Ga. Power freezes rates; Alleged North Korean scheme; Museum will display space rock

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast Summary — July 1, 2025

Hosted by Orlando Montoya

Georgia Today, the daily podcast from Georgia Public Broadcasting, delves into the most pressing stories affecting Georgia and beyond. In the July 1, 2025 episode, host Orlando Montoya navigates through a spectrum of topics, including energy rate freezes, political controversies, criminal schemes, and extraordinary scientific discoveries. This summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, notable quotes, and insightful analyses.

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1. Georgia Power Freezes Utility Rates Through 2028

Timestamp: [02:31]

Orlando Montoya opens the episode by addressing a significant development for Georgia residents: the Public Service Commission's unanimous decision to freeze Georgia Power's base rates until 2028. This decision follows an agreement between the utility company and regulatory officials, aiming to provide financial stability for the 2.3 million customers.

Key Points:

• Stability for Consumers: The rate freeze is intended to shield customers from immediate rate hikes, ensuring predictable utility costs.
• Future Concerns: Despite the freeze, there is a looming possibility of rate increases next year to cover $862 million in damages from Hurricane Helene and other storms.
• Criticism of Georgia Power: The company has faced backlash over high profits and rising bills. Critics argue that the financial burden may eventually fall on consumers, especially if new data center costs escalate.

Quote:

“The move provides stability for customers,” said a Georgia regulator. However, opponents warn of potential future risks if costs for new data centers rise. ([02:31])

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2. Controversial Tax Bill Passes US Senate Amid Protests

Timestamp: [00:35] – [02:31]

A major political upheaval unfolds as President Trump's ambitious tax breaks and spending cuts bill narrowly passes the US Senate. Georgia's Democratic senators, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, voted against the bill, citing severe implications for healthcare and the renewable energy sector.

Key Points:

• Senate Vote: The bill passed by a 50-50 vote, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the deciding tie-breaking vote.
• Opposition from Georgia Senators: Raphael Warnock described the bill as a “big, ugly betrayal,” while Jon Ossoff labeled it a “catastrophe,” emphasizing its detrimental impact on hospitals, nursing homes, and the renewable energy sector crucial to Georgia’s economy.
• Protests in Georgia: Over two dozen protesters gathered outside Congressman Barry Loudermilk’s office in Woodstock, urging him to oppose the bill. Organized by Barbara Cooley, the demonstrators demanded Loudermilk to reconsider his support, emphasizing the bill's cuts to Medicaid and the increase in federal debt.

Notable Quotes:

• Raphael Warnock: “This is a big, ugly betrayal.” ([00:35])
• Jon Ossoff: “A catastrophe.” ([00:35])
• Barbara Cooley: “I will not vote for this bill. It needs to have a lot of changes.” ([02:01])

Sarah Kallis' Report: Sarah Kallis reports from Woodstock, capturing the essence of the protests and the community's stance against the bill. Despite the protests, Congressman Loudermilk remains steadfast, asserting that the bill aligns with promises to lower taxes and enhance national security.

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3. Alleged North Korean Scheme Targets Atlanta Business

Timestamp: [05:00] – [06:58]

In an alarming revelation, the FBI has indicted four North Korean remote workers for an elaborate scheme aimed at financing North Korea’s weapons program. Atlanta-based entrepreneur Marlon Williams, founder of blockchain company Starter Labs, fell victim to this scam.

Key Points:

• Nature of the Scam: Williams extorted over $900,000 from Starter Labs by hiring remote IT workers through Telegram, only to discover they were North Korean scammers.
• Impact on Crypto Community: The incident highlights the vulnerabilities within the cryptocurrency sector, where anonymity can facilitate such fraudulent activities.
• FBI’s Stance: Officials warn that similar scams are proliferating globally, with cryptocurrency firms being particularly susceptible.

Quote:

“Bitcoin created a culture of anonymity that is just widely accepted as this is how we work as a crypto culture. However, at least for us over at Starter Labs, we're going back to the basics of real relationships with people in real life.” – Marlon Williams ([06:41])

Rebecca Melsheimer's Insight: Rebecca Melsheimer adds context to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of transparency and real-world relationships in mitigating such scams.

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4. Motherboard Rock to Be Displayed at Georgia Science Museum

Timestamp: [06:58] – [11:17]

Shifting from economic and political turmoil to scientific wonder, the Georgia Science Museum is set to display a fragment of a meteorite that recently streaked across Georgia skies.

