On Second Thought For Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Minimum wage, travel ban, teen suicide, and Georgia peaches

First, the City of Atlanta plans to raise the minimum wage for city workers to $15 an hour. Following a national trend, Atlanta is the first such place in Georgia to make the move. But will a minimum wage increase hurt or help the working class? We talk about the pros and cons with Kristy Offitt, Employment Litigator for Ogletree Deakins in Atlanta. And Tom Smith, Assistant Professor of Finance at Emory University.

Then, parts of President Trump’s travel ban went into effect last week. That happened after the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily lifted an injunction on the ban. The high court plans to review the case this fall. The revised ban temporarily affects some travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries. We talk about the ban with Amy Crownover of New American Pathways, a refugee resettlement agency in Georgia.

Next, one of the people watching the travel ban closely is Luma Mufleh. Several years ago, she started a school for refugee children. It’s called Fugees Academy, and it’s in Clarkston, Georgia. Mufleh tells us how she’s been talking about the ban to her students, many of whom are from the six countries listed.

Then, Georgia has seen a spike in teen suicides this year. More than 20 known deaths so far in 2017 reveal a record trend. Thus far, no clusters or identifiable causes have been attributed to the troubling numbers. We talk about the issue with Trebor Randle, Special Agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Fatality Review Unit. And Tim Elmore, president of the non-profit Growing Leaders, which works to raise awareness about teen mental health.

Finally, Georgia is known as the Peach State, but it doesn’t actually top the list for peach production in the United States. And this year, late winter freezes took out 80 percent of the crop. Is it time to rebrand the Peach State? Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist George Mathis brings us a commentary.