Georgia Today: Voters turn out on Election Day; Furloughed CDC workers set up mutual aid system

Chase McGee: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, voters head to the polls on this election day. Atlanta's National Center for Civil and Human Rights is reopening. And furloughed CDC workers set up a mutual aid system to support each other. 

Ben McKenzie: It's certainly not enough money to replace a career, but it is enough money to help pay some bills and give people a little bit of breathing room. 

Chase McGee: Today is Tuesday, Nov. 4, I'm Chase McGee and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Chase McGee: It's Election Day, and voters across the state are deciding on two Public Service Commission seats. The PSC regulates many utility rates, including electricity. Cliff Abraham of Marietta says his vote was motivated by high utility bills. 

Cliff Abraham: We just wanted to make sure that we were voting for the people who are going to take care of what we needed to. Like our, you know, utilities, bills, pretty much make sure that we are not going to be underwater. 

Chase McGee: Big utility bills also motivated Christa Kreeger's vote in Atlanta. 

Christa Kreeger: The utilities are high and the prospect of it getting even higher, not even just for me but for people who are really in need and are really struggling right now; like, this feels like an important time to be voting. 

Chase McGee: Voters in some cities, like Atlanta and Augusta, will also cast their ballots for mayor, city councilors, and county commissioners. GPB will be covering the key races on this podcast and at GPB.org/news. 

Story 2:

Chase McGee: Furloughed workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are among those going without a paycheck as the federal government shutdown continues. A mutual aid fund organized by CDC staff is managing a surge in applications to help them make ends meet. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more. 

Sofi Gratas: It's estimated that about a quarter of CDC staff have been terminated. Now hundreds more are furloughed. Ben McKenzie, a furloughed CDC researcher, helps coordinate the fund. He says they got 150 applications for help last week. 

Ben McKenzie: Which is three times the number that we've received over the rest of the year. 

Sofi Gratas: The fund has collected over $80,000 in donations, giving it out to fired and furloughed CDC staff based on need. 

Ben McKenzie: It's certainly not enough money to replace a career, but it is enough money to help pay some bills and give people a little bit of breathing room. 

Sofi Gratas: And while donations to the fund are up, McKenzie expects applications to follow suit as long as paychecks are paused. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas. 

Story 3:

Chase McGee: The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is reopening after four years of construction. Atlanta leaders and donors gathered earlier today for a ribbon-cutting. GPB's Amanda Andrews has more on the $57 million expansion. 

Amanda Andrews: The additions to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights include two wings, six galleries, three classrooms, and a terrace. In total, the museum added 24,000 square feet, nearly doubling in size. Speakers included former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Home Depot co-founder and philanthropist Arthur M. Blank, and Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. King said the exhibits remind her that her father's words still have work to do. 

Bernice King: They speak urgently to our time, a time of rising authoritarianism, fractured democracy and communities under siege. My father's words always remind us that we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. 

Amanda Andrews: The center reopens to the public this Saturday. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews. 

Story 4:

Chase McGee: The Georgia Historical Society is commemorating Peyton Anderson with a new historical marker in Macon. Anderson was a journalist and owner of the Macon Telegraph. After his passing in 1988, Anderson's estate established a foundation in his name, which advocates for education and opportunity in Middle Georgia. The marker will be dedicated at the Cotton Avenue Plaza in Macon, Monday of next week.

Story 5:

Chase McGee: The National Science Foundation has awarded $5 million to the University of Georgia's College of Education in order to train and support science educators across the state. The funding will create three distinct programs, one of which will identify leading science educators in Georgia so they can share their expertise with other teachers. Members of the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Science Supervisors Association will join the program, housed at UGA. 

Story 6:

Chase McGee: On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp is scheduled to attend the grand opening of the Hyundai Mobility Training Center in Southeast Georgia's Ellabell. The facility will train Georgians to work at the carmaker's Metaplant America in Bryan County near Savannah and other affiliate locations. It's the result of a partnership between Hyundai Motor Group and Georgia Quick Start, a state workforce training program. The announcement comes after an immigration raid detained nearly 500 workers in early September, most of which were South Korean nationals. 

Story 7:

Chase McGee: Atlanta-based Global Payments reported third-quarter profit today of more than $635 million. The results beat Wall Street expectations. The electronic payment processing company says the rollout of its Genius platform, which facilitates payments at restaurants, is part of the quarter's success. 

Story 8:

Chase McGee: Atlanta Braves have hired Walt Weiss as their next manager. Weiss has been the Braves' bench coach since 2018 and was on staff when they won the World Series in 2021. This is Weiss's second major league managing job after four seasons with the Colorado Rockies. Weiss finished his playing career as a shortstop with Atlanta from 1998 to 2000. Former manager Brian Snitker announced early in October he would not be returning for an 11th year with the club. 

Chase McGee: That's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit GPB.org/news. If you haven't hit subscribe on this podcast, take a moment right now and keep us current in your podcast feed. If you've got feedback, we'd love to hear it. Email us at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Chase McGee. We'll see you tomorrow. 

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news