Closer Look with Rose Scott

Georgians are voting on three statewide ballot measures - all related to taxes. But the language can be confusing for many voters. Daniel Kanso , the director of legislative strategy and senior fiscal analyst at Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, returns to “Closer Look,” to explain what each of the measures mean and the potential implications of the measures if they are passed.   WABE TV’s...

Emory University is among a short list of higher education institutions in the U.S. offering a doctoral program in African American Studies . The program accepted its first cohort of students in the fall of 2023. Dr. Kali Nicole Gross , the National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of African American Studies and the chair of African American Studies at Emory University, discusses the succes...

According to a new report from the American Institute for Boys and Men , there are now 50,000 fewer Black men enrolled in college as compared to pre-pandemic levels. Black men currently make up 26% of the population at HBCUs, but in the 1970s they made up 38% of the population. Dr. Darryl Holloman , the vice president for student affairs at Spelman College, discusses the decline of Black male stud...

America’s housing crisis is rapidly getting worse. Across the U.S., it’s estimated there’s a shortage of 4 to 7 million affordable housing units. Both renters and buyers are faced with uncertainty while navigating the unbalanced market. Renters typically need to meet stringent requirements, including making at least three times the monthly rent. Meanwhile, people wanting to purchase a home have a...

In the final days of the campaign, both Democrats and Republicans have put a heavy focus on Black male voters. The Pew Research Center reports, 47% of Black men are eligible to vote in the 2024 Election. Since 1994, Black men have voted at least 80% in favor of the Democratic presidential candidate. But a new NAACP Poll finds support among Black men for this year's Democratic presidential candidat...

On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott , we continue our series on different voter blocs. Over the past 20 years, Asian Americans have been the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the United States. In the past four years alone, they’ve added 2 million eligible voters. Among this diverse group are diverse political opinions. Show host Rose Scott speaks with Asian Americans representing adv...

On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott , WABE’s Rahul Bali discusses the massive voter turnout for the first week of early voting. He also highlighted the changing demographics the campaigns are considering as they court voters across the battleground state of Georgia.   Then, Atlanta Inspector General Shannon Manigault returns to Closer Look to share her concerns about a city-appointed task...

Jessica Pishko is a journalist and lawyer. She joins “Closer Look,” to discuss her new book, "The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy."   Plus, the United Negro College Fund awards more than $ 1 million in scholarships to students of color every year. This year marks the organization’s 80th anniversary . Its theme is “Honoring the Legacy, Transform...

Early voting is now underway in Georgia and the 2024 presidential election is just weeks away. Tuesday, which marked the first day of early voting in the Peach State, reached record-setting voter turnout . For the  October installment  of  “Coffee Conversations,”  the “ Closer Look,” team heads to  Black Coffee Atlanta  in   Lakewood Heights. Rose talks...

Early voting begins today in Georgia and runs through Nov.1. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger  returns to “Closer Look,” to talk about several election-related topics, including how the state has prepared for this election cycle amid ongoing battles over state election rules, combating political misinformation and the creation of the new voter registration cancellation website ....

Attorney General Chris Carr's office is appealing Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney’s ruling on Sept. 30 , which found Georgia’s six-week ban on abortions unconstitutional. The Georgia Supreme Court recently reinstated Georgia’s abortion ban while it considers the state’s appeal. A.C. Coquillas, the communications manager at Feminist Women's Health Center , responds to the ap...

According to the National Institutes of Health, at least 26 million women and girls between the ages of 15 and 50 are living with uterine fibroids in the United States . Linda Goler Blount , an epidemiologist and the president and CEO of Black Women's Health Imperative, and Tanika Gray Valbrun , the founder of The White Dress Project, discuss symptoms, treatment and why more research and poli...

As recovery and cleanup continues in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Georgia, Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. Chris Stallings , the director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, joins “Closer Look” for an update on recovery efforts and preparations as evacuees from Florida are headed to the Peach State....

Oct. 7 marks 1 year since Hamas attacked Israel . As the devastation and displacement continues there have been ongoing calls for a ceasefire. More than 41,000 people have died in the humanitarian crisis. Show host Rose Scott talks with three guests about the last 12 months. Guest include:   Dr. Shariq Sayeed , a Cobb County-based surgeon who recently visited Gaza   Zoughbi Alzoughbi , t...

Amanda Jones is an award-winning librarian and an anti-censorship advocate. She’s expected to speak at the Decatur Book Festival on Saturday. Ahead of her visit, we revisit Rose’s conversation with Jones. During the conversation, Jones talks about her new book, "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America." The part memoir, part manifesto maps the book-banning crisis happening across...

Helping Mamas is working to deliver 200,000 diapers, wipes and feminine hygiene products to help families in South Georgia communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. Jamie Lackey, the founder of the nonprofit baby supply bank, discusses details about a diaper drive drop-off event that’s happening on Saturday, October 5, from 9 a.m. to noon at Pace Academy in Atlanta.    Plu...

The United States Department of Justice released a new report after a years-long investigation into Georgia’s state prison system. State Senator Randy Robertson, a retired law enforcement officer who chaired the Senate Public Safety Subcommittee on Fulton County Jail, responds to the report findings.   Also, Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz took center stage Tuesda...

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney struck down Georgia’s six-week abortion ban . The ban took effect nearly two years ago after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Following McBurney’s ruling, abortions are now legal in the state of Georgia up until 22 weeks of pregnancy. Andrea Young , who serves as the executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, shares her reaction to M...

“Closer Look’s” second national PRX show examines Atlanta’s income inequality gap. While Georgia’s capital city is rooted in civil rights and it’s bustling with entertainment, sports, technology and culture, data reveals Atlanta is stalled when it comes to economic mobility. In fact, within the last decade, Atlanta has consistently remained atop or near the top for U.S. cities with the worst incom...

Governor Brian Kemp expects Helene will be hurricane-strength once it reaches the Atlanta-area. It’s expected to reach Georgia in the overnight hours with the potential to cause flooding and spin off tornadoes. Authorities expect widespread power outages, quick and intense wind and heavy rain. The governors of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas have all declared a state of emergency, and Presiden...

The debate over reproductive rights continues to intensify this election season. A ProPublica investigation recently revealed two Black mothers, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller , died under Georgia’s restriction on abortion care. Now, we’ll hear from two OB-GYNs with opposing views on Georgia’s law. Rose is joined by Dr. Sharon Thompson of Central Phoenix Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. C...

For Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” we revisit Rose’s conversations with Duke University professor of law and philosophy Nita Farahany and NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday host Ayesha Rascoe . First, Farahany discusses her book, “The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology.” The book explores neurotechnology and how its continuous evolution could po...

Ann Hill Bond, an Atlanta-based journalist and chair of the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition , discusses how misinformation and the press played a role in the events leading up to the Atlanta Race Massacre. She also discusses some of the events happening this week in commemoration of the massacre.   Plus, WABE’s “(re)Defining History: Uncovering The 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre” documentary...

A ProPublica investigative report about two Black mothers is intensifying the debate over reproductive rights this election season. It focuses on two Georgia women whose deaths could have been prevented, according to maternal health experts. That’s if they had received a procedure that is now restricted under Georgia’s abortion laws. Earlier this week, Kavitha Surana , a reporter at ProPublica, sp...

Edwin Moses is recognized as one of the greatest athletes in the world. The Olympic champion used science and math calculations to dominate track and field. He went undefeated in the 400-meter hurdles for 122 consecutive races, for nine years, nine months, and nine days, between 1977 to 1987. But his life’s legacy reaches beyond sports and is now being told in a documentary, “ MOSES-13 Steps....