How The South Fights Fire With Fire, And What The West Can Learn

It was a superb Spring day in the mountains of west Georgia, with bluebird skies and a light breeze through the longleaf pines, when a helicopter rained fire from the sky.

A machine on the side of the helicopter was dropping thousands of ping pong ball shaped incendiary devices as it criss-crossed a mix of mature, longleaf pine trees, some mature oaks and the grasses left from a timber company clearcut. When the balls hit the grass, fire bloomed in a deep orange that turned into rings of flame enclosing scorched vegetation.

As the flames crept, a pair of firefighters waited for just the right moment to zoom up a gravel road on ATVs fitted with flamethrowers. When they did, they set fire to grass at the edge of the road, robbing the main blaze of fuel and stopping it dead. It was all a part of Nathan Klaus' plan.

Read more from GPB's Grant Blankenship here.

Surrounded by supporters, Gov. Brian Kemp signs House Bill 481, the "heartbeat bill," setting the stage for a legal battle as the state attempts to outlaw most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Surrounded by supporters, Gov. Brian Kemp signs House Bill 481, the "heartbeat bill," setting the stage for a legal battle as the state attempts to outlaw most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Credit: BOB ANDRES / THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

Georgia Abortion Bill Redefines 'Personhood' — And Raises Confusion

The state of Georgia — and the country — is divided over so-called "heartbeat" bills and other new state laws restricting abortion. Many are confused about who could be prosecuted and what, exactly, constitutes a violation of the law.

On Second Thought leaves the flashpoints of politics behind and attempts to get some clarity on the legal questions raised by HB 481.

It's a conversation with Amy Steigerwalt, political science professor at Georgia State University, and GPB reporter Stephen Fowler, who has been covering HB 481 since it was introduced in the Georgia General Assembly.

On Second Thought explores what these abortion bans could mean for miscarriages, prosecution and due process — and potential consequences of redefining what it means to be a "person."

Listen to the full conversation here.

Tammy Smith records GPS data for a turtle crawl on Tybee Island in 2019.

Tammy Smith records GPS data for a turtle crawl on Tybee Island in 2019. The state Department of Natural Resources tracks this data as part of their sea turtle conservation efforts.

Credit: Emily Jones / GPB News

A Walk On The Beach To Save Georgia's Sea Turtles

It's sea turtle nesting season, when turtles crawl up on Georgia beaches at night to lay their eggs. Every morning, volunteers walk the beach to look for new nests and block them off so people don't disturb them.

GPB's Emily Jones tagged along for a nest survey on Tybee Island and produced this audio postcard.

For these stories and more visit GPBNews.org.