Closer Look with Rose Scott

A newly published Kindred Futures report examines the intersection of climate resilience and racial wealth equity in Atlanta. The report is titled "A Beloved Community, A Brighter Tomorrow.” The 68-page document breaks down how rising utility costs, extreme heat, flooding and other environmental harms extract wealth from Southwest Atlanta homeowners, renters and business owners. It also outl...

Atlanta City Councilmember Wayne Martin says there are plenty of nights when he still thinks about what it felt like to go from homelessness to finally having a place to call home. He remembers lying down at night and thinking about all the different beds he slept in as a child, including the time his family lived in hotels before entering a shelter. That lived experience, he says, has shaped ever...

There are many ways to describe Donald Trump’s second term, especially given how many of his policies and executive orders related to education and other areas have been tied up in federal courts. Legal challenges seem to follow nearly every move. Still, one recent court development hasn’t received much attention from major news outlets. Some have called it a “win for academic fr...

On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott welcomed Atlanta City Councilmember Kelsea Bond to the program. New to their office as the District 2 representative, Bond discussed how they want to push for the issues they campaigned on : addressing housing affordability, increasing taxes on the wealthy, police reform and public transit expansion.   Also on the show,...

It’s been nearly 200 years since the founding of the first African Institute in the United States. Since that time, historically Black colleges and universities continue to influence society and impact diverse students of every race and cultural background. On Wednesday’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” we spoke to Chicago PBS News Anchor Brandis Friedman  about her n...

On today’s “ Closer Look ,” we share tributes to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, and a prior interview host Rose Scott did with the civil rights champion from WABE’s ATL68 series. Jackson also dedicated his life to founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, working as a global humanitarian, running for president twice, and as part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inner circle....

On Monday’s edition of “ Closer Look ,” Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts talked with host Rose Scott about the timeline of events around the FBI raid and seizure of the county’s election records. He also shared his thoughts about the unsealed warrant affidavit used by the FBI, which supports already disproven claims of election fraud in Fulton County.   We also learn...

The sale is complete for a Walton County, Ga. industrial warehouse that will become a new detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Local officials confirmed the purchase of the rural warehouse, located approximately 40 miles east of Atlanta. But Social Circle city officials say they’re against it, and Gareth Fenley, a local organizer with Indivisible Boldly Blue, shares...

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 11,000 children and teens are in Georgia's foster care system. Data also reveals more than 500 youth transition out of the foster care system, many needing assistance, housing, and resources as they adjust to adulthood. Allison Ashe , the CEO and president of Wellroot Family Services , talks with “ Closer Look ” h...

While leaders like Malcolm X became symbols of the Black nationalist movement, a new book is celebrating the life and work of a lesser-known icon. Dr. Ashley Farmer tells that story in her new book, “Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore.”   Then, the Reverend and Georgia State Senator Kim Jackson joins “ Closer Look with Rose Sco...

With only a few weeks left to his time in office, Dr. Raphael Bostic reflects on his time as the 15th president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In front of a live “ Closer Look ” audience, Bostic shared what it took to oversee the economic wellbeing of all or most of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana – a region tha...

On today’s “ Closer Look ,” first, we hear from WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali . He discusses the latest political news in Georgia, including Georgia Republican Barry Loudermilk’s decision not to run for reelection , what it could mean for Democrats in Georgia, as well as how it could impact the midterm elections. He also talks more about the 2026 Georgia Amended Fiscal...

Questions have arisen about transparency when it comes to city leaders and light rail for the Eastside Atlanta Beltline. This, after a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution article revealed an alleged secret vote stopped work  on the $800 Million project. According to AJC Transportation Reporter Sara Gregory, even city council members were surprised to learn about the vote. Was the public truly...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” we focus on immigration from a policy perspective. First, we speak to U.S. Corporate Immigration Attorney Giselle Carson . She discusses President Trump’s sudden immigration ban on 75 countries, consisting of applicants from Latin America and the Caribbean, the Balkans, and several countries in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle E...

On today’s "Closer Look," host Rose Scott spoke to Brian King , the Executive Vice President for U.S. Programs with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He claims Georgia is not allocating allotted funds towards preventing tobacco use in the state. He also says, with the second lowest tobacco tax in the nation, Georgia is minimizing its effort to stop kids and adults from smoking. He said the...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” we remember scholar, trailblazer, civil rights activist, mentor, revolutionary, colleague, shero - Dr. Gloria Wade-Gayles . Playwright and poet Pearl Cleage and Marla Frederick , Spelman alumna and Dean of the Harvard Divinity School, join the program to share how the beloved professor influenced her students and highlighted the experie...

Donovan Head , who serves as the executive director of the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia , is clearing up some misconceptions about charter schools, as he sees it. He says charter schools are free, public schools that are required to adhere to federal and state educational standards. He joined “ Closer Look ” to explain the process of how charter schools are developed. Sh...

Historian and researcher Dr. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado has developed a theorem she describes as a starting point for translating the harm of slavery into monetary value.  Sims-Alvarado, an assistant professor of Africana Studies and the Director of Public History and the chair of the Fulton County Reparations Task Force , plus Dr. Amanda Meng , the secretary of the task force and a Georgia Tech...

From Friday through Monday, the storm, dubbed Winter Storm Fern , is expected to impact millions of people across the U.S. in more than 30 states, including Georgia. To prepare, Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Georgia on Thursday morning. On today’s “ Closer Look ,” we speak with local officials about how they’re bracing the state for the storm. Also on to...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” an open records request by Atlanta Journal-Constitution Transportation Reporter Sara Gregory revealed a “secret vote” that was not known to the public and members of the Atlanta City Council. What she discovered was a May 2025 vote by officials from MARTA, Atlanta Beltline, Inc., and the City of Atlanta to halt light rail co...

It’s a new chapter for Peter Hubbard , one of two Democrats elected to Georgia’s Public Service Commission , flipping long-held Republican seats. A longtime clean-energy advocate, Hubbard told “Closer Look” host Rose Scott he’s committed to working across political lines. He’s also closely watching the rapid growth of data centers in Georgia, questioning their t...

Thursday marks what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 97th birthday. Ahead of the federal holiday, as various events get underway and people around the world are commemorating the life and legacy of the civil rights giant, President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota. This comes as ongoing protests continue after an ICE agent shot and killed R...

A new report from Georgia State University reveals more than 4,600 people, 1,635 children in DeKalb County are without stable housing—many living in extended-stay hotels and paying more than average rental costs. The release of the study comes as Governor Brian Kemp announced a $50 million initiative addressing homelessness in Georgia. For a special themed show focusing on homelessness in De...

The Trump administration says it is actively working to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education. If passed by Congress, the measure would shrink federal oversight and give more control to the states. “Closer Look” program host Rose Scott talks with Erika Mitchell, the former board chair of the Atlanta Board of Education. Mitchell discusses the current state of K-12 public education i...

The Atlanta Beltline, Inc. is spearheading an initiative to help support small businesses within the corridor’s overlay in preparation for the FIFA World Cup. We hear from Natalie Jones, the Atlanta Beltline project manager for the Business Solutions Office , Anthony Pope , the co-founder and design principal of Atelier 7 Architects, and Latrice Rochelle and Xavier John of PARLAY Savory Salo...