Georgia Today: Laken Riley Act signed into law; First measles case of 2025; ATL Dream signs Griner

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, Jan. 29. I'm Peter Biello. On this podcast, you'll hear the latest reports from GPB news team. Got a story you think we should cover? Send feedback and story tips to GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. On today's episode: President Donald Trump signs the Laken Riley Act Into Law. State health officials confirm Georgia's first case of measles for this year. And the Atlanta Dream signs WNBA superstar Brittney Griner.

Brittney Griner: I need to introduce my new teammates because I will be joining the Atlanta Dream, yo! Let's get it!

Peter Biello: These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Caption

Augusta University nursing student Laken Hope Riley, 22, was killed on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on February 22, 2024.

Credit: Augusta University

Story 1:

Peter Biello: President Donald Trump signed into law today the Laken Riley Act, his new administration's first piece of legislation. The law is named for a Georgia nursing student who was killed last year by a Venezuelan national in the U.S. illegally. It mandates the detention and deportation of people in the U.S. without proper documentation who are accused of theft and other crimes before they actually have been convicted. And:

Donald Trump: For the first time ever, this act gives state governments the ability to sue the federal government for immediate injunctive relief. If any future administration ever again refuses to enforce the immigration laws of the United States like happened for four long years.

Peter Biello: Some legal experts believe those provisions violate constitutional rights and court challenges are expected. Laken Riley's family and Georgia officials, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and congressman Mike Collins, attended the signing ceremony.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: The Trump administration's efforts to make good on its promise to deport undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes is worrying immigrants and activists. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted raids in the Atlanta and Savannah areas over the weekend. Amilcar Valencia is the executive director of the Georgia-based El Refugio Ministry, which supports people impacted by immigration detention. He says if ICE agents attempt to find one person, perhaps by tracking their ankle monitors, they may detain and attempt to deport others.

Amilcar Valencia: They can go out to any location and also can arrest individuals who they deem to be immigrants who are undocumented.

Peter Biello: Valencia is advising communities at risk of encounters with ICE to rely on trustworthy information.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: A jury heard testimony today in the criminal misconduct trial of former Glynn County District Attorney Jackie Johnson, who is accused of meddling in the police investigation of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery nearly five years ago. The jury watched video today of a police investigator telling Travis McMichael that he would not be arrested for having shot and killed Arbery just two hours prior. No one was arrested in Arbery's killing until months later when graphic cellphone video of the shooting leaked online and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local police. The shooter's father, Greg McMichael, had worked for Johnson as an investigator and left a voicemail on her cellphone asking for help an hour after the killing. Johnson insists she did nothing wrong and immediately recused her office from handling the shooting.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: A metro Atlanta mayor is facing allegations that he misused city funds on flights and personal expenses. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports, the South Fulton City Council voted unanimously to approve a forensic audit of the mayor's spending.

Amanda Andrews: Residents began to question South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau's spending after he posted photos of an international trip on social media. The city has hired an independent auditing team to investigate Kamau's spending dating back to October 2023 over the next 60 days, South Fulton Councilwoman Carmalitha Gumbs says the city has already created new spending safeguards.

Carmalitha Gumbs: If your receipts haven't been reconciled within 72 hours or within three days, you'll receive a warning alert. If not, if they still haven't been done, your card will be disabled.

Amanda Andrews: During the council meeting Tuesday, the mayor stated that he views this process as, quote, "political posturing and it is distressing and disturbing." For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: State health officials have confirmed Georgia's first measles case of 2025. The state Department of Public Health said yesterday it affected an unvaccinated resident in metro Atlanta. Emory University epidemiologist Robert Banaszak says he worries lingering vaccine hesitancy from the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the prevention of other diseases.

Robert Banaszak: This is why it's very concerning when we're seeing some of these smaller outbreaks are rising as they may spill over into populations that may be slightly less vaccinated and we can see larger increases in measles disease.

Peter Biello: The U.S. declared measles eradicated in 2000, but last year reported nearly 300 cases, including six in Georgia.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Last week's unusual winter storm is bringing some surprisingly good news to Georgia farmers as they look ahead to the next growing season. GPB's Benjamin Payne reports.

Benjamin Payne: While the snowfall and freezing temperatures caused some damages to trees and blueberry bushes in Georgia, there is a silver lining. The cold spell likely killed many pests and diseases that lie dormant over the winter. So says state climatologist Pam Knox:

Pam Knox: That's one good thing about it. When we have really warm winters, that doesn't always happen. And that means that farmers have to work harder to apply pesticides and herbicides in the next growing season.

Benjamin Payne: By contrast, the cold winter we've weathered so far in Georgia is likely to mean less pesticide and herbicide use come spring. Knox says the South as a whole will slowly warm up from here on out, but that winter outbreaks could still pop up as late as March. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: WNBA player Brittney Griner is ending her 11-year career with the Phoenix Mercury. But the Mercury's loss is Georgia's gain. The basketball legend shared on Instagram yesterday that she was excited to sign with the Atlanta Dream.

Brittney Griner: I actually messed up on my intro. I needed to introduce my new teammates because I will be joining the Atlanta Dream, yo! Let's get it!

Peter Biello: The 6-foot-9 Griner had spent her entire career with Phoenix after getting drafted No. 1 in 2013. Griner missed the 2022 season when she was detained for nearly 10 months in Russia after authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis. She was later released during a prisoner swap.

Peter Biello: We hope you had a chance to enjoy the warm — warm-ish weather today. I'm originally from New England, so I'm never fully convinced we are through with the coldest temperatures, so I am savoring this while it lasts. Maybe you are too. Whatever the weather happens to be tomorrow, we'll be dropping another episode of Georgia Today in the late afternoon. Don't miss it. Subscribe now and you won't miss a thing. Thanks again for listening. I'm Peter Biello. We'll see you tomorrow. 

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