This month, as the nation marks 90 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, 1.9 million Georgians will receive a Social Security payment. However, some say the future of Social Security is uncertain. “Closer Look” host Rose Scott talks with Alice Bennett, the advocacy manager for AARP Georgia. Bennett addressed myths about the Social Security program, explained how the program is funded and talked about the importance of keeping the program protected.

Plus, this week, several foundations are committing nearly $37 million to provide immediate relief to public media stations at the risk of closure. This all comes after Congress recently voted and approved President Donald Trump’s request to end federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This move triggered the dismantling of CPB and cut $1.1 billion earmarked for public media.

PBS and NPR and NPR affiliate stations across the country, including WABE, are trying to navigate how to continue their work despite the cuts. Rose talks with Michel Martin, a veteran and award-winning journalist and host of NPR's “Morning Edition.” Martin reflects on the values of NPR and its resilience, the importance of reporting on community-based and national news, as well as keeping audiences informed, connected and uplifted.

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The Decatur City Commission recently approved a resolution from the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights to establish the Decatur Reparations Task Force. The newly formed 11-member group, recommended by the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights, is comprised of Beacon Hill legacy residents, historians, legal experts, a youth representative and more. Over the next three years, the task force will host public listening sessions, interview Beacon Hill descendants, conduct research, examine economic displacement, as well as identify past and present legalized discrimination. On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott talks with civil rights attorney Mawuli Davis, a founding partner of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law Firm and co-chair of the Beacon Hill Reparations effort, Wanda Sims Waters, a Beacon Hill legacy resident and a member of the Decatur Reparations Task Force, and her husband, Swain Waters. The guests talked more about the priorities of the task force, the history of the Beacon Hill community and why they feel reparations aren’t just a financial payout. Scott also took calls from listeners who shared their thoughts about reparations.

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The Savannah Pride Center—a Georgia-based nonprofit—has found itself expanding beyond its advocacy work to help meet the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ community in Savannah. “Closer Look” host Rose talked with Michael Bell, the executive director of the Savannah Pride Center, Nikolas Indigo, a Savannah Pride Center's outreach team lead, and GeorgAnna Wiley, a nurse practitioner, midwife, and the founder of Rebirth Women’s Holistic Health Clinic, who volunteers at the Savannah Pride Center. They discussed their recent expansion, the need for more partnerships with local hospitals and the importance of providing gender-affirming care to individuals belonging to the LGBTQ+ community.

Plus, we hear from Clyde Higgs, who serves as the president and CEO of the Atlanta Beltline Inc. He talks with Rose about a new estimated $3.5 billion plan that would expand public transit on the Beltline. The overseer of the 22-mile project, which includes green space, parks and trails, is on track to be completed by 2030. However, Higgs explains that the expansion will require extending Tax Allocation Districts (TADs).

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The foundation that supports Atlanta’s East Lake community, the East Lake Foundation, is celebrating 30 years. Show host Rose Scott talks with Ilham Askia, the president and CEO of the East Lake Foundation, about how the neighborhood — once overshadowed by crime, poverty, and crumbling infrastructure — was transformed into a thriving community. It’s now widely recognized as a blueprint for 25 communities across the nation through the efforts of the nonprofit, Purpose Built Communities. During the conversation, Askia reflects on the past, present, and future of East Lake, as well as the legacy of the late real estate developer and founder, Tom Cousins.

It’s nearly 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and parts of the Gulf Coast. Now, a new report from the Brookings Institution's Center for Community Uplift pinpoints how “environmental injustices and climate risks intersect to undermine resilience in metropolitan New Orleans” from Katrina to the present day. Rose talks with Manann Donoghoe, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Community Uplift, who authored the report.

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Umaymah Mohammad, a Palestinian medical-sociology dual degree student at Emory, was at the midway point of completing her PhD program when she was suspended from Emory’s medical school. She says she was suspended after participating in various pro-Palestine demonstrations on Emory’s campus, including the April 2024 encampment. She also appeared on the news program Democracy Now and was critical of Emory and a professor who was volunteering in Gaza as an Israeli military medic. A joint lawsuit has since been filed against Emory University, its board of trustees and the dean of the medical school. It's a case of whether Mohammad broke the institution’s code of conduct or if her civil rights were violated. Mohammad and Keon Grant, a staff attorney for CAIR-Georgia, talked with show host Rose Scott about the case and the actions they now want Emory to take.

