread of anti-Semitism.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trans-care in Georgia GOP's crosshairs; Georgia's DC Democratic delegation push back on Trump's CDC cuts; and Coke outlines ways to sidestep Trump tariffs on aluminum.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia lawmakers are looking to expand how DNA is collected from migrants in the U.S. without legal status who have been charged with a crime; A bipartisan group of lawmakers have filed legislation at the State Capitol to protect artists from their work being used in criminal proceedings against them; and the voice of Ash Ketchum from the English-dubbed Pokémon series makes an appearance a...

Georgia's Senate passes trans sports bill that aligns with Pres. Trump's executive order forbidding trans women from competing on women's sports teams; the state fines the City of Atlanta for a sewage release on the 'Hooch; and why local law enforcement might struggle to be a part of enforcing the Lakin Riley Act. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State looks to refund, lower income taxes; Communities protest ICE immigraiton detention efforts; and why GALEO says they're unsdure if they'll support Georgia's Democratic U.S. Senators fir reelection after the pair's support of the Laken Riley Act.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gwinnett County Board of Education voted today 3-2 to terminate Superintendent Calvin Watts' contract; Governor Brian Kemp has rolled out a sweeping package to curb civil lawsuits in Georgia; and we speak to AJC education reporter Martha Dalton about the upcoming implementation of Georgia's school voucher program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Party leaders court Gov. Kemp to make a U.S. Senate run in 2026; President Donald Trump's first signed bill of his second administration bears the name of a murdered Georgian, Laken Riley; and bringing back Atlanta's south downtown.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning from SCOGA's Chief Justice; Norfolk-Southern settles for $22-million over 2023 train derailment; and why saffron could be the equivalent of gold to Georgia's farmers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A weekend of round-ups of suspected undocumented immigrants ensues across Georgia; Reaction to the roughly 40 Georgians charged and pardoned in the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol; and the City of Atlanta looks to pass a 30-day moratorium on encampment clearings following the death of Cornelius Taylor.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A federal appeals court hears arguments challenging Georgia's Congressional districts; State lawmakers pivot to accommodate Trump order on taxing tips; and Atlanta sees a handful of finalists for coveted James Beard award.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency says communities impacted by a second winter snow storm are now recovering... including parts of the state that almost never see any snow  – like South Georgia and the coast; and Georgians could start seeing new options for where to give birth and get maternity care after a recent change to longstanding state rules over where certain health facili...

Jury selection begins in trial of DA charged with obstructing investigation into Ahmaud Arbery murder; Senators vet Doug Collins for Sec. of Veterans Affairs appointment; and why data centers might not be the type of development Atlanta really wants to attract.                                       ...

Bird flu disrupts Georgia's poultry sector; Reaction to Pres. Trump's second innauguration; and reflecting on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this national day of remembrance.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fallout continues after a GOP Senator is arrested before Gov. Kemp's State of the State address; DeKalb Police hear from residents who feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods; and the argument for better resources for those without housing in rural areas.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Brian Kemp makes it clear he expects state lawmakers to pass tort reform this session; A GOP state lawmaker finds himself in handcuffs after a scuffle at the Gold Dome; and as Atlanta's population continues to expand, look for more and more storage units to pack the landscape.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Kemp looks to expand Medicaid to low income parents with children under the age of six, despite remaining firmly against fully expanding Medicaid; the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta is set to resign for Donald Trump's pick to take over; and how a Ukrainian-American in Atlanta feels about the incoming administration and its potential to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  See omnystu...

A major gas pipeline between the Gulf and the East Coast is shut down because of a leak in Paulding County; Tort reform tops Gov. Brian Kemp's legislative focus; and what does the automotive market look like in 2025?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.