Disbarment for insurrectionist; Environmental advocate case; Ice storm warning

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary

Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Peter Biello (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
Main Topics: Disbarment of an insurrectionist lawyer, environmental advocate case update, and a major ice storm warning in Georgia.

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Episode Overview

This episode of Georgia Today delivers key updates on three major stories:

• The Georgia Supreme Court’s push to disbar a lawyer involved in the January 6th US Capitol riot.
• The Fulton County DA's decision not to prosecute an environmental advocate accused of taking trade secrets.
• An urgent ice storm warning affecting much of Georgia, with public safety guidance and community preparedness tips.

The tone is informational and urgent, particularly regarding the impending weather event.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ice Storm Warning Across Georgia

(00:24 – 06:32)

Scope and Severity

• Forecast Expanded: The National Weather Service (NWS) has expanded its ice storm warning to include the majority of Georgia, reaching as far south as Coweta and Emanuel counties. (01:02–02:06)
• Primary Impact: Ice, not snow, is expected to be the main concern. (00:24)
• Most Affected Areas: Highest accumulations are likely along the I-85 corridor into South Carolina and north/northeast Georgia.
  • “That definitely remains the case…for anywhere from about a quarter of an inch of ice up to perhaps as high as an inch of ice.” — Lindsey Marlow, NWS Meteorologist (02:44)
• Potential Accumulations:
  • Far southern/western areas: up to 0.1 inch.
  • North and east: 0.5 to 1 inch predicted, especially from Cherokee to Towns and Rabun counties. (02:44)

Road and Power Threat

• Significant risk for widespread power outages and hazardous road conditions beginning Saturday afternoon. (05:54)
• Cycle of melting and refreezing expected through Monday and possibly Tuesday, prolonging danger.
  • “Any progress…will be short lived as we are expecting lows…to drop back down into the teens to 20s.” — Lindsey Marlow (03:38)

Comparison to Past Winter Storms

• Direct analogies to previous storms discouraged, noting urban sprawl and infrastructure changes mean the same amount of ice could now have greater impact. (04:38)

Preparedness Guidance

• Stock up: Food, water, and medication for at least three days. (05:42)
• Stay home: “You might want to just, you know, park it for today.” — Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (06:19)
• Practical safety steps: warm clothing, flashlights, charged phones, care for pets, and avoid roads. (05:42)

Emergency Response

• Atlanta has opened multiple warming shelters, with more ready if capacity is reached. (05:54)
• Salt trucks, watershed and forestry crews are on alert for downed trees and burst pipes. (06:32)
• Kerosene warning: Do not use kerosene from Jasmine Petroleum purchased after Jan 17 due to gasoline contamination. (06:32)

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2. Disbarment Recommendation for Insurrectionist Lawyer

(06:32 – 08:21)

• Case Summary: The Georgia Supreme Court recommends disbarment for attorney W. McCall Calhoun Jr., who participated in the January 6th Capitol riot, following his conviction on felony and federal misdemeanors (for which he was later pardoned by President Trump). (06:32)
• Supreme Court’s Stance:
  • “It is hard for us to see how anything less than disbarment is appropriate punishment…” — Georgia Supreme Court Justices (06:32)
• Disciplinary Review: Though a special master previously recommended only a public reprimand, the full court called that insufficient and sought disbarment due to the severity of Calhoun's actions. (06:32)

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3. Environmental Advocate’s Prosecution Dropped

(08:44 – 09:38)

• Incident Recap: Patty Durant, an advocate, was accused of felony theft for taking a Georgia Power notebook from a regulatory hearing, which prosecutors claimed included trade secrets. (08:44)
• DA’s Reasoning: DA Fani Willis decided not to pursue felony charges, arguing the utility failed to protect its documents adequately.
  • Durant spent 42 hours in jail, returned the notebook, and did 40 hours of community service for misdemeanor theft. (09:38)
• Advocate’s Response:
  • “I will continue to press for transparency because the extensive redactions and trade secrets that commissioners allow Georgia Power are outside of any regulatory norms and continues to harm Georgia Power customers.” — Patty Durant (09:26)
• Broader Context: Georgia Power authorized more carbon-emitting generation to fuel data centers. (09:38)

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4. Community Preparedness & Disaster Perceptions

(08:21)