Key Points:

• Meteorite Discovery: The space rock, approximately 2-3 inches in size, is a fragment of a larger three-foot meteor that broke apart upon entering Earth’s atmosphere.
• Scientific Significance: The meteorite is billions of years old and offers a tangible connection to the cosmos, surviving harsh space conditions and atmospheric entry.
• Exhibition Plans: The museum aims to showcase the meteorite by summer's end, adding it to their collection of Georgia meteorites.

Notable Quotes:

“This is something that's billions of years old... it's just really amazing.” – Rebecca Melsheimer, Curatorial Coordinator ([00:35])

Rebecca Melsheimer's Interview: Melsheimer discusses the process of identifying and acquiring the meteorite. She explains the characteristics that distinguish meteorites from terrestrial rocks, such as slight magnetism and the presence of a fusion crust formed during atmospheric entry.

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5. Local Law Enforcement and Immigration Updates

Timestamp: [04:41] – [05:15]

A. Atlanta Officer Garrett Rolf on Administrative Leave Orlando Montoya reports that Garrett Rolf, the Atlanta police officer involved in the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks in 2020, is currently on administrative leave following a physical altercation at a Midtown club. Rolf, who had been reinstated after the initial incident, is now facing new charges stemming from this recent dispute.

B. Journalist Mario Guevara Granted Bond Immigration authorities have granted bond to Mario Guevara, a well-known Spanish-language journalist from El Salvador, who was arrested while covering a protest outside Atlanta. This development allows Guevara to be released as the government continues its efforts to deport him.

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6. Augusta Completes Hurricane Helene Recovery Milestone

Timestamp: [03:54] – [04:41]

The city of Augusta celebrates a pivotal milestone in its recovery from Hurricane Helene, which struck in September the previous year. The cleanup efforts have successfully removed nearly three and a half million tons of debris, and demolition has commenced at the former Atlanta Medical Center site.

Key Points:

• Demolition Efforts: The iconic concrete portico of Atlanta Medical Center's main entrance was the first to be dismantled, marking the beginning of redevelopment plans.
• Developer’s Vision: The project, dubbed "Boulevard Next," envisions mixed-income apartments, retail spaces, and green areas, supported by Wellstar's backing.
• Emotional Impact: Former staff members, including surgeon Daniela Kington, expressed heartfelt sentiments about the hospital's closure and demolition, reflecting on the loss and the need to move forward.

Quotes:

“We are heartbroken to see it come down... So we all have to move forward. That is the reality.” – Daniela Kington ([04:12])

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7. Resumption of the Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) Program

Timestamp: [10:40]

Orlando Montoya brings good news for Atlanta commuters: the Georgia Department of Transportation's HERO program is resuming 24/7 patrols in the metro area. This program, temporarily halted in 2023 due to staffing shortages, provides vital services such as clearing traffic incidents and offering free roadside assistance, including help with flat tires and dead batteries.

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8. Home Depot’s Strategic Acquisition of GMS

Timestamp: [12:15]

In the business sector, Home Depot is set to acquire specialty building products distributor GMS for approximately $4 billion. This acquisition marks Home Depot’s second major purchase in just over a year, emphasizing their strategic push into the building and materials supply industry.

Key Points:

• Expansion Strategy: The acquisition aligns with Home Depot’s efforts to bolster its supply chain and cater to professional builders as pandemic-induced sales surge has tapered.
• Previous Acquisition: Last year, Home Depot acquired SRS Distribution for over $18 billion, further cementing its dominant position in the materials supply market.

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9. Personal Milestones and Honoring Legends

A. Former Governor Nathan Deal Remarries Orlando Montoya shares a heartwarming personal story as former Georgia governor Nathan Deal marries Brenda McCallay in a serene ceremony in Oglethorpe County. At 82, Deal embarks on a new chapter after the passing of his wife, Sandra Deal, in 2022.

Key Points:

• Emotional Ceremony: The outdoor covered ceremony was filled with joy, captured in photos shared by Deal’s daughter, Carrie, celebrating that “it's never too late to fall in love.”

B. Honoring Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter The legacy of former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter continues to be honored. A post office in Plains will be renamed in their honor, with a dedication ceremony including key family members and local leaders. The bill, introduced by U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop, was signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 4th.

