The Listen to Georgia Coalition is leading its own “Leave It Blank” Campaign for the Georgia Primary. Clara Green, an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace Action and Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman discuss their effort to "warn President Biden that he must stop enabling the genocide in Gaza or risk losing the 2024 presidential election."

Clark Atlanta University will host The Black Women and Public Policy in the South Symposium. Black women from several different sectors will gather to discuss issues that impact them and formulate possible solutions. Nykia Greene-Young, a Domestic Policy Coordinator & Adjunct Professor of Political Science previews Wednesday’s event.

State Senator Sonya Halpern discusses SB 235, an effort to grow and support Historically Black Colleges and Universities by establishing a commission focused on innovation and economic prosperity.  

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Taylor Shelton, a geographer and an assistant professor at Georgia State University, discusses new research from GSU and Rutgers University that reveals three companies own more than 19,000 rental homes in metro Atlanta.

Plus, Wendell Griffen, a retired Arkansas Court of Appeals & Circuit Court Judge, discusses the potential impact of the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling that frozen embryos can be considered children, therefore they are protected under Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.

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Thursday marked Crossover Day and there are only 12 more days left in the 2024 legislative session. Lawmakers have rushed to advance proposed bills in the State House and Senate. On today’s special edition of “Closer Look,” Rose talks with guests about some of the bills that are closer to becoming law, such as the Religious Liberty Bill, a measure opponents describe as anti-LGBTQ. Also advancing are pieces of legislation focused on first responders with PTSD, immigration and Georgia’s film tax credit. Guests will also discuss legislation that has struggled to advance, such as an effort to eliminate taxes on women’s menstrual products.

Guest include:

WABE’s politics reporter Rahul Bali

Gwinnett County Police Sergeant Ashley Wilson

Claire Cox, the Chair of Georgia STOMP

Jeff Graham, the executive director of Georgia Equality

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The Closer Look team heads to The Ke’nekt Cooperative in the historic Westview neighborhood in southwest Atlanta for the February installmentof “Coffee Conversations.”  Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor, believed in community participation. In 1974, he established the Neighborhood Planning Units system. The NPU system consists of 25 citizen advisory councils that represent communities throughout Atlanta. Rose talks with panelists about the power of community as it relates to economic development, housing, transit, community safety, etc. 

Guests include:                   

Kiyomi Rollins, the co-founder of The Ke'nekt Cooperative

Atlanta City Councilmember Jason Dozier 

Rohit Malhotra, the executive director of the Center for Civic Innovation

Terry Ross, the parliamentarian for NPU-T  

Kyle Lamont, chair of NPU-S

Mrs. Catherine, Westview legacy resident

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With time ticking away until Crossover Day, WABE’s politics reporter Rahul Bali gives an update on the latest bills to advance through the legislature, including sports betting. He also discussed the recent retirement announcement of Democratic Georgia State Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler.

Plus, the ATL Action for Racial Equity initiative was created to provide a blueprint for local companies aiming to create more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organizations. The initiative is now in its third year. Michael Baptiste, who serves as the Metro Atlanta Chamber's vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, returns to “Closer Look” to discuss the results of the ATL Action for Racial Equity 2024 Assessment Report.

Lastly, preparations are underway for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. According to the recently released schedule, Georgia’s capital city will host eight soccer matches, including a semifinal. The event is expected to draw massive crowds. Dan Corso, the president of the Atlanta Sports Council, discussed how Atlanta is gearing up for one of the largest sporting events in the world. He also shared how Atlanta is courting the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.  

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Crossover Day is fast approaching. WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali joins “Closer Look” to highlight some of the most notable bills, including legislation on the certificate of need, swatting, and whether white shrimp should be the official state crustacean.

Plus, We preview a snippet of Rose’s conversation with Cynthia Parlow Cone, the president of the United States Soccer Federation. The soccer executive discusses the possibility of Atlanta hosting the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Lastly, Georgia legislators are considering House Bill 1180, which would put new requirements in place for the state's film tax credit program. Ken Goldwasser is an Atlanta-based picture car coordinator for movie productions. He has worked for various studios, including Marvel and Tyler Perry. Goldwasser discusses his opposition to the bill. 

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The U.S. is on a mission to lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries. This all comes as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is pushing the Peach State to be a frontrunner, by becoming the electric mobility capital of the U.S. On today’s edition of “Closer Look,” Rose talks with guests about the current state of EV production and adoption in the U.S. and what’s being done to increase the EV workforce. Guests include:

Mark Phelan, an auto critic and columnist for the Detroit Free Press

Jim Burness, and the CEO of National Car Charging

Dr. Jessica Hutcheson, the vice president of learning and development for ChargerHelp!

Jenny Taylor, the vice president of career services and the chief mission officer for Goodwill of North Georgia

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The South Carolina Primary is happening this weekend. Polls suggest Former President Donald Trump is leading against Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Both candidates are on the campaign trail in the Palmetto State today ahead of voters going to the polls on Saturday. WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali join “Closer Look” from South Carolina to discuss the latest and why Georgians are paying close attention to this race.

In honor of Black History Month, the Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora (CSAD) at Georgia State University is hosting a global read-a-thon to celebrate literature from Africa and the African diaspora. Edvige Jean-François, who serves as the executive director of CSAD, talks more about the event and how it aims to unite readers and strengthen cross-cultural connections. 

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Pen America reports nearly 6,000 books have been banned across the U.S. since 2021. On Thursday night, Charis Books & More is hosting a discussion on "Writing for Kids in an Age of Censorship.” Children’s author Laurel Snyder joins “Closer Look” to talk more about the criticism and backlash she’s received for her own work, and the ongoing challenges writers face as more books are banned across the U.S.

Plus, surveys show a growing amount of tipping fatigue among consumers. While the Pew Research Center found that 72% of U.S. adults believe tipping is expected in more places than five years ago, Bankrate.com reports 66% of people are not happy about it. Drew DeSilver, a senior writer and editor with the Pew Research Center, discusses tipping trends and negative consumer sentiment.

Lastly, Rose talks with Emily Chan, the co-owner of JenChan's. Her business recently received blacklash for including a 4% employee health insurance surcharge on their customers' bills. Chan further explains the ongoing challenges small business owners are facing while trying to stay afloat during unsteady economic times.

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Georgia State professor and generative AI expert Arun Rai offers insight and concerns regarding deepfake technology and the upcoming election.

Plus, Georgia Deputy Attorney General John Fowler argued that owning a burner cell phone can be evidence of criminal intent in the ongoing Atlanta Public Safety Training Center RICO case. Samantha Hamilton, a project attorney at the University of Georgia First Amendment Law Clinic, discusses the constitutional implications of this argument.

Lastly, film directors Lisa Cortes and Diego Hurtado de Mendoz spotlight the journeys of the first Black astronauts for NASA's space program in their new National Geographic documentary, “The Space Race."

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