On Second Thought

Intentional attempts to decrease voter turnout in certain communities is still a problem here in Georgia. The New York Times reported on an egregious case in Sparta, Georgia where law enforcement visited homes of minority voters and challenged their right to vote. We’ll discuss the consequences and realities of voter intimidation with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Kristina Torres and University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock. Plus, we hear voices of Georgia voters

The Southern Poverty Law Center finds that anti-government militia groups grew by more than one-third last year. Several of those groups are based right here in Georgia. New York Times reporter David Zucchino recently visited one of the state's most vocal militia groups, the Georgia Security Force. He writes that tensions surrounding the election have put many militia members on edge, especially when it comes to Second Amendment rights. We speak with Zucchino about why armed activity is on the

Can it be true? It turns out you might be paying more for utilities than your friends living in other cities. That is the conclusion of housing website Trulia, which found the median cost of annual utilities in metro Atlanta to be $4,353. Trulia's Felipe Chacon joins us to discuss the reality and implications of Atlanta's hidden - and incredibly high - utility costs.

Following the success of his second novel, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," in 2005, Jonathan Safran Foer strayed away from fiction. Instead, he decided to focus on his new family and wrote the successful nonfiction work "Eating Animals," an exploration focused on vegetarianism. Now, 11 years later, Foer has released his newest work entitled"Here I Am." The novel centers around a Jewish family as they struggle with individual crises of identity and morality. He joined us in the studio to

Did your last round of utility bill payments break the bank? If you live in Atlanta, it turns out you’re probably paying more than everyone else in the country. The home listing website Trulia recently published a study on metro Atlanta’s utility prices. We’ll speak with Trulia housing data analyst Felipe Chacon, who conducted the study. Then, we listen back to remarks made by Johnny Isakson and Jim Barksdale, the major party candidates in the race for U.S. Senate in Georgia. Also, “Here I Am”

On Nov. 8, the presidency will be decided once one of the candidates reaches 270 electoral votes. Electoral votes are cast by members of the Electoral College. That's something most people know, but what they don't know is how exactly the Electoral College works. So, we offer an explanation in our series, “Break It Down.” Then, we talk with FiveThirtyEight politics editor Micah Cohen about how the electoral college may impact this year’s presidential race.

There are millions of blogs on the Internet, but only a very select few attract millions of readers and influence society. Awesomely Luvvie is one of those blogs. It’s written by comedian and activist Luvvie Ajayi. Now she’s put something down on paper – a new book called “I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual.” We talked with her about finding her voice as a blogger and an author. Luvvie Ajayi is in Atlanta for the Blogalicious Conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Buckhead, and she'll sign

Democrat Brenda Lopez is poised to become the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly. An attorney and immigrant, she’s running unopposed in Tuesday’s election to represent House District 99, which includes the Norcross area of Gwinnett County. We talk with Lopez about her groundbreaking candidacy and her vision for the district and Georgia as a whole.

The Breakroom gang joins host Celeste Headlee to weigh in on the week's news. The panel includes Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Natalie Dale, music blogger Jordan Stepp, Korean Daily reporter HB Cho, and conservative radio talk show host Greg Williams. BREAKROOM TOPICS: 1) Our first topic is about a medical breakthrough that seems like it’s been a long time coming. Scientists have developed a male birth control shot that’s nearly 96 percent effective. However, researchers put

GPB’s Sam Whitehead reports that Gwinnett voters may soon make history by electing an African-American to the county commission for the first time. Then, Democrat Brenda Lopez is poised to become the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly. An attorney and immigrant, she’s running unopposed in Tuesday’s election to represent House District 99, which includes the Norcross area of Gwinnett County. We talk with Lopez about her groundbreaking candidacy and her plans for her district and