Billions lost in clean energy jobs; SNAP theft; Columbus fires city manager

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary Release Date: May 29, 2025 Host: Peter Biello, Georgia Public Broadcasting

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1. Billions Lost in Clean Energy Investments

Overview: Georgia has experienced significant setbacks in its clean energy sector, with over $3 billion in investments either canceled or delayed this year. This downturn has led to the loss of approximately 1,300 jobs and accounts for about a quarter of all clean energy investment cancellations nationwide.

Details:

• Impact on Georgia: Four major projects in Bullock, Coweta, Stevens, and Richmond counties have been affected.
• National Context: The cancellations are part of a broader trend influenced by federal policy uncertainties.
• Political Influence: The potential implications of President Donald Trump’s pending tax and spending bill, which heightens concerns regarding the future of American battery, electric vehicle, and renewable energy developments.

Quote:

"More than $3 billion in clean energy investments in Georgia have been canceled or delayed this year," (Peter Biello, [03:29]).

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2. SNAP Benefits Theft

Overview: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Georgia have reported a substantial security breach, with over $23 million in benefits stolen through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards this year.

Details:

• Nature of the Problem: The theft primarily targets food aid recipients, exploiting vulnerabilities in the EBT system.
• Victim Support: Many affected individuals report receiving minimal assistance in recovering their stolen funds.
• Government Response: The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) is actively investigating each reported case and collaborating with law enforcement to address the issue.

Quote:

"Georgians receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits have reported more than $23 million in stolen benefits so far this year," (Peter Biello, [03:29]).

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3. Firing of Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hughley

Overview: In a significant local government development, the Columbus City Council has terminated City Manager Isaiah Hughley just seven months shy of his planned retirement. This decision follows internal conflicts and operational failures within departments under his supervision.

Details:

• Reasons for Termination: The official notice cited ongoing operational failures and lapses in oversight within Animal Control and Finance departments, leading to law enforcement scrutiny and costly investigations for the city.
  • Quote: “Over the past several months, departments under your direct supervision... have experienced ongoing operational failures and lapses in oversight,” (Chuck Williams, [06:02]).
• Specific Incidents:
  • Animal Control Issues: Last year saw arrests and charges related to the mistreatment of animals within the facility.
  • Finance Department Scrutiny: An audit revealed mismanagement and potential financial discrepancies, although no criminal charges were filed after an extensive investigation by former U.S. Attorney Charles Peeler.
• Political Dimensions: The termination is viewed by Hughley's lawyer as a preemptive move to discredit him ahead of a potential mayoral campaign in 2026. The conflict intensified over handling a 2022 federal grant linked to Hughley’s wife, State Representative Carolyn Hughley.
  • Quote: “He is the council… trying to discredit Mr. Hughley in advance of a political campaign,” (Chuck Williams, [09:54]).
• Future Implications: Despite the termination, Hughley will continue to receive his salary and benefits until his scheduled retirement on December 31, 2025.

Quotes:

“They presented Mr. Hughley... the reason they gave in a notice of termination...” (Chuck Williams, [06:02]).

“Their termination is in name only, because he had announced he would retire at the end of the year,” (Chuck Williams, [09:18]).

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4. Additional Highlights

• Congressman Hank Johnson’s Town Hall: Congressman Johnson addressed constituent frustrations regarding Democratic efforts to counteract President Trump’s agenda, emphasizing the importance of voter support to regain majority seats in Congress.

  • Quote: “We must confront the threat to our existence that is posed by Donald Trump,” (Hank Johnson, [01:29]).

• Celebration of John Lewis’s Legacy: The annual Good Trouble Gala, hosted by the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, featured honorees like Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch and Atlanta trailblazer Billy Suber Aaron, widow of Hank Aaron.

• Wildlife Conservation Efforts: The Jekyll Island Authority introduced two online maps tracking loggerhead sea turtle nesting hotspots and diamondback terrapin sightings, aiding in real-time conservation efforts.

  • Quote: “Technology and Data... every time something is collected out in the field, it automatically updates on that dashboard,” (Joseph Colbert, [03:07]).

• Healthcare Merger Approval: The Georgia Attorney General's office approved the merger between Emory Healthcare and Houston Healthcare, set to become official on June 1.

• University Leadership Change: Mike Johnson has been named the new president of the University of West Georgia, succeeding in Carrollton after serving as chief of staff at the University of Houston.

• Local Student Achievement: 11-year-old Sarv Daravane, a 5th grader from Metro Atlanta, advances to the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

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Conclusion: The May 29th episode of Georgia Today delivered comprehensive coverage of significant state developments, including major setbacks in clean energy investments, challenges within the SNAP benefits system, and notable changes in local government leadership. Through in-depth reporting and interviews, the podcast provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the issues impacting Georgia communities.

