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Category: Health

  • Atlanta student found dead, hanging in Cobb County park as new report on modern-day lynchings is released

    Atlanta student found dead, hanging in Cobb County park as new report on modern-day lynchings is released

    Family mourns Atlanta student found dead, hanging in Cobb County park as new report on modern-day lynchings is released

    New report details modern-day lynchings as family mourns Atlanta man found dead in Cobb County park

    A new national report is reigniting conversations about racial terror in America, even as a Georgia family grieves the loss of a 21-year-old Atlanta man found dead in a Cobb County park.

    JULIAN, a civil rights organization, has released “A Crimson Record: SEVEN STATE MODERN-DAY LYNCHING (MDL) REPORT 2000 – 2025.” The study documenting more than 70 suspected MDL across seven Southern states between 2000 and 2025. The report challenges the widely held belief that lynching effectively ended in the late 20th century, arguing instead that it has evolved—often misclassified as suicide or left insufficiently investigated.

    Inspired by Ida B. Wells’ 19th-century anti-lynching documentation, “A Red Record,” the new analysis defines a modern-day lynching as a multiple-perpetrator homicide driven by race, gender identity or other bias, intended to terrorize a community or carry out an extrajudicial killing. Researchers argue that many of these cases initially are ruled suicides, making them among the hardest hate crimes to prove.

    The Grio reports the study identified more than 70 suspected cases across Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama, with Mississippi reporting the highest number at 20. Among the cases cited are Black men found hanging from trees in recent years, including incidents in Wisconsin and Mississippi that prompted families to question official findings.

    The report’s release comes amid heightened sensitivity surrounding deaths involving young Black men found hanging, including a case now under investigation in Cobb County.

    According to 11Alive, the family of 21-year-old Kyle Bassinga confirmed that he was the man found dead Feb. 18 in Fair Oaks Park, located at 1465 W. Booth Road. Cobb County Police said officers responded around 9:46 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a body in a wooded area of the park.

    Police said witnesses reported seeing the man enter the wooded area alone on Valentine’s Day at approximately 4:28 p.m. Detectives found no evidence indicating anyone else was involved and said there were no signs of foul play. Authorities initially declined to release the man’s name, citing respect for the family and the sensitive nature of the case.

    According to 11Alive, the Atlanta Police Department confirmed Bassinga had been reported missing Feb. 15. While law enforcement agencies did not initially confirm that the missing person and the deceased man were the same individual, Bassinga’s family later told 11Alive that he was the person found in the park.

    In a statement shared with the outlet, Cobb County Police said the investigation remains ongoing pending the medical examiner’s final autopsy. “The Cobb County Police Department takes every death investigation seriously and conducts a thorough review of all available evidence before making any determinations,” the department said, adding that any new information would prompt updates.

    Since the discovery, online speculation has grown, with some social media users suggesting racial motives despite law enforcement statements indicating no evidence of foul play. Bassinga’s family addressed the public conversation, telling 11Alive they are focused on mourning their son rather than engaging in online debate.

    “Right now, online speculation is the least of our worries. We are focused on burying our son and am happy to have found him,” the family said.

    While authorities have not indicated any connection between Bassinga’s death and the broader findings outlined in “The Crimson Record,” the timing of the study’s release has intensified public dialogue around how such cases are investigated and classified.

    Authorities in Cobb County say the investigation remains active and that final conclusions will depend on the medical examiner’s findings.

  • Georgia confirms second measles case in 2026

    Georgia confirms second measles case in 2026

    Georgia confirms second measles case in 2026

    Georgia Department of Public Health officials confirmed this year’s  second case of measles in the state.

    An unvaccinated resident of Bryan County who had recently traveled out of the state tested positive for measles. The resident had no history of international travel. State health officials are working to contact anyone who may have been exposed.

    Bryan County is part of the Coastal Health District of Georgia, which includes Savannah. The district confirmed the first case of measles in 2026. 

    A baby, who was too young to be vaccinated, tested positive for the virus, and the baby seems to have contracted the virus while travelling internationally, according to a news release.

    Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can remain on surfaces up to two hours after an infected person leaves the room.

    Common symptoms are a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by a rash of tiny red spots that starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.

    In 2025, Georgia had 10 measles cases with at least one case in Fulton County. State health officials encourage people to get vaccinated, as it is the best protection against measles.

  • Emory researchers study music’s impact on dementia patients

    Emory researchers study music’s impact on dementia patients

    Emory researchers study music’s impact on dementia patients

    Researchers at Emory University have been working with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Performance Hypothesis to explore the ways music impacts patients with dementia. 

    Dr. Monica Parker works for Emory’s Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She told Georgia Public Broadcasting that their research shows music improves mood and behavior and helps people with cognitive impairment perform daily activities.

    “We invited all of our participants last year to the symphony, and they had such a great experience, we decided we would try to see how this might help persons living with dementia,” Parker said.

    The group of researchers and community organizations is a new collaboration called Arts + Health Laboratory: Georgia’s NeuroArts Coalition, which was announced in October by the Woodruff Arts Center.

    It was recently awarded $200,000 by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to advance their research.

