Imagine receiving anonymous text messages telling you your family will be killed. That’s exactly what happened to Tricia Raffensperger, wife of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. This and other threatening messages first came to light after new reporting into the harassment many elections officials have lived with since Donald Trump lost Georgia in November. The investigation by news outlet Reuters reveals the scope of Trump supporters’ months of menacing tactics and never-before-seen texts, voicemails and emails directed at elections officials across the state.
Former president Donald Trump continues to overshadow the Georgia GOP. But not every Republican in the state is on the same page. Will the GOP unify in time for the next elections? Georgia Today explores that question and more with guest Maya Prabhu, a political reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Public trust is a priority for Lou Dekmar, Police Chief of LaGrange, Georgia, since 1995. Chief Dekmar is evolving and adapting his force to an era when police are social workers with guns. This week on Georgia Today, we listen to some of his bold initiatives in policing.
More than a year into the pandemic, it’s clear its impacts hit some communities much harder than others. People of color have died in greater numbers in many parts of the state, and COVID-19 death rates are often higher in rural areas with a shortage of medical facilities. On the latest Georgia Today podcast, host Steve Fennessy and Olivia Goldhill, an investigative reporter who covers the pandemic for Stat News, explore how hospital closures are hampering some counties’ efforts to combat the pandemic in southwest Georgia.
Stone Mountain’s massive monument featuring Confederate leaders has long sparked controversy. Now, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association has announced changes to the park it hopes will help tell a more "balanced" story of Georgia's past. The latest Georgia Today podcast with host Steve Fennessy and guest Tyler Estep, a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, examines the park’s history and what the future of its Confederate memorial may look like.
The Cherokee County School Board voted to ban critical race theory, which has become an issue for some parents and many conservative politicians, from its curriculum last week. But some are still unsure what it is. This week on Georgia Today, we examine why critical race theory has become such a hot political topic with GPB News' Donna Lowry.
Republican Party leaders remain solidly behind former President Donald Trump and his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. But as the GOP looks toward the 2022 election, the party is not as unified as it would like, and is at a crossroads moment. On Georgia Today, we look at how the state's GOP sees a pathway to winning in 2022 and 2024 with GPB News political reporter Stephen Fowler.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms grabbed headlines with her announcement she won’t seek reelection. Her first term has seen a host of crises, including a cyberattack, the coronavirus pandemic, weeks of racial unrest and a sharp rise in crime. Georgia Today host Steve Fennessy and guest Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Bill Torpy explore what led to Bottoms' decision, and how the city has changed on her watch.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked many by announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. But her critics have said that what she calls a “COVID Crime Wave” and her handling of the firing of Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot Rayshard Brooks last summer, made her vulnerable if she had chosen to run. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondent Ryan Young.
2020 was an election year that saw record turnout by men and women from both parties. But the women’s vote was decisive in helping Joe Biden capture the White House and in pushing Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to victory in the tight Senate runoffs. And it’s not just the ballot box where women are making their mark in Georgia politics. More women, and women of color, are also running for statewide office. We look at what's driving this trend with Patricia Murphy, a political reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The deadly Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol building by a pro-Trump mob was a glimpse into what many experts have long warned: Homegrown extremism is on the rise across the U.S. On Georgia Today, guest Chris Joyner from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks on what’s known about violent white supremacist groups operating in Georgia.
Jimmy Carter may be the only American president to have used the White House as a stepping stone. Turned out of office after one term, Carter went on to global esteem as a champion of public health, a geopolitical negotiator, and an advocate for democratic representation. His legislative record as president tells another story. Georgia-born brothers and filmmakers Will and Jim Pattiz, revive the debate over Carter’s White House legacy in their new film “Carterland.”
Stories of unexplained illnesses, cancers and death have been the talk of Juliette, Georgia, for years. The town outside Macon is home to Georgia Power’s Plant Scherer, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the country. Juliette residents say coal ash from the plant is poisoning their water supply. Now, they’re calling for policymakers to help.
Secret tapes, scandal, sanctions. It's a story that strikes at the heart of Georgia's passion for high school football. And Valdosta football is the stuff of legend. The Wildcats claim among the most wins of any team in state history. Now, the organization is the subject of multiple investigations and a broiling scandal that's attracting national attention. We'll get into all that and more on Georgia Today.
The waters off the Georgia coast are a vital calving ground for the North Atlantic Right Whale. This calving season, which winds down in April, has been a rare bright spot for the critically endangered whales, with scientists counting more babies than in the last three seasons combined. But experts say the gains may not be enough to save the species. On this episode of Georgia Today, we hear the latest on efforts to protect the right whale.
