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Georgia Today: Kemp issues state of emergency, Savannah man charged in Jan. 6 riot, illness is up
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On the Wednesday Dec. 21 edition of Georgia Today: Gov. Kemp issues a state of emergency ahead of the extreme cold, a Savannah man has been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, and respiratory illnesses are up.
TRANSCRIPT:
Peter Biello: Welcome to the new Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, December 21st. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, Georgia prepares for extreme cold temperatures heading our way for the holidays. A Savannah man charged in connection with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol is headed to court. And last year, Georgia saw historically low case counts for respiratory illnesses. This year? Not so much. These stories and more are coming up on Georgia Today.
Story 1
Peter Biello: Governor Brian Kemp is declaring a state of emergency, as dangerously cold temperatures move in across the state, that allows for resources such as propane to be made available for homes and businesses.
Gov. Brian Kemp: Communities across the state are about to see temperatures that they haven't experienced in a decade or more. And we just want to urge all Georgians to be ready. And certainly that goes for our teams and we are working on that as we speak.
Peter Biello: The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill watch from late tomorrow through Saturday morning. Wind chills could push temperatures as low as 10 below zero and 15 to 20 below zero in the North Georgia mountains. Temperatures are expected to rapidly begin dropping into the teens and 20s behind an arctic front late tomorrow night into Friday. Lows on Saturday morning will range from the single digits to mid teens across much of north and central Georgia. In addition, windy conditions are anticipated with northwest winds of 15 to 20 miles an hour, with frequent gusts of 30 to 40 miles an hour likely. Transportation officials say they will begin salting about 21,000 miles of roads and highways tonight. State Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurray says all state roads and interstates north of a line from Columbus to Macon and Augusta will be treated. He's asking motorists to watch out for salting crews and stay off the roads, beginning with the expected rain and cold tomorrow.
Russell McMurray: And certainly on Friday morning, we ask that you not get out. If you see a roadway that looks wet on Friday morning or Friday, assume that it is frozen.
Peter Biello: If you are traveling by car during this time, keep your phone charged, pack extra clothes and blankets and bring extra food in case you become stranded. Go to GPB.org/Storms for updates on winter weather developments.
Story 2
Peter Biello: Georgia is set to receive $28 million from a national settlement with Wal-Mart over allegations the retailer didn't appropriately oversee how it dispensed opioids. GPB's Devon's Zwald reports Georgia joins 49 other states in settling with the company.
Devon Zwald: The settlement requires Wal-Mart to comply with state oversight measures to help prevent fake prescriptions from being filled. The company also will have to flag suspicious prescriptions. Wal-Mart was not a defendant in Georgia's ongoing litigation involving opioid distributors. Instead, the company approached the state with a settlement offer which Georgia accepted. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says the settlement will be used to fund critical treatment and recovery services for those struggling with opioid abuse. For GPB News, I'm Devon Zwald.
Story 3
Peter Biello: A man in Savannah charged in connection with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol is scheduled for a federal court hearing tomorrow. GPB's Benjamin Payne has this preview.
Benjamin Payne: Dominic Box will make an initial appearance before a D.C. judge on Thursday afternoon. This comes after Box was arrested in Savannah last week on four federal charges related to the January 6th insurrection, which sought to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. In court documents, an FBI agent says numerous photos and videos show box breaching the Capitol building after marching from then President Trump's so-called Save the Steal rally. One of those videos being used as evidence is an HBO documentary in which Box sat down for an interview where he acknowledged his presence in the Capitol building. The agent also says he sat down for an interview with the FBI, where Box largely confirmed his role in the attack. A Savannah attorney who previously represented him told GPB that Box "looks forward to participating in his defense and his deep respect for due process." Thursday's court hearing is set for 1 p.m. and will be held remotely via Zoom. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.
Story 4
Peter Biello: Wearing masks and staying home contributed to historically low case counts for seasonal respiratory viruses during last flu season. Now that the holidays are here and more people are gathering, several respiratory viruses are adding to COVID-19's disease burden. GPB's Ellen Eldridge reports.
Ellen Eldridge: Rates of people with colds, influenza and RSV are high, and COVID-19 is still making people sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 56% of Georgians are fully vaccinated against COVID, but only a quarter got the updated variant targeting shots this flu season. Antrell Hyson is the Region Four Director for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Antrell Tyson: And the updated vaccine can help restore those protections that may have waned over time from the earlier doses, helping protect people in the communities and including those that are most vulnerable.
Ellen Eldridge: Tyson says it's important to notify a primary care doctor when testing positive for COVID because there are medications that can help with symptoms. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.
Story 5
Peter Biello: Gov. Brian Kemp and 24 other Republican governors sent a letter to the White House on Monday asking for an end to the federal COVID-19 public health emergency. The letter argues the health emergency has meant states have lost millions on growing Medicaid enrollment. GPB's Sofi Gratas explains.
Sofi Gratas: Millions of primarily low-income people nationwide have joined the Medicaid rolls since the public health emergency started. Enrollment in Georgia has grown by about 40%. That's primarily due to an ongoing agreement between states and the federal government. To continue receiving extra funding for Medicaid, states cannot unenroll people, even if their eligibility under the program may have changed. While federal funds pay for most of the expansion, Republican leaders, including Gov. Kemp, claim continuous enrollment is costing too much in state matching funds. The letter asks for the public health emergency to expire in April. After that, states would have a year to adjust their Medicaid rolls. Meanwhile, a new congressional spending bill could allow states to start the unenrollment process in April, regardless of an emergency extension. For GPB News, I'm Sofi Gratas.
Story 6
Peter Biello: Speculation has been brewing over what's next for Stacey Abrams. After she lost her second bid for governor, the Democrat has been quiet about her plans. But in a national TV interview, Abrams highlighted Georgia's disabled community. GPB's Riley Bunch has the story.
Riley Bunch: In her first interview since her loss, Abrams said on Good Morning America she wasn't sure what was next for her politically, but she took the opportunity to highlight her advocacy for the disabled community.
Stacey Abrams: My job is to keep talking about issues like the fact that in Georgia we have 7,000 disabled people on a waiting list.
Riley Bunch: Abrams is referring to a yearslong waiting list for state funded in-home services for disabled Georgians who need care. Now, an organization started by a former staffer aims to build a coalition of disability advocates across 14 Southern states to tackle issues like that one.
Dom Kelly: People with disabilities are facing the same problems and we can better work together than separately.
Riley Bunch: That's Dom Kelly, founder of New Disabled South. He says their goal is to bring attention to issues like access to care in the ballot box. Lawmakers in Georgia have been working to address the long wait for in-home services and recommended more funds be put toward the system this year. For GPB News, I'm Riley Bunch.
Peter Biello: And that is it for today's edition of Georgia Today. For more news, check out our website GPB.org/News and sign up for our Georgia Today newsletter at GPB.org/Newsletters.
Your feedback is appreciated. Let us know what you think about this podcast. We'd like to know what we're doing well and what we can improve upon. You can send us a note by email. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org
I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. See you tomorrow.
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