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For more detailed reports and updates, visit gpb.org/news.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

DBHDD is reminding Georgians to ask their doctor about alternatives to opioid pain medication. Alternatives like over the counter medications and physical therapy can be used to manage pain. More [e-mail] welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we feature the latest reports from the GPB news team. On today's episode, Georgia loses billions of dollars in clean energy investments. SNAP recipients say they've lost $23 million to theft. And the Columbus City Council this week fired its long serving city Manager Isaiah Hughley.

[Chuck Williams]

His lawyer is arguing the council went through this termination and statements are trying to discredit Mr. Hughley in advance of a political campaign.

[Peter Biello]

Today is Thursday, May 29th. Peter I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Metro Atlanta Congressman Hank Johnson heard from frustrated constituents at a PAC town hall meeting last night. The Democrat is one of the few federal lawmakers in Georgia holding in person public meetings as they've grown more contentious. GPB Sarah Kalis reports constituents at the.

[Sarah Kalis]

Town hall press Johnson on why Democrats in Congress are not doing more to block Trump's agenda. He says he understands the frustration, but it is up to the people now to vote Democrats back into the majority.

[Hank Johnson]

No point in blaming Democrats for us being in this situation where our democracy is threatened, our economy is threatened, our public health, our national security being threatened. There's no point in pointing fingers at each other about that. We must confront the threat to our existence that is posed by Donald Trump.

[Sarah Kalis]

Republicans outnumber Democrats in both the US House and Senate. The next time that that could change could be the 20 midterm elections. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis. In Gwinnett county.

[Peter Biello]

The legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis will be celebrated in Atlanta. Tonight. The John and Lillian Miles Lewis foundation is hosting its annual Good Trouble gala for the first time in the city the couple called home. Dietra Austin Everson is the foundation's president and CEO.

[Sarah Kalis]

Most people may not know that Congressman Lewis established the foundation here in Atlanta, Georgia. And so this is home for Congressman Lewis life and legacy. And it is home for the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation.

[Peter Biello]

This year's honorees include Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch and Atlanta trailblazer Billy Suber Aaron, widow of baseball great Hank Aaron. Wildlife conservationists with the Jekyll Island Authority have launched two online maps designed to share real time turtle data with the public. GPB's Benjamin Payne has more.

[Joseph Colbert]

One of the trackers shows loggerhead seed turtle nesting hotspots along the beaches of Jekyll Island. The other map focuses on a different species of turtle, the diamondback terrapin, pinpointing individual turtle sightings along the Jekyll Island Causeway, where they often get hit by cars. Joseph Colbert is a biologist with the Jekyll Island Authority.

[Chuck Williams]

Every time something is collected out in the field, it automatically updates on that dashboard. So it's really cool.

[Joseph Colbert]

Technology and Data More than 250 diamondback terrapins have been found so far this year along the Jekyll Island Causeway, with about two thirds of them saved. And the island has recorded about 40 sea turtle nests. For GPP News, I'm Benjamin Payne.

[Peter Biello]

More than $3 billion in clean energy investments in Georgia have been canceled or delayed this year. That's according to an analysis released today by the national Nonpartisan business group E2. The Georgia number represents about 1,300 jobs lost and about a quarter of all the clean energy investments canceled this year across the country. They include four Georgia projects in Bullock, Coweta, Stevens and Richmond counties. The cancellations have come as President Donald Trump's pending tax and spending bill raises fears over the future of American battery, electric, vehicle and solar and wind energy development. Georgians receiving Supplemental Nutrition assistance program, or SNAP, benefits have reported more than $23 million in stolen benefits so far this year. Numbers from the Georgia Department of Human Services show the size of a security problem hitting food aid recipients through their EBT cards. Many of the victims say they get little to no help trying to get the money back. DHS says it investigates every report and is working with law enforcement. State regulators have approved the proposed merger between Atlanta based Emory Healthcare and Warner Robbins based Houston Healthcare, the two systems said yesterday. The okay from the Georgia Attorney General's office means the merger is set to become official on June 1. University of West Georgia is getting a new president. The Board of Regents yesterday named Mike Johnson, the sole finalist, to lead the school based in Carrollton. Johnson currently serves as chief of staff at the University of Houston.

[Planet Money Host]

Planet Money helps you understand the economy. We find the people at the center of the story.

[Chuck Williams]

Garbage in New York that was like a controlled substance.

[Planet Money Host]

We show you how money influences everything. Tell me what you like by telling me how you spend your money and we dig until we get answers.

[Chuck Williams]

I had a bad feeling you're gonna bring that up.

[Planet Money Host]

Planet Money finds out. All you have to do is listen. The Planet Money podcast from npr.

[Peter Biello]

The Columbus City Council voted this week to fire City Manager Isaiah Hughley, just seven months from his retirement. This comes after Hughley threatened legal action against several members of the council. Chuck Williams, a reporter for WRBL News 3 in Columbus, has been following this story and joins me from his newsroom. Welcome to the program.

