Georgia Today: Rural health initiative; Swearing-in makes history; Study on CBD usage among students

Summary

---

Georgia Today: Rural Health Funding, Historic Swearing-in, and CBD Use Among Georgia Students

Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Peter Biello | Georgia Public Broadcasting
Episode Focus:
This episode covers Georgia's new rural health federal funding, the historic swearing-in of Alicia Johnson to the Georgia Public Service Commission, a University of Georgia study on CBD use among students, a segment on Joe Louis and his wartime activism, and a quirky tour of Georgia's New Year's Eve traditions.

---

1. Rural Health Initiative: $218 Million Federal Award

Segment starts at [00:02]

Overview:
Georgia is to receive $218 million in federal funds in 2026 to strengthen rural health care through the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Key Points:

• The award is through the newly created Rural Health Transformation Program, overseen by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
• Georgia's allocation for 2026 falls short of the $1.4 billion over five years requested by state officials.
• Funds are intended for physician recruitment, upgrading technology in rural hospitals, and supporting telehealth initiatives.
• Future allocations will depend on a federal audit assessing whether the state’s spending aligns with federal priorities.

Quote:

“Governor Kemp said in a statement Monday he is, 'thankful for the over $200 million for year one,' and that subsequent awards will be decided following a federal government audit of state programs to determine if spending aligns with the administration's priorities.” – Sophie Gradus ([01:17])

---

2. Historic Swearing-In: Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard

Segment starts at [01:41]

Overview:
Alicia Johnson becomes the first Black woman to hold a non-judicial statewide office in Georgia. Alongside Peter Hubbard, she is also among the first Democrats elected to a statewide office since 2006.

Key Points:

• Johnson and Hubbard join the five-member Public Service Commission.
• The commission regulates utility rates, including those for Georgia Power, the state’s private electric company.
• Their election marks a significant moment in Georgia’s history and political landscape.

---

3. CBD Usage Among University of Georgia Students

Segment starts at [02:22]

Overview:
A recent study highlights widespread CBD use among UGA undergraduates, mainly for anxiety and sleep improvement, but also for social reasons.

Key Points:

• Survey of 4,000 undergrads: 48% tried CBD, 29% use it monthly or more.
• Edibles (gummies/oils) are the CBD products of choice, sourced from brands or friends.
• Students cite reduction of anxiety and better sleep as main reasons, but influence from peers and the novelty effect are significant.

Quotes:

“Most commonly, they use CBD to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. But the study's author, doctoral student Jenny Pless, says there's also a social aspect to CBD use.” – Chase McGee ([02:40])
“Some of the more interesting things that we found is that students also reported using it just because their friends do. They reported using it because it's legal, because it's new and exciting.” – Jenny Pless ([02:47])

---

4. Legal Update: Pause on Cobb County Death Sentence

Segment starts at [03:08]

Overview:
A state judge has issued a further pause on the execution of Stacey Humphries, originally slated for December 17, while questions about clemency conflicts persist.

Key Points:

• Judge Robert McBurney's order halts the execution until issues with Georgia’s clemency process are resolved.
• Lawyers allege conflict of interest with two state parole board members.

---

5. Feature Interview: Joe Louis's Fight for Freedom During WWII

Segment starts at [04:25]
Guest: Johnny Smith, co-author of "The Fight of His Life: Joe Louis, Battle for Freedom during World War II"

Discussion Highlights:

Joe Louis's Iconic Status

• Held heavyweight title (1937–1949); considered America’s greatest Black hero of the era.
• Biographies often overlook his activism and government role during WWII.

Quote:

“Central to understanding the legacy of Joe Louis as an activist, we have to go back in time to World War II when the United States government, the War Department, built this propaganda campaign around Louis...” – Johnny Smith ([04:46])

Significance of Max Schmeling Fights

• 1936: Schmeling defeats Louis, becomes a symbol for Nazi Germany by 1938.
• 1938 rematch: Louis's victory is seen as a symbolic triumph over Nazi ideology.

