Hear Georgia NOW

Category: Featured

  • Atlanta nonprofit helps youth build careers and confidence

    Atlanta nonprofit helps youth build careers and confidence

    Atlanta nonprofit helps youth build careers and confidence

    An Atlanta nonprofit is helping youth and young adults who have had direct contact with the juvenile justice system.

    Cafe Momentum Atlanta started in May of 2025 with a mission to provide young people with life skills, education and job opportunities. The nonprofit has had 46 participants complete the one-year program.

    The participants, also called interns, are trained in different positions in the cafe, and when they are not working, they are on the other side of the building receiving mental health services, playing pool or doing schoolwork.

    Sandy Welfare, executive director of Cafe Momentum Atlanta, said that the program is designed to help participants learn everything about the restaurant business while also connecting them to services and community.

    “I think the biggest thing for me is that we actually offer hope,” she said. “We offer a pathway for whatever they may feel they want to do in the future.”

    She said the skills they learn can help them secure their next job.

    “These young people are figuring it out, and we’re helping them to figure it out, and the great thing is we’re a resource to give them guidance, give them some direction, and more importantly, when they leave, we’re going to still be championing them,” Welfare said. “We’re gonna still be jumping up and down for them.”

    Cafe Momentum Atlanta is open Wednesday through Friday for lunch and dinner services.

  • Federal funding boosts Georgia hospitals, health programs and rural care

    Federal funding boosts Georgia hospitals, health programs and rural care

    Federal funding boosts Georgia hospitals, health programs and rural care

    The trillion-dollar spending package President Trump signed into law in February included funding for Georgia healthcare organizations to expand their services, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

    The funding was secured by U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and includes hundreds of millions of dollars that will go towards healthcare systems in Georgia.

    About half a million dollars will go to Emory Decatur Hospital and CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital North Georgia. Emory Decatur Hospital will use the funds to improve its neonatal intensive care unit, and CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital North Georgia will purchase technology upgrades for Virtual Integrated Care, which consists of remote nurses helping with patient loads.

    Other funds coming to Georgia include $1.8 million to Albany Area Health Primary Health Care, $300 million to East Point for emergency response equipment and funds for hospital improvements in South Georgia.

    Nearly $3 million will go towards a new campus for the Cobb and Douglas County public health department.

    Erin Campbell, director and founder of the Athens Area Diaper Bank, said they will use $200,000 to fund more warehouse space and buy supplies for the city’s diaper bank.

    “Just in our community alone, it’s over 10,000 children that are at risk of diaper need,” Campbell said. “When families have to decide between diapers or food, that’s a choice we don’t think any family should have to make.”

    Georgia’s rural hospitals still have time to apply for improvement funds under Phase 3 of the Rural Health Transformation Program. The deadline to apply is June 15.

  • Georgia Chamber launches initiative to prepare communities for data centers

    Georgia Chamber launches initiative to prepare communities for data centers

    Georgia Chamber launches initiative to prepare communities for data centers

    During the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s first “State of Energy” event, the organization announced a new initiative: the “Data Center-Ready” designation.

    The initiative will launch this summer, and the goal is to assist communities that want data centers in assessing whether they have the proper infrastructure and workforce, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. 

    Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark said at the event that the designation could open up more communities to have data centers, which will in turn help the high demand for data storage.

    “We’re not saying that every community wants a data center, but we want to make sure that those that do are following the right process, are transparent, and can work with all partners that might be interested,” he said. 

    Data centers have been a controversial topic in Georgia and nationwide due to their high energy use and concerns about their impact on local ecosystems and communities. However, supporters say that the revenue data centers can generate could benefit local communities, and steps can be taken to mitigate the environmental concerns.

    Another initiative announced at the event was the Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance. The Chamber said more details about both initiatives will be released in the coming weeks.

  • Federal judge reprimanded over affair, political event attendance

    Federal judge reprimanded over affair, political event attendance

    Federal judge reprimanded over affair, political event attendance

    A judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit, which includes Alabama, Florida and Georgia, had an affair with a high-ranking police officer, including having sex in the judge’s chamber. The judge also lied about the actions when first questioned.