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10. Upcoming Holiday Travel and Community Resilience

Timestamp: [15:30] – [16:14]

As Independence Day approaches, AAA forecasts over 61 million people traveling by car, with peak days from tomorrow through Sunday. The reinstated HERO program is poised to assist travelers, ensuring safer and more efficient journeys during the busiest travel period of the year.

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Notable Quotes:

• Raphael Warnock: “a big, ugly betrayal” ([00:35])
• Jon Ossoff: “a catastrophe” ([00:35])
• Barbara Cooley: “I will not vote for this bill. It needs to have a lot of changes.” ([02:01])
• Marlon Williams: “We're going back to the basics of real relationships with people in real life.” ([06:41])
• Rebecca Melsheimer: “Something that's billions of years old... it's just really amazing.” ([11:17])

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Conclusion

The July 1, 2025 episode of Georgia Today offers a comprehensive overview of critical developments in energy policy, political landscapes, criminal investigations, scientific achievements, and community resilience. Through detailed reporting and insightful interviews, the podcast provides Georgia residents with a nuanced understanding of the events shaping their state and beyond.

For more in-depth coverage and updates on these stories, visit GPB News or subscribe to the Georgia Today podcast.

Transcript

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

Foreign.

[Orlando Montoya]

Hello, and welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Georgia Power and the state Public Service Commission agree on a plan to freeze the utilities rates for North Korean remote. Workers face federal charges for an alleged school scheme involving an Atlanta business. And a Georgia science museum soon will display a piece of space rock that flew over the state last week.

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

This is something that's billions of years old, that has survived being out in space, the harsh conditions there, and traveling through the atmosphere. To actually be able to hold something that has had that kind of story, it's just really amazing.

[Orlando Montoya]

Today is July 1st. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. President Trump's big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts has passed the US Senate by the narrowest of margins, with Georgia's two Democratic senators voting no. Raphael Warnock called it a big, ugly betrayal, and Jon Ossoff called it a, quote, catastrophe. This bill will push hospitals and nursing homes to the financial brink, and it will do major damage to the renewable and advanced energy sector that is driving so much of Georgia's economic development. Republicans muscled the bill through on a 5050 vote, with Vice President J.D. vance casting the tiebreaker. More than two dozen people gathered outside Georgia Congressman Barry Loudermilk's office in Woodstock, north of Atlanta, to protest the bill. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

[Sarah Kallis]

After narrowly passing the Senate, protesters say they want the amended bill voted down in the House. Barbara Cooley helped to organize the protest. She hopes Loudermilk will reconsider his support for the legislation that makes cuts to Medicaid and significantly raises the federal debt.

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

So we want Representative Loudermilk, who voted yes the first time, to look at this bill, read it carefully, look at the experts analysis, and say, no, this is a terrible bill. I will not vote for this bill. It needs to have a lot of changes.

[Sarah Kallis]

Loudermilk released a statement after HR1 passed the House in May saying it delivers on promises made by Trump's campaign to lower taxes and make the country safer. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis in Woodstock.

[Orlando Montoya]

Georgia regulators have approved a plan to keep Georgia Power's base rates steady through 2028. The unanimous decision by the Public Service Commission today follows an agreement between the utility and regulatory officials say the move provides stability for customers, though opponents warn of potential future risks if costs for new data centers rise. Rates still could increase next year to cover $862 million in damage from Hurricane Helene and other storms. Georgia Power has faced criticism for high profits and rising bills on its 2.3 million customers. The company says regular customers won't bear the costs to serve new data centers. Meanwhile, the city of Augusta says they reached a key milestone in Hurricane Helene recovery yesterday. The city says they have completed all vegetative construction and demolition debris removal cleanup teams have removed nearly three and a half million tons of debris from the storm that swept through Georgia last September. Demolition has begun at the former site of Atlanta Medical Center. The work yesterday begins redevelopment at the former hospital that Wellstar suddenly closed in 2022. GPB's Sophie Gratis has more.

[Sophie Gratis]

A concrete portico at one of Atlanta Medical Center's former main entrances was the first to get torn down as part of the demolition, which will go into next year. Former staff watched and many cried. Daniela Kington, a surgeon at Wellstar, worked at the hospital for 10 years. She calls her former co workers family.

