Georgia Today: Election certified; Spelman president steps down; ATL United's underdog postseason

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Friday, Nov. 22. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, the results of the 2024 presidential election are certified. The president of Spelman College is stepping down. And Atlanta United's winning streak delays the retirement of a soccer legend. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified the results of the 2024 presidential election today. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

Sarah Kallis: The certification comes about a week after all 159 counties certified the November vote. Now Raffensperger will contact the slate of Georgia electors who will vote for President-elect Donald Trump at the Electoral College vote. Gov. Brian Kemp will approve the electors late and the electors will vote on Dec. 17. The U.S. Congress will count the electoral votes and then certify on Jan. 6. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Atlanta.

Peter Biello: Early voting begins tomorrow or Monday in Georgia counties holding runoff elections to settle races not decided Nov. 5. 11 counties will open polls for races including mayor of St Marys in Southeast Georgia and city council seats in Atlanta and Waycross, among other places. Election Day is Dec. 3.

Caption

DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey and Gov. Brian Kemp give a COVID-19 update in the Georgia Capitol Sept. 30, 2021.

Credit: GPB News

Story 2:

Peter Biello: All of the nearly three dozen members of the state's maternal mortality review committee have been removed from their positions. The nonprofit news organization ProPublica first reported that they were removed because the state was unable to determine which of its members leaked to reporters the details of two women whose deaths were allegedly influenced by the state's ban on abortions after about six weeks. ProPublica reporter Amy Yurkanin is with me now to talk about her reporting. Welcome to the program.

Amy Yurkanin: Thank you for having me, Peter.

Peter Biello: So who made the decision to essentially clear out this committee and rebuild it from scratch?

Amy Yurkanin: The head of the Department of Public Health, Dr. Kathleen Toomey, is the person who is in charge of hiring and firing members of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. So that is the person who had the authority to — to make this decision. And the letter that was sent to the members of this committee did come from Dr. Toomey.

Peter Biello: What were the confidentiality rules these members were supposed to follow regarding the cases they were reviewing because there were some confidentiality rules, correct?

Amy Yurkanin: That's correct. The way that the maternal mortality review committee works is that cases of women who die during pregnancy or within the year following pregnancy are basically forwarded to the committee. The first step is these staff members, who basically assemble all the medical records and all the kind of legal records, whatever else they need to look at. And they kind of put together a narrative. And in the process of doing that, they try to strip out really all the identifying details of these cases. And the goal of this is really to look for problems in the system of health care, the system of care for women that can be fixed potentially. It's not really to assign blame. So they do try to keep this process confidential and they try to keep sort of the names and specific names out of this process.

Peter Biello: So I guess the question is, how did the members of the committee figure out who the women were in these two particular cases?

Amy Yurkanin: I mean, that is a question that I really can't answer. And I'm not sure whether it was the committee members who who found out or who that person was. I really don't know anything about that, to be perfectly honest with you.

Peter Biello: ProPublica reported on the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candy Miller. The committee was looking into their deaths and determined that the state's ban on abortions around six weeks into pregnancy was at least partially responsible for their deaths. How did these families feel after learning about the committee's conclusion?

Amy Yurkanin: I think that they were grateful to have the information. I — you know, I can't really speak too much to that. But, you know, these are obviously very painful cases. It's very difficult to lose, you know, a healthy young mom in situations like this. And I think a lot of these families, they kind of end up not knowing a whole lot about the circumstances of the death of their loved one. You know, it could be that the medical care, the doctors, the hospitals, they don't necessarily transmit all the information to the family when this process is happening and when families are sort of going through the shock of losing a loved one, they may not ask all the right questions or all the questions that they have. So I think in these cases, the families really didn't have a full picture when their loved one passed away. And it was only when reporters from ProPublica came to them with all the information that they had gathered that they were really able to put together a full picture of what had contributed to their deaths.

Peter Biello: GPB has reached out to many of the now-former members of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. We've only heard back from a few of them and they've declined to comment. Have you spoken to any of the now former members and if so, what have they said?

