Georgia Today: Global tech outage affects businesses; Milwaukee GOP convention; Final Atlanta Open

Orlando Montoya: Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, July 19. I'm Orlando Montoya. On today's episode, a global tech outage affects Georgia businesses, both large and small. Georgia Republicans are confident after their national convention wraps up in Milwaukee. And the last ever Atlanta Tennis Open will have its opening serve this weekend. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia institutions are dealing with impacts both large and small from this morning's global technology outage. More than 500 flights have been canceled at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, according to FlightAware. Motor vehicle tag office and tax commission functions were completely offline. Atlanta's Emory Health Care says some surgery center procedures have been delayed, but Albany's Phoebe Health says its only impact was minor: Doctors can't use automatic dictation software. Cybersecurity risk advisor John Powell, a partner in the Atlanta accounting firm Moore-Colson, says the incident is not without a silver lining.

John Powell: Everybody will learn from it. All of the IT teams learn from it. All of these, these great vendors that do great work in trying to secure us from threat actors will learn from it and will apply it going forward. So we'll learn a lesson from this. We're all just kind of applying the solutions that have been proposed to remedy those. And I think it's just — it's just a matter of time before things kind of get back up and running. But it's just the volume of applications and devices that are running those Microsoft Windows OS is — it's quite large.

Orlando Montoya: He says he doesn't believe the outage was an attack, although it had the impact of one. Cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike said the trouble was a faulty update sent to an app running Microsoft Windows.

Story 2:

Orlando Montoya: A nonpartisan watchdog group is suing the state election board, saying the five-member board held an illegal meeting last week. The group, American Oversight, says the board's three Republicans held a meeting without the legally required public notice or quorum. At the meeting, the board advanced a plan that would give poll watchers more access to vote processing on Election Night, among other changes.

Story 3:

Orlando Montoya: Federal authorities are charging a Georgia man with threatening to injure FBI Director Christopher Wray. The Justice Department says John Woodberry of Roswell, north of Atlanta, was arrested and arraigned yesterday for online comments he made last year. Those comments allegedly included an encouragement to, quote, "hit Chris at home."

Story 4:

Orlando Montoya: Georgia Republicans are exuding a sense of confidence after their party wrapped up their national convention in Milwaukee this week. GPB's Sarah Kallis was on hand last night as a group of GOP supporters gathered to watch former President Donald Trump accept the party's presidential nomination.

Sarah Kallis: Trump appeared more somber as he spoke on the final night of the Republican National Convention and recounted the shooting at his rally in Butler, Pa., that left him with an injury to his right ear. He also held a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, who was killed during the shooting. Jaime Kuszai, from Roswell, said the speech was, quote, "invigorating."

Jaime Kuszai: It was just a very positive, upbeat message. Everybody was engaged, even in our little section here. We were all in the back cheering and getting the crowd together, so it was really good. I felt like it was like one big family had come together.

Sarah Kallis: The Democrats will hold their convention in late August in Chicago. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.

Story 5:

Orlando Montoya: Georgians escaping the heat by staying indoors are two to five times more at risk of breathing polluted air versus being outdoors. That's according to the American Lung Association. GPB's Ellen Eldridge reports on ways to stay healthy at home.

Ellen Eldridge: Higher temperatures, humidity and indoor air pollutants are rising. Bryant Hains is with Southside, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that helps homeowners and businesses maintain healthy indoor air. He says smoke, dust, mold and household cleaners contribute to poor air quality, especially without proper ventilation.

Bryant Hains: For example, you always want to use your — your range hood. You always want to turn that on when you're cooking, and you also want to make sure that it's vented to the outside. The ones that recirculate the air, that just blow air back into your kitchen? Those don't do anything.

Ellen Eldridge: Hains says other things you can do include running a bath fan and not smoking inside the home. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

Caption

Gulfstream

Story 6:

Orlando Montoya: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to buy a $106 million aircraft from Savannah-based jet maker Gulfstream Aerospace. The agency said this week the fully modified G550 will be specially configured to support hurricane and tropical storm research and other NOAA missions. It will be the agency's second such aircraft from Gulfstream.