Quote:

“Louis defeats Schmeling in the first round. He destroys him, and Louis is celebrated.” – Johnny Smith ([06:43])

Louis as a Symbol for Black America

• His victories were seen as unique acts of resistance against white supremacy.
• Provided a role model before figures like Jackie Robinson and after Jesse Owens.

Quote:

“He is striking down white men with impunity. Nowhere else in America is that possible. And that is not lost on black Americans. So becomes a kind of an avenger for them.” – Johnny Smith ([07:22])

Experiences of Segregation in the Army

• Drafted as America's goodwill ambassador, Louis faced the same discrimination as fellow Black soldiers.
• Developed a deeper awareness of the injustices and hardships experienced by Black troops.

Shifting Activism After WWII

• Postwar violence against Black veterans led Louis to take a more vocal stance.
• Notably organized a benefit for assaulted veteran Isaac Woodard; called for unity and civil rights.
• Set a precedent for later Black athletes engaging in activism.

Quote:

“We must all come together, black soldiers, white soldiers, Americans, veterans, and take a stand against segregation, fight for our civil rights and our voting rights.” – Johnny Smith (paraphrasing Louis, [10:40])

Memorable Moment:

• Louis expressing:

  “I hate Jim Crow, I hate the poll tax, but I'm not gonna let this hate control me. ... I'm gonna do something about it.” – Johnny Smith quoting Joe Louis ([10:33])

---

6. Kennesaw Mountain Road Closure for Private Vehicles

Segment starts at [11:43]

Overview:
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will close the summit road to private cars starting January 6, 2026, citing safety and experience improvements.

Key Points:

• The 1.5-mile road will only be open to park shuttles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
• The peak offers Civil War history and panoramic city views; the park had 1.5 million visitors in 2024.

---

7. Georgia’s Quirky New Year’s Eve Traditions

Segment starts at [13:05]

Overview:
Review of fun and unusual New Year’s Eve festivities across the state, each reflecting local culture.

Key Highlights:

• Brunswick Shrimp Drop: A 4-foot shrimp named Bob dropped from 65 feet, now in its third iteration.
• Helen Edelweiss Drop: Celebrates German heritage with a traditional flower drop.
• Tifton Gnat Drop: Features “Matt the Gnat”; conceived to give people a quirky celebration.
• Tallapoosa Possum Drop: Celebrates local history with a taxidermied possum named Spencer.
• Perry Buzzard Drop: Started to deter real buzzards, using a plastic, feathered buzzard.
• Atlanta's Peach Drop: Replaced by a city-wide drone and fireworks show for the first time.

Notable Quotes & Fun Facts:

“The aquatic crustacean will keep his previous name, the shrimp still named Bob...I guess you could call this one Bob Bob iii.” – Peter Biello ([13:19])
“Hughes considers Nats the welcoming committee of the South. And what better way to welcome the new year than with a familiar face?” – Peter Biello ([13:37])

---

8. Additional Notes

• Skip advertisements and show closing ([12:43], [13:05]).
• The episode maintains an informative, conversational tone throughout.

---

For Listeners:

This episode covers a wide array of critical and quirky stories—from strategic state funding and political milestones to student behavior trends and Georgia’s unique traditions—while ending with a thoughtful look at Joe Louis’s overlooked legacy as a Black activist-athlete. Perfect for those interested in Georgia’s community development, politics, culture, and history.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, Georgia is slated to receive more than $200 million next year to bolster rural health. Newly elected Public Service Commission member Alicia Johnson made history yesterday with her swearing in ceremony. And a recent study from the University of Georgia is shedding light on the use of CBD among college students.

[B]

They reported using it because it's legal, because it's new and exciting.

[A]

Today is Tuesday, December 30th. I'm Peter Biello, and this is Georgia Today. Georgia is slated to get $218 million from the federal government next year to bolster rural health. That award falls short of what Georgia officials were asking for. GPB's Sophie Gradus has the details.