[Chuck Williams]

Good to be with you, Peter. I hope things are going well up your way.

[Peter Biello]

Thank you very much. They are. I appreciate that. So, first of all, tell us about this firing. Did the City Council members who voted for his termination elaborate on the reason why?

[Chuck Williams]

They did. They presented Mr. Hughley, who has been the city manager in Columbus, Georgia for 20 years, two decades, the reason they gave in a notice of termination. Then I'll just read it. It more sense to do it that way. Pursuant to your employment agreement, this letter serves as formal written notice of the grounds of your termination. Over the past several months, departments under your direct supervision, including Animal Control and Finance, have experienced ongoing operational failures and lapses in oversight, some of which have resulted in law enforcement scrutiny, in certain instances, criminal investigation. These investigations have resulted in great expense to the city and its taxpayer. So that's why they say he was terminated.

[Peter Biello]

So a few things having to do with actual problems. Can you tell us a little bit about one of those problems they mentioned and explain why that might really warrant a fire?

[Chuck Williams]

We had. We had some issues within Animal Control last year. Several people who worked there were investigated by Columbus police and were arrested and charged with a variety of charges that had to do with treatment of some of the animals in the facility. And then our Finance department has been under scrutiny for almost two years now. A audit came back with a lot of issues and potential missing money. Troutman Pepper out of Atlanta was hired. A guy named Charles Peeler, Charlie peeler was former U.S. attorney. He came in here, did a extensive investigation, was hired by City Council to look at it. He found issues. He found some mismanagement, but he found nothing that rose to the level of criminal charges.

[Peter Biello]

In the context, as I mentioned, was Hughley's threats to sue council members for comments that they made. What did they say that upset Hugley?

[Chuck Williams]

They involved a 2022 federal grant that was part of the American Recovery act that was given to Carolyn Hughley, a State Farm agent who is the wife of Isaiah Hughley. Carolyn Hughley is a name that may be familiar to some people. She is a state representative from Columbus. She is also the minority leader in the Georgia House and was recently elected that post last year. The grant was administered through the city, and the facts that have come out are when that grant crossed the city manager's desk, he immediately sought advice from the city attorney, informed the mayor and then the deputy city attorney handled that and he removed himself from the process. And as he did that, some counselors have questioned that he should have told counsel according to our charter, and he did not. And it became a fight.

[Peter Biello]

I see. And the city council did not cite that as the reason for his termination. But that fight is a known part of the story here.

[Chuck Williams]

Yes. Interestingly, it is not in the termination letter and it's termination in name only, quite frankly, because he had announced he would retire at the end of the year. As part of this termination notice, the last paragraph, council will continue to pay your regular salary along with existing benefits, including health insurance, life insurance and pension accrual through the announced retirement date of December 31, 2025.

[Peter Biello]

What's next for Isaiah Hughley? Is there any sense of what's in the future for him?

[Chuck Williams]

This is a fluid situation and one of the things that is happening out of this is there is speculation that Mr. Hughley will run for mayor in the 2026 election and his attorney claims that there's a fear of him running for the mayor's office. And they are the council with, through this termination and statements are trying to discredit Mr. Hughley in advance of a political campaign. The counselors, the seven councilors that voted to terminate him and it was a 73 vote, have only legal advice, are not talking about what they did. They're letting the termination notice Stanford Cell.

[Peter Biello]

Chuck Williams, a reporter for WRBL News 3 in Columbus, thank you so much for speaking with me about this.

[Chuck Williams]

Thank you very much, Peter, for having me. Hope you have a great weekend or week or whatever we're looking at right now.

[Peter Biello]

Thanks. You too. Appreciate it. A metro Atlanta student is among nine competitors to make it to the finals of the Scripps national spelling bee. 11 year old 5th grader Sarv Daravane will compete tonight to become the nation's top speller. Good luck, Sarv. All right, that's it for Georgia Today. Thanks so much for listening. Hope you'll come back tomorrow as well. Best way to do that, of course, is to subscribe to this podcast and check out gpb.org news for the latest updates on the stories that you heard in Podcast the Podcast Today. We're always posting new stories there as well. If you've got an idea about a story we should be covering or have got feedback for this podcast or a previous episode, just let us know by email. Your email will go to the entire team, so send it to Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening we'll see you tomorrow.

[Planet Money Host]

Planet Money helps you understand the economy. We find the people at the center of the story.

[Chuck Williams]

Garbage in New York, that was like a controlled substance.

[Planet Money Host]

We show you how money influences everything. Tell me what you like by telling me how you spend your money. And we dig until we get answers.

[Chuck Williams]

I had a bad feeling you were gonna bring that up.

[Planet Money Host]

Planet Money finds out. All you have to do is listen. The Planet Money podcast from npr.