Georgia Today: Georgia leaders react to Sydney terror attack; Trump tariffs affect small businesses

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. On this podcast, we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Georgia leaders react to an antisemitic terror attack in Australia. The U.S. Supreme Court considers a Louisiana voting rights case which could weaken protections against racial gerrymandering. And how are rising prices caused by President Trump's tariffs affecting small businesses in Georgia. 

Florence Allen: I wouldn't say I'm knocking it out of the park this year, but I'm hitting the numbers that I thought I was going to hit this year, considering the economic environment we're in right now. 

Orlando Montoya: This is Georgia Today for Monday, Dec. 15. I'm Orlando Montoya. 

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia leaders are reacting to the antisemitic terror attack in Australia. Two gunmen attacked a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach yesterday, killing at least 16 people in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of evil antisemitic terrorism. Georgia U.S. Sen. John Ossoff wrote in part, "This brutal attack has shaken the Jewish community in Georgia and nationwide. But Jews refused to be intimidated by cowardly antisemitic violence." One of the victims in the Bondi Beach attack was a Chabad emissary. Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman of Chabad Intown in Atlanta wrote in part, "The way to navigate this is not to negotiate with the darkness but to succeed at shining bright." Chabad of Georgia released a statement encouraging people to attend public Hanukkah celebrations, writing, quote, "This is our moment to stand together. To comfort one another and to reaffirm who we are."

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a Louisiana case that could weaken a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that guards against racial gerrymandering. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports on how a ruling in that case could impact Georgia. 

Sarah Kallis: Voting rights advocacy group Fair Fight says that 20 Democratic seats in the Georgia legislature could flip Republican if the Voting Rights Act is weakened. Fair Fight executive director Lauren Growargo says she hopes Georgia's legislature will consider making changes at the state level. 

Orlando Montoya: We're going to need to look at passing things like a state voting rights act and other bills to create a fair representation system in the state. 

Sarah Kallis: The court heard arguments over the Voting Rights Act this fall and will issue a decision by March 31 when their current term ends. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis. 

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: As a deadline looms for many Americans choosing health insurance options, Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is talking about rising health care costs. Speaking yesterday on NBC's Meet the Press, the Georgia Democrat said he's worried about Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. He pointed to the potential impact of cutting the subsidies in places like Southeast Georgia's Evans County. 

Raphael Warnock: If you live in Claxton, Ga., if you live in rural America, even if you have wealth and resources and you're having a stroke and there's no ICU within a reasonable distance because of these draconian cuts, you are impaired, your life is imperiled, you are in trouble. We can do better than this. 

Orlando Montoya: Congress so far has failed to reach an agreement to extend the subsidies, which lower monthly premiums for millions of Americans. Open enrollment on the ACA marketplace ends today for coverage beginning Jan. 1. 

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: Northwest Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is among Republicans pushing back against President Donald Trump's shocking comments on the death of beloved actor Rob Reiner and his wife in an apparent homicide. The president today blamed Reiner's killing on the Hollywood icon's outspoken opposition to him. Greene, whom Trump branded a traitor for disagreeing with him, responded by saying, quote, "this is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies."

Story 5:

Orlando Montoya: President Donald Trump's tariffs have made the cost of some consumer products rise. Earlier this year, we spoke with Florence Allen, the owner of William's Fun Smart Toys in Macon, about what she was doing to prepare her business for the cost hike. Recently, we stopped by her store again to ask her how those tariffs have impacted her business since we last spoke. Here's her conversation with GPB's Peter Biello. 

Peter Biello: It's been several months, the tariff situation has changed a variety of times, but let's start broadly. How has it been for you, knowing that a lot of your products come from overseas, come from China, and the tariff situation has been so volatile this year? 

Florence Allen: Well, it's about the same as it was back the last time we talked, you know, I'm just carefully picking and choosing what I'm reordering and the quantities and stuff. I tried to bulk up my inventory before a lot of the tariffs hit. And since that time, my average tariff hit is running about 15%. And, you know, we're making price adjustments where we can. Few people have commented, it's like, "Well your prices are not going up as high as other stuff." And I'm like, well, we're trying to keep a handle on it. 

Peter Biello: Because you're not increasing prices as quickly as perhaps your competitors, are you eating some of the lost profit? 

Florence Allen: It really is coming down to each individual item as in how the tariff is impacting my cost on that particular item. You know, if I paid $2.25 for an impulse item and with the tarif it goes up to $2 50, I already had a little built-in room in there to absorb some of that, but it's when it gets outside of where I feel comfortable trying to absorb that we're going up. But we're also trying to like keep it to the minimum. I wouldn't say I'm knocking it out of the park this year, but I'm hitting the numbers that I thought I was going to hit this year, considering the economic environment we're in right now. So we're just, y'know, holding our breath and seeing how it looks on Christmas Eve when we close the door. 

