Protecting animals and celebrating holiday traditions.

For the first time, Atlanta has a police officer dedicated to cases of animal cruelty. The position was created in October. And the first cop to fill the post is Senior Patrol Officer Amy Soelder. She’s a 22 year veteran of the force, and joins us in the studio.

During December of 1914, something remarkable happened. For a week before Christmas Day, French, British and German soldiers laid down their arms. They talked, sang carols, and wished each other Merry Christmas. This was known as the Christmas Truce, and did not happen again. We learn more about this piece of holiday history with Emory University professor Patrick Allitt.

Millions of American Christians are preparing to celebrate Christmas, but what about those who don’t celebrate? It’s a federal holiday, and most businesses are closed. What is Christmas like for the non-Christian? We hear from three of them: Noah Lugeons of the Scathing Atheist podcast, Georgia State University professor Abbas Barzegar, and Rabbi Brian Glusman with Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a beloved seasonal staple, but the Peanuts gang’s TV special wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. Lee Mendelson was the executive producer of that special. He tells us that after it first aired in 1965, he didn’t expect to ever see it on TV again.

Tags: christmas  OST Full Show  Atlanta  Georgia