• New Survey: Home Depot/Morning Consult poll shows one third of Americans report recent disaster experience; half say local recovery was slower than expected. (08:21)
• Labor Shortages: Recovery delays are partly blamed on limited skilled labor.
• Corporate Response: Home Depot pledges to expand skilled trades education grants nationwide. (08:21)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lindsey Marlow:
  • “We are expecting non zero ice accumulation totals as far south as pretty much an arc extending from Rome all the way up in far northwest Georgia down to Coweta county…” (01:02)
  • “The cycle of melting and refreezing is definitely going to extend probably into Monday and maybe even Tuesday for the hardest hit areas.” (03:38)
• Josh Lamb (GA Emergency Management):
  • “Ensure you have warm clothing and blankets, have flashlights and batteries. Update your first aid kit. Remember, always have a way to charge your phone.” (05:42)
• Mayor Andre Dickens:
  • “You might want to just, you know, park it for today.” (06:19)
• Patty Durant:
  • “The extensive redactions and trade secrets that commissioners allow Georgia Power are outside of any regulatory norms and continues to harm Georgia Power customers.” (09:26)
• Georgia Supreme Court Decision:
  • “It is hard for us to see how anything less than disbarment is appropriate punishment…” (06:32)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:24: Ice storm warning details and forecast
• 01:02 – 02:44: Ice accumulation predictions by region
• 03:38: Concerns over melting and refreezing
• 05:42: Emergency preparedness advice from Josh Lamb
• 06:19: Mayor Andre Dickens urges Atlanta residents to stay off the roads
• 06:32: Supreme Court’s disbarment decision
• 08:21: Home Depot/Morning Consult survey on disaster rebuilding
• 08:44: Patty Durant’s legal outcome and statement (09:26)

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Summary

This episode provides an up-to-the-minute breakdown of an impending ice storm threatening much of Georgia, including detailed safety advice and preparedness tips. It also covers serious legal moves in two high-profile cases: a recommended disbarment for an attorney tied to the January 6 insurrection, and the district attorney's decision to drop felony charges against an environmental advocate. The stories are delivered in GPB’s signature thorough yet accessible style, with clear attributions and practical information for listeners as the state braces for severe winter weather.

Transcript

[Peter Biello]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, the Georgia Supreme Court recommends disbarment for a lawyer who stormed the US Capitol five years ago. An environmental advocate won't face prosecution for allegedly stealing trade secrets. And the National Weather Service has upgraded Georgia's forecast to include an ice storm warning.

[Lindsey Marlow]

And what differentiates that from a winter storm warning is, is that we are expecting ice to be the primary, if not the only type of precipitation that.

[Peter Biello]

We see Today is Friday, January 23rd. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. The National Weather Service says it has.

[Interviewer]

Upgraded its forecast for Georgia.

[Peter Biello]

A majority of Georgia from north of I20 from Alabama to South Carolina has now been upgraded to an ice storm warning. For more on this, I spoke with National Weather Service meteorologist Lindsey Marlow earlier this afternoon.

[Interviewer]

So how far south in Georgia are we going to see significant ice buildup?

[Lindsey Marlow]

We acknowledge at this point that there's still a little bit of uncertainty around kind of the far southern and western extent of where we're likely to see perhaps more than a glaze of ice. Right now we are expecting non zero ice accumulation totals as far south as pretty much an arc extending from Rome all the way up in far northwest Georgia down to Coweta county and then further over to our border with our forecast office to the east in Emanuel County. So all of that is pretty well to the south of metro Atlanta. And that's kind of our current best guess at where we could see potentially ice accumulation of as high as a tenth of an inch for those far southern locations and far western locations. And then our confidence is going to increase on significant ice accumulations the further to the north and east that you progress.

[Interviewer]

I've seen on maps that the i85 corridor into South Carolina may be the most impacted. Is that still true based on what you're seeing now?

[Lindsey Marlow]

Yes, that's where we're expecting to see the greatest strength and depth of cold air that's expected to move in overnight Saturday into Sunday. And as a result of those kind of cool, deeper cold air and cooler temperatures, that's where we should see definitely the most significant ice accumulation.

[Interviewer]

What about northeast Georgia and north central.

[Peter Biello]

Georgia, the Jasper, Blue Ridge, Blairsville area?

[Interviewer]

Are they looking at significant accumulations of ice and snow?

[Lindsey Marlow]

That definitely remains the case, at least of our forecast package from this afternoon. The ice storm warning that we have in effect through that starts on Saturday and carries over well into kind of Monday morning time frame is for anywhere from about a quarter of an inch of ice up to perhaps as high as an inch of ice. And the highest totals that are generally over a half of an inch of ice accumulation are to the north and east of a line extending from Cherokee county to Barrow county and then all the way to the north and east up to Towns and Raven in far northeast Georgia.

[Peter Biello]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And where is there potential for snow to melt after Sunday, let's say, and then refreeze again, creating hazardous conditions into.

[Peter Biello]

The middle of next week?

[Lindsey Marlow]

Yep. So that is our our main concern, kind of outside of just the initial onset of this major ice storm that we're expecting is temperatures may and our forecast to warm as we move into the afternoon on Sunday, potentially to above freezing for portions of the Atlanta metro and perhaps staying just a little bit colder than that for areas to the north and east. So we are expecting that, you know, any progress that would be made in kind of having brief improvements to our deteriorated roadway conditions will be short lived as we are expecting lows on Sunday night into Monday morning to drop back down into the teens to 20s. So the cycle of melting and refreezing is definitely going to extend probably into Monday and maybe even Tuesday for the hardest hit areas.

[Interviewer]

How does the ice and snow in this forecast compare to storms we've seen in Georgia before?

