Closer Look with Rose Scott

Governor Brian Kemp says big payouts from civil litigation is a major issue facing the state. Today, the first legislative hearing is being held on Governor Kemp’s “tort reform” package, which are being considered in SB 68 and SB 69 . Georgia State University Law Professor Leslie Wolf and Elizabeth Chamblee Burch , with the University of Georgia School of Law, discuss what t...

President Donald Trump wants to dismantle the Department of Education . However, it will take an act of Congress to do so. So far, some of the agency’s employees have been put on paid leave. Also, this week, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on the state of education. Witnesses addressing the committee represented special interest groups, advocating for or against di...

A new Georgia Tech and Stanford study  shows automatic speech recognition (ASR) models, used in voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, may not be as accurate when transcribing English speakers with a minority dialect. However, the study found the transcription of Standard American English (SAE) "significantly outperformed" three dialects: Spanglish, Chicano English and African American Vernacula...

Santiago Marquez , the CEO of the Latin American Association, shares how the LAA prepared Atlanta's immigrant community for the possibility of deportation before the start of President Trump’s second term in office. He also discusses the association’s ongoing work to protect people living in the U.S. without legal status amid the launch of ICE’s “targeted operations.”...

Harvard and Yale-trained property law scholar Bernadette Atuahene discusses her new book, "PLUNDERED: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America." In the book, Atuahene investigates Detroit’s tax foreclosure crisis and examines how “predatory governance” systemically impacted Black Detroit homeowners. Plus, this week marks the fourth week of the 2025 Georgia leg...

Tara Roberts, an explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, and previous guest on “Closer Look”, returns to the program to discuss her new memoir , “Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging.” In the book, Tara writes about personal truths, Black identity and her travel across four continents to learn more about transatlantic slave trade...

Thousands of people have been arrested across several major cities, including Atlanta, as part of President Donald Trump’s massive deportation efforts . Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are tasked with carrying out the “targeted operations.” For Feedback Friday, show host  Rose Scott opens the phone lines to hear from listeners who share their thoughts about immigra...

Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look” focuses on the death of 46-year-old  Cornelius Taylor .  He died on Jan.16. According to authorities, Taylor died after being struck by a front-loader while inside a tent in a homeless encampment, along Old Wheat Street in the Auburn Avenue neighborhood, near Ebenezer Baptist Church. Show host Rose Scott talks with housing leaders, t...

Georgia Democratic Congressman Hank Johnson discusses the start of Trump's second term , including his latest effort to freeze federal grants and loans. Congressman Johnson also discusses his top priorities amid Trump's return to the White House. *Shortly after the interview, the Office of Management and Budget rescinded its memo to freeze federal funding. Plus, three people have died since The Me...

The "Broken Ground," podcast series, by the Southern Environmental Law Center, delves into environmental issues and heavily features communities doing the work. Its latest season focuses on the rural South and includes two Georgia stories focusing on the ongoing fight to preserve the Okefenokee , and how wood pellets aren't as "green" as we believe . Leanna First-Arai , an environmental journ...

Charles Kuck , a Georgia-based immigration attorney, discusses President Trump’s massive deportation efforts, including ICE’s “targeted operations” in Georgia.   Plus, the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS) and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce have partnered to launch The Best Place for Working Parents . The new initiative aims to promote famil...

For “Closer Look’s” first Feedback Friday of 2025, show host Rose Scott opens the phone lines to talk with callers about the start of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. It was marked with a flurry of executive orders . Scott is joined by Devin Barrington-Ward , a former candidate for Atlanta City Council, a progressive community organizer and the manag...

President Donald Trump has signed a wide range of executive orders since taking office on Monday. Some of those orders are already drawing lawsuits and criticism from cities, states and advocacy groups. Anthony Michael Kreis , a constitutional law professor at Georgia State University, returns to “Closer Look” to explain Trump’s executive orders, policy proposals and their p...

This Saturday will mark two years since the death of environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán. They were fatally shot by Georgia State Troopers during a reported “clearing operation” at the site of the soon-to-be Atlanta-area Police and Firefighter Training Center. While the Georgia Bureau of Investigations claims troopers fired in self-defense, the family of Paez Ter&aa...

A  new report  from GALEO details engagement and trends among Georgia’s Latino voters in 2024.  Kyle Gomez-Leineweber , director of public policy and advocacy for GALEO, discusses  key findings  from the report and explains how the Latino electorate could potentially impact future elections.  Plus, a  new report  from  The Sentencing Project &nbsp...

According to data from the Mayo Clinic, roughly 6,000 women enter menopause daily , which translates into more than 2 million women a year. However, there's still a lot to understand about this transitional period in a woman's life—including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options and combating stigma—and how all of this affects women of color. In an effort to spread awareness, Dr. Dawn...

In a special live show, Rose Scott and Lois Reitzes reflect on 10 years of Closer Look and City Lights. On January 12, 2015, both shows launched as a part of WABE’s format shift to news and talk radio. The hosts share stories from the first decade on air and how they continue to amplify Atlanta.   Guests include longtime contributors and friends of both programs:   Camille Russell...

In the second hour of our 10th Anniversary Special, Rose Scott and Lois Reitzes revisit memorable interviews and stories from the last decade, including conversations with actor Colman Domingo, civil rights icon Xernona Clayton, choreographer Hope Boykin, REM frontman Michael Stipe, as well as Closer Look’s investigative series on Atlanta traffic and the unhoused.     Explore more...

President Joe Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning in honor of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter . It also marks the final day of public memorial services for the 39th president .   On today’s special edition of “Closer Look,” Rose talks with guests about President Carter’s life and legacy. We hear from Georgia Tech professors Marilyn Brown and Dr. ...

Learn4Life has released  its 7th annual State of Education in Metro Atlanta report . The report details the progress made across area districts and the "persistent barriers" that continue to challenge students and educators.  Ken Zeff , who serves as the executive director of Learn4Life, returns to “Closer Look” to share key takeaways from the report.    &ldquo...

Following a contract lapse into the new year, the City of Atlanta has entered into a multi-year agreement with Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD) . The nonprofit organization offers wraparound services to people experiencing extreme poverty, substance use and mental health disorders. Moki Macias , the executive director of PAD, and her client, David Lee, talk with Rose about th...

Monday marks 4 years since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. We revisit Rose’s conversation with Harry Dunn . The former U.S. Capitol Police officer traveled to Atlanta in 2024 when he was being honored by the Fulton County Democratic Party with the Saving Democracy Award . During the conversation, Dunn talks about his experience responding to the insurrection, voting and the current sta...

Monday’s edition of “Closer Look” was a special program focusing on the life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter . The 39th president of the United States died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100 years old. Carter, a lifelong Democrat served as a naval officer, a Georgia state senator and Georgia's 76th governor from 1971 to 1975. He served as president of the...

WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali , plus GSU politics and policy professor  Tammy Greer and Atlanta-based political strategist and analyst Fred Hicks discuss some of the top political moments of 2024. Music made its mark in 2024 -- from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour ending its two-year run, to Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" album. Charli XCX gave fans a Brat summer and Kendrick Lamar...

There are new developments in the 2020 Georgia election interference case . The Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office should be removed from the case. WABE politics reporter Sam Gringlas returns to “Closer Look,” to discuss the latest and how the court’s ruling could impact President-elect Donald Trump’s last rema...