    “What is missing is greater study and quantification of what kind of music, what music, what dose is appropriate,” Parker said.

  • Georgia bill expands pharmacists’ role in prescribing HIV prevention drugs

    Georgia bill expands pharmacists’ role in prescribing HIV prevention drugs

    Georgia bill expands pharmacists’ role in prescribing HIV prevention drugs

    Pharmacists are getting more power this legislative session as lawmakers look for ways to make medications more accessible.

    A bipartisan bill would allow pharmacists to order and dispense or inject preventative HIV drugs, such as PrEP or PEP. Senate Bill 195 passed the Georgia House by a wide margin last week, according to The Capitol Beat.

    Only seven Republicans opposed the legislation.

    State Rep. Karla Drenner, D-Avondale Estates, said that patients would no longer need a primary care provider to get a prescription.

    “Communities with provider shortages, and in urban communities where appointment demands exceed capacity, pharmacies are often the most accessible health care point in both places: open longer hours, close to where people live and already trusted,” she said.

    Georgians are diagnosed with HIV at twice the national rate, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health research and policy institute.

    The legislation would allow pharmacists to administer 30- to 90-day supplies of preexposure drugs and a 30-day supply of postexposure drugs.

    Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, introduced the bill and told The Capitol Beat that the medicine helps prevent the need for very costly medical care.

    “I’m in healthcare, I do anesthesia, and I look at the data, and the data says this is far, far more cost effective to prevent it then to treat it, as many things are in medicine,” he said. “This medicine, at about $26, is far cheaper than the cost of treating somebody with an HIV infection, which would be about $420,000 to $1 million — and obviously an improved quality of life.”

  • Georgia hospitals plan for $218.8M in new rural health funds

    Georgia hospitals plan for $218.8M in new rural health funds

    Georgia hospitals plan for $218.8M in new rural health funds

    Healthcare professionals recently gathered at the Capitol to discuss how to use $218.8 million awarded to the state.

    Gov. Brian Kemp announced at the end of 2025 that Georgia had been awarded funds through the federal government’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).

    Now, hospitals will be able to apply for grant funds through the Georgia Department of Community Health to comply with the department’s vision for health care in Georgia, which is called Georgia’s Rural Enhancement and Transformation of Health (GREAT Health).

    Van Loskoski, CEO of Stephens County Hospital, told Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) that hospitals need funds for basic tasks.

    “We just, in the last two weeks, have had two events where we’ve had the shelter staff in place for an extended period of time with snowy and icy weather,” he said. “There’s funding built into this package that helps hospitals in emergency situations to shelter in place and to beef up their infrastructure so that they’re better prepared for these types of events.” 

    Hospital advocates listed several concerns that they would like to see the funds and lawmakers address, including an increasingly older population that relies heavily on Medicare, delays in getting payments from insurers, streamlining electronic medical records and improved technology to collect data on patient spending and needs, according to GPB.

    Critics of RHTP say the program fails to make up for the loss in federal funding to programs like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and the funds may not get to the hospitals that need it the most.

    Caylee Noggle, president and CEO of the Georgia Hospital Association, told GPB she is confident the program will help target root challenges rural hospitals face.

    “We’re very, very appreciative and grateful for the increased focus on rural health care and some of the challenges,” she said. “And we’re hopeful that there are some real pieces in here that can prove to lead to longer-term innovation and support.” 

  • Rep. Saira Draper Slams FBI Raid as ‘Regurgitated Conspiracy Theories’

    Rep. Saira Draper Slams FBI Raid as ‘Regurgitated Conspiracy Theories’

    PLUS: GA GOP can’t handle ‘affordability,’ so it resorts back to ‘anti-trans’ measures & the fuss over PFAS in NW Georgia

  • Fuel spill at Atlanta airport sends 10,000 gallons into Flint River

    Fuel spill at Atlanta airport sends 10,000 gallons into Flint River

    Fuel spill at Atlanta airport sends 10,000 gallons into Flint River

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      Fuel spill from Atlanta airport contaminates Flint River

    Cleaning efforts are still underway after a fuel spill at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport dumped around 10,000 gallons of fuel into the airport storm water system and the Flint River.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that the fuel came from a fuel pit hydrant valve attached to a fuel system pipeline at the airport on Jan. 30.

    Gordon Rogers, the executive director and riverkeeper for Flint Riverkeeper, said it’s unclear exactly when the fuel spill started, and it’s also unclear how the spills actually get to the river.

    “But what is clear is that they shouldn’t be getting to the river. There should be some kind of secondary containment for all such accidents, and it’s quite clear that there is no containment because these spill volumes get to the river within a matter of hours,” he said.

    The Flint River has been the victim of at least nine spills in the past decade and also sewage releases and de-icing releases from the airport, he said.

    The riverkeeper has been working with the airport for more than a decade, and the issues they’ve raised should have been corrected by now, Rogers said. 

    “Our friendly approach is over at this point. We’re examining all of the different remedies that are available to citizen groups like Flint Riverkeeper. We’ve sort of had a bellyful of it,” he said. “There’s all sorts of different types of pollution that the airport is responsible for, but they’re doing very little, from what we can tell, to control it other than just lip service.”

