Charlton County Backs Proposed Mining Near Okefenokee

The Charlton County Commission Thursday evening unanimously voted to support the proposal to mine for heavy minerals near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 

The proclamation cited economic benefits to the county, including tax revenue and the 150 jobs promised in the permit application from Twin Pines Minerals.

Read more from GPB's Emily Jones here.

Rob Petrecca holds his 2-year-old daughter. Petrecca has been in recovery from substance use disorder since February 2018. ELLEN ELDRIDGE / GPB NEWS

How One Police Department Is Trying To Steer Addicts Into Recovery Instead Of Making Arrests

Deaths from opioids have dropped nationally, but fatal overdoses are a top concern in Georgia. One police department is trying something new: instead of locking them up, officers are steering people who overdose into treatment.

Police across Georgia are admitting they need to try something new to battle the opioid crisis. To fight addiction, drug users need resources.

Read more from GPB's Ellen Eldridge here.

A boy plays video games at Gamescom, Europe's biggest video game event, which is taking place in Cologne, Germany, this week. MARTIN MEISSNER / AP

Video Game Violence Once United Political Parties. Why Is It A Partisan Issue Now?

In the aftermath of mass shootings, debate over why these massacres keep happening — and how to fix them — bubbles up again. And, after the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, President Donald Trump again pointed to mental illness and violent video games.

Politicians singling out video games for inspiring violence isn't new. (Nor is the research debunking this connection.) In the past, however, moral outrage and blame came from both sides of the political aisle. Now, a recent article in The Atlantic argues that the topic has become an increasingly partisan issue.

On Second Thought host Virginia Prescott spoke to the author of that article. Listen to their conversation here.

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