Georgia Today: Election Fraud trial update; Delta faces controversy; Ronald Acuña Jr. makes history

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Thursday, Sept. 28. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, two of the defendants in the election interference racketeering case have a hearing in Atlanta's Fulton County tomorrow. Delta is walking back some of the unpopular changes to its frequent flier program. And the Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. Makes Major League history. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Two of the 19 people indicted as part of a sweeping election interference racketeering case have a hearing in Atlanta's Fulton County tomorrow. GPB's Stephen Fowler reports on the latest as their scheduled trial is set to begin on Oct. 23.

Stephen Fowler: Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell will have a case management hearing Friday morning following a flurry of legal filings from their lawyers and the district attorney's office. Chesebro is accused of authoring memos detailing how Republicans could submit a fraudulent slate of electors in states where Democrats won the 2020 presidential race. Powell is accused of involvement in a plan that saw election data illegally copied in rural Coffee County. Both are seeking to have the charges dismissed and have filed objections to the indictment and how the DA has brought the case. Since they both requested speedy trials. They'll be tried separately from Donald Trump and 16 others also indicted for their roles in the failed effort to overturn the last presidential race. For GPB News, I'm Stephen Fowler.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: Delta Air Lines is walking back some of the unpopular changes to its frequent flier program. The Atlanta-based airline recently announced changes that would make it harder for customers to achieve elite statuses and gain access to airport lounges. The news was roundly criticized on social media, with some of Delta's most loyal customers are threatening to take their business elsewhere. The company's CEO said in comments released yesterday that the changes, quote, "went too far" and would be modified in the next few weeks.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Officials in Middle Georgia's Baldwin County have approved a new ambulance provider weeks after their current one, Atlanta-based Grady EMS, announced they would be pulling out of the county in November. County commissioners on Tuesday gave the go ahead for their county manager to negotiate a contract with Atrium Health Navicent EMS, which is affiliated with the hospital in Macon County. Manager Carlos Tobar says Grady's response times had been worsening over the past year.

Carlos Tobar: They wanted to focus their operations in Atlanta, and I think that's, you know, that's probably what was going on with the response time is, you know, they didn't have the resources here for us.

Peter Biello: He says Atrium Health will provide three ambulances, 24 hours a day, with a fourth ambulance at peak times.

Caption

A participant in The GRO Fund's Guaranteed Income Initiative, In Her Hands, learns more about the project from a community adviser.

Credit: Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund

Story 4:

Peter Biello: Last year, the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund launched the In Her Hands program. It selected about 200 women living in Atlanta's old Fourth Ward neighborhood to participate in a guaranteed income initiative. Participants received payments of $850 a month for two years. Since then, the program has expanded to Southwest Georgia and another Atlanta neighborhood, College Park. GPB's Amanda Andrews spoke to women in the program about their experience after one year.

Amanda Andrews: Last year, C. Harper was struggling to afford housing. Then she started getting $850 monthly payments from the In Her Hands program. And things started to change in her life.

C. Harper: I was able to move. I was basically homeless, staying with somebody else. So I have my own place.

Amanda Andrews: She use the money to get housing for herself and her kids. On top of that, Harper says the cash changed her career trajectory.

C. Harper: I basically took a job that was less pay because I had the In Her Hands money I can depend on. But the end result was I was able to get a better job.

Amanda Andrews: It was through a training program for new teachers.

C. Harper: They paid for us to get our teacher certification, so I get a free teacher certification paid for.

Amanda Andrews: Now she's a PE teacher in the old Fourth Ward, her community, and she says it's a way for her to give back to the people in her neighborhood. Harper's story is the kind of outcome In Her Hands organizers hope for. But for some participants, the money doesn't go that far.

Tamicka Royal: Catching up. All the fees and all the late fees and everything. So really, I had to choose, you know, what to pay, who to pay?

Amanda Andrews: Tamicka Royal has lived in Old Fourth Ward for eight years. She found the In Her Hands program right after two major events in her life.

Tamicka Royal: So I had just had a car accident and a homeless man attacked me and he really hurt me. So when I say this money was God sent, it was. Because I — I couldn't work.

Amanda Andrews: The bills piled up. And even with the guaranteed income stream, Royal had to make tough decisions.

Tamicka Royal: I could have paid my rent on the apartment, but then I wouldn't have been able to do anything. I wouldn't have had a car.

Amanda Andrews: She chose to spend the money to help pay for a new car, and now she's facing eviction. But as she recovered from the attack and the car accident, driving has literally kept the lights on.

Tamicka Royal: Because, you know, for extra money, I've been Ubering. I've been doing Amazon packages, you know. The car is pivotal.

Amanda Andrews: Royal says the payments from the In Her Hands program were exactly what she needed to stay afloat.

