Georgia Today: Complaint filed against Emory; Alzheimers study; Aaron 715th Home Run anniversary

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Monday, April 8. I'm Peter Biello. Today on the program, two advocacy groups filed a complaint against Emory University for creating what they say is a hostile environment for Muslim students. Researchers recruit older patients for a new study on Alzheimer's disease, and it's the 50th anniversary of the night Braves outfielder "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron became a baseball legend. These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

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Emory

Story 1:

Peter Biello: Two advocacy groups have filed a complaint against Emory University for what they say is a hostile campus environment for Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students. The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, and Palestine Legal filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. They're demanding an immediate investigation into what they say are months of discrimination, harassment and intimidation. The groups are filing on behalf of Emory Students for Justice in Palestine, a student organization that advocates for Palestinian human rights, whose members allegedly have been targeted for harassment on campus and doxxed on social media. Azka Mahmood is executive director of CAIR Georgia. She says the situation has been harrowing.

Azka Mahmood: It cannot be overstated how afraid the students are and you have grown adults doxxing, harassing, showing up on campus, creating real feelings of fear amongst these young adults.

Peter Biello: The complaint says Emory faculty, fellow students, administrators and alumni are to blame. Emory says it has not received a copy of the complaint, but it does not tolerate behavior or actions that threaten, harm or target individuals because of their identities or backgrounds.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: A student at Mercer University in Georgia, has been arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after disrupting a speech by a proponent of the economic and political philosophy of novelist Ayn Rand. The student was arrested by Mercer University police in Macon after disrupting the speech of Jennifer Grossman, CEO of the conservative group the Atlas Society, in order to protest the war in Gaza.

Finn O'Brien: We know that 44,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel. 44,000. 20,000 of them are children.

Peter Biello: The student, Finn O'Brien, was booked into the Bibb County Jail after Grossman swore out a complaint on Friday, and was later released on $650 bail. The university said in a statement that it's reviewing the incident and will take action as warranted.

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Alzheimers

Credit: (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Researchers are recruiting people in their 50s and 60s with no symptoms of Alzheimer's for a new study of the disease. The cognitive disorder mostly affects people late in life. GPB's Ellen Eldridge explains.

Ellen Eldridge: There are drugs that can affect amyloid proteins, the substances in the brain associated with Alzheimer's. Researchers with the Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium, funded by the National Institutes of Health, want to know if those drugs can also be used to prevent the disease in people who don't yet have an Alzheimer's diagnosis. Dr. Julio Rojas is a consortium member and an associate professor of neurology at the University of California.

Dr. Julio Rojas: You know, the key observation is that this brain accumulation of amyloid, we know, because of their scientific progress, that it, starts occurring 15 to 20 years before people develop symptoms.

Ellen Eldridge: Trial locations for the four year study include Atlanta and Columbus. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: Columbus is offering $5,000 incentives to lure remote workers to the city. GPB's Orlando Montoya reports hundreds of qualified workers from across the country have applied for the program.

Orlando Montoya: If you make $75,000 or more a year doing remote work and live 75 miles outside of Columbus, you too can qualify. The business collaborative Columbus 2025 is behind the offer, aiming to make the city more competitive for people who can work anywhere. Its director, Tabitha Getz, says a group of young professionals in Columbus sorted through the applications.

Tabitha Getz: Those people will actually be part of the program with them and help them get involved in their community once they get here. They get some co-working space, they get some tickets, they get some membership, all to help them feel really connected to Columbus.

Orlando Montoya: Only between seven and 10 workers will be selected for the program this year, although it's expected to return next year. For GPB News, I'm Orlando Montoya.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: The Springer Opera House in Columbus is getting federal funding to make improvements to its historic building. This year's bipartisan funding package provides $460,000 to repair the nonprofit's roof and drainage system. The money also will be used to purchase a new humidity control system. The Springer Opera House opened in 1871 and was named the state theater of Georgia by then-Gov. Jimmy Carter. It has remained an historic part of the Columbus community to this day. Its CEO, Danielle Varner, says the grant will help keep the opera house strong for generations to come.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: 50 years ago tonight, Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron slugged his way into the history books. On April 8, 1974, the future Hall of Famer belted his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's longtime record. More than 50,000 fans packed the old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium that night to witness Aaron's rise to the throne of Homerun King. Perhaps no fan got closer to the action than Charlie Russo, a fish market operator from Savannah. Now 81, Russo sat down with GPB at his home, where the fishmonger recounted how he reeled in relics from the field and came face-to-face with Hank Aaron himself.

Charlie Russo: It starts off an uncle of mine, Dieter. He works with us at the fish market, and the game was coming up and we figured "All right, Hank's going to break this record before long, so let's try to get tickets and go." We get the tickets from a friend of mine who lives in Atlanta. We drive up, we get ready for the game, walk across the street, and it was, what, 53,000 people there. So but we got there early and we had great seats. And as I look over, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey and Hank's family were sitting in a booth right behind the dugout. The first inning, I've got a little camera and I start filming, but they walk him. Okay, so now I'm thinking, okay, Dieter, I'm gonna go get two beers and a couple of hot dogs, so, you know, and I'll be back in a minute. So it was crowded as it was, and I'm standing in line for a good while. And when I'm coming back, he's coming up to bat. We were playing the Dodgers at night, so I just turned. It was two Dodgers — a guy and his wife or whatever — and I said, "Do me a favor, say, hold these two hotdogs and two beers. I'm going to film this." So I got my camera and I get it up. Well, I think the first was a ball. The second pitch —

Milo Hamilton: Swinging! There's a drive into left center field! That ball is gonna be — outta here! It's gone! It's 715! There's a new home run champion of all time and it's Henry Aaron! The fireworks are going. Henry Aaron is coming around third. His teammates are at home plate. And listen to this crowd!

