Georgia Today: More lawsuits from 2020 Georgia election claims; union vs. brewery; is our air clean?

Orlando Montoya: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Wednesday, April 19. I'm Orlando Montoya. On today's episode, the now settled lawsuit between Fox News and Dominion voting systems is not the only case stemming from false claims about Georgia's 2020 election. We'll explain. Is the air we breathe cleaner today than it was last year? We have the data for you. And union members file complaints against a well well-known brewery in Athens. We've got the details. These stories and more coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

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Orlando Montoya: Fox News settled a lawsuit for nearly $800 million yesterday filed by a company that makes voting machines, including those used in Georgia. But as GPB's Stephen Fowler reports, it's not the only case stemming from false claims about Georgia's 2020 election.

Stephen Fowler: Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News over false claims the network made about the company after the 2020 election. Fox will pay $787.5 million dollars instead of facing a trial for airing conspiracies about voting machines in Georgia and other states. There's also a trial in St. Louis scheduled for next month that has Georgia ties. Two Fulton County election workers, Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, are suing the owners of the Missouri-based far-right website Gateway Pundit, for defamation after it falsely accused them of counting counterfeit ballots in November 2020 — one of many sources of that claim that led to death threats and harassment. And, of course, charges are expected soon from Fulton County DA Fani Willis, after a monthslong investigation into efforts to overturn Georgia's results in the 2020 presidential election. For GPB News, I'm Stephen Fowler.

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Orlando Montoya: The state university system will waive SAT and ACT test requirements at most of the system's 26 colleges and universities for another year. The waiver began with the pandemic in March 2020, and at a meeting today, regents were told that freshman enrollment plummeted after a brief lifting of the waiver. It will apply to all of the system's institutions except the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia College and State University.

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PEXELS.COM

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Orlando Montoya: The American Lung Association says Atlanta's air quality has improved since last year, but Augusta's has worsened. GPB's Ellen Eldridge has more on this year's State of the Air report for Georgia.

Ellen Eldridge: This year's report uses data from 2019 to 2021 to grade exposure to unhealthy air. That includes ground level ozone, air and particle pollution, including short-term spikes. Danna Thompson is with the American Lung Association. She says individuals can find their community's letter grade and try to reduce their risk, locally.

Danna Thompson: If you're experiencing a poor air quality day, you can take precautions like rolling up windows, not exercising outside, putting your air conditioners on recirculate and taking extra precautions for children and people with lung disease.

Ellen Eldridge: Thompson says overall air quality has improved across the nation, thanks in part to the Clean Air Act. For GPB News, I'm Ellen Eldridge.

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The Rev. Charles Stanley was pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta for more than 50 years and an worldwide evangelical broadcaster.

Credit: In Touch Ministries

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Orlando Montoya: Tributes are pouring in for evangelical broadcaster Charles Stanley, who died Tuesday. Stanley was the pastor at Atlanta's First Baptist Church for more than 50 years and produced sermons broadcast around the world. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called him one of the city's most influential faith leaders. Charles Stanley was 90 years old.

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Orlando Montoya: Georgia officials and student leaders gathered at Morehouse College Tuesday to discuss the National Urban League 47th report on the State of Black America. As GPB's Amanda Andrews explains, this year, it focuses on the rise of extremism.

Amanda Andrews: The report is called "Confronting the Threat Within." It identifies five leading factors leading to inequality in the United States, including hate crimes, censorship in education, hateful conspiracies, police brutality and divisive policies. Morehouse junior Elijah Turner is a student organizer. He says discussions about social issues are more important than ever.

Elijah Turner: We are seeing the older generation of the civil rights movement pass on the baton to the younger generation. And so the younger generation is in a unique period where they are figuring out exactly what is disruption when it comes down to protest.

Amanda Andrews: National Urban League President Marc Morial called for action, including a ban on assault weapons and congressional passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

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Orlando Montoya: Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp hosted a roundtable discussion Tuesday on the latest efforts to combat human trafficking in Georgia. GPB's Sarah Kallis has more.

Sarah Kallis: The governor and first lady commended the Legislature for their help passing anti-human trafficking legislation. Kemp signed a bill this week increasing the penalty for businesses that do not properly display the human trafficking hotline number. Gov. Kemp also called attention to the funding needs of organizations that rehabilitate victims of human trafficking.

Gov. Brian Kemp: The more — the more you learn, you realize, the more needs that are out. Just the financial needs, the needs for wraparound services. I mean, the more you learn, it's like there's more we need to do.

Sarah Kallis: Marty Camp established a commission to tackle human trafficking shortly after the governor took office. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis.

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Otis Redding III, son of legendary singer Otis Redding Jr., died Tuesday, April 18, 2023. He was 59 years old.

Credit: Courtesy of The Otis Redding Foundation

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Orlando Montoya: Macon musician Otis Redding III, son of the legendary soul singer Otis Redding, died Tuesday. The younger Redding followed in his father's musical footsteps, performing with his brothers as The Reddings. But he also volunteered with local organizations, including Meals on Wheels, St Jude's and the Macon Transit Authority. The Authority's Jami Gaudet says he loved his craft but also had a heart for people of limited means.

Jami Gaudet: Very personable, very warm, very engaging. And you know, I would see him periodically around town and again, always very warm, always a big hug, always very friendly. But as a member of our board of directors, I would say he was a consummate professional. And one of the quotes I got was from our chairman, Frank Lewis Thompkins, who called him a consummate professional. He also referred to him as the servant leader and said when it came to decision making that Otis was always thoughtful, he always listened, he always sought advice and did make very thoughtful decisions as a board member. So we were proud to have him as a member of the board and are — are deeply shocked and deeply saddened by his passing.

Orlando Montoya: A statement from the Otis Redding Foundation confirmed that he died from cancer and asked for privacy as the family copes with the loss. Otis Redding III was 59 years old.

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Orlando Montoya: The Brewer's Union of Georgia is accusing Athens brewery Creature Comforts of retaliating against outspoken union members. In the official complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the union says two employees were suspended from their positions in the last month after the company accused them of making threatening statements. They were then told they couldn't talk to other employees about the investigation into what happened. A spokesperson for the Brewer's union, Katie Britton, says this amounts to union busting.

Katie Britton: Instead of doing what I think it was meant to do, which is be a scare tactic used against union members, instead has been a rallying cry, a big solidarity moment.

Orlando Montoya: Creature Comforts CEO Chris Herron says that this is not union busting but an appropriate response to ensure employee safety. Herron also says that he thinks the unfair labor practices complaint or ULP will be dismissed.

Chris Herron: We're going to continue to not allow concerns of whether the union is going to file a ULP or not govern how we operate and make decisions regarding the safety of our employees or our guests or or any manner of how we run the business.

Orlando Montoya: It's unclear when the National Labor Relations Board will make a decision on the complaint.

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Orlando Montoya: Savannah's minor league hockey team plans to build a $25 million training facility. Savannah Ghost Pirates say the building in Port Wentworth will have ice rinks open to the public, a pro shop and a restaurant. The team finished their inaugural season last weekend, selling out 33 of their 36 home games.

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Orlando Montoya: And the Atlanta Hawks lost to the Boston Celtics last night, 119 to 106 to fall into a 2-0 hole against the Celtics in their first round playoff matchups. The series moves back to Atlanta for Game 3 on Friday.

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about these stories, visit GPB.org/News. If you haven't yet hit subscribe on this podcast, take a moment right now and keep us current in your podcast feed. And as always, if you have feedback, we want to hear it. Email us at GeorgiaToday@GPB.org.

I'm Orlando Montoya. Thanks for tuning in.

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