The Brief from WABE

Georgia's Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner fines companies for failing to cover mental health on par with other medical issues; a conversation with the new head of the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association; and WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali breaks down 'day one' of the 2026 legislative session. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton is looking for volunteers to help with its annual point in time count, to help track and respond to homelessness in the county; the city of Lovejoy is further enforcing a curfew for minors after increased criminal activity over the last year; and a chimpanzee sanctuary in North Georgia is looking for college volunteers to spend their spring break taking care of retired research primates. Se...

Georgia's Speaker of the House Jon Burns outlines his priorities for the upcoming legislative session; a New York man pleads guilty to threatening the wife of a Georgia immigration officer; and why 4,600 people in DeKalb County call an extended-stay motel "home."    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's attorney general says he will charge for a second time 61 people arrested during protests of Atlanta's public safety training center; legalized sports betting is likely to make its annual appearance under the Gold Dome again this session; and Georgia's unemployment numbers better than U.S. average. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gov. Kemp chooses date for special election to fill MTG's vacated Congressional seat; Rep. Doug Collins faces investigation for nepotism within his office; and Georgia GOP lawmakers expected to outline plans for eliminating state income tax.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State health officials issue urgent request for Georgians to get a flu shot; the CDC's list of recommended vaccines just got a bit shorter; and a major shakeup within the Falcons' management.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final deadline to enroll in a “Georgia Access” health plan is coming up and the insurance is a lot more expensive for many in Georgia this year; Beverage giant Coca-Cola plans to lay off 75 employees at its Atlanta corporate headquarters as part of a broader reorganization of its workforce this year; and as we look back at some of WABE's most poignant stories from 2025, we hear abo...

Years after RICO indictments were handed out against "Stop Cop City" protesters, judge throws out the charges; Animal control in Fulton County now the responsibility of county police after botched incidents involving Lifeline Animal Project; and first-day hikes on the first day of 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headline-making monks make stops in metro Atlanta after 2,300-mile journey; APD says it plans to question hundreds of parents after Atlantic Station melee; and the artist behind a reflective new art installation at Piedmont Park.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia's two new state energy regulators have both now been officially sworn in; Thousands of refugees admitted into Georgia during the Biden Administration will face reassessment; and WABE’s DorMiya Vance delves into the journey of local residents navigating the ongoing data center boom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three escaped inmates from DeKalb County Jail caught; wombat scat as communication; and how a drag show has become a Christmas tradition See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three inmates are on the run after escaping from the DeKalb County Jail; G-DOT suspends roadwork for the holiday travel peak; and why rural Georgia might experience an extra tough holiday season because of interruptions to federal programs.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County says the damage left by a recent fire at the main jail on Rice Street has made over 500 beds at the already-crowded facility unavailable; The Georgia Public Service Commission Friday unanimously approved an expansion deal for Georgia Power expected to cost at least 15 billion dollars; Conservation partners have completed a major deal on the Georgia-Alabama state border covering 10,00...

Federal Dept. of Justice sues Georgia's Secretary of State for not handing over private election ballots; Georgia's utility regulators are set to vote on a massive and controversial Georgia Power expansion plan; and the father of the accused Apalachee High School shooter wants text messages with his son thrown out before his trial begins in February.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Two labor unions come out in opposition of major railroad merger; Atlanta's housing market shows a major shift from this time last year; and Atlanta's VA Medical Center expands efforts to keep women veterans safe during and after pregnancy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is set to testify Wednesday before a State Senate committee investigating her; The city of Atlanta says it's dropping its traditional 'Peach Drop' this New Year's Eve at Underground Atlanta and doing a fireworks and drone countdown instead; and Actor and comedian Marlon Wayans speaks with WABE Arts about the filming the upcoming Scary Movie 6 in Atlanta...

New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Atlanta-based UPS for allegedly stealing tens of millions of dollars in pay from seasonal workers; Georgia’s newly-elected public service commissioners are calling on the current commission to delay a vote on Georgia Power’s expansion plans; and WABE hears from the founders of Pro-Civica, a Georgia-based company that partners with state...

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Fulton County to get ahold of its 2020 general election ballots; The Federal Emergency Management Agency is announcing more than 1 billion dollars in funding for Georgia; and WABE's Medical Wealth Gap series wraps up with a profile of Clarkston's Mosaic Health Center, a medical clinic for serving the community's refugee, immigrant and migrant p...

Atlanta is ranked among the top 10 worst traffic cities in the country, according to a recent analysis by a transportation research firm; Democratic U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock says America is in a 'spiritual crisis' saying part of the solution is making the American dream attainable for all; and WABE Arts looks at a new PBS documentary following a youth orchestra highlighting the Buford...

Georgia Power says it's reached an agreement with state regulators on a massive expansion plan; A leading statewide elected official says Georgia Republicans need to sound the alarm after Democrats flip another office in a special election; New Year’s Eve is a key deadline for the roughly 1.5 million Georgians with Affordable Care Act coverage, unless Congress reaches an agreement to ex...

Hearings that had been scheduled for this week involving the accused Atlanta spa shooter are now postponed; Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to appear next week before a Georgia State Senate Committee investigating her for alleged misconduct connected to the now-dismissed 2020 election interference case; and an Atlanta filmmaker premieres a new AI-enhanced version of his doc...

Defiant, Fani Willis continues to push for separation of power between the legislative and judicial branches of government; a Democratic state representative from Covington pleads not guilty to federal fraud charges; and why Georgia's Medicaid work requirement might not set the best example for other states about to roll it out.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CDC committee votes to end decades-long recommendation to vaccinate at birth for Hepatitis-B; Insurance company sues BioLab, parent company, after massive warehouse fire; and the future of safety net healthcare in Georgia amid planned federal cuts, short-term funding.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new shelter for women in DeKalb County will provide housing and wraparound services to those experiencing homelessness; more people in Metro Atlanta were killed in traffic crashes than because of homicides in 2024; and how people with disabilities and their families are bracing for financial hardship in the face of the Trump Administration's cut to health funding See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has vacated a ruling by a lower court that stopped a portion of a controversial law barring giving any food or water to voters waiting at the ballot box; A group of Georgia state lawmakers are recommending measures to compel chronically absent students to come to school; WABE health reporter Jess Mador speaks to a health insurance marketplace navigator...