Amy Yurkanin: The former members have also not commented for me. So it's, you know, I have not heard from the former members. I understand that this committee — there will be a process in place to refill the committee and that the Department of Public Health may already be restarting that process right now. I did see on their website that there was a link to some information about applying for these positions.

Peter Biello: I saw that link as well. They they do seem to already be in the process of rebuilding the committee. State officials declined to speak to GPB. I believe they did not want to speak with you as well. What signal does this move send to whoever takes a position on the committee going forward?

Amy Yurkanin: That's a really good question. I mean, obviously the cited reason for this move was for confidentiality reasons. So that — that is what the Department of Public Health has said they're trying to address by dissolving this — this board right now. But I think there are some concerns that because the information that came out was about abortion and abortion care, that there could be some concern that discussions around that issue in particular could be potentially curtailed. Whether people are nervous about talking about it during committee meetings or, you know, whether they are told not to, we don't really know. We're not privy to all of those internal discussions yet. But there's certainly a concern that people won't be able to speak freely about abortion and the impact of abortion bans right now in Georgia. This is really a huge change in women's health care that's happened since these bans went into place. So it's natural that a committee like this would be able to look at, you know, those questions and address those questions. And by dissolving the board, it certainly raises a lot of questions about whether those discussions can happen freely or whether folks will be afraid to really broach those issues.

Peter Biello: And if it's true that folks are afraid to broach any issue that intersects with the political reality in the state, how effective can this committee be if the conclusion they're reaching runs contrary to the — the policies that the powers that be have put in place?

Amy Yurkanin: I certainly think that these committees are going to be most effective when they're run without political interference of any kind. You know, they, the committees, do a lot of really good work. You know, I talked about how they address kind of structural issues, more than specific issues. You know, they are not a committee that implements change. All they do is make recommendations. But some of their recommendations have led to, you know, really improvements in the way hospitals deal with medical emergencies or the way that women access, like, psychiatric care. So this is a really important review committee. It's addressing an extremely important issue in Georgia, like a lot of Southern states, has a high rate of maternal mortality. So I think you certainly want people to have the ability to explore all of the, you know, possible causes of that in any particular case or in, you know, cases in general. So, yes, I think that you want committee members to feel like they have the ability to explore all factors that could contribute to a death.

Peter Biello: ProPublica reporter Amy Yurkanin, thank you so much for speaking with me.

Amy Yurkanin: Thank you, Peter.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Another Georgia funeral home is being investigated after urns, bags of human ashes and even human remains were found in what's left of the building. The Norman Medford Peden Funeral Home in Cobb County, north of Atlanta, caught fire earlier this year. Six local and state agencies now are trying to figure out what happened there and locate family members who used the business to handle their loved ones' remains. A similar situation unfolded in South Georgia's Coffee County last month.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: It's deer hunting season in Georgia, and one nonprofit is stepping up to connect hunters with people in need across the state. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

Chase McGee: The Georgia Wildlife Federation's Hunters for the Hungry program has grown exponentially since last year. In 2023, they worked with 10 deer processors to bring 6,000 pounds of venison to hungry Georgians. This year, program coordinator Lee Walker says they're expecting to bring in nearly 150,000 pounds of deer meat that can be shared with people who need help feeding their families.

Lee Walker: Each pound offers four servings, so one deer can provide a significant protein source for someone who could really use it.

Chase McGee: Walker says the massive increase comes thanks to funding from the Department of Natural Resources and other donors to engage more processors. She hopes to feed even more Georgians next season. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: The president of Spelman College won't be coming back from her leave of absence and is stepping down permanently. The historically Black women's college in Atlanta made the announcement yesterday, offering no explanation for why Helen Gayle initially left or why she won't return. Trustees say they're working on a plan to select the college's next president. In the meantime, its interim leader is Rosalind Brewer, a part owner of the Atlanta Falcons football team.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: A Canadian company says it will spend $600 million to expand its tissue paper mill in Macon and hire 100 more workers. Irving Tissue says the mill is currently selling all the bath, tissue and paper towels it can make. They will add a third paper machine, increasing output by 50%.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: 16 Georgia companies are being recognized among the fastest-growing North American firms in technology-related industries. The companies appear on global accounting firm Deloitte's annual list, the Technology Fast 500, released yesterday. Companies are ranked by rate of revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. The highest-ranked Georgia company, Atlanta-based media and fantasy sports operator Prize Picks Cracks the List's top 10. Atlanta-based financial technology firm Viva Finance cracks the Top 50.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: Hyundai's new electric vehicle plants in Southeast Georgia's Bryan County soon will begin building the company's largest-ever electric SUV. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.

