On Second Thought

Empathy is a crucial human ability. It’s the basis of the golden rule: do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. And yet, empathy is not all that well understood. Many people confuse empathy with sympathy, and they are not the same. Since this is a term that’s often used, but generally misunderstood, we break it down for you. Then, we look at new research from Georgia Tech which finds empathy can help prevent the spread of disease during an outbreak. Ceyhun Eksin is a researcher in Georgia

The Breakroom gang joins host Celeste Headlee to weigh in on the week's news. The panel includes Atlanta-based LGBT educator and activist Robbie Medwed , former NPR correspondent Kathy Lohr , Amber Scott of the non-profit 'Leap Year,' and Steve Brown of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners. TOPICS: 1) Congress has voted against internet privacy laws . That means companies don’t have to tell you if your information is hacked and don’t have to ask you before selling your information to

The banjo has many moods in the hands of Noam Pikelny. He’s best known as a founding member and banjo player for the Punch Brothers. The Chicago native has been performing since a very young age, and recently released his first full solo album “Universal Favorite.” Pikelny spoke with GPB’s Trevor Young in advance of a performance at The Earl in Atlanta , Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m.

Some people who flee war-torn countries get a chance to start fresh elsewhere. That’s the case for Nemr Abou Nassar. He was a young child when he left Lebanon for the U.S. with his family. Nemr is known as Lebanon's King of Comedy. We talk to him ahead of a performance this weekend at the Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta. The banjo has many moods in the hands of Noam Pikelny. He’s best known as a founding member and banjo player for the Punch Brothers. The Chicago native has been performing

Some people who flee war-torn countries get a chance to start fresh elsewhere. That’s the case for Lebanese-born comedian Nemr Abou Nassar . He was a young child when he left Lebanon for the United States with his family. Nemr is known as Lebanon's King of Comedy. We talked to him ahead of his performances this weekend at the Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icf2_hYmn3A&t=93s

When we watch baseball today, it’s hard to imagine teams being segregated by race. But there was a time when Atlanta had separate teams for white and black players. The history of integration in professional baseball is storied, and it began long before Jackie Robinson . We talked with Atlanta playwright Kerwin Sims, who wrote a play about that history How far have we come in making baseball more inclusive? According to one study, African Americans are underrepresented in the sport , beginning

Atlanta is home to the fastest-growing Episcopal diocese in the world. Hispanic congregations are driving this growth, while providing sanctuary within Latino communities. Bishop Robert Wright talks about the role of his church in Atlanta.

Southern writer Greg Iles has written 15 novels, 12 of which have been New York Times bestsellers. His book "24 Hours" became the 2002 movie “Trapped.” His latest novel, “Mississippi Blood” is the last installment of the epic Penn Cage trilogy. Greg appears at the Carter Library in Atlanta at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 31. He joins us live from Charleston, S.C.

One of the bills likely to pass in the Georgia legislature would expand access to medical marijuana . Patients being treated for AIDS are among those who would qualify for a prescription . Where and how patients will get cannabis products, which are still under federal prohibition, remains unclear . We talked more about this with GPB capitol reporter Lisa Rayam and Dr. Rasean Hodge , the medical director of Premier Chronic Pain Care in Atlanta.

Happy, Sine Die! Thursday, March 30, marks the end of the legislative session at the Georgia State Capitol. GPB capitol reporter Lisa Rayam gives us a recap of which bills died, and which will proceed to the governor’s desk. One of the bills likely to pass in the Georgia legislature would expand access to medical marijuana. Patients being treated for AIDS are among those who would qualify for a prescription. But where and how patients will get cannabis products, which are still under federal