Georgia Today Podcast — October 10, 2025

Host: Peter Biello, Georgia Public Broadcasting
Main Topics: HIV home testing funding, DeKalb County superintendent indictment, AI in healthcare, acetaminophen during pregnancy controversy, Atlanta’s “bike bus”, Alan Caldwell’s poetry, Savannah Bananas’ new tour

Overview

This episode of Georgia Today provides updates on a federal boost to an Atlanta-based HIV testing program, the indictment of DeKalb County’s schools superintendent, and deepens the discussion around artificial intelligence in healthcare. Additional highlights include new health advisories on acetaminophen during pregnancy, a community biking initiative, an interview with poet Alan Caldwell, and the expansion of the Savannah Bananas baseball tour. The episode blends news, health policy, technology insights, and local human interest stories.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Funding Restored for Atlanta-Based HIV Home Testing Program

[00:54–02:25]

• Background: "Together Take Me Home," run by Emory University, distributes free nationwide HIV home testing kits.
• Development: Funding cut by the CDC earlier this year has now been reversed; a new grant provides $10 million (up from $8 million last year).
• Impact: The initiative will continue for another year, focusing on high-need Georgia counties (Dekalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton), all with high rates of new HIV cases.
• Policy: Funding stems from a Trump-era federal HIV-fighting initiative targeting high-case regions.

2. Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Promise, Pitfalls, and Oversight

Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Talbert, Chair of AI and Health, Augusta University
[02:25–09:58]

• How AI Is Used:

  • AI has been used for decades in ICUs, e.g., patient risk scoring.
  • Big advances now in medical imaging: breast and lung cancer screening, radiology, mammography, MRIs.
  • Administrative AI helps with scheduling hospital staffing, predicting ER visits based on complex data like weather or local events.

• Bias and Trust in AI:

  • Transparency is crucial. Patients deserve to know when AI is involved.
    • Quote (Dr. Talbert, 04:40): “We need to understand where the bias and the error comes from...We have to have transparency in AI.”
  • Bias arises from training data: models work best for demographics represented in the data, may perform poorly with others.
  • Patients should not assume AI replaces doctors:
    • Quote (Dr. Talbert, 05:45): “I would also encourage people not to think that AI is going to replace their doctor. I like to think about it as augmented intelligence.”

• FDA Oversight & Current Capabilities:

  • About 1,250 FDA-approved AI tools exist, mainly for diagnostic imaging.
    • Even so, a physician always reviews the results.
  • AI as “augmented intelligence,” supporting—not replacing—physicians.

• Healthcare Data & Interoperability Issues:

  • Data fragmentation is a major obstacle. Patient data often fails to transfer even between hospitals using the same electronic medical records system.
    • Quote (Dr. Talbert, 07:13): “...one of the biggest challenges in healthcare is data interoperability.”
  • For AI, standardizing massive and varied datasets is even more difficult.

• Data Security & HIPAA:

  • Patient data used in AI research is de-identified to prevent breaches.
  • Quote (Dr. Talbert, 08:36): “If it’s just the raw data left over after we remove [identifying information]...there’s no risk of a data breach...”

• AI & Opioid Use Disorder—Ongoing Research:

  • Dr. Talbert developed a model in Kentucky predicting opioid overdose outbreaks months in advance, aiding public health interventions.
  • Plans to bring similar projects to Georgia.

3. DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Indicted

[10:14–11:08]

• News: Dr. Devon Horton, DeKalb County Superintendent, was indicted on 17 counts of wire fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion in Illinois.
• Allegations: Horton awarded over $280,000 in contracts to friends during his previous role in Illinois and received $80,000+ in kickbacks, misusing school funds for personal expenses.
• Response: DeKalb Schools’ board immediately suspended Horton with pay; operations are ongoing as normal.

4. Acetaminophen and Pregnancy: Confusion and Caution

[11:08–12:46]

• Federal Warning: Health agencies advised against using acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy due to a reported link to autism.
• Local Response:
  • Atlanta OB-GYN Dr. Dawn Mandeville assured patients about acetaminophen’s long record of safety, countering alarm from recent advisories.
    • Quote (Dr. Mandeville, 11:51): “We are fighting an uphill battle to convince them...these are your options.”
  • Pediatrician Kiana Washington said parents are now hesitant to use Tylenol, even for fevers.
• Advice: Physicians urge skepticism about online “experts” and caution against alarmist claims.