[C]

The awards mark the first year of grant money under the newly created Rural Health Transformation Program overseen by the Center' for Medicare and Medicaid, which is facing billions of dollars in cuts. Federal health officials say the program should help offset those losses and push states to get creative in tackling health care gaps. Georgia's Medicaid agency, which will decide how the money is allotted, asked in its application for $1.4 billion from the program over five years to help fund physician recruitment, technology upgrades at rural hospitals and things like telehealth. Governor Kemp said in a statement Monday he is, quote, thankful for the over $200 million for year one that subsequent awards will be decided following a federal government audit of state programs to determine if spending aligns with the administration's priorities. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gradas.

[A]

Newly elected Public Service Commission member Alicia Johnson made history yesterday with her swearing in ceremony in Atlanta. When she takes office on Thursday, she'll become the first black woman to hold a statewide Georgia post that isn't a judgeship. She and fellow PSC newcomer Peter Hubbard also are the first Democrats elected to a state level statewide office in Georgia since 2006. The five member commission regulates Georgia utilities, including rates charged by the state's only private electric company, Georgia Power. A recent study from the University of Georgia is shedding light on CBD use among college students. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

[D]

In a recent survey of 4,000 undergraduate students at the University of Georgia, 48% reported they had tried CBD at least once, and 29% use it once a month or more. Students tend to obtain edibles like gummies or oils from a trusted consumer brand or from a friend. Most commonly, they use CBD to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. But the study's author, doctoral student Jenny Pless, says there's also a social aspect to CBD use.

[B]

So some of the more interesting things that we found is that students also reported using it just because their friends do. They reported using it because it's legal, because it's new and exciting.

[D]

To her knowledge, the study is the largest survey conducted on CBD use by students. For GPB News, I'm Chase McGee.

[A]

A state judge has ordered a temporary pause for a December execution that already had been put on hold. Fulton County Superior court judge Robert McBurney said in an order yesterday that a death sentence for Stacey Humphries cannot be carried out until questions about Georgia's clemency process are addressed. Humphries was facing lethal injection on December 17 for the 2003 fatal shootings of two women in metro Atlanta's Cobb county when the execution was halted. Humphries lawyers argue that two members of George's parole board have conflicts of interest that could affect his clemency hearing. This is ALL things considered on GPB. I'm Peter Biello. Leading up to enduring World War II, heavyweight champion boxer Joe Louis was arguably the most admired athlete in the United States. The so called man with the jackhammer fists defeated an unprecedented number of challengers. Because he was so admired, the US Government used him in propaganda that would downplay the harm caused by racial segregation and encourage black Americans to fight the Nazis even while facing oppression at home. A new book looks at this aspect of his life. It's called the Fight of His Joe Louis Battle for Freedom during World War II. Johnny Smith is the J.C. budshaw professor of Sports History at Georgia Tech and he's the co author of the book. He's with me now. Welcome to the program.

[B]

Thanks for having me.

[A]

So you wrote this along with Randy Roberts, a history professor at Purdue University. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for this book?

[B]

Joe Louis held the heavyweight championship between 1937 and 1949, and he was arguably the most admired American athlete during that period, certainly the greatest black hero in America during that period. However, the biographers who have written about Joe Louis have treated his experience during the war as sort of an afterthought. But what we argue in the book is that central to understanding the legacy of Joe Louis as an activist, we have to go back in time to World War II when the United States government, the War Department, built this propaganda campaign around Louis, organizing him in a campaign to visit military camps, military bases, as a goodwill ambassador to promote this idea of Unity on the home front at a time when black soldiers are fighting in a segregated army.

[A]

And I want to talk a little bit about what he did during the war, but before we get to that, I want to talk about how the government sort of realized that he was the right person for this job. And part of it has to do with a couple of bouts against Germany, Max Schmeling. Can you talk a little bit about the significance of those fights against him?

