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- [00:03]
Peter Biello
Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, prosecutors secure an indictment in a drone prison smuggling case. Senator Warnock has harsh words for President Trump after a signing ceremony for his housing bill was canceled. And the new mandatory 3 minute hydration breaks for FIFA World cup athletes is yielding benefits.
- [00:26]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
As they hydrate it actually increase their performance, decrease the risk of fatigue, decreases the risk of injuries. So this is all the benefits that has come with the hydration break.
- [00:37]
Peter Biello
Today is Thursday, June 25th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. US Senator Raphael Warnock is blasting President Donald Trump for abruptly canceling a signing ceremony for a bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing. The Georgia Democrat is the primary author of the bill, which passed with broad bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. Trump said yesterday he won't sign it until Congress passes legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote. Warnock said he was perturbed and annoyed.
- [01:11]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
Ordinary people aren't able to make this economy work. And today this president had an opportunity to do something for ordinary people, for working Americans, and instead he has managed once again to make the story about himself.
- [01:31]
Peter Biello
The sprawling bill is aimed at increasing housing supply and curbing the influence of corporate landlords. Federal prosecutors in Macon say an indictment unsealed yesterday is the largest to date involving the use of drones to smuggle illegal contraband into prisons. GPB's Grant Blankenship reports.
- [01:51]
Grant Blankenship
The indictment by a grand jury in Georgia's Middle District Court alleges at least 38 incidents where defendants use six large, high payload drones to deliver things like drugs, cell phones, hand tools and weapons to inmates at federal prisons across eight Southern states. The ring, alleged to have included people inside and outside the prisons, was centered in Macon at a defunct daycare center nicknamed the Lab. FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham.
- [02:19]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
To put this issue into perspective, some state and federal PR drone smuggling contraband have been so frequent that the facility looked like a small airport.
- [02:29]
Grant Blankenship
Sentences for the charges faced by Defendants range from 20 years to life in prison. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship and
- [02:36]
Peter Biello
Macon the US Supreme Court ruled today in a case that allows the Trump administration to end temporary protective status for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians who are in the US for humanitarian reasons. Judith Delouse Montgomery is a first generation American whose parents immigrated from Haiti. She's also the founder and managing attorney of Atlanta Family and Immigration Law. She says she's been telling her clients to look for other legal avenues to stay.
- [03:02]
Judith Delouse Montgomery
We knew it was temporary. And I've been educating people for as long as the day is long, telling them, you know, please, please find another avenue. Do not sit, do not wait. Right? Especially in light of the administration that we have currently. And so that posture hasn't changed.
- [03:17]
Peter Biello
She says this ruling will create confusion, hurt businesses and foster discrimination against Haitians
- [03:23]
Judith Delouse Montgomery
in the U.S. we understand that they are parents, we understand that they're employees, we understand that they're business owners, we understand that they're caregivers. And so when the protection changes like this, the impact is not just going to impact that community. It's going to resonate across the board.
- [03:42]
Peter Biello
According to U.S. census data, nearly 40,000 Haitians live in Georgia, with most living in metro Atlanta. State lawmakers ended their special legislative session this week without making major changes to Georgia voting maps or machines. But they did lay the groundwork for a new voting system in 2028 and expand ballot audits for this year's midterm elections in November. GPB Sarah Kalis reports.
- [04:24]
Sarah Kalis
Despite changes to Georgia's election laws, Georgia association of Voter Registration and Election Officials President Joseph Kirk says voters won't notice a difference when they cast ballots this year.
- [04:34]
Joseph Kirk
We have a good voting system in Georgia. The voters seem to like it. They know how to use it. And going to November, December, if there's a runoff, nothing's going to change from their perspect. Most of the changes happen after they leave.
- [04:49]
Sarah Kalis
Changes to election laws include more audits of races and a possible hand recount if a top of ticket margin of victory is within half a percentage point. Kirk says county elections officials are busy hammering out procedures to prepare for that possibility. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis.
- [05:05]
Peter Biello
The National Weather Service has confirmed that the remnants of Tropical storm Arthur spawned 10 tornadoes across north and central Georgia last week. The preliminary survey released Tuesday found tornadoes causing minor to moderate damage touched down across eight Georgia counties. The strongest storms produced winds of up to 95 miles an hour. Survey teams are still preparing detailed reports on each tornado. Georgia is getting at least a two year reprieve on possible penalties for errors in its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or snap. Several dozen states could have to pay millions of dollars to provide food aid to lower income residents if they don't cut down on SNAP payment errors. The U.S. department of Agriculture released data yesterday showing which states might owe Money beginning in 2027. Georgia was among six states with the highest error rates, and the new federal law gives those states until at least 2029 to try to reduce them.