5. Community Feature: Atlanta’s “Bike Bus”

[12:46–13:40]

• National Walk and Roll to School Week: Parents and kids at Burgess Elementary join a group cycling initiative, filling bike racks and biking together to school.
• “Bike Bus”: Parents lead groups along planned routes, improving safety and fostering fun.
  • Quote (April Stammel, parent, 13:23): “It just means that it’s safer and it’s more fun and something the kids look forward to on Friday mornings even when it’s a little chilly.”

6. Book Spotlight: Alan Caldwell’s "The Only Verse"

Interview with poet Alan Caldwell
[14:01–18:57]

• Themes: Caldwell’s poetry revisits the weight of trauma stemming from childhood abuse and long-term mental health struggles.
  • Quote (Caldwell, 14:16): “My father was a monster by any definition...and if you live in that kind of situation...you live in a constant state of PTSD.”
• Therapeutic Role of Writing:
  • Caldwell and other poets find it “de facto therapy.”
    • Quote (Caldwell, 15:25): “We write to know we’re not alone.”
• Universal Experience: He tries to make his personal story resonate with universal emotions—loss, endurance, and hope.
• Poem Reading: “Running for No Reason”—a meditation on moments of lightness and the persistence of depression and suicidality, with a memorable, candid narrative shift.
  • Excerpt (17:02): “One dozen years ago this October I too grew tired...my lips wrapped around a revolver...But this October my feet are heavy but not lead...and I dream of running for no reason.”

7. Savannah Bananas Announce 2026 Tour & Negro League Tribute

[19:41–22:31]

• Savannah Bananas unveil their 2026 “Banana Ball” tour schedule at a live event.
  • 14 major league parks will host games; attendance projected to rise to 3 million.
  • Two new teams join: Loco Beach Coconuts and the historic Indianapolis Clowns.
• Indianapolis Clowns: Tribute to a pioneering Negro League team celebrated for blending elite play with showmanship.
  • Quote (Bob Toltrow, Negro League Baseball Museum, 20:44): “They were the first to combine high level play with dazzling entertainment...They played games in Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and Puerto Rico...They were the last surviving Negro League team...Now they are back.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On AI in Healthcare:

  • “We need to understand where the bias and the error comes from...We have to have transparency in AI.” — Dr. Talbert, [04:40]
  • “I like to think about it as augmented intelligence...it’s not replacing people, it’s augmenting what they can do.” — Dr. Talbert, [05:45]

• On Personal Trauma and Poetry:

  • “My father was a monster by any definition...you live in a constant state of PTSD.” — Alan Caldwell, [14:16]
  • “We write to know we’re not alone.” — Alan Caldwell, [15:25]
  • “One dozen years ago this October I too grew tired...my feet like lead, my lips wrapped around a revolver...” — Alan Caldwell (reading), [17:02]

Timestamps for Major Sections

| Time | Topic/Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:54 | HIV home test funding restored | | 02:25 | AI in healthcare – Dr. Jeffrey Talbert interview | | 10:14 | DeKalb County superintendent indicted | | 11:08 | Acetaminophen pregnancy warning, local impact | | 12:46 | Atlanta “Bike Bus” initiative | | 14:01 | Alan Caldwell poetry, trauma & healing | | 19:41 | Savannah Bananas tour, Negro League tribute |

Summary Takeaways

• Healthcare news dominated this episode, from renewed HIV funding to the complicated reality of AI in medicine and confusion over drug safety advisories.
• Education and local government themes appeared in the indictment of a school superintendent, showing the intersection of public trust and leadership.
• Community stories on biking and poetry underline the importance of local connection, resilience, and creativity.
• Sports and history converged with the return of a legendary Negro League team to the entertainment-focused world of Banana Ball.

For more information on any of these stories, visit gpb.org/news.