Government accountability advocates are asking Atlanta residents to voice support for Atlanta Inspector General Shannon Manigault ahead of a series of pivotal City Council votes that some fear will undermine efforts to root out corruption at City Hall. Committee on Council members downtown are set to decide during an 11 a.m. Monday meeting whether to […]
Atlanta
Posted inHousing, Politics & Policy
Why Affordable Housing Advocates Worry Atlanta’s Unhoused Population Is Growing
It’s been about three years since Janice Ruff reported her former landlord to the Atlanta Police Department’s housing code enforcement division for refusing to make repairs to her old apartment. That landlord received an estimated $3,500 fine, according to Ruff, who said he evicted her a short time later for having a “smart mouth.” She’s […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Politics
Fulton County Denies DA Fani Willis More Funding in 2025 Budget
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners opted against allocating a substantial monetary increase for the county district attorney’s office when finalizing its 2025 fiscal year budget on Wednesday, perhaps bringing a monthslong standoff with DA Fani Willis into its next phase. The board allocated $39.3 million of its nearly $1 billion budget to the DA’s […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Public Services
How to Find Out if You Have Lead Pipes — and What You Can Do About It
After a federal law change, counties across Georgia are making it easier for residents to know if lead pipes are contaminating the water in their communities. In 2021, a landmark revision was made to federal laws regarding lead and copper in pipes to create safer conditions for drinking water. Due to this change, public water […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics & Policy
Black Immigrants in Atlanta Face New Risks As Trump Signs Laken Riley Act
President Donald Trump is moving forward with his plans to crack down on immigration, and Black Atlantans could soon find themselves targeted by a related bill Trump signed into law on Wednesday. The Laken Riley Act, which passed the House and Senate last week, requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain any undocumented immigrant […]
Posted inCity Politics, Public Safety
Calls to End Encampment Sweeps Grow After Killing of Cornelius Taylor
Supporters of Cornelius Taylor — the Black man who officials say was killed on Jan. 17 by a construction vehicle clearing an encampment of unhoused people in Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue neighborhood — are demanding city policy changes following his horrific demise. Atlanta City Council member Liliana Bakhtiari introduced a resolution Thursday calling for officials to […]
Posted inLGBTQ, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Black Atlantans Grapple with Political Divide Over Transgender Rights
College Park resident Tori Cooper says Black Georgians who support limiting the rights of transgender people like her are being manipulated by politicians who have little interest in helping any members of the Black community. Her comments came in response to President Donald Trump’s recent executive order scaling back the federal government’s recognition of gender […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local Politics, Politics & Policy
Fani Willis Threatens to Sue Fulton County Commissioners Over Budget
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis issued a seven-page letter to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners last month threatening to sue if her office is not sufficiently funded in 2025. Through an open records request, Capital B Atlanta obtained documents Willis’ office sent to the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 11 in response to […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, Housing, Politics & Policy, State Politics
How Georgia Lawmakers Plan to Address the Needs of Black Voters in 2025
Addressing Black voters’ economic concerns, including the higher cost of housing and child care, is among the top priorities for state Democratic lawmakers ahead of the Georgia General Assembly’s upcoming legislative session, which begins Monday. Democratic Party leaders in the state legislature, including state Rep. Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, say their largely Black voting base made […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration, Partner Content
Deaths at Scandal-Plagued Atlanta-Area Jail Doubled in 2024
This story was originally published by The Appeal. Twice the number of detainees at Georgia’s notorious Clayton County Jail died in 2024 compared to the previous year. The deaths of eight people detained at the Atlanta-area jail raise new questions about the scandal-plagued facility. In 2023, when four detainees died, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of […]