Peter Biello: Compared to last year, how was this year's post-Thanksgiving shopping blitz during the Black Friday events and whatnot? 

Florence Allen: We were about the same. We hit all our numbers that we hit last year, we were about the same, we didn't get much of a big bump. It looked like we might were headed towards that towards the end of October, early November, but then it kind of leveled out. More people are shopping local and we are picking up more local customers than it seems like last year. And I think part of that is just where I am in Middle Georgia is there's a customer base that values and wants to keep the small businesses and their communities going. 

Peter Biello: You say you're making your numbers and that's great news. Are you making your numbers while selling fewer products that are more expensive? 

Florence Allen: You know, I really won't know that until I go back at the end of the season and look at things. We've got more people that are coming in on average, probably 10% more that are telling us, "Hey, this is the first time I've been in here. I didn't know you were here. I've lived here all my life." So, you know, that's a factor. 

Peter Biello: It sounds like you've made a variety of adjustments over the course of the year to make sure that your fourth quarter, the strong quarter in your calendar is what it should be, but things are gonna change in January, as you mentioned. Do you think next year you're gonna be able to make similar adjustments to have a similar positive result, or is it just gonna be unavoidable, in your view, that just prices are gonna have to go way up to make ends meet? 

Florence Allen: Right now, I will say prices are going to have to go up. I may be able to delay that a little bit. It kind of depends on where my inventory levels are in January. This year, I don't know, it seems like we're going through our inventory a little bit faster than we usually do in November and December. The question will be how much of this inventory that's left come Jan. 1. Is it sellable inventory to take me into the first quarter, which would be good, or am I gonna have to start reordering in mid to late January so I can have a good spring and Easter? I'm gonna hold off as long as I can to see what happens. 

Peter Biello: Florence Allen, owner of William's Fun Smart Toys in Macon. Thank you so much for speaking with me again. I really appreciate it. 

Florence Allen: Thank you so much for having me. 

Orlando Montoya: That was Florence Allen, the owner of William's Fun Smart Toys in Macon, talking with GPB's Peter Biello. 

Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: U.S. News and World Report is recognizing seven Georgia hospitals for maternity care quality and nine for maternity care access. That's more than double last year's number. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more. 

Ellen Eldridge: Georgia has made significant improvement in low-risk cesarean births since last year, but the state still ranks 45th for preterm birth with a rate near 12%. Jennifer Winston is a health data scientist with U.S. News& World Report. She says the state's best maternity care hospitals —

Jennifer Winston: ...are hospitals that have met are really high standards for a number of metrics of quality. Most heavily weight C-section and severe unexpected newborn complications for that recognition. 

Ellen Eldridge: Atrium Health in Milledgeville and Rome, and Northside Hospitals in Canton and Lawrenceville are some of the hospitals who received high ratings. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge. 

Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: An Army sergeant will stand trial in a military court in the shootings of five people at Southeast Georgia's Fort Stewart. Army prosecutors announced on Friday that Sgt. Cornelius Radford will be tried by a general court marshal on charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and domestic violence. Authorities say Radford opened fire with a personal handgun on members of his supply unit at the military base in August. Four soldiers and a civilian worker were wounded. Officials say the domestic violence charge stems from one of the victims being Radford's romantic partner. No hearings have been scheduled yet. Phone and email messages to Fort Stewart's trial defense service office were not immediately returned. 

Story 8:

Orlando Montoya: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced $350 million in funding for relief efforts following Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debbie. The agency's statement on Friday comes two months after U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock reported that nearly $500 million in relief was unpaid. The Georgia Democrat said FEMA was withholding $600 million, meant for debris removal and repairs. Gov. Brian Kemp requested $12 billion in federal disaster funding. Georgia farmers are also awaiting $531 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pending final approval. 

Story 9:

Orlando Montoya: Soccer fans are accusing the sports world governing body of a quote "monumental betrayal" after prices for World Cup tickets began circulating last week. For matches in Atlanta, the cheapest tickets are listed for $140 as of last Thursday as listed by FIFA. Those offer seats in the stadium's uppermost section for a pair of group stage games featuring Uzbekistan and South Africa against teams yet to be determined. The highest price tickets topped $3,000 for a semifinal match. FIFA previously claimed $60 tickets would be available for group stage games in the tournament next summer, and back when U.S. Soccer was bidding for the tournament seven years ago, the target was $21 tickets. 

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. We have many of the stories that you hear on Georgia Today in greater detail on our webpage. That's GPB.org/news. We always encourage you to hit "subscribe" on the podcast. That helps you keep current with us in your feed. And we also always encourage you to send feedback: good, bad, or neutral. Send that our way. Our email address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Orlando Montoya, and I'll be back with you again tomorrow and all this week. 

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