Charlie Russo: I got it all now on my camera. Okay? I said, "This is unbelievable." So now I had seen Pearl Bailey and his family and all down, you know, where they were sitting, and they weren't far away. So as soon as this happens, I rushed down there and I started filming them. At that moment, they opened the gate and they walked and I just went with them, okay? Just like I was part of the family. And then I had this camera, which I'm filming. So once I got on the field and it was maybe another dozen people filming and doing all that kind of stuff. So it wasn't like, "okay, now he doesn't belong here, and, you know, we're going to ask you to leave." So anyway, I'm filming this and now it's a little bit of ceremony or whatever, and I'm, I'm standing and I'm right there and filming, I'm right in his face. I'm right behind him. And the uncle of mine don't even know I got on the field and I'm on the field. So I'm standing behind Hank and I'm waving to my uncle. And I didn't trip over it, but I noticed the rosin bag and the donut was there, and I just picked 'em up, put 'em in my pocket. I had them framed. He came to town a couple of weeks after this occasion, and I met him down at the Savannah Civic Center, and he autographed the rosin bag and the donut, and, he put "Best wishes, Hank Aaron."

Peter Biello: That was Charlie Russo speaking to GPB from his home in Savannah. Now, 50 years to the day that Hank Aaron hit home run No. 715, Russo says it's time for him to pass on the batting donut and rosin bag. He plans to sell them to another private collector or to the Atlanta Braves themselves. This story was produced by GPB Savannah reporter Benjamin Payne.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: The Atlanta Braves partnered with the Atlanta History Center to present "More Than a Brave," an exhibit in Aaron's honor, GPB's Chase McGee reports.

Chase McGee: Mementos on display include many from public and private collections documenting his childhood in Mobile, Ala., through his meteoric rise to the major leagues. Atlanta History Center CEO Sheffield Hale says he got chills when he saw it for the first time.

Sheffield Hale: This is the biggest temporary exhibit that we've had in terms of interest and importance since we had the King papers here almost 20 years ago.

Chase McGee: The exhibit will be up until September 2025, giving visitors to next year's All-Star game a chance to see it in person. For GPB News in Atlanta, I'm Chase McGee.

Credit: Peter Biello / GPB News

Story 8:

Peter Biello: Braves manager Brian Snitker was 18 years old, playing college ball in 1974, and, he says where he was at the time, Central Illinois, all you could get on TV were Chicago Cubs games. So he did not see the 715th home run when it happened. But he says later he got to know Hank Aaron, as the baseball legend served in Braves coaching and front office roles.

Brian Snitker: We used to sit for hours in the clubhouse in spring training, listen to him tell stories. And and I've said this many times, it was never about him either. You know, it was never "I did this, I did that." It was the exact opposite. But just, you know, again, we had we all had questions. We were young coaches, young managers and, you know, "Who didn't you like to face?" or "Who was the toughest guy you faced?" Things like that. "How many All-Star games you make?" Every time I asked him "How many games you play in spring training?" He goes, "All of them," you know? So, they were just. Yeah, very approachable. And it was — that's why we all, you know, wanted to do good for him, that we weren't going to shortchange anything we did out of respect for him and the love for the man.

Peter Biello: Aaron's legacy will be honored at a pregame ceremony at Truist Park tonight. First pitch in the first of the four-game series against the New York Mets is scheduled for 7:20.

Story 9:

Peter Biello: It's been a big week for women's sports. History was made over the weekend in the sport of soccer in downtown Atlanta, as the U.S. women's national team hosted the SheBelieves Cup. As GPB's Jon Nelson reports, the doubleheader was in front of friends, family and a lot of fans.

Jon Nelson: The four-team international tournament with the U.S., Japan, Canada and Brazil revealed its Atlanta debut as a record breaking attendance figure for the USWNT. Slightly more than 50,000 fans attended the matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the most fans ever for a United States friendly — a match designed for national teams to get ready for future tournaments with a trophy at the end. Emily Sonnet, one of two Atlanta-area players for the Stars and Stripes, thinks the day speaks volumes.

Emily Sonnet: The real answer is that it was electric. It was awesome. I think having one in my hometown break — breaking the record is great. I think it's great for the sports community here, and the support behind the Women's National Team.

Jon Nelson: With ground being broken on the new National Training Center in Fayette County on Monday as well, it's a very busy time for soccer in the state of Georgia on an international scale. For GPB News, I'm Jon Nelson.

Story 10:

Peter Biello: Lottie Wood of England is the Augusta National Women's Amateur champion. The Florida State sophomore came from behind on Saturday with birdies on three of her last four holes to win by one at the home of the Masters, Arnold Palmer in 1960 and Mark O'Meara in 1998, are the only players to birdie in the last two holes at Augusta National to win by a single shot. This year's Masters tournament officially gets underway, with the first round on Thursday, where Jon Rahm looks to defend his title.

Story 11:

Peter Biello: And the University of South Carolina's women's NCAA championship win yesterday in Ohio gave Georgians at least two reasons to celebrate: Westlake High School graduate Raven Johnson and Forest Park High School's Sania Feagin. It was Johnson's steal on Iowa history-maker Caitlin Clark that helped break open USC's lead at halftime. The guard also was key to the Westlake Lions, winning four straight state titles. and in an Andscape feature just days ago. Feagin was touted as one of the most lethal shot blockers in the country. Together with their Gamecocks teammates, Johnson and Feagin closed out an undefeated season, making South Carolina's women's basketball team three-time national champions.

Peter Biello: And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit GPB.org/news. And remember to subscribe to this podcast. That way, we'll be back in your feed automatically tomorrow with all the top stories from Georgia. And if you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Let us know by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks, as always, for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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