On Second Thought For Thursday, July 13, 2017

CDC, Indigo Girls, and UGA hazing

First, last week, Georgia’s public health commissioner was named as the new head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here in Atlanta. Brenda Fitzgerald was chosen by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a former Georgia congressman. The last permanent director of the CDC was Tom Frieden, who was appointed by President Obama in 2009. We re-visit our conversation with Frieden, who talked about his work with the CDC, and what he hopes to see happen there in the future.

Then, one of the most successful and influential groups to come out of Georgia is the Indigo Girls. Since the first release in 1985, the folk rock duo has had multiple platinum albums and won a Grammy. We talk with band member Amy Ray, who performs Friday night in Atlanta at the Variety Playhouse.

Finally, a fraternity at the University of Georgia was recently suspended for a year for misconduct during a hazing ceremony. A ban on new bars opening in Downtown Athens took effect in February. All this points to a problem with partying. How can the city and the campus sober up? We speak with David Lynn from the Athens Downtown Development Authority and UGA student Dillon Thompson. The City of Athens may also have another problem – discrimination. That’s according to Mokah Jasmine Johnson, president and co-founder of the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement.