According to a BDO survey of businesses in the Southeastern United States, 41% say trade and tariff policy is their #1 concern for the next 12 months. Plus, as Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic recently shared on “Closer Look,” consumer spending has declined, and small businesses are being hit hardest by inflationary pressures. The U.S. Supreme Court is now considering whether to allow President Trump to continue imposing tariffs on nations around the world. This is after some companies reveal they’ve been subjected to tariffs as high as 170%. On today’s “Closer Look with Rose Scott,” we get analysis on the impact of tariffs from a roundtable of experts. Then, Atlanta area small businesses discuss the rising costs they’re facing and their concerns for the future. We hear from the owners of Garage Door Studio and Anna Griffin, Inc., plus the CEO of Just for Teens.

Guests Include:

John Haber, Chief Strategy Officer at Transportation Insight Holding Company

Finance Prof. Thomas More Smith, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

David Greaves, Tax Market Leader at BDO in Atlanta

Brian Reynolds, CEO of Just for Teens

Jen Singh & Rachel Herzog, Co-Owners of Garage Door Studio in Avondale Estates

Anna Griffin, Owner of Anna Griffin, Inc.

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September marks National Suicide Prevention Month. Advocates contend it's a month to not only remember those lost to suicide, but to offer hope to the millions of people who might be struggling with suicidal ideation. Monday marked 988 Day and the beginning of “Closer Look’s” monthlong series focusing on suicide awareness and prevention. Throughout the series, we will hear personal stories, and show host Rose Scott will also talk with advocates and mental health experts. To kick off the series, we first hear from Dr. Camillia Harris, an Atlanta-area mental health advocate and founder of the justUs MH Foundation, and Shanti Das, founder of the nonprofit Silence the Shame and author of the book “Silencing My Shame.”  They shared their personal stories and their ongoing efforts to help others. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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On today’s “Closer Look with Rose Scott,” we discuss the latest quarterly economic report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta with analysis from President and Chief Executive Officer Raphael Bostic. The report on the southeastern United States shows a slight economic decline, with tariffs rising from 2% to 18% since late 2024. Despite current complexities, Bostic also shares his optimism.

Also, we speak with Alexis Aggrey, the director of the new documentary, “Becoming Thurgood: America's Social Architect.” The film follows Marshall’s historic rise from visionary lawyer to civil rights leader and to America’s first Black Supreme Court Justice. A free screening of the documentary will be held on Monday, September 8th at Spelman's Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation & the Arts. Visit www.wabe.org/events/hbcu-week-now-free-film-screening  to RSVP and receive more information. Additionally, the film is scheduled to air on WABE Studios on Thursday, September 18th, at 9:30 PM.

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Today’s edition of Closer Look with Rose Scott begins with Frédéric Bernard, Belgium's Ambassador in the United States. While touring Atlanta, he discusses his plans to meet with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and entrepreneurs, plus his view on the working relationship between the U.S. and Belgium, and how it can benefit both countries.

Then, we hear from a roundtable of current and former federal employees at the CDC. Following the tragic shooting at the Atlanta campus, the agency’s sudden change in leadership and other concerning decisions, more than 1,000 people affiliated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are now calling on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to resign or be removed from office. Some former CDC leaders are calling him “dangerous” to Americans’ health. Guests include:

Dr. Elizabeth Soda, former Infectious Disease Physician

Abby Tighe, Executive Director, Fired but Fighting

Dr. Steve Monroe, 34-year CDC researcher who retired in 2021

Anonymous Current CDC Employee who experienced August 8th shooting

Closing out the show, we meet Michael Lucas, the executive director of Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. He shares how federal funding cuts have impacted community-based programs like what AVLF provides. Lucas says they’re facing the most uncertainty they’ve ever experienced for funding programs, such as their support for survivors of intimate partner abuse.

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A Fulton County Judge has delayed his order requiring Fulton County to pay $10,000 a day until two Republican nominees are appointed to the Fulton County Board of Elections. Senior Superior Court Judge David Emerson is now allowing the county to appeal. This is a story that has been developing for months. Rose talks with Fulton County Commissioners Mo Ivory and Dana Barrett, who are both being held in contempt by the court over this matter, after refusing to confirm Republican backed nominees Julie Adams and Jason Frazier.

Plus, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is now accepting applications for its Preserving Black Churches grant program. Executive director Brent Leggs talks about the $60 million national initiative dedicated to uplifting historically Black churches and the communities that preserve them.

Lastly,  a newly launched initiative will eliminate $10 million in debt for families across metro Atlanta. The initiative, helping 3,500 households, is part of a partnership between the Atlanta Dream and Cash App and ForgiveCo. Rose talks with Atlanta Dream president and CEO Morgan Shaw Parker and ForgiveCO co-founder and CEO Craig Antico, about the debt elimination initiative. Plus, Shaw Parker talks about the team’s namesake being connected to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when it was selected by the community in 2008.

