The Brief from WABE

Senator Jon Ossoff is calling again for the Trump Administration to change its tariff policies as a recent report found that it could push Georgia’s economy towards a recession; State lawmakers are reacting to Georgians' growing frustration with data centers with bipartisan legislation going after a major tax break; and federal policy changes have shifted the way ICE operates in Georgia. We hear from WABE immigration reporter Emily Wu Pearson about what she's focusing on in 2026

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In his final State of the State address, Gov. Brian Kemp proposes several new ways of spending  the state's surplus; East Point temporarily pulls the plug on any potential new data centers; and Delta employees to get profit-sharing bonus equal to about one month of pay. 

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Twenty-two people qualified to be on the ballot to serve out Marjory Taylor Green's term; Georgia Power says customers could see their monthly bills go down; and extra toll lanes are top-of-mind for Gov. Brian Kemp, who offered up his legislative priorities this morning at the annual "Eggs and Issues" breakfast.  

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From property taxes to birth control, state lawmakers are busy making the legislative sausage. We break down a few of the proposals; the head of an Atlanta HBCU says he was ousted without notice; and the skies were especially friendly for Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines in 2025.

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Georgia's Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner fines companies for failing to cover mental health on par with other medical issues; a conversation with the new head of the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association; and WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali breaks down 'day one' of the 2026 legislative session.

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Fulton is looking for volunteers to help with its annual point in time count, to help track and respond to homelessness in the county; the city of Lovejoy is further enforcing a curfew for minors after increased criminal activity over the last year; and a chimpanzee sanctuary in North Georgia is looking for college volunteers to spend their spring break taking care of retired research primates.

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Georgia's Speaker of the House Jon Burns outlines his priorities for the upcoming legislative session; a New York man pleads guilty to threatening the wife of a Georgia immigration officer; and why 4,600 people in DeKalb County call an extended-stay motel "home." 

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Georgia's attorney general says he will charge for a second time 61 people arrested during protests of Atlanta's public safety training center; legalized sports betting is likely to make its annual appearance under the Gold Dome again this session; and Georgia's unemployment numbers better than U.S. average.

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Gov. Kemp chooses date for special election to fill MTG's vacated Congressional seat; Rep. Doug Collins faces investigation for nepotism within his office; and Georgia GOP lawmakers expected to outline plans for eliminating state income tax. 

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State health officials issue urgent request for Georgians to get a flu shot; the CDC's list of recommended vaccines just got a bit shorter; and a major shakeup within the Falcons' management. 

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