Tamicka Royal: I mean, some days — some days I don't even eat, but my bills are paid.

Amanda Andrews: Helping participants save money, pay for child care and pay bills with cash instead of through high interest loans are the main goals of the In Her Hands program. Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund Executive director Hope Wollensack says she's looking forward to the results of this project and how they can be used nationally.

Hope Wollensack: We're really looking forward to learning more at the one-year mark in the program and then at the conclusion of the program, learning how these funds and participation in this program helps folks not just in the short term, but in the long term, and how lessons learned from this program can be applicable not just for our participants but for public policy broadly.

Amanda Andrews: A new $6 million grant will expand the program into Atlanta's English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods, extending stipends to 200 more women for two years. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: Georgia's university system has named a new permanent president for Dalton State College. The system's Board of Regents yesterday announced that the college's interim president, John Fuchko, would take the permanent post. He succeeds Margaret Venable, Dalton State's first female president who retired in June. Fuchko previously served as interim president of Columbia State University. Dalton State is a four-year institution with about 4500 students and a sizable Hispanic population, reflecting the demographics of Northwest Georgia.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: The port of Savannah saw a significant drop in business last month compared to August of last year. The Georgia Ports Authority said this week that containerized cargo traffic was down 28%. Agency officials say the drop off resulted from ongoing construction projects that temporarily reduced operating capacity.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: One of the world's largest soundstage operators has bought the Georgia studio currently home to the Netflix series Stranger Things. Toronto-based Cinespace Studios said yesterday that it has acquired the EUE/Screen Gems campus in Atlanta. The deal also includes an EUE/Screen Gems studio in Wilmington, N.C. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed. The move comes as the ongoing actors strike continues to delay film and TV productions, including the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Striking actors in Hollywood studios said today that talks toward a new contract would resume on Monday.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: Last night at Truist Park, Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. made baseball history. He stole his 70th base of the season, marking the first time in major league baseball history a player has reached 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a single season. The 70th stolen bag came in the 10th inning. The Braves started the inning trailing the Chicago Cubs by one. Acuna knocked in a run with a single. He took a lead off first base. And then...

Announcer: Ronald goes! There it is! He did it! A 40/70 season, and a season unlike any other in Major League Baseball history for Ronald Acuña Jr. Take the base and take a bow, No. 13!

Peter Biello: Acuna pulled up the base and held it aloft in front of more than 37,000 screaming fans. Once the game resumed, Ozzie Albies drove Acuña home with a walk off single, and for the second night in a row, the Braves stunned the Cubs with a come from behind victory. Manager Brian Snitker says watching Acuna lead the comeback was awesome.

Brian Snitker: Sitting there thinking, Oh my God, it was No. 1,  just a base hit to tie the game, it was a nasty, nasty pitch that he hit. Then to get that bag and score the winning run. I mean, that's about as good as it gets.

Peter Biello: Baseball statisticians typically consider 40 homeruns and 40 stolen bases an extraordinary feat. It's a demonstration of both power and speed so rare that it's only been done five times, including Acuña. And none of the other four even come close to Acuna, 70 stolen bases. Behind him is Alex Rodriguez, who stole 46 bases in his 40/40 season in 1998. If baseball fans today ever see another 40/70 season, it might be Acuña again.

Brian Snitker: He might be the only human that can break his own records.

Peter Biello: With yesterday's win, the Braves have clinched home field advantage through the National League Championship Series. The magic number for home field advantage through the World Series is now down to one, over the Baltimore Orioles. The Division series starts at Truist Park on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Story 10:

Peter Biello: Thousands of people have sent in tributes to the Carter Center ahead of Jimmy Carter's 99th birthday on Sunday. The center is collecting images of well-wishers for a digital collage, as well as happy birthday videos, some of which are coming in from public officials and celebrities. Actor and activist Jane Fonda blew a kiss to Carter in a video shared on social media.

Jane Fonda: I love you, Jimmy Carter. Happy birthday. I remember every moment that we've spent together, the lessons you gave me in fly fishing and in life. You're in my heart. And give my love and a big hug to Rosalynn.

Peter Biello: Among other greetings, the Indigo Girls sang "Happy Birthday" to the nation's longest-lived president and workers at a candy making Stuckey's location gathered to wish Carter well. He's been in hospice care at his home in Plains since February, but made a brief appearance from inside a moving vehicle at the Plains Peanut Festival last weekend.

And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit our website, GPB.org/News. And remember to subscribe to this podcast. We'll be back and your podcast feed tomorrow afternoon with all the latest stories from the Peach State. If you've got feedback or a story idea, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

---

For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news.

Read the latest updates on the Georgia indictments here.