The Brief from WABE

Postal union calls for investigation into deaths at Palmetto mail processing center; Libertarians fail to get enough signatures to appear on November's ballot; and the argument for more public toilets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ensuring ballots are as private as private can be might prove disruptive to November's election; Big-box bookstores are back; and a conversation with the iconic Harry Connick, Jr., who performs this weekend in Atlanta.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A heat dome makes the hot Atlanta summer...hotter; A judge upholds a commission given the authority to strip local DAs from office; and what's left for Atlanta as it hosts one more FIFA World Cup match.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judge rejects Trump administration effort to access Fulton poll worker information; College Park's city council meeting, held in Savannah, draws some side-eye; and developers see opportunity off southwest Atlanta's Sylvan Rd.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A DeKalb County employee fights for her life after a bullet from celebratory gunfire pierced her home;  Atlanta water officials say a massive fish kill wasn't their fault. So, who's was it? Why Environomental groups are scratching their heads...; And what a fancy, oversized house in West Atlanta -- and the infamous stuffed animals inside-- says about our country 250 years in. See omnystu...

The FBI is doubling down on it's efforts to uncover fraud in Georgia's 2020 election, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary; the brother of a former Falcons player is facing murder charges in the death of their mother; and Venezuelans in Atlanta are rallying community support to help with recovery efforts after two devastating earthquakes hit their home country.  See omnystudio.com/li...

Health officials are concerned by the number of West Nile virus cases they're seeing, a new power plant is facing scrutiny for allegedly skirting permitting requirements, and a recent report outlines the state of senior healthcare and how Georgia compares. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It doesn't look like the Georgia heat will ease up in time for the July 4th holiday weekend; The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is investigating a fish kill in the South River in DeKalb County; MARTA says more than 1.5 million passengers have traveled across the transit system during the first two weeks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

The long-delayed trial of the man accused of carrying out the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings could be delayed even further; drone fliers find out that temporary flight restrictions near World Cup sites do – yes – apply to them too; and for America 250, we hear about an exhibit at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library that’s out of the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

A double-amputee who says he had to crawl across filthy bathroom floors while in ICE custody in Georgia gets the attention of top lawmakers; a half-decade after a killing spree at area spas, the accused shooter gets closer to trial in Fulton County; and why you'll want to get to Atlanta's airport early if you're celebrating the 4th somewhere else. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Atlanta led the nation this year in new storage unit construction. So why did the mayor just pump the brakes on any more new ones, at least for now?; Time is on the side of "Cop City" protesters; and what the United Way has to say about inflation's effect on Atlanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County opens schools for non-residents (just have a check made out to:...); Georgia has a shortage of skilled workers; and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta sees an overwhelming response to a grant offering--what that might say about the local non-profit sector's needs.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special legislative session, called in part to address QR codes on Georgia ballots, ends with extension of status quo until 2028; City of Atlanta expands free public WiFi (thank you, FIFA); and why East Lake's place in professional golf could decline under new PGA rules.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surprise addition during Georgia special legislative session would force hand counting of ballots; Gwinnett forms homeless task force; and why farmland is under threat, and what a new state fund hopes to do to keep it away from developers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moving beyond QR codes to count votes advances with plenty of opposition; throwing money at Fulton County Jail's recruitment efforts fails to pay off; and how Atlanta welcomes LGBTQ World Cup fans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite special session called to get it done, Georgia's GOP leaders decline to draw new legislative districts—for now; The WABE newsroom breaks down results from Georgia's runoff elections; and Atlanta readies to host its second 2026 FIFA World Cup game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State lawmakers are back to redraw Georgia's US Congressional lines, but there are differing views about how that might play out; It's primary runoff election day in Georgia; and Molly Samuel has the latest installment in our series looking at Atlanta's place in U.S. history at 250. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  After a successful seven-year run, Georgia Tech's president announces a new gig and his departure from the campus where he started as a college freshman in the 1990s; The weekend sees high-profile endorsements for GOP contenders for governor and U.S. Senator; and why if you're looking for a new place to call home, for now, now might be the time to act.     See omnystudio.com/liste...

Atlanta-based CDC issues guidance on scary but relatively low-risk New World Screw Worm; Atlanta residents push back on parks department funding cuts; and Paula Poundstone is especially funny when she's just being Paula Poundstone.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's still illegal to hand out bottles of water or snacks to Georgia voters in line, a judge rules; Residents upset over a past approval for a data center flood Marietta City Council meeting; and after a countdown that began years ago, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway with fan celebrations all over the area.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A flesh-eating pest prompts Georgia to scrutinize some incoming livestock and other animals; Georgia small business owners lose optimism in latest survey; and we take you front row, center stage for the Buford Highway Orchestra Project.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suspect in MARTA shooting arrested, charged with federal crime; Hot weather forecast for Atlanta's FIFA World Cup games prompts official warning; and May's housing data show prices in metro Atlanta continue to creep up even as sales remain flat. ...Think it has anything to do with that three-quarters of a million dollar price tag for the 'average' home? Naah.  We didn't think so either. ...

It's been a violent few weeks on MARTA. The feds are investigating, and now state leaders have their focus on Atlanta's transit system; A massive data center that already got the green light has Marietta residents planning to crash this week's city council meeting; and America at 250: how the Jim Henson puppet Miss Piggy helps tell the nation's story through an Atlanta lens.   See omnystudio....

It's rare indeed, when Atlanta's weekend traffic isn't awful, but it's awfully rare it's as bad as this weekend's is shaping up to be.  Want a lucrative state contract? Georgia Governor Bria...

The federal government launches an inquiry into MARTA's spending on safety; County elections officials could get different (and conflicting) state guidance on how to count ballots; and we head to the Atlanta History Center in search of what documents from Spelman College's earliest years tell us about the country's earliest days.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.