Georgia Today: May job losses; Gas tax suspension expiring; Atlanta’s unhoused population

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Georgia employers saw significant job losses in May, the gas tax suspension is set to expire at midnight, and Atlanta gears up to help its unhoused population ahead of the World Cup. 

Cathryn Vassell: The city is gearing up to open cooling centers and then also some cooling centers with shelter that will be open around the clock. 

Peter Biello: Today is Tuesday, June 2. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today. 

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who's running for governor, debated an empty podium yesterday during the Atlanta Press Club runoff debates while his opponent, Rick Jackson, campaigned in Kennesaw. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports. 

Sarah Kallis: Jones criticized his opponent, Rick Jackson, for declining the debate invitation. 

Burt Jones In order to be taken serious, you need to show up and show people that you care, number one, and they appreciate what they're doing for you. 

Sarah Kallis: Jackson instead held a campaign event with Florida Sen. Rick Scott and took the opportunity to take shots at Jones. 

Rick Jackson This race is between an outsider and an insider. Burt Jones is the insider's pick. 

Sarah Kallis: Both candidates promised to address the high cost of living and cut taxes. They also both promoted their experience in business. The runoff will be held on June 16; early voting starts June 8. The winner of the runoff, will face Democratic nominee and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in November. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis. 

Story 2: 

Peter Biello: 2026 continues to be a big year for job loss in Georgia. That's according to May data filed under the Federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification or WARN Act. WARN data tracks mass layoffs. Georgia shed nearly 2,000 jobs according to may WARN notices. The largest single may job losses followed restructuring of the ideal talent marketplace, an app that matches temp workers with employers. Fewer than 700 Georgia gig workers were on the platform, though the company says only a fraction recently filed any billable hours. The 2026 layoffs continue to follow a trend set last year, which was the second-worst year for big layoffs in Georgia in the last decade. 

Story 3:

Peter Biello: The Georgia Supreme Court has cleared one hurdle towards the resumption of some executions after ruling today on a COVID-19 related pause. Executions in Georgia were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state attorney general's office had agreed with lawyers for people on death row that executions would not resume until the COVID-19 vaccine was, quote, "readily available to all members of the public." Lawyers had argued that the pause on executions should continue because the vaccine had not yet been approved for children under six months and is therefore not available to all members of the public. In a decision today, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the vaccine is available since the state has enough supply for everybody, but vaccine approval for a certain age group is a separate question. The case has now been remanded for further proceedings. 

Story 4:

Peter Biello: The cost of filling your gas tank will rise significantly tomorrow as Georgia's temporary gas tax suspension will expire at 11:59 tonight. The governor's suspension of the motor fuel excise tax was saving motorists about $0.33 per gallon for gasoline. The initial pause of the tax began March 20. The tax will return to the pumps tomorrow. 

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Atlanta city leaders are highlighting their efforts to help people facing homelessness in downtown Atlanta ahead of the World Cup. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports on the results of Atlanta's most recent annual census of homeless people in the city. 

Amanda Andrews: The point-in-time count by Atlanta Partners for Home found while there was an overall 6% increase in homelessness, downtown Atlanta saw numbers decline due to targeted outreach that housed over 450 people. Prior to the 1996 Olympics, many homeless Atlanta residents were arrested. Partners for Home CEO Cathryn Vassel says they don't want to repeat history during the World Cup. 

Cathryn Vassell: We are inviting shelters to offer more flexible access to their beds. The city is gearing up to open cooling centers and then also some cooling centers with shelter that will be open around the clock. 

Amanda Andrews: First World Cup game in Atlanta is June 15th. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews. 

Story 6:

Peter Biello: A rare hybrid sea turtle was released back into the ocean last week on Jekyll Island. GPB's Jillian Magtoto reports. 

Jillian Magtoto: When the first cold snap of winter hits the hook of Cape Con, Massachusetts, sea turtle rescuers get busy. 

Jaynie Gaskin: When sea turtles start to get really really cold and they start swimming south, a lot of times they will get caught in that hook. It usually ends up being at least hundreds if not thousands sometimes that strand on the beach and need to be rescued. 

Jillian Magtoto: Last winter, their facility received nine sea turtles from Cape Cod that suffered from prolonged exposure to cold water. But they noticed one of them looked a little odd. A hook at the tip of its beak and a round shell made it look like a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, while distinct ridges on its shell also indicated it could be a loggerhead. Genetic testing proved that the turtle, named Earl Gray, was a rare product of both species, and the first confirmed hybrid the center has seen. 

Jaynie Gaskin: Out could be that there's hybrids out there, but I also do have a theory that this is something new that the turtles are doing to ensure the survival of their species. 

Jillian Magtoto: Gaskin says that Kemp's Ridley turtles, the most endangered sea turtle species in the world, are picky. They like to forage on certain prey and nest in a limited area. But when mixed with a more general species, they might be able to widen their prey pool and broaden that range. 

Jaynie Gaskin: Having loggerhead genetics might be a strength for Earl Gray. 

Jillian Magtoto: After six months of rehabilitation and care, Gaskin returned Earl Gray to the Atlantic Ocean late last week. For GBB News, I'm Jillian Magtoto. 

Story 7:

Peter Biello: Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and balladeer, Peabo Bryson has suffered a stroke and is currently under medical care. The 75-year-old Atlanta-based singer was the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney songs "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World." He released his first studio album 50 years ago. A spokesperson for Bryson's family says, quote, "the thoughts, prayers, and love of friends and fans are welcomed and deeply appreciated."

Caption

Peabo Bryson in 2018.

Credit: Sister Circle TV

Story 8: 

Peter Biello: The Augusta Green Jackets will be taking the field later this month for a couple of days as the Augusta Soul. On June 19 and 20th, the single A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves will pay homage to Augusta native James Brown with the temporary name change. James Brown moved to August with his family as a child. The team made the announcement at Soul Bar Augusta, a bar inspired by the Godfather of Soul. 

Peter Biello: And Georgia Tech baseball ended yesterday afternoon with an 8-7 loss to Oklahoma at the NCAA Atlanta regional championship game. Georgia Tech gained a 7-3 lead, but Oklahoma rallied back with five runs over the final four innings for the win. 

Outro:

Peter Biello: And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit gpb.org/news. Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuaid's new book, The Fix, is all about how the federal government is using mob-style intimidation tactics to achieve its goals. McQaid weaves courtroom stories, political analysis, and cautionary lessons from history to make her case. Join me as I speak with McQuid about her book at Wild Heaven West End Garden Club in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 9 at 7 p.m. A ticket gets you a signed copy of the book. Learn more at acapellabooks.com. If you haven't yet subscribed to this podcast, we highly recommend you do it now. That way we will pop up automatically in your feed tomorrow afternoon. We've got more news coming your way. And if you have feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a note by email. The address is georgiatoday@gpb.org. I'm Peter Biello 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