Benjamin Payne: The Ioniq 9 will roll off the assembly line early next year, the South Korean automaker's massive $7 billion factory outside Savannah. Hyundai unveiled the new model Thursday before a global audience at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It marks the company's second vehicle to be manufactured at the plant, which opened last month. Gerald Schaefer helps manage the factory floor.

Gerald Schaefer: Once again, it's history. This plant coming to the greater Savannah area was history. What this model does is is offer the area continued growth.

Benjamin Payne: Hyundai says it plans to announce more models which will be built at its so-called Bryan County Metaplant in the coming months. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Caption

Atlanta United midfielder Dax McCarty, 37, said that he is savoring "every last minute" of a wild 2024 postseason, his last matches in an Major League Soccer career that has spanned nearly two decades.

Credit: Orlando Montoya / GPB News

Story 9:

Peter Biello: Major League soccer legend Dax McCarty is trying to retire after 19 seasons playing for six MLS teams. The problem is current team Atlanta United keeps winning unexpectedly. Atlanta upset the MLS playoffs two weeks ago when it beat the league's top-ranked team, Inter Miami and its international superstar Lionel Messi, on Miami's home turf. GPB's Orlando Montoya reports on Atlanta's underdog run in the postseason.

Orlando Montoya: On Wednesday, Atlanta United was training at their practice grounds just outside of Atlanta. 37-year-old midfielder Dax McCarty didn't expect to be here.

Dax McCarty: I'm savoring every — every last session and every last minute I get to come in here. The chances of us being here were very slim.

Orlando Montoya: McCarty had announced he would retire at the end of the season, and Atlanta United was having a really bad one. The team fired its head coach in June after a disappointing string of home losses, and fans like Tyler Pilgrim got used to seeing inconsistent play.

Tyler Pilgrim: You know, they would have the games and then they would turn around and lose games that they probably should have won.

Orlando Montoya: Pilgrim co-hosts a podcast, Scarves and Spikes, that followed the team. He watched the team get lucky on the last day of the regular season. An unexpected win by Atlanta United and two other teams' losses made the math work for an MLS playoff wildcard spot. Atlanta won that spot in a nail-biting penalty kick shootout. Then came that three game series against top-ranked Miami, which virtually no one gave them a chance at winning. But they did just that, with Pilgrim and his podcast colleagues watching along.

(Tyler Pilgrim and company shouting)

Stunning goalkeeping from the team captain Brad Guzan and three goals helped Atlanta United stop Messi's Miami. Dax McCarty was playing in the midfield helping his team win — nd watching his retirement delayed.

Dax McCarty: So it's a little bit of like a new lease on life, especially for a guy like me who's — who's calling it at the end of the season.

Orlando Montoya: McCarty has played for MLS teams in Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Nashville. Felipe Cardenas, senior writer for The Athletic, says he'll be remembered as one of the league's top players.

Felipe Cardenas: He's played hundreds of games. He was always dependable. Every team he played on, it was — he was a very important part of, of their tactical setup.

Orlando Montoya: Atlanta United now will face higher-ranked Orlando City in the MLS Eastern Conference semifinal in Orlando on Sunday. How long McCarty wears the Atlanta United jersey now depends on the rest of an unpredictable race for the MLS Cup that almost no one saw coming. For GPB News, I'm Orlando Montoya.

Peter Biello: And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you want to learn more about these stories, visit our website, GPB.org/News. And if you subscribe to this podcast, we will be back in your podcast feed automatically on Monday. If you've got feedback, 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 and have a great weekend.

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