Story 7:

Orlando Montoya: The Sundance Institute says Atlanta is one of six finalists in its search for a new host location for its influential film festival. After 40 years in Utah, the Sundance Film Festival is eyeing locations across the country for its signature annual event, beginning in 2027. Besides Atlanta, the other cities in the mix are Cincinnati, Boulder, Louisville, Santa Fe, and the current host Salt Lake City and Park City. The institute says finalists were selected for their ability to support the festival's growth. It says site evaluation will continue based on each city's infrastructure, accessibility, logistical capabilities and their alignment with Sundance's values. A decision is expected early next year.

Story 8:

Orlando Montoya: Gov. Brian Kemp is detailing $1.5 billion in transportation spending approved by state lawmakers. The state transportation board reviewed the highway construction projects yesterday. They include 19 new projects across the state, including, for the first time, a pot of money specifically to upgrade roads for increasing truck traffic. Among other projects, a $238 million plan is expected to widen Interstate 16 from Savannah to Statesboro, and a $76 million plan will upgrade an interchange at Interstate 20 at Georgia 138 in Conyers, east of Atlanta.

Story 9:

Orlando Montoya: Gov. Brian Kemp is traveling to Italy and his eighth overseas trip as governor. Kemp will leave this weekend for a six-day trip with his wife, Marty Kemp. The governor says he'll visit nine companies that currently do business in Georgia or are building facilities here. These include gunmaker Beretta, which is building an ammunition plant near Savannah, and tomato sauce maker in La Regina de San Marzano, which has a plant in Alma in South Georgia for making meat sauces.

Story 10:

Orlando Montoya: A group says they've spotted a North Atlantic right whale off the coast of Ireland — the first sighting there, they believe, in a century. The Irish whale and dolphin group spotted the critically endangered species in Donegal Bay on July 15. The group said the New England Aquarium confirmed that the whale was indeed a North Atlantic right whale. There are roughly 360 North Atlantic right whales left, according to NOAA. The species spends its calving season off the coast of Georgia before migrating north to New England.

Story 11:

Orlando Montoya: Coming up tomorrow at 3 p.m., you'll hear a new show on our weekend lineup. It's a weekly celebration of arts and culture called Bullseye. Hosted by podcasting and public radio veteran Jesse Thorn, it's an in-depth interview program with revered and revolutionary minds. This week's episode will feature Serj Tankian, lead singer of the hard rock band System of a Down. Here, to talk about the show and his influences, is Jesse Thorn.

Jesse Thorn: What a joy to be here, Orlando, thank you for the invitation and I'm so excited to be on GPB.

Orlando Montoya: Thank you. First of all, can you introduce us a little to Bullseye? What's the program about and what can listeners expect?

Jesse Thorn: I mean, it's an in-depth arts and culture interview show. So, you know, each hour of the show is 1 or 2 serious, thoughtful, also generally funny interviews with folks from music or film or all over the arts and culture spectrum. I think, though, the one thing that you can expect, other than what I just described, is probably very few bummers. It's a pretty pleasant, happy show.

Orlando Montoya: Bullseye comes out of your popular podcast, The Sound of Young America, and that podcast was a breakout hit in 2004, when podcasting was really in its early stages. In the 20 years since then, how has podcasting changed?

Jesse Thorn: Oh gosh, how hasn't it changed? I mean, I've been doing this show every week since I was a sophomore in college, which would be around the year 2000, in Santa Cruz, Calif. I started podcasting at the very dawn of podcasting. I mean, like podcasting had existed for six months. I mean, I — there have been so many waves of podcasting being new and just invented, you know? There was the sort of "Ricky Gervais started podcasting" in, I don't know, 2007 or something, and Marc Maron and Conan O'Brien and I think, you know, there's always been a place for audio that people choose, audio that people want to listen to. I mean, outside of public radio, when I started podcasting in 2004, you know, the radio landscape was pretty dire.

