A month ago, 17 people died in a mass school shooting in Florida. To remember the victims, students nationwide are walking out of their classrooms Wednesday morning in solidarity. We talked with student Lauren Bengtson of Pope High School in Cobb County. Her father, Mike, also joined the conversation.  Then, we talked with Frank LoMonte of the Student Press Law Center about whether schools can take action against students who participate in Wednesday’s walkout. 

According to a study released last year by the University of Chicago, more than 4 million youth in America face homelessness every year. As part of Women’s History Month, women from all over America were in Atlanta last week for a “sleep-out” at Covenant House Georgia, an area shelter. They took to the streets with cardboard boxes and sleeping bags to raise awareness about youth homelessness. On Second Thought’s LaRaven Taylor rode with the organization and brought back an audio postcard.

Homeless people are repeatedly arrested for public urination. Others have mental health issues that land them in prison. There’s a two-year pilot program underway in Fulton County to counter these arrests. The initiative is modeled off of programs in other cities. We heard from Moki Macías, the executive director of the Atlanta/Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative. Also joining the conversation was Brian McGregor of the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Earlier this week, we met two stand-in actors who works on FX’s Atlanta, now in its second season. On Second Thought contributor Michelle Khouri caught up with Hiro Murai, the show's co-executive producer. 

Bradford Pear trees are beautiful and blooming almost everywhere. These white bloom factories also have a deserved reputation as a nuisance. Brian Williams of Trees Atlanta explained why these trees frustrate many environmentalists.

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