Posted inClimate Change, Environmental Justice, Politics & Policy

New Tree Rules Bring Higher Removal Fees and Help for Seniors

The Atlanta City Council has approved revisions to the city’s long-standing tree protection rules, marking the most significant update in over two decades.  The unanimous decision by the council introduces increased fees for tree removal and establishes a new senior citizen tree assistance program. Despite these changes, some council members and environmental advocates express concern […]

Posted inCriminal Justice

Amid ICE Sweeps and Travel Bans, Here’s How to Support Black Immigrants in Atlanta

While non-Black Latino immigrants became the focus of many of the protests held in cities across the country in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions this week, Atlanta’s Black immigrant community — the fourth largest in the country — is refusing to take a back seat. Pew Research estimates around 200,000 Black immigrants, mostly […]

Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration, Policing

Atlanta Police Asked for a Diversion Option for Low-Level Arrests. They Rarely Use It.

When local officials first opened the Center for Diversion and Services, they touted its potential to divert nearly 15,000 bookings each year that would otherwise enter Fulton County jails or police custody at Grady Memorial Hospital’s psychiatric unit.  “This more community-based approach is essential for creating a more effective and compassionate public safety ecosystem,” Atlanta […]

Posted inPolicing, Politics & Policy

Atlanta Immigration Protest Draws Hundreds Amid Tear Gas and Fireworks

As protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions continued for a fifth night in Los Angeles, citizens took to the streets in dozens of cities across the country, including Atlanta. Marching along Buford Highway on Tuesday night, hundreds of protestors carried Mexican flags and homemade signs to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement in the […]

Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Politics

Progressive Candidate Bucks Establishment in Run For Governor

Launching a gubernatorial campaign with a conversation about the need for reparations for descendants of the enslaved isn’t something you see every day— especially in Georgia. But state Rep. Derrick Jackson, D-Tyrone, who officially announced his bid for governor last week, says he wants to be a voice for Black voters looking for more aggressive […]

Posted inFood Access, Politics & Policy

Where to Find Free Food and Groceries in Atlanta Amid Proposed SNAP and EBT Cuts

Inside the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s facility in East Point Friday morning, dozens of volunteers hustled inside to organize piles of water bottles, juice cartons, peanut butter, and cans of soup.  On the other side of the building, the beeps from the forklifts echoed throughout the corridors as food bank staff in blue and gray […]

Posted inCity Politics, Politics & Policy

Atlanta Budget a Safeguard Against Potential Trump Cuts, Lawmakers Say

Atlanta City Council members say proposed cuts to federal aid programs many Black Atlantans count on and concerns about a national recession were on their minds last week when they approved another record-setting fiscal year budget. “Everyone seems to assume we’re going to have a recession,” council member Howard Shook told Capital B Atlanta on […]

Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice

Fani Willis Responds to Critics after YSL Trial Ends with Zero Murder Convictions

After coming under fire for not securing any murder convictions in the YSL RICO case, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis stood her ground on the overall effectiveness of her team on Thursday.  “Crime is down,” Willis said during an interview with 11Alive in the lobby of Atlanta City Hall. “What my constituents say, who […]

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