Georgia Today: KSU player in gambling ring; Study to replace federal dollars; Clarke County Jail art

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, a Kennesaw State basketball player was named in a sprawling indictment targeting an alleged gambling ring that prosecutors say rigged games. Research is underway on how state lawmakers might replace lost federal dollars for health, and inmates at the Clarke County Jail get a chance to put their art on display. 

Kristen Bach: A lot of my students don't consider themselves as active artists, so I really try to break down the boundaries of what art making can be. 

Orlando Montoya: Today is Friday, Jan. 16. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: Federal prosecutors have revealed a sprawling scheme to rig college basketball games while yielding big payouts to gamblers. An indictment unsealed yesterday includes allegations against 39 players, including one at Kennesaw State University. Prosecutors allege the fixers started with professional games in China before turning their focus to recruiting college players in the U.S. Roughly 30 games were impacted over two seasons, ending last year, according to the indictment. Kennesaw State says it has indefinitely suspended its standout guard, Simeon Cottle, from all team activities. 

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia lawmakers have wrapped up their first week of the 2026 General Assembly. The action under the Gold Dome was largely perfunctory and ceremonial, including approving the legislative calendar and hearing Gov. Brian Kemp's State of the State address. A bill aimed at invalidating Savannah's gun-locking ordinance achieved final passage. GPB Lawmakers host Donna Lowry told GPB Morning Edition host Pamela Kirkland the next week also should include quiet but important work. 

Donna Lowry: Well, next week is budget week. And so for most of the week, they will focus long days on hearing the budget goals of state agencies. The budget, of course, is the only mandated goal during the session. So because they are not meeting and gaveling in, we will not have a Lawmakers show next week, but we will be back on Monday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. 

Orlando Montoya: Lowry shares her insights into the legislature on the GPB podcast, Lawmakers Spotlight. 

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: In coming years, lawmakers will have to deal with federal cuts to Medicaid, which covers 2.2 million Georgians and pays for about 40% of births in the state. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more on how one organization is using research to help prepare. 

Ellen Eldridge Georgia Health Initiative's research focuses on helping a variety of people, nonprofit organizations and community stakeholders better understand the role Medicaid plays in Georgia. Cindy Delfin is the Vice President of Policy. She says funding cuts to both Medicaid and health care delivery systems will lead to Georgians losing access to coverage. 

Cindy Delfin: So there will be much for our state policymakers to think through as they reflect on our health, the state of our health care system and helping to make sure that people in Georgia have the coverage that they need. 

Ellen Eldridge: The initiative's research is for those who want to understand how health care works and who it serves in Georgia. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge. 

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens this week spoke during a tour of the city's latest rapid housing development about the importance of partnerships to fight homelessness. But Fulton County leaders might not have their promised funding. City and county leaders met at the development in South Atlanta, where 100 units of permanent supportive housing are coming. Funding from the city supports its construction, then Fulton County steps in to cover supportive services as part of a 30-year agreement signed in 2019. In December, the county told the city it doesn't have the funds to cover those costs. Dickens says county officials need to follow through on their commitment. 

Andre Dickens: And so we are standing here today saying, "Do what you say you're going to do." And for the next 30 years, you're supposed to put up — at a minimum! — $4.8 million. You can't walk back from that. 

Orlando Montoya: Fulton County Commissioners will vote on the 2026 budget on Jan. 21. 

Story 5:

Orlando Montoya: Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium is preparing to rebrand itself for the FIFA World Cup. Local tournament organizers met today to talk about game preparations. GPB's Amanda Andrews tells us how the stadium plans to meet FIFA regulations. 

Amanda Andrews: Organizers are working to take down nearly 2,000 corporate logos in and around the stadium before the games to comply with FIFA's Clean Zone regulations. The stadium includes a modular roof that can open and close. It's made of eight lightweight inflated plastic pedals they call pillows. Stadium operations Vice President Adam Fullerton says those pillows are a challenge. 

Adam Fullerton: There's a really, really nice Mercedes-Benz emblem that's built into those pillows. So it's a white pillow system with a black emblem on it. And the emblem's literally built into the material. So we've got to go out on those pillows and actually cover up the emblem. 

Amanda Andrews: Logo removals will begin in full during the Atlanta United season break starting May 25. The first World Cup game in Atlanta kicks off June 15. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews. 

Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia's insurance and safety fire commissioner is issuing nearly $25 million in fines to health insurance companies for violating the state's mental health parity laws. Georgia law requires insurers to cover mental health and substance use disorders in ways comparable to physical health. Commissioner John King issued the fines against 22 companies earlier this week. 

Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: Atlanta's largest and longest-running fine arts festival is returning this spring after a troubling 2025. The 90-year-old Dogwood Festival last August revealed a deep budget shortfall that threatened to cancel the 2026 event. The festival yesterday announced it would go on thanks to a new sponsor and a nominal entrance fee April 10 through 12th. 

Story 8:

Orlando Montoya: The Linden House Art Center in Athens will team up with the Clark County Sheriff's Office to display the artwork of incarcerated people. WUGA's Emma Auer has more. 

Emma Auer: The Creative Tracks program at the Clark County Jail started about a year ago and has worked with three groups of incarcerated people. Kristen Bach is a local business owner and educator who teaches the course. She says she wants her students to view art as something they can incorporate in their lives. 

Kristen Bach: A lot of my students don't consider themselves as active artists, so I really try to break down the boundaries of what art making can be. 

Emma Auer: On Thursday, Jan. 22, the students' work will be on display at the Linden House Art Center in Athens, starting at 5.30 p.m. Bach hopes the exhibit will help the community be more welcoming when incarcerated individuals are released. 

Kristen Bach: We really wanted to inform our community that a lot of these incarcerated individuals, this might be the first time that they have been seen or heard. We want our community to know that they're doing a ton of hard work to try to better their lives and make a new chapter moving forward.

Emma Auer:  Participants in creative tracks are also a part of the Reentry Success Program, which allows incarcerated people to take classes from community partners. For GPB News, I'm Emma Auer. 

Outro: 

Orlando Montoya: And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org slash news. We'd like you to hit subscribe on this podcast so you always stay connected to us and never miss an episode. If you have feedback, we'd love to hear that. Send us feedback to georgatoday@gpb.org. I'm Orlando Montoya, and as we head into a weekend that could bring snow to parts of Georgia. I hope you stay warm and keep your internal weather sunny. We'll be back on Tuesday; we're taking the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday off. So I hope that you have a great three-day weekend. 

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