On Second Thought For Monday, December 4, 2017

Churches in the United States are barred from endorsing political candidates, or contributing to campaigns. This part of our tax code is known as the Johnson Amendment. It includes all non-profit organizations. But Republicans, including President Trump, want to repeal the amendment as part of a federal tax overhaul happening now. We talk about politics from the pulpit with researcher Matthew Boedy, an assistant professor at the University of North Georgia. And we discuss how taxes change behavior with Susan Anderson,  an accounting professor at Elon University in North Carolina.

Many sports are all about teamwork. But underwater hockey takes this to new heights. Or depths, we should say, since all the action in underwater hockey is at the bottom of a pool. And because players can’t hold their breath forever, hogging the puck isn’t an option. GPB’s Emily Cureton took a dip with Atlanta’s underwater hockey club, the Swordfish. She brought back an audio postcard from one recent practice.

If you want to pass out meals to homeless people in Atlanta, you'll now need a permit. City police have begun enforcing a decades-old policy requiring one to distribute food to homeless people. Those who don't comply face fines. We sit down to discuss this policy with Deidre Oakley Profesor of Sociology at Georgia State University and George Chidi, Social Impact Director for Central Atlanta Progress.

All this year, we’ve raised a glass to Southern food. From sweet tea to fried chicken, every Southern dish tells a story. But that story differs depending on how the food is prepared and who’s preparing it. We dig into the history of mac and cheese, and how it helps us understand Southern identity. With food historian Adrian Miller and Ashli Stokes with the Center for the Study of the New South at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Nominees were announced last week for the 60th Grammy Awards.  Georgia artists featured included Childish Gambino, Gregg Allman, and Mali Music. Songwriter Brent Cobb’s album “Shine On Rainy Day” is up for Best Americana Album. Cobb is from Ellaville, Georgia, and stopped by NPR Music earlier this year. We listen to portions of his Tiny Desk Concert.