WABE’s Week In Review: Local Afghans React and More Mask Mandate Drama in Georgia
The mayors of some of Georgia’s biggest cities say Governor Brian Kemp is putting politics ahead of public safety as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in the state. Kemp signed an Executive Order, Thursday, that bans cities from requiring businesses and sports teams from requiring masks.
The mayors of Atlanta, Savannah, Athens-Clarke and Augusta-Richmond wrote an open letter to Kemp saying businesses have asked them to keep customers and workers safe.
Kemp has long declined to put statewide measures–like mask or vaccine mandates–in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. Last week, he pledged $125 million to help hospitals with staffing.
Cobb County Schools Remain Mask Optional…
Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale says masks will remain optional in the district even as the number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia and the county continue to rise. Ragsdale made the announcement at a school board meeting Thursday, to the delight of some parents in attendance.
“Mandatory masking is not without a cost,” Ragsdale said.
His comments came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended all school staff and students over the age of two wear masks. Additionally, 240 Cobb physicians sent a letter to Ragsdale and the board urging them to adopt a mask mandate.
Feeling the heat…
Heat is dangerous. In fact, extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States. And cities are hotter than rural areas. So scientists in Atlanta are working to get a more detailed understanding of which neighborhoods here are the hottest in an effort to find solutions for the most vulnerable communities.
Also in this episode:
–Sam Whitehead, filling in for Jim Burress on All Things Considered, talks with Bahar Mehr, an Afghan who is now settled in Georgia with his wife and children. He worked as an interpreter and cultural advisor alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
–Susanna Capelouto examines the recent Census data for Georgia and how that can impact redistricting.
–Emil Moffatt profiles a move by the Atlanta Hawks to try and attract people to work at State Farm Arena during the upcoming basketball and concert season.
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