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

We are heartbroken to see it come down. At the same time. It's been two years since the hospital closed. You know, we're not all coming back to work together every day, unfortunately. So we all have to move forward. That is the reality.

[Sophie Gratis]

Developers don't yet have a cost estimate for the plan, which they call Boulevard Next. It includes mixed income apartments, retail and green space and has wellstar's support for GPB News, I'm Sophie Gradas.

[Orlando Montoya]

The Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks in 2020 is on administrative leave after getting into a physical dispute, according to Atlanta police. Garrett Rolf was placed on administrative leave after an incident at a Midtown club early Sunday morning. APD says Rolf, who was off duty at the time and and another man got into a verbal argument. The argument escalated into a physical dispute. Rolfe was arrested and charged in the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks outside an Atlanta Wendy's in June 2020. He has since been reinstated. An immigration judge in Georgia has granted bond for a well known Spanish language journalist arrested while covering a protest last last month. That means he will be free as the government seeks to deport him from the United States. Mario Guevara, who's from El Salvador, was arrested by local police on June 14 while covering a protest just outside of Atlanta. He was turned over to U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement several days later and was being held in a South Georgia immigration detention center. A digital news outlet that Guevara started about a year ago posted on social media today that a judge had granted him bond. The U.S. justice Department is charging four North Korean remote workers in a scheme that officials believe financed a weapons program. The FBI announced the indictment yesterday, and Atlanta business was caught up in the alleged scam. Marlon Williams, the founder of blockchain company Starter Labs, says his company was extorted out of over $900,000 after he hired remote IT workers through Telegram. Those workers were later found to be North Korean scammers. Williams said his company has made changes after the extortion.

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

Bitcoin created a culture of anonymity that is just widely accepted as this is how we work as a crypto culture. However, at least for us over at Starter Labs in our community, we're going back to the basics of real relationships with people in real life.

[Orlando Montoya]

The FBI says the same scam is happening across the world and that cryptocurrency companies like Starter Labs are particularly vulnerable. FBI officials believe the stolen money was used to fund North Korea's weapons program. The Georgia Science Museum plans to display a piece of space rock that streaked across Georgia skies last week. The meteor sighting on Thursday prompted wonder and amazement from many people who saw it. Well, now the Telescience Museum in Cartersville in northwest Georgia says it acquired a meteorite from the virally shared fireball on Sunday. This morning, I spoke with the museum's curatorial coordinator, Rebecca Melsheimer, about the space rock that landed in metro Atlanta's Henry County.

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

Yeah, so we had found out or heard on the news just like everybody else that there was the meteorite fall on Thursday. And since we knew it had fallen in Georgia, it was something that we were definitely interested. We would love to have it here. And through our relationship with the Meteorite association of Georgia, they put us in touch with somebody who had actually found a piece of the meteorite that fel. They brought it up here on Sunday. So we actually had it in our hands as of yesterday.

[Orlando Montoya]

And is this the one that fell through someone's roof and ceiling?

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

It is not the one. So this is a different piece, but it is all part of that one meteorite that broke up as it was once it made it through the atmosphere, it broke up into many different pieces. So it is part of the same rock, but it is not specifically the piece that went through the house.

[Orlando Montoya]

And how would you go about identifying this as a space rock?

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

Well, one of the things you look for is that it's actually been observed. We saw it fall because there were so many different camera angles and people who were filming it because it happened during the day, they were able to actually figure out where the different pieces would have fallen. So they were able to Go out there and see the fresh fall. If you found something that was just kind of like out in the middle of nowhere, you really want to look for something that just looks different than the other rocks that are around it. One of the things you can look for is if it's slightly magnetic, if it has a fusion crest. So it's like the outside of the meteorite that actually melted as it passed through the atmosphere. So it creates like a thin crust on the outside of it that's usually black and brown. It's a different color from the rest of the rock.

[Orlando Montoya]

All right, and what does it look like? What are the dimensions? How big is it?

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

As the meteor was traveling through, it was about 3ft. So we only have like a 2 to 3 inch size piece of it because it broke up.

[Orlando Montoya]

Wow. A three foot rock. That is a big rock.

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

Yeah. And so it was definitely much smaller once it made it through. Because it's trial by fire, really, when it comes through the atmosphere, because it's traveling so quickly that all of the particles that are in the atmosphere creates a lot of friction and heat, which is what causes the outside of the rock to melt. And so it loses material as it goes through the atmosphere. And then it has so much pressure and everything like that that it broke apart after it went through the atmosphere.