[B]

Yes. So Joe Louis first fought Max Schmeling in 1936. Schmeling was a former heavyweight champion, and he was not yet, though really celebrated by the Nazi party at Adolf Hitler in 1936. The reason for that is that in that year it seemed as if Schmeling's career was over and that Joe Louis would easily defeat Schmeling. And so that 36 fight, which occurs before Lewis is the heavyweight champion of the world, it lacked the political significance that their rematch two years later, 1938, would take on. Ultimately, Schmeling scores a tremendous upset. He beats Joe Louis. It was the first time that Joe Louis had been knocked down and defeated. And so Joe Louis had to gather himself, resurrect his career in some ways. Fast forward. In June of 1938, you have this rematch between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, and they both become proxies for political ideologies. Schmeling now, after having defeated Joe Louis two years earlier, he's the darling of Adolf Hitler. Now the Nazi officials, they are celebrating Max Schmeling because they see the potential of him to win the title against Joe Louis, a black man who had once defeated before. Joe Louis, ironically is transformed by mostly white sports writers into a symbol of democracy. Louis defeats Schmeling in the first round. He destroys him, and Louis is celebrated.

[A]

Describe for me how black Americans felt about him. In particular, describe the depth of feeling.

[B]

When Joe Louis wins the heavyweight title in 1937. He is celebrated because in black America, these fights in the ring against white opponents, he is striking down white men with impunity. Nowhere else in America is that possible. And that is not lost on black Americans. So becomes a kind of an avenger for them. It's not so much that black Americans see him as some racial unifier. In the aftermath of defeating Max Schmeling in 1938, they see him as fighting back against racial oppression. What we have to keep in mind at that time is there is no other black hero who so physically embodied this resistance. This is before Jackie Robinson joins The Brooklyn Dodgers. Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, but there's no Olympics in 1940. Jesse Owens quickly leaves the sports stage, if you will. But Joe Louis is at center stage for years again. Between 1937 and 1949, he is the black hero in America.

[A]

So when the war starts for the United States and Joe Louis joins the army, he's not going to see combat. That's not going to be his role. But his role is he's going to be doing exhibition matches. He's going to be visiting bases across the country and abroad. And he knows his role. How does he feel about that, given that? He also knows the kind of discrimination that other black men in the military are facing.

[B]

Initially, he says, all the right things that you would want from America's champion. You know, I'll do whatever the army asks of me. I'll go wherever my commanding officer tells me to go. He has to go through basic training like every other soldier, but he is segregated. When he goes to Camp Upton in New York, that's where he starts his basic training. He gets off this or he arrives and he's directed immediately. He can't go over with the white soldiers. He has to go with the black soldiers. So Joe Louis, who lives most of his life above the Mason Dixon line, who grows up in Detroit, spends a lot of time in Chicago. His career is largely defined in New York. This is different for him. He's now being forced into a segregated state. And I think it was very difficult for him at first. But when he's with those other black soldiers, you know, they want to talk to him about his boxing career and, you know, his best matches and so on. But they also want to talk to him about the brutal conditions that black soldiers faced who felt like they were in indentured servitude. We have white officers who are acting like overseers. And so that is a very difficult thing for Joe to accept.

[A]

So it seems like during the war, he wasn't vocal, right? He wasn't speaking out to some extent. There were army censors, right? There were things he could not say. How did that change after the war ended?

[B]

Joe Lewis strongly identified with being a black veteran. After the war ends in the summer of 1946, we see white mobs attacking black veterans in uniform, and Lewis becomes outraged. There's a famous story about a soldier named Isaac Woodard who gets assaulted by white cops in South Carolina, and they blinded him, and it angered Joe Louis. And so he. He organizes a benefit for Isaac Woodard to raise money for him so he can get health care. And he recognizes that he has to speak up. And he gives this speech in December of 1946 where he was being honored, and he says, I hate Jim Crow, I hate the poll tax, but I'm not gonna let this hate control me. You know, I'm gonna do something about it. We must all come together, black soldiers, white soldiers, Americans, veterans, and take a stand against segregation, fight for our civil rights and our voting rights. And this is very new. This is 1946. This is before Jackie Robinson joins the Dodgers in 1947. We Americans want accustomed to seeing black athletes speak out in political ways, to have a political message. And he doesn't see himself as a leader, though black Americans see him as a leader and they admire him for taking a stand. And so he contributes to the NAACP and veterans groups. And it really becomes an important turning point, I think, because Joe Louis now offers a model for future black athletes to use their influence, their power to press forward for change. And I think that's a role of Joe Louis that's been overlooked.