    Rogers said they have sampled the water up to 65 miles downstream to get a better picture of the environmental costs of the pollution, but they have not received the results yet.

    They have found evidence of pollution up to 10 miles downstream so far, and they are advising residents to speak with their water providers to determine if they need to take special precautions with their water supply.

    In 2022, the airport was fined $40,000 for a fuel spill that discharged around 1,300 gallons of jet fuel into the river, impacting more than two miles of the river’s ecosystem.

    Fuel spills and other pollution from the airport can have immediate impacts on the environment by killing wildlife, but the long term impacts from chronic pollution reduce populations that the ecosystem depends on, such as insects and crawfish.

    “Pollution from the airport is chronic. It’s not fuel spills all the time, but it’s something all the time,” Rogers said.

  • Georgia launches mental health parity dashboard, fines insurers nearly $25M

    Georgia launches mental health parity dashboard, fines insurers nearly $25M

    Georgia launches mental health parity dashboard, fines insurers nearly $25M

    Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act was passed in 2022 and requires Georgia health insurers to cover mental health and substance-use conditions at the same rate as physical health conditions.

    However, compliance has been difficult.

    Now, a new centralized dashboard is set to launch that will track issues with insurance coverage for mental health care claims, according to WABE.

    John King, Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, announced Jan. 12 that he would fine health insurance companies nearly $25 million for violating Georgia’s Mental Health Parity laws.

    “I said it before and I’ll say it again: insurance companies will not take advantage of consumers under my watch,” King said in a statement. “These companies are not above the law, and I am taking definitive action to hold them accountable for denying Georgians the care they need.”

    The website will be monitored by the nonprofit Georgians for a Health Future to help track violations, according to WABE.

    The commissioner’s office is conducting in-depth examinations of 22 health insurers that was triggered by an initial report in 2023. Initial examinations found more than 6,000 parity violations.

    “I want insurers to know that I am serious about the health and wellbeing of all Georgia consumers. I will not hesitate to take action against any company that continues to violate the law – no exceptions,” King said.

    Consumer insurance complaints can be filed at oci.georgia.gov. 

  • Republicans support birth control? Georgia GOP backs bill, expands access to contraceptives

    Republicans support birth control? Georgia GOP backs bill, expands access to contraceptives

    Republicans support birth control? Georgia GOP backs bill, expands access to contraceptives

    Georgia House Republicans announced Wednesday a batch of bills dedicated to putting “Georgia Families First.” 

    Among them was a measure to increase access to contraceptives across the state. House Bill 1138 would allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control and also allows patients to receive more than one month of birth control pills at a time.

    State Rep. Beth Camp, R-Concord, said 36 other states already have similar measures in place.

    “In my family, something that’s really important is opportunities, and when people have access to family planning such as contraception, they’re able to bring opportunities to light because they’re able to make plans for their future,” she said.

    Camp highlighted the importance of being able to receive more than a month of birth control at a time.

    “For some individuals who don’t have good transportation or live in more rural areas, who travel, who are in college, or for a litany of reasons, it allows them access for up to 12 months at a time,” she said.

    Camp said she was honored to bring the bill to the house because she has a 25-year-old daughter, and she hopes to get the governor’s signature soon.

    Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said the bill would significantly increase access to family planning resources for women in Georgia.

    “As I often say, life is about timing, and for many families that means having the tools and resources they need to responsibly plan for the future and start their families when the time is right,” he said.

    The group also put forward House Bill 1118, which extends paid maternity leave for state employee birth mothers to 9 weeks, and plans to allocate $8.9 million to expand the Department of Public Health’s Home Visiting Nurse Program.

  • Community backlash grows as NDAs cloud Westwin Elements refinery talks

    Community backlash grows as NDAs cloud Westwin Elements refinery talks

    Community backlash grows as NDAs cloud Westwin Elements refinery talks

    Some Richmond Hill and Bryan County officials may be limited in what they can publicly say about a proposed nickel refinery after entering non-disclosure agreements with Westwin Elements. The disclosure has intensified anger and distrust among residents already opposed to the project.

    WTOC Investigates obtained records through an Open Records Request to the City of Richmond Hill seeking copies of any NDAs signed by the city, mayor or city council members. The city provided an unsigned template titled “Westwin Elements blank NDA,” leaving it unclear which officials, if any, are bound by the agreement.

    The uncertainty has fueled community outrage, with residents questioning whether elected leaders can speak freely about a project many have criticized for potential environmental and health impacts. At recent public meetings, residents accused local governments of lacking transparency and limiting public input.

    A similar records request was sent to the Development Authority of Bryan County, but no documents have been released so far.

    The NDA restricts signatories from discussing confidential information with anyone who has not also signed the agreement. It also prohibits disclosure of negotiations or even confirmation that negotiations are taking place without written consent from Westwin. The agreement allows the company to require confidential materials to be returned or destroyed and specifies Oklahoma as the venue for legal disputes.

    WTOC has not obtained a signed copy of the NDA, and it remains unclear which city or county officials are subject to its terms.

    Meanwhile, the Bryan County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. as public scrutiny of the project continues.