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Imagine Atlanta in 2075. From politics to technology, to climate change, what will the city that’s been dubbed “too busy to hate” look like? That was the topic of discussion for  “Closer Look’s” August installment of Coffee Conversations held at #Dragon Con 2025. Host Rose Scott spoke with a diverse group of creatives from various genres about how art can explore future possibilities and solutions, as well as reflect present issues. They also gave their critique of AI’s influence on art. Lastly, guests and audience members brainstormed ideas for what a futuristic series set fifty years from now in Atlanta could look like. Guests included:

Dragon Con spokesperson Jo Garland

Katie Cook, a spokesperson from the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), Dragon Con’s 2025 charity partner 

1. M. Davis, an Atlanta-based writer and director

Delilah S. Dawson, a New York Times-bestselling author 

Dr. Chateé Omísadé Richardson, a professor at Spelman, a growth facilitator and an  educational psychologist specializing in alternative history and diversity in speculative fiction 

Dan Whisenhunt, the founder and editor of Decaturish

Carlton Hargro, a writer and founder of 20th Place Media

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Thursday, Aug. 28, marks 70 years since Emmett Till was brutally lynched. Just days ago, the U.S. National Archives released thousands of documents and records about the case and the government’s response. At the time of his death, Till, who was from Chicago, was visiting his family in Money, Mississippi, when he was accused of whistling at a white woman at a neighborhood store. He was later kidnapped, beaten, shot in the head and thrown into the Tallahatchie River. Till’s mother, Maime Till Mobley, spent decades up until her death seeking justice for her son. Today, we revisit Rose’s conversation with Till’s cousin, Deborah Watts, who is the co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.

Plus, as the civil rights activist and pioneering broadcasting journalist Xernona Clayton celebrates her 95th birthday, a new art installation is being unveiled to honor her legacy. We revisit Rose’s conversation with Clayton. During the discussion, the Trumpet Awards founder reflected on how her mother’s words shaped the foundation of her life.

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As its 100th anniversary approaches, Rose Scott and the “Closer Look” team sit down with the staff of The Colonnade. Established in 1927, the Cheshire Bridge Road diner is one of Atlanta’s oldest restaurants, with some employees from the 1970s and 1980s still working in the kitchen and dining room.  Scott talks with the owners about the history of The Colonnade, its family atmosphere among the staff and customers, the many movies and television shows that have filmed there, and the food that’s kept customers coming back for decades.

Plus, in the midst of the civil rights struggle to desegregate public schools, an all-Black school was constructed to accommodate students in the College Park area. Starting from 1964, the students of Eva L. Thomas High School achieved academic excellence and athletic success. That’s until the late 1960s, when the Fulton County School Board ordered the school to be closed. As a documentary shows, this sparked a student-led protest. Rose talks with Mike Santrock,  an archivist and historian for Fulton County Schools, and Ursel Brown, an alum of Eva L. Thomas High School.

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It’s estimated that more than 300,000 Black women have left the workforce. Federal layoffs, budget cuts, and diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks are among the many contributing factors. While July data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an overall national unemployment rate of 4.2%, that number rose to 6.3% for Black women—the highest it’s been since October 2021. For a special edition of “Closer Look,” Rose talks with several guests about the unfolding unemployment shift, as well as advice for landing new employment opportunities. Guests include:

Dr. Pearl Dowe, the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at Emory University

Amber Cabral, the founder of the diversity, equity, and inclusive leadership-focused consulting firm, Cabral Co.

Sherry Sims, the founder of Black Career Women's Network

Alicia Thompson, impacted by job loss

Alicia Smith, impacted by job loss

Sandy, impacted by job loss

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Nearly 300 Georgia inmates are suing Georgia corrections officials and the state's healthcare contractor for not providing gender-affirming care. Rose talks with Emily Early, the associate director of the Southern Regional Office of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Chinyere Ezie, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the lawsuit with co-counsel Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP. The guests discussed the pending case and what’s next. They also shared what they are hearing from clients who are denied gender-affirming care and why they believe SB 185, which prohibits state funds and resources from being used for certain treatments, is unconstitutional.

Plus, earlier this week on “Closer Look,” Clyde Higgs, the president and CEO of the Atlanta Beltline Inc, assured listeners that multiple modes of transit are coming to the Beltline and talked more about a new estimated $3.5 billion plan that would expand public transit on the Beltline. The 22-mile project— which includes green space, parks and trails— is on track to be completed by 2030. On Friday, Rose talks with Matthew Rao, chair of Beltline Rail Now, and Dr. Hans Klein, president of Better Atlanta Transit, who hold opposing views about the types of transit that should be included.

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