    The judge received a “private reprimand” for the actions, according to an investigation by the court system.

    The judge’s name and court location was not disclosed.

    The investigation found that the judge had sexual intercourse with an unidentified officer in the judge’s chambers during business hours and within earshot of staff. The judge also attended a partisan political event.

    The Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States took into account that the judge recanted the false statements, ended the relationship with the law enforcement officer and committed to avoid partisan political events in the future. The committee also considered the judge’s “otherwise exemplary service to the court.”

    Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Justice has asked U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross to recuse herself from overseeing an election case over alleged ties to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, according to the Associated Press.

    The Justice Department is relying on media reports to tie Ross to the judicial misconduct investigation, and Ross has not publicly commented on the allegations.

    The case involves the legal battle between the Justice Department and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over access to statewide voter records.

  • TAKING PRIDE – The ‘Lost-n-Found’ story: combatting LGBTQIA+ youth homelessness in Atlanta

    TAKING PRIDE – The ‘Lost-n-Found’ story: combatting LGBTQIA+ youth homelessness in Atlanta

    ⁠Lost-n-Found Youth⁠ – an Atlanta-based organization working to take LGBTQIA+ young adults off the streets, provide them shelter and guidance to find their way to sustainability, is guided by executive director Melanea Alvarez, who joined me today to share the organization’s backstory, and give a thorough audio tour of all the organization – known in thrifting circles for its popular thrift store – does for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth.

    We also discuss the challenges an organization like LnFY faces in less-than-ideal political circumstances.

    ⁠GIVE TO LNFY⁠

    ⁠VOLUNTEER WITH LNFY⁠

  • Georgia PSC approves power bill cut, but savings may be hard to notice

    Georgia PSC approves power bill cut, but savings may be hard to notice

    Georgia PSC approves power bill cut, but savings may be hard to notice

    The Georgia Public Service Commission has approved a deal that will reduce power bills for millions of Georgians, but skeptics warn it’s a small victory.

    The commission was considering the cost of fuel and the cost of cleaning up from Hurricane Helene. The deal lowered the cost of fuel to offset the hurricane costs. 

    The monthly bill for an average 1,000-kilowatt-hour customer will go down by about $4.

    Commissioner Peter Hubbard, one of two Democrats newly elected to the commission, introduced several amendments to the agreement to address concerns around Georgia Power’s use of coal and how much the company can recoup from storm costs. He told Atlanta News First that the three Republican members rejected the proposals.

    “I put forward four motions to be able to improve the deal that was on the table, and I couldn’t find the votes beyond my Democratic colleague,” he said.

    Hubbard, who is running for reelection in November, warned that this small cut is not a huge win.

    “We had six rate increases over the last few years, and this is the first time it’s going in the other direction. Even if it’s a small amount, it’s about $4 a month,” he said.

    The changes to power bills will go into effect on June 1, which is the same day that Georgia Power’s higher summer electricity rate starts. Although the company expects June bills to be lower than they were a year ago, residential customers might not notice a difference in their bills from month to month.

  • Women veterans with military sexual trauma face higher pregnancy risks

    Women veterans with military sexual trauma face higher pregnancy risks

    Women veterans with military sexual trauma face higher pregnancy risks

    Data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show that women who experienced military sexual trauma face higher risks for complications during pregnancy, according to WABE.

    Military sexual trauma, or MST, refers to experiences of sexual assault or harrassment experienced during military service.

    According to VA data, 1 in 50 men and 1 in 3 women nationwide report experiencing MST.

    “Women are substantially more likely to have experienced MST. It can be very long-term pain and human suffering that result from this,” said Kayla Williams, senior policy advisor at the Vet Voice Foundation and former director of the VA Center for Women Veterans. 

    Although the military has implemented policy reforms to address MST, progress is slow.

    “When your workplace is the military and you live and work around the same people all the time and potentially the person who’s harassing you is your boss, it’s an all-consuming environment that is just different than most other workplaces,” she said, “which is one of the reasons that military sexual trauma is so highly predictive of posttraumatic stress disorder. You’re more likely to develop PTSD if you experience MST than combat trauma or civilian sexual trauma.”

