Closer Look: APD Chief Erika Shields Talks Super Bowl Preparations; Angelica Ross of FX Series “Pose”; Gladys Knight’s Journey to Stardom

Candace Wheeler •
APD Chief Erika Shields talks safety preparations ahead of Super Bowl weekend.
APD Chief Erika Shields talks safety preparations ahead of Super Bowl weekend.
Credit Anastaciah Ondieki / WABE
Audio version of this story here.

Friday on “Closer Look with Rose Scott”:

  • 0:00: Rose Scott details that after nearly a week of “sick outs” most MARTA bus drivers should be back on the job soon. The transit agency and its bus drivers union have agreed to a consent order that should end the strike, but the exact terms of the agreement are not yet clear.
  • In other news, the Federal Aviation Administration has set a “no drone zone” around Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Georgia World Congress Center, State Farm Arena, Centennial Olympic Park and the Fox Theater. It will last from today until Feb. 3 — violators could face civil penalties that exceed $20,000.
  • Also, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has announced the appointment of a new director of the Georgia Bureau Investigation today: Vic Reynolds. He’s a former police officer, chief magistrate judge, prosecutor, and criminal defense attorney. He was most recently elected to serve as Cobb County’s District Attorney in 2012.
  • 3:04: Atlanta will soon host its biggest event of the year: Super Bowl LIII. With an estimated 1million people expected to visit the city, we speak to Atlanta Police Department Chief Erika Shields about public safety preparations.
  • 25:06: As a star in the FX series “Pose,” Angelica Ross depicts the story of Candy, a transgender woman in the New York ballroom culture during the 1980’s. In addition to her acting career, Ross is dedicated to sharing her own story, as a transgender advocate and founder of TransTech Social Enterprises. A conversation with Ross to discuss her work on and off the screen in working towards more representation for trans-women in business sectors where they previously have been underrepresented.
Angelica Ross talks about her acting career including a starring role in the FX series “Pose” and her work to increase representation for transgender women in all fields. (Credit: Anastaciah Ondieki)
  • 38:16: We continue our look at Super Bowl LIII with a pre-game preview from Closer Look sports contributor Marcelle English.
  • 46:48: Atlanta’s own Gladys Knight will kick of Super Bowl LIII with the Star Spangled Banner. We’ll take a look at the Empress of Soul’s journey to stardom and how her career evolved, from her first performance at age eight to the seven-time Grammy award winning artist she is today.

Closer Look is produced by Candace Wheeler and Grace Walker. Anastaciah M. Ondieki contributed to this article.