[Orlando Montoya]

And what do you guys plan to do with it? Will it eventually be on display or just in your collection or what is the plan?

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

It will absolutely be on display. We're looking to try to have it out by the end of the summer. We actually have an entire case that is just Georgia meteorites. So we do not have all of the meteorites that have fallen in Georgia, but we have most of them. And so we were very excited to get this to kind of add to our collection. To have a good representation of everything of meteorites in Georgia.

[Orlando Montoya]

I think it's exciting. But what excites you about it?

[Rebecca Melsheimer]

I mean, it's just. It's so exciting that something that was in space just a few days ago, that I'm actually able to hold it in my hands and being able to think that this is something that's billions of years old, that has survived being out in space, the harsh conditions there, and traveling through the atmosphere, and to actually be able to hold something that has had that kind of story is just really amazing. And then being able to share that with everyone too. To say, like, you saw this on TV and everything like that, and then you can come over here and you can actually see it. So that's going to be. It's going to be great.

[Orlando Montoya]

That was Rebecca Melsheimer of the Telus Museum in Cartersville. Hundreds of people from a half dozen Southern states told the American Meteor that they saw the fireball. Most of the sightings came from Georgia and South Carolina. A scientist at NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office in Huntsville, Alabama, said the meteor unleashed the energy of about 20 tons of TNT. Well, traffic in Atlanta can be a nightmare, but when there is a traffic incident, you need a hero. And the Georgia Department of Transportation's Highway Emergency Response Operators, or hero, program will resume patrols in overnight hours seven days a week in the metro Atlanta area starting today. This follows a break in service that started in 2023 when the HERO program faced staffing shortages. The program clears traffic related incidents as well as offers free roadside assistance, including for flat tires and dead batteries. So the HERO program is now back at all hours of the day. Meanwhile, AAA expects more than 61 million people will travel by car over the Independence Day holiday travel period. The busiest travel days are expected to be tomorrow through Sunday. Home Depot is buying specialty building products distributor gms for about $4 billion. It's the Atlanta based home retailer's second notable acquisition in a little over a year that emphasizes a deliberate push by the company into building and materials supply. The move comes as booming sales from the pandemic fade and Home Depot intensifies its focus on Professional Builders. GMS, based in metro Atlanta's DeKalb county, is a distributor of specialty building products like drywall, steel framing and other supplies. Last year, Home Depot acquired supply company SRS Distribution for more than $18 billion. Former Georgia governor Nathan Deal got remarried over the weekend, exchanging vows with Brenda McCallay of Hiawassee in a ceremony in Oglethorpe county east of Athens. Deal's daughter Carrie posted photos from the ceremony to her Facebook page page in a post that says it's never too late to fall in love. The photos showed the happy couple at the altar in an outdoor covered ceremony. The 82 year old deal lost his then wife, former Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal, to a battle with cancer in 2022. The couple had been married for 56 years as first Lady Sandra Deal became a well known presence across Georgia through her efforts to boost literacy rates statewide. The late former president and first lady Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are getting more recognition following Jimmy's death late last year. The post office in Plains will get a new name in honor of the presidential couple. A dedication ceremony is happening tomorrow in their hometown with local leaders postal officials and members of the Carter family expected to be in attendance. Speakers are expected to include the Carter's son, chip, and Rosalynn Carter's sister, Lillian Smith. Wall, Georgia U.S. representative Sanford Bishop introduced the bill to designate the facility in honor of the Carters last year. The bill was signed by former President Joe Biden on January 4th. And that's it for today's edition of GEORGIA Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb. If you haven't yet hit subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment to do that now. That helps you to keep us current in your feed. If you have feedback for us, send that to us. We love to hear what you have to say. Email us at GEORGIA today. I'm Orlando Montoya. We'll be back again tomorrow with another edition of GEORGIA Today.

[Sarah Kallis]

When a massive chemical fire erupted at the Biolab facility in Conyers, thick smoke filled the air, forcing evacuations. But for many, it wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. I'm Pamela Kirkland. In GPB's new podcast, Manufacturing the Biolab Story, I investigate what caused the fire, the response and what it means for Conyers residents today. [e-mail] podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.