On Second Thought For Thursday, August 4, 2016

The U.S. Department of Justice indicted six Georgia men last week for trafficking guns to New York. The gun runners smuggled the weapons through an underground market known as the “Iron Pipeline.” The pipeline refers to Interstate 95, which connects states like New York with strict gun laws to Southern states like Georgia with less gun restrictions. We learn more about the Iron Pipeline and efforts to dismantle it with journalist Tina Susman and New York City Public Advocate Tish James.

Then, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has come a long way since its early days as a one-time niche event. The UFC recently sold for a staggering $4.2 billion and has millions of fans across the world, including here in Georgia. Producer Taylor Gantt stopped by a local gym and asked two trainers why they think the sport is so popular. Then, a documentary traces the personal journey of former wrestling icon, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, who struggled with substance abuse in and out of the ring. Wrestler Diamond Dallas Page moved in with Roberts to help him get his life back on track. The documentary “The Resurrection of Jake ‘The Snake” chronicles their friendship and Roberts’ recovery. We speak with the two wrestlers and director Steve Yu about the documentary.We learn about the "Iron Pipeline" and efforts to dismantle it from journalist Tina Susman and New York City Public Advocate Tish James. Then, producer Taylor Gantt stops by a local gym to find out why the Ultimate Fighting Championship has exploded in popularity. Plus, guest host Adam Raguesa speaks with former wrestling icon, Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, and friend Diamond Dallas Page. Next, we talk with Gullah Geechee Heritage Film Festival organizer about how the Gullah community has been depicted in film. GPB's Miranda Fulmore also takes us to a Georgia cave that used to be home to 5,000 bats and now has about 200.

Plus, the first Gullah Geechee Heritage Film Festival kicks off this weekend in Horry County, South Carolina. The festival hopes to educate younger audiences and create opportunities to share Gullah narratives on-screen. We talk with one of the festival’s organizers about how the Gullah community has been depicted in film. Plus, bats may be considered a nuisance, but they’re vital for agriculture – worth an estimated $23 billion a year to farmers because of the bugs they eat. However, bat populations are nearly wiped out by an unusual illness called white-nose syndrome. It’s killed off more than 5.5 million bats in North America in the last decade. GPB’s Miranda Fulmore takes us to a Georgia cave that used to be home to 5,000 bats and now has about 200.