    VA research shows that women who experienced MST had an increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. 

    Dr. Kelsey Sprang Jones with Emory University School of Medicine told WABE that maternal trauma can also harm babies.

    In Georgia, mental health conditions are among the leading causes of pregnancy complications and maternal deaths. The risks are even higher for women veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder.

    A chart showing the increase in pregnancy complication risk for women veteran who have experienced military sexual trauma

  • GDOT plans another weekend closure of I-285 for major reconstruction work

    GDOT plans another weekend closure of I-285 for major reconstruction work

    GDOT plans another weekend closure of I-285 for major reconstruction work

    The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) plans another closure of Interstate 285 in June for another round of construction.

    The agency plans to close the roadway starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and running until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 8, as long as weather allows for construction.

    The closure will be for the same stretch of road that was closed earlier this month: between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Cascade Road in Fulton County.

    Kysii Ingram, owner of Cafe Bartique, said the closure severely impacted his business on Cascade Road.

    “We felt a reduction of business because there was so much traffic due to the shutdown on Cascade and MLK,” he said.

    Usually, Saturday and Sunday are their busiest days at the coffee shop, but Ingram said they only saw a few customers that weekend.

    The construction is part of the I-285 Westside reconstruction project that will replace concrete slabs on a 10 mile stretch costing around $206 million.

    Natalie Dale, a spokesperson for GDOT, explained the reason for the construction.

    “These concrete slabs are almost 60 years old, and so they are well past their lifespan, and in order to really bring the structure and the safety, the stability to this roadway that has been needed, we need to rebuild the entire stretch,” she said.

    Detours will be established during the closure, and drivers can call 511 for current travel information.

  • Georgia energy leaders discuss data centers and future power demands

    Georgia energy leaders discuss data centers and future power demands

    Georgia energy leaders discuss data centers and future power demands

    The Georgia Chamber of Commerce held its first “State of Energy” event at the Coca-Cola headquarters in downtown Atlanta.

    Key speakers at the event included leaders from Kia Georgia, Georgia Power and the Chamber, and more attended the event from the energy sector to discuss how Georgia will fuel its future.

    One of the most pressing topics discussed was the rapid expansion of data centers in the state and the impact on energy infrastructure.

    Georgia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Clark argued that the industry is actively adapting to mitigate its environmental impacts and denied, what he called, common misconceptions about the industry.

    “In Georgia, those data centers pay their own way,” Clark said. “You and I don’t pick up the tab for those data centers from an energy standpoint. They have to come in, they have to put their dollars down, they have to pay a higher rate, and if something goes wrong in the grid, they go down, our power stays on.”

    Either way, Clark said data centers are here to stay.

    “They are part of our modern infrastructure,” Clark said. “They’re part of a national security issue, and they’re here because of consumer demand. And so if people don’t like them, then let’s quit storing our photos online and quit connecting to the internet to do everything.”

    Further, Clark argued that the tech giants are providing the resources for major utility overhauls in the state. The Chamber represents Georgia business interests, and although Clark said they acknowledge community concerns about data centers, he sees the economic impact of the centers as a positive outcome.

  • Warnock questions suspicious oil trades tied to Iran conflict developments

    Warnock questions suspicious oil trades tied to Iran conflict developments

    Warnock questions suspicious oil trades tied to Iran conflict developments

    U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is questioning suspiciously timed oil trades linked to the ongoing conflict in Iran.

    Warnock asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or CFTC, for updates on an investigation into trading activity which happened before major announcements in the conflict.

    Federal investigators are examining whether traders may have benefited from having access to government information that was not available to the public. One of the trades reportedly involved a $950 million bet that oil prices would fall shortly before an announcement about the ceasefire was made.

    The push from Warnock comes while many Georgians are facing higher gas prices, utility costs and overall concerns with inflation.

    No allegations of wrongdoing have been formally filed, and no person or company has been identified by investigators as to who is being investigated.