Atlanta’s professional soccer team has come a long way fast. Atlanta United FC took to the field for the first time in March 2017. Now it draws in tens of thousands of fans. We talked with the team’s president, Darren Eales.

On Second Thought for Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

In its first season, Atlanta United FC broke records for attendance at U.S. soccer matches. In its second season, fans are still packing the stands. Atlanta has a rich history of sports that has been historically dominated by college and professional football. But now that Atlanta has a professional soccer team, the sports culture in the city is shifting. On Second Thought intern Emmanuel Johnson brought back an audio postcard from one of the matches. 

A University of Chicago study released last year found more than four million American young people face homelessness every year. A few months ago, women from all over the country were in Atlanta for a “sleep-out” at Covenant House Georgia, an area shelter. They took to the streets with cardboard boxes and sleeping bags to raise awareness about youth homelessness. On Second Thought’s LaRaven Taylor rode with the organization for a tour of outdoor spots in the city where homeless people routinely spend the night.

Homeless people are repeatedly arrested for public urination. Others have mental health issues that land them in prison. There’s a two-year pilot program underway in Fulton County to counter these arrests. The initiative is modeled on other cities, where it seems to work. we talked about this with Moki Macías, the executive director of the Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. We also spoe with Brian McGregor Researcher, a researcher at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

On Monday's show, we talked with Georgia Tech professor Lisa Yaszek about her work on a documentary TV series about the evolution of science fiction films. A big part of that evolution wouldn’t be possible without women writers. Yaszek is on a mission to honor some of the unsung sci-fi heroines. She talked with GPB Special Correspondent Celeste Headlee about her book, "Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Women of Science Fiction.” They also talked with Bill Campbell of Rosarium Publishing, which works to bring more diversity to science fiction. 

Country music artist Brent Cobb was born and raised in Georgia. Growing up, one of his favorite spots was Providence Canyon State Park in Southwest Georgia. It helped inspire his latest album called “Providence Canyon,” which was released last week. He gave us a preview of the album.