Georgia Today: Shutdown affects foster care; Starbucks workers vote to strike; Smarter prosthetics

Summary

Georgia Today – November 7, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Georgia Today, hosted by Peter Biello, delivers in-depth coverage of several pressing issues in Georgia: the far-reaching effects of the ongoing government shutdown on foster care and SNAP recipients, a high-profile Starbucks workers’ strike, innovation in prosthetics led by a Georgia Tech student, key economic developments, and cultural highlights in the region.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Government Shutdown Impacts Georgia's Foster Care System

• Federal funding disruptions risk delaying the reunification of children with their parents in foster care.
• The uncertainty over SNAP (food stamps) is causing acute distress for families and young people transitioning out of foster care.
• Kate Blair (Brightside Child and Family Advocacy, Savannah) highlights the legal and emotional dilemma:
  • "A judge cannot return a child to an environment where they cannot have a house and food and schooling right, like they're required to provide these needs. That is what I anticipate. That will be the impact if this continues and these families are without these much needed benefits." (Kate Blair, 01:01)
  • Young adults transitioning out of the system are reportedly the first to feel the strain, turning to advocacy groups for urgent help.

[00:31–01:19]

---

2. Community and Celebrity Support Amid SNAP Crisis

• Over one million Georgians relying on SNAP face ongoing uncertainty.
• Tyler Perry’s intervention: The media mogul has donated almost $1.4 million to local organizations supporting affected families (e.g., Atlanta Community Food Bank, Meals on Wheels Atlanta).
  • Perry commented, "Compassion is not political, it's humanity." (Paraphrased from media coverage)

[01:19–01:53]

---

3. Mercer University: Investing in Rural Health Education

• Mercer University’s medical school is slated to move into a new $80 million facility in Macon as part of a larger downtown redevelopment.
• The development will include apartments, retail, and a conference center; completion expected in three years.
• Dean Dr. Jean Sumner underscores the school's role:
  • "We're about 50% rural, 70% outside of metropolitan Atlanta, and those students are as good as any student you can find in this country. They have work ethic, they have resilience, and they want to go home." (Dr. Jean Sumner, 02:36)
• The school focuses on training doctors from rural Georgia to serve in rural communities.

[02:10–02:48]

---

4. Starbucks Workers' Strike Looms in Georgia

• Union members at Starbucks have voted to strike starting November 13 (Red Cup Day), a major promotional day.
• Starbucks Workers United represents dozