Georgia Today: Search at Fulton elections office; Cellphone ban; Columbus's relationship with ICE

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, FBI agents are executing a search warrant at a Fulton County elections office. Parents seem open to banning cellphones in public high schools, and the mayor of Columbus describes his police department's relationship with ICE. 

Skip Henderson: The only way they'll ever participate with ICE is if there's a warrant and they are looking to apprehend somebody who's committed a crime in our community or in other areas. 

Peter Biello: Today is Wednesday, Jan. 28. I'm Peter Bielo, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Peter Biello: FBI agents executed a search warrant today at the Fulton County Elections Office near Atlanta. An agency spokesperson confirmed the search took place at the county's main election office in Union City. The spokesperson declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing matter. The search comes as the FBI, under the leadership of Director Kash Patel, has moved quickly to pursue the political grievances of President Donald Trump. That includes working with the U.S. Justice Department to investigate several of Trump's perceived adversaries. Trump has long made Georgia a central target for his complaints about the 2020 election, which he lost in part because of his narrow defeat in the state. Last week, referring to the 2020 elections, he said that quote, "people will soon be prosecuted for what they did." It was not clear what he was referring to. 

Story 2:

Peter Biello: The Trump administration is suing Georgia once again for the state's voter list, including sensitive personal data, days after a federal judge dismissed a similar lawsuit filed in the wrong court. The U.S. Justice Department's filing yesterday is the latest attempt to force Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to turn over the information in an effort aimed at election integrity. Raffensperger's office has said state law requires him to protect voters' driver's license numbers, Social Security numbers, and birth dates. 

Story 3: 

Peter Biello: DeKalb County Commissioners decided to delay a vote on a resolution calling for reduced Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the county. The resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Ted Terry, would call for the immediate withdrawal of ICE from the county, speaking before the board, resident Anna Ziering described the she's seen in her brother-in-law's Minnesota community. 

Anna Zierring This weekend, my wife reached out to Evan to ask how he was doing. He asked her to send him new ski goggles. His old ones weren't keeping out the tear gas that fogs the streets. 

Peter Biello: Commissioners are hoping to add amendments that reject ICE tactics. DeKalb commissioners will revisit the immigration resolution next week. 

Story 4: 

Peter Biello: Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson says city police are not looking for people who may be in the country illegally. His comments came at last night's council meeting when asked about the city's relationship with ICE. Henderson says local police have talked with the agency in the past but do not seek out people who don't have a visa. 

Skip Henderson The only way they'll ever participate with ICE is if there's a warrant and they are looking to apprehend somebody who's committed a crime in our community or in other areas. 

Peter Biello: Anderson says he's aware of the growing sensitivity around ICE and he's committed to giving more frequent updates about their activities in Columbus. 

Story 5: 

Peter Biello: State agriculture officials have confirmed another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a Georgia poultry flock. The detection announced today in Northeast Georgia's Hart County is the third this year and the sixth since the nationwide avian flu outbreak began in 2022. The commercial operation has about 40,000 birds. 

Story 6: 

Peter Biello: Emory University's annual survey of Georgia parents finds most are in favor of a ban on cellphones in the state's public high schools. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more on what Emory's Center for Child Health Policy learned as lawmakers consider expanding an existing ban. 

Ellen Eldridge Starting this year, kids in public elementary and middle schools cannot use their phones during school. A bill currently making its way through the Legislature would include high schools and take effect in July 2027. Nearly 70% of Georgia parents in favor of a ban say it improves student mental health and wellbeing. Julia Gazmarian is with Emory University. 

Julia Gazmarian The Emory team is jumping in, in terms of doing research, evaluating the impact of those policies and continuing to work closely with the schools and Department of Education and legislators and sharing results of what we're seeing after policies are implemented. 

Ellen Eldridge Most Georgia parents opposed to a ban worry about communication with their child in the event of a school emergency. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge. 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: Researchers at Augusta University are putting blood pressure monitors in public libraries as a way to improve education around a leading cause of death in the state. GPB's Sofi Gratas has more. 

Sofi Gratas: If left unchecked, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke, both conditions in which Georgia ranks near or higher than the national average, with low-income and rural areas unequally affected. With a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, Brianna McIndoe and others at Augusta University want to address the first step in prevention. They've so far put blood pressure monitors in 20 public libraries in Augusta and Habersham, Morgan and Jefferson counties. The key is simplicity. 

Brianna Mcindoe: You just need a library card you go in check it out and it's just like a library book. 

Sofi Gratas: The monitors also don't need Wi-Fi. The research team would like to reach at least one in five female patrons, since NIH and CDC research suggests gaps in heart health awareness among women. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Grotus. 

Story 8:

Peter Biello: The youngest member of the Georgia legislature turns 22 years old tomorrow. Lawrenceville state Rep. Akbar Ali won his seat in a December runoff election, earning his place as one of the General Assembly's newest members. The Democrat focused his campaign on issues like lowering the cost of living and supporting public schools. 

Akbar Ali: People are craving a new vision. People are craving a new energy, that new drive, just to have some fresher ideas. And I'm very proud to be the tip of the spear of that in this very moment. 

Peter Biello: He told GPB's Lawmakers that his legislative colleagues have been welcoming and that one issue he hopes to champion this year is reform of homeowners' associations. 

Akbar Ali: Overreach is rampant. There's not enough guardrails here. That's why I'm working with several of my colleagues who've been fighting this fight for a while now to put in some limit, some guardrails here. 

Peter Biello: Keep up with the latest action under the Gold Dome on Lawmakers on GPB TV each evening at 7 when the Legislature is in session. 

Outro:

Peter Biello: That is it for Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. Be sure to check for updates to any of the stories you heard today at gpb.org/news. And remember, we will be back in your podcast feed tomorrow afternoon. If you subscribe to this podcast, if you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you: email GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Bello. Thanks again for listening. We will see you tomorrow. 

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