[Lindsey Marlow]

So it's a really good question, and it's also a tricky one because we realize that the public definitely connects with what we call analogs, which are kind of historical winter storms that have had significant impacts across the area. But we typically try to shy away from those as we get closer to the event onset, just because when you're looking at events that even occurred 10 or 15 years ago, there has been, there have been so many strides made in sprawl and infrastructure that it's possible that it wouldn't take quite as much, quite as much accumulation to cause impacts that are the same or maybe even worse.

[Interviewer]

National Weather Service meteorologist Lindsey Marlow, thank you so much for updating me on this.

[Lindsey Marlow]

Absolutely no problem.

[Interviewer]

This is, of course, a developing story. You can find the Latest updates at.

[Peter Biello]

Gpb.Org storm Georgia Emergency Management director Josh Lamb says Georgians should stock up on food, water and medication to last three days.

[Georgia Emergency Management Director Josh Lamb]

Ensure you have warm clothing and blankets, have flashlights and batteries. Update your first aid kit. Remember, always have a way to charge your phone. If you have pets, make sure they have enough food and water for at least three days.

[Peter Biello]

People in the northern half of the state, including Atlanta, should expect widespread power outages and ice on the roads starting Saturday afternoon. Officials are urging drivers to stay off the roads until the ice has melted. The city of Atlanta has opened three warming shelters, with a fourth location ready if capacity is reached. Atlanta Mare Andre Dickens is telling residents to stay off the roads. Dickens told Atlanta's Fox 5 Especially if.

[Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens]

You'Re on the north end of the city, on up through the metro north, you should probably see, you know, that 7:00am 9:00am Service. It's going to be still cold and icy. You might want to just, you know, park it for today.

[Peter Biello]

Atlanta will have salt trucks on the road Saturday. Atlanta watershed and forestry crews will be standing by to address any burst pipes or downed trees. The state agriculture commissioner is asking customers who purchased kerosene from Jasmine Petroleum in Gainesville to not use it in heaters or lamps because it may have been contaminated with gasoline. The warning issued today by Commissioner Tyler Harper applies to kerosene purchased on or after January 17th. Customers can return it to Jasmine Petroleum for a refund. Georgia Supreme Court justices say it is hard for us to see how anything less than disbarment is appropriate punishment for a Georgia lawyer who stormed the U.S. capitol on January 6th. Five years ago, W. McCall Calhoun Jr. Admitted to being inside the Capitol with rioters who put lawmakers and police in danger. He had been convicted of a felony and several misdemeanor federal offenses and was later pardoned by President Trump. A special master reviewing discipline had recommended a public reprimand, but in a unanimous decision, the state Supreme Court argued that this was not enough and asked for consideration of disbarment. Given Calhoun's involvement in the insurrection, A study commissioned by Home Depot finds Americans are not very confident that their communities can rebuild quickly in the event of a disaster. The philanthropic arm of the Atlanta based company partnered with Morning Consult to conduct the survey last month. It found about a third of adults say their community has been affected by a natural disaster in the last five years, and of those rebuilding, about half of respondents said recovery has taken longer than expected expected, according to the foundation. That is in part because of the lack of available labor. In a news release, the company said its path to pro education grants will expand to all 50 states to help young people prepare for careers in skilled trades.

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[Peter Biello]

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[Peter Biello]

Fulton county prosecutors will not move ahead with felony charges against an environmental advocate who stole a notebook belonging to the state's largest electrical utility during a regulatory hearing late last year. Patty Durant was accused of stealing trade secrets when, during a break in public hearings before the Public Service Commission late last year, she took one of about a half dozen Georgia Power notebooks left untended in the room detailing the company's economic projections around data centers. In her decision to not follow through with felony charges, Fulton County DA Fani Willis said Georgia Power didn't guard the documents well enough to support their designation as trade secrets under Georgia law. Durant, who would spend 42 hours in the Fulton county jail after returning the notebook, says she will continue to press.

[Patty Durant]

For transparency because the extensive redactions and trade secrets that commissioners allow Georgia Power are outside of any regulatory norms and continues to harm Georgia Power customers.

[Peter Biello]

To make amends for committing misdemeanor theft by taking Durand performed 40 hours community service with the group Fighting Climate Change. Georgia Power secured permission for new carbon emitting generation to power data centers.

[Georgia Emergency Management Director Josh Lamb]

And.

[Peter Biello]

The company that owns the Atlanta Braves has scheduled its next earnings call for next week. And Atlanta Braves holdings plans to discuss results for the fourth quarter and the year end on Wednesday morning. The numbers may reflect any bump in revenue after having hosted the Major League Baseball All Star Game in July. And that's a wrap on Georgia Today. We hope you stay warm and safe this weekend. Stay off the roads if possible. Everything seems like it's going to be pretty icy. And if you want to follow the updates on the storm, go to gpb.org storm if you haven't subscribed to this podcast yet, take a moment. Do it now. In fact, if you're stuck inside over the weekend, listen to the archives and get caught up on the news. Or discover another of GPB's podcasts, including Fork in the Road, Narrative Edge or Manufacturing Danger. If you've got feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Email us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. We'll see you on Monday.