On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott, we learn the details about a lawsuit that was settled between the ACLU and ACLU of Georgia against the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. The ACLU accused the DA’s Office of not adhering to a rule about unindicted individuals detained on felony charges for 45 days at the Fulton County Jail. Fallon McClure, deputy director for policy and advocacy at ACLU of Georgia and Legal Director Cory Isaacson discuss how their settlement is a step towards addressing overcrowding at the Rice Street detention center.

Also, Atlanta now has three skateparks with plans for seven by 2031. One of which was recently named in honor of Thomas Taylor, somebody who impacted many while he was alive. WABE’s Christopher Alston shares the story.

Then, data collected by the CDC and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence calculates how Black and Brown Communities continue to be disproportionately impacted by gun violence. Rose talks with Dr. Keisha Lindsay Nurse, an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the CDC, about how her family was personally affected and what the data doesn’t show about gun violence.

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Thousands of people have applied for the City of Atlanta’s e-Bike Rebate Program. The first round of rebates is scheduled to go out on July 15th. Roz Tucker with the Atlanta Regional Commission shares demographic data and more about the people who are taking advantage of the rebates. Michelle Dunbar, the owner of Clutch Bicycle Shop, also joins us to give the perspective of a shop owner, to discuss the e-bike boom, and how this program will work.

To those who know it best, the Okefenokee Swamp is the largest, completely freshwater swamp in North America. However, the future of the swamp could have huge implications for water law throughout the eastern United States. Marisa Mecke talks about her latest feature: With mine permits on the horizon, feds fight for water rights at the Okefenokee Swamp.

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On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott, we exclusively received the announcement that Fulton County’s interim Board of Elections Chair Cathy Woolard is stepping down. In a statement, she tells us, “Despite all the noise you hear, the Fulton County election department does excellent work in one of the largest election operations in the country.”

Also, after President Biden’s less than stellar debate performance, is it a risk for him to lead the Democratic Party’s ticket in the 2024 Election? Are Georgia’s Democratic leaders concerned? Campaign strategist Fred Hicks weighs in.

Then, an invasive species has found its way into multiple bodies of water in Georgia, including Lake Lanier. Chinese Mystery Snails were discovered as state wildlife officials were conducting routine sampling of the lake. Jim Page with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources shares an urgent message for anglers, boaters, and citizens.

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Tuesday marks 60 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. The landmark piece of legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, sex, religion, color, or national origin. Civil Rights icons such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis were in attendance for this history-making event in 1964. To reflect on this moment, show host Rose Scott talks with Andrea Young, the executive director of the ACLU of Georgia. She is also the daughter of iconic activist, former Atlanta mayor and UN ambassador Andrew Young.

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In a 6-3 decision by the justices, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that outdoor sleeping bans do not violate the Eighth Amendment. The decision essentially allows cities to make it illegal for unhoused people to sleep outdoors, even when shelter space is unavailable. Dr. Terence Lester, the founder and executive director of Love Beyond Walls, discusses how this ruling will affect those who are unhoused in the Atlanta area.

Filmmaker Hal Jacobs and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth discuss their new documentary, “Saving the Chattahoochee.” It spotlights Sally Bethea, one of America’s first female riverkeepers. The film focuses on her decades-long effort to maintain the health of the river.

Plus, Editor Dan Whisenhunt discusses a big announcement: the new ownership of his digital media business, Decaturish.com, by Appen Media, a local and family-owned newspaper company. Whisenhunt is joined by Carl Appen, the director of content and development at Appen Media, to discuss what the arrangement means for the future of both of their news outlets.

Lastly, Anthony Michael Kreis, an assistant professor of law at Georgia State University, gives an analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the question of whether former presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts they take while in office. According to NPR, in a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that “a former president has absolute immunity for his core constitutional powers — and is entitled to a presumption of immunity for his official acts, but lacks immunity for unofficial acts.

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The much anticipated first and maybe only debate between Pres. Joe Biden and former Pres. Donald Trump took place Thursday night in Atlanta. We hear insight from politics contributor, strategist and analyst Fred Hicks, former Wisconsin Congressman Scott Klug and GSU politics and policy professor Tammy Greer. The guests also discuss what's next for the Republican and Democratic parties in terms of national campaign strategies.

Plus, from the Morehouse School of Medicine, Dr. Rick Kittles, the senior vice president for research, discusses a $20 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The award is meant to provide more equitable funding for HBCUs competing in the research ecosystem, including Atlanta's Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.

Lastly from WABE’s Beyond Pride Series, we learn how a community basketball league has created a new gathering spot for people in the transgender community.

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National HIV Testing Day is being recognized throughout the U.S. As the nation is working to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, metro Atlanta ranks third in the nation for new HIV diagnoses. Closer Look host Rose Scott talks with guests about several HIV-related topics including, combating the barriers and stigma that stop people from getting tested and staying in treatment after being diagnosed. We also hear from an epidemiologist who discusses a nationwide HIV self-testing program, a director from a local HIV/ AIDS service provider and a public health doctor who has been working to address health disparities among Black women and vulnerable communities.

Studio guests include:

DeWayne Ford, the director of HIV Services for AID Atlanta

Dr. Maisha Standifer, the director of Population Health for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine

Patrick Sullivan, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University

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The battleground state of Georgia is hosting the first 2024 debate between the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will make their bids for a second term on Thursday night in Atlanta. WABE politics reporter Rahul Bali returns to “Closer Look,” just ahead of a Biden campaign press conference with the latest on the debate and the effort both sides are putting in to attract more votes in the Atlanta.

We then hear from Tammy Greer, a clinical assistant professor at Georgia State University. The professor discusses the presidential debate from a national perspective, what’s at stake for each candidate, whether voters care about debates and explains how debates can shape who wins the presidential election.

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