[A]

The book is called the Fight of His Life, Joe Louis, Battle for Freedom during World War II. Johnny Smith, thank you for speaking with me.

[B]

Thanks again.

[A]

And Johnny Smith's book on Joe Louis is the subject of the latest episode of Narrative Edge, GPB's podcast about books with Georgia connections. Find Narrative Edge wherever you get your podcasts. This weekend will be the last that private vehicles will be able to drive up Kennesaw Mountain north of Atlanta. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield park yesterday announced the closure of the mountain road to cars, citing safety concerns and a desire to make the mountain experience better for bikers and pedestrians. Starting January 6, the 1 1/2 mile road will be accessible only by park shuttle or on bike or foot in a newly created lane for visitors wanting to take the slow way up. Of course, there's also a more challenging trail to the mountaintop. A key site in the Civil War's Atlanta campaign, the Overlook offers a view to the city. About 24 miles away, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield park had nearly 1 1/2 million visitors in 2024. That's according to the latest publicly available National Park Service data.

[C]

How does AI even work? Where does creativity come from? What's the secret to living? Long TED Radio Hour explores the biggest questions with some of the world's greatest thinkers. They will surprise, challenge, and even change you. Listen to NPR's Ted Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

One Georgia New Year's Eve tradition is returning this year while others continue and another is radically changed. The Downtown Development Authority in Coastal Brunswick plans to bring back an event held off and on in two previous iterations since the late 90s. It's called the Shrimp Drop. The authorities, Matthew Hill says they'll drop a 4 foot tall metal shrimp from a 65 foot high perch. The aquatic crustacean will keep his previous name, the shrimp still named Bob. I guess you could call this one Bob Bob iii. But yeah, he's just always called Bob. But unlike in previous years, Bob will not drop into a vat of cocktail sauce. Hill says the tradition celebrates Brunswick connection with seafood in the North Georgia mountains. Helen celebrates the New Year with the dropping of the edelweiss that is the mountain flower you see adorning beer steins during Helen's Oktoberfest in South Georgia's Tifton, they'll drop a gnat named Matt. Why a gnat? Well, Tift County Commissioner Melissa Hughes told WALBTV that she created the Gnat Drop as a way to bring people together in an odd but funny way. Hughes considers Nats the welcoming committee of the South. And what better way to welcome the new year than with a familiar face in West Georgia's Tallapoosa? They'll drop a possum named Spencer. Once named Possum Snout, Tallapoosa celebrates its heritage every year with the Possum Drop to welcome the new year. The possum used in the New Year's Eve celebration is a taxidermied possum named Spencer after Ralph L. Spencer, the businessman who is credited with creating the late 19th century boom. In Tallapoosa in Middle Georgia, you can celebrate the New Year's Eve the Perry Way with the nationally recognized Perry Buzzard Dropped. According to the ajc, the buzzard drop tradition in Perry started with a problem more than a decade ago. Buzzards were migrating to Perry for the winter to rest on the town's water tower. The birds caused damage to the tower, so the town took action. A plastic buzzard made with real feathers wards off the migrating birds as a practical form of pest control, and it turned into a New Year's tradition. And for the first time, Atlanta's Peach drop won't be a downtown party with live bands and a descending fiberglass and foam peach. Instead, it will be a drone and fireworks show that officials say will quote across Atlanta. Atlanta officials have released a list of dozens of businesses participating in events, specifically marketing views of the aerial display. Thank you so much for listening to the podcast today. We hope you enjoyed it. Make sure you come back tomorrow. We'll have more of the latest news. And you can check gpb.org news for updates to any of the stories you heard today. And you can find the latest headlines there as well. Check it anytime. If you haven't subscribed yet, please do it now. And remember, your feedback is super valuable to us. You help guide our reporting. You point out cool stories that we know nothing about. Perhaps there's another kind of animal dropping on New Year's Eve that we failed to mention. Well, please let us know. The email is Georgia todaypb.org I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We will see you tomorrow.