- [05:59]
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- [06:30]
Peter Biello
FIFA World cup matches are taking place throughout North America at a time when temperatures are at or near their highest all year. That has prompted concerns about how to keep athletes cool enough to compete. Though Atlanta's venue is technically indoors and shielded from the punishing Georgia sunshine, officials are taking steps to make sure athletes stay healthy in high temperatures. With me now is Dr. Alfie Olufade. He is associate professor of Orthopedics at Emory School of Medicine, head team physician for Atlanta United, and part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Tournament Medical Network. Thank you very much for joining me.
- [07:02]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
Thank you for having me, Peter. Appreciate it.
- [07:04]
Peter Biello
FIFA has implemented these 3 minute hydration breaks that will occur midway through each half of the tournament matches. From your perspective, what effect has this had on athlete well being?
- [07:15]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
Nah, it's been great effect having that break. If we look at in Atlanta we are very lucky and fortunate that we have an indoor, we have a air conditioned arena. The reality is more than 50% of the other venues across North America, they don't have that opportunity. So when you don't have this air conditioned environment, usually one you more predisposed to have injuries such as heat cramps and heat exhaustion as well as heat stroke. Those are variable type of heat injuries where it could lessen your performance, give you cramps, get you nausea and sometimes really bad, meaning it kind of affects your cognition and your consciousness. So one aspect of this is applying this hydration break decreases the risk of that and in all athletes as they hydrate it actually increase their performance, decrease the risk of fatigue, decreases the risk of injuries. So this is all the benefits that has come with the hydration break.
- [08:17]
Peter Biello
What other recovery protocols are you or maybe FIFA generally advising for the athletes competing in Atlanta?
- [08:25]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
There's several recovery protocols that we think about. One is after the game is over it's very important to kind of have like a cool down session of workouts. Sometimes it might be in terms of jogging, sometimes it might be in some of running, sometimes it might be in the form of just a little bit of weightlifting. The second aspect also that we do also recommend is stretching. We have static and dynamic stretches. They all mean two different things. Static just means your Muscle is not moving while you're stretching it out. While dynamic means your muscle length is moving back and forth. Those are the things that kind of help in recovery.
- [09:02]
Peter Biello
So you're talking about after competing more of a workout.
- [09:05]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
That is correct. Foam running is also important. A lot of the muscles around your quadriceps, your IT band, your hamstrings, the calf muscles are very sore. So foam rolling, doing that for about 10, 15 minutes, making sure you're able to kind of loosen up some of those tight aspects of the muscles. Those are some of the things that we use in recovery. Nutrition is also another component that I'm happy to talk about also.
- [09:32]
Peter Biello
Yeah, what kind of foods are you advising athletes eat? Maybe both during the match and afterwards.
- [09:38]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
A lot of times nutrition starts actually the day before. Usually we do or recommend things like carbohydrate loading. If you think about the sport of soccer, it's very specific, meaning the average person could run about 5 to 7 miles during the course of the game. But at the same time, you have the certain sprints that you are required to partake in. So that carbohydrate loading even the day before will allow you to have enough energy to use to do the short sprints as well as be able to last five, seven miles. It's important to have carbohydrates with high glycemic index. Those are the ones that are a little bit better for you, easy for your body to absorb. Usually on a typical day, you could have something like pancakes. In the morning, you could have like a yogurt parfait as well. With the breakfast, you could have something like a shake in the late morning or afternoon. Usually in the afternoon, you eat a meal like spaghetti with, you know, turkey or something like that to kind of make sure you load that prior to the game. It's important to stay hydrated, not just with water, but things like electrolytes like Gatorade. Those are the other things as well as after the game is played as well, too. You want to replenish as soon as possible and do things like shakes as well.
- [10:58]
Peter Biello
What are some of the most common injuries that you're treating?
- [11:01]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
Right. Usually from a professional standpoint, the hips in specifically the hamstrings are probably one of the most commonly injured part of the body. Your quad muscle is also significantly affected calf muscles. You could have injuries in the knees such as mcl, as well as some ankle sprains. Those will be the more common ones.
- [11:25]
Peter Biello
Dr. Alfie Olufade is associate professor of orthopedics at Emory School of Medicine, head team physician for Atlanta United and part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Tournament Medical Network. Thank you so much for speaking with me.
- [11:38]
Dr. Alfie Olufade
Thank you very much for having me, Peter.
- [11:42]
Peter Biello
The Columbus Council is facing a lawsuit over its data center ordinance. Eight area residents and a group called Keep It Rural filed a challenge to the zoning rules on Monday, alleging procedural violations. The residents live near the 865 acre site for the proposed data center called Project Ruby in northeast Muscogee County. The ordinance sets guidelines for hyperscale data centers but does not approve a particular project. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson says the council acted properly and will vigorously defend the ordinance. And that is a wrap on Georgia Today. Thank you so much for tuning in. We hope you'll come back tomorrow. Make sure you subscribe to this podcast and and check gpb.org news anytime for updates to the stories you heard on the podcast today and new headlines that our reporters have written. And if you've got feedback, let us know. The best way to reach us is by email. The address is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thank you so much for listening. We will see you tomorrow.