Plus, we revisit Rose’s conversation with Jim Alexander. The legendary award-winning photographer, photojournalist, and activist celebrated his 90th birthday on Aug. 7. Over his multiple decades-spanning career, he has taken at least a quarter million photos. His massive collection captures Black life in America and pinpoints pivotal moments in history, such as the civil rights movement through the present day.

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The new book, "Class Warfare in Black Atlanta," explores Atlanta's transformative political history from 1966 onwards and gives a critique of the city’s leadership. “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott, talks with author Augustus Wood, a scholar of African American History of the Urban South and assistant professor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Wood talks about his new book and why he feels it’s important to give vision and agency to Black workers.

Plus, there’s a lot of political news happening across the Peach State. We hear from Devin Barrington-Ward, a former candidate for Atlanta City Council, a progressive community organizer and the managing director of the Black Futurists Group, GSU politics and policy professor Tammy Greer and Atlanta-based political strategist and analyst Fred Hicks. They provide analysis and reflection on everything from the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial race, the recent deadly shooting at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,  former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia Geoff Duncan’s latest move to switch political parties and more.

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Sixty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, saying “The denial of the right to vote, is still a deadly wrong and the time for injustice has gone.” Today, we look back on the landmark legislation and the challenges voting rights see today. Joining Rose Scott for today’s special call-in edition of “Closer Look,” we’re joined by Andra Gillespie, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the James Weldon Johnson Institute at Emory University. Also, Dr. Clarissa Myrick-Harris White, a Professor of Africana Studies at Morehouse College and co-founder of the college’s Black Men’s Research Institute and co-principal investigator for the Morehouse Movement, Memory, and Justice.

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Researchers at Kennesaw State University are trying to better understand Alzheimer's disease and how to treat it. They are now using advanced computational modeling and drug discovery simulations that could potentially speed up treatment research. Rose talks with Chloe Yixin Xie, an assistant professor of information technology and Johaan Kathilankal Jis, a sophomore computer science student at KSU.

Plus, the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, are the focus of a new book titled "Black, Not Historically Black: Towards the Pan-Black College and University." In the book, author Dr. Joseph Jones, who serves as the executive director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for the Study of Public Policy, and an associate professor of political science at Clark Atlanta University-offers a critique of HBCUs. He talks with show host Rose Scott about why he believes HBCUs should evolve—from identifying as “historically Black” to “pan-Black.”

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Season 5 of WABE’s Peabody Award-winning podcast “Buried Truths” launches on August 26th. This season delves into the life of Clarence Horatious Pickett. The preacher and advertising salesman was beaten by police in December 1957, and died days later after a white doctor dismissed his injuries. For a special preview of the series, “Buried Truths” host Hank Klibanoff talks with Rose Scott about what listeners can expect for the upcoming season, how cases are selected to be featured on the podcast and more about Clarence Horatious Pickett’s case.

Plus, this week marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. The landmark legislation signed into law on August 6th, 1965, aimed to end racial discrimination in voting and ensure that all Americans have equal access to the ballot. Fast forward to now, some argue that the legislation has been gutted and or weakened through challenges upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. As part of “Closer Look’s” week-long series, examining implications of the Voting Rights Act, host Rose Scott talks with Lauren Groh-Wargo, chief executive officer of Fair Fight, and Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, who serves as the general counsel for the organization. They talked about Fair Fight’s mission and why they believe the fight for constitutional rights is long-term and ongoing, not limited to one case.

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A heat wave has swept across metro Atlanta this week, with temperatures hitting 100 degrees. “Closer Look” host Rose Scott talks with Rounaq Basu, an assistant professor in the School of City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech. Climate scientists warn that extreme heat events like this are becoming more frequent due to human-caused climate change. Basu discusses Georgia Tech's NO-HEAT (Neutralizing Onerous Heat Effects on Active Transportation) initiative, which aims to develop data-driven tools to help communities adapt to dangerous urban heat.

Plus, we revisit Rose’s conversation with Adrienne Rice, the executive director of Sustainable Georgia Futures. During the discussion, Rice leads a climate gentrification tour through Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward and explains why she believes the neighborhood has been reshaped by climate-related development pressures. She also shares more about SGF’s mission to help historically marginalized communities grow and thrive in the green economy. Additional insight during the tour comes from Genesis Tilman, Drew Barnes, and Liyaah Rocha.

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