Orlando Montoya: Who are some of your favorite radio, TV or podcasting hosts? Either ones who are alive today or those who are no longer with us?

Jesse Thorn: Well, I think Terry Gross is the obvious precedent for the work that I do. You know, Ira Glass, I think I never aspired to make This American Life, but I think — when I would listen to Ira when I was in high school, and also my friend Roman Mars, who makes 99% Invisible, who was on local radio in San Francisco when I was a kid. I could hear that and think like, "oh, there could be something for someone like me in public radio." On television, I mean, it's — it's not even close. It's, it's David Letterman, backwards and forwards.

Orlando Montoya: It's interesting you mentioned Letterman because one of my favorites is Tom Snyder, another late night host.

Jesse Thorn: Not just another late night host, but a late night host that Letterman ensured would have a second or, I guess, third act to his career, right? Because when Letterman signed to CBS, he took over the rights to the show that came on after him. And, he chose Tom Snyder, who was, you know, I mean, I guess Snyder was probably 60 or something at that point and said, no, I want a thoughtful interview show to run after — to run after the Late Show.

Orlando Montoya: You've interviewed many famous guests: Dolly Parton, Jay Leno, just to name a few. There's so many more. Who would you like to interview, but so far have not been able to book?

Jesse Thorn: That's a great question. I mean, Letterman was like, Letterman was like the white whale for a long time, and I would certainly love to have Letterman back. It's funny, like, a couple of, like — I've started checking the people off the list, right? Like, the filmmaker Mike Leigh is probably my favorite director, and I finally — I finally got to talk to him. You know, Letterman — finally got to talk to him. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You know, there's people, like, I always wanted to talk to Willie Mays, and he just passed away, sadly. You know, I'm getting to the age where where folks are passing away. I think maybe, you know, I might say Al Green. I think as far as I'm concerned, that's maybe the greatest American singer ever. So. Yeah. Let's go with the Reverend Al.

Orlando Montoya: That's Jesse Thorn, host of Bullseye, airing Saturdays at 3 p.m. starting tomorrow here on GPB. Thank you very much, Jesse.

Jesse Thorn: Of course. Orlando, thank you so much. And, thanks to everybody who listens to GPB. It means the world to us.

Story 12:

Orlando Montoya: In Georgia sports, Georgia is the heavy favorite to win the Southeastern Conference title, and is picked to face league newcomer Texas in the championship game. The Bulldogs received 165 votes to win the SEC title. Among reporters covering league media days in Dallas, Texas got 27 votes and Alabama 12. With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the now 16-team league, it will be the SEC's first season without division since 1991. The championship game will include the two teams with the best overall league-winning percentages. And the last ever Atlanta Tennis Open is set to begin tomorrow. The world tennis body, the APT Tour, last year announced the 14-year-old tournament would be eliminated as part of a shakeup of its annual competitions. The loss saddens hardcore tennis fans like Kate Underwood, who lives in Tucker, east of Atlanta. She says she's been coming to the Atlanta Open for years, and appreciates how close it allows fans to get to some of the sport's biggest stars.

Kate Underwood: Andy Roddick has been here. Jack Sock, you know, and I know some of them are now retired, but I think it will be a blow because we'll never get that access, you know, right here in this incredible city we have.

Orlando Montoya: Last year's tournament featured Wimbledon breakout star and Atlanta native Chris Eubanks. Venus Williams was scheduled to compete on Sunday, but said last week she's recovering from an abdomen injury and won't be in Atlanta. The competition will crown its last winner on July 28.

Orlando Montoya: And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit GPB.org/news. We'd like you to hit subscribe on this podcast. It helps you to keep current with us in your feed. And if you have feedback, send that to us as well. We are at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Orlando Montoya filling in for Peter Biello today as he is out in the field recording an interview that you'll hear later. In the meantime, hope you have a great weekend and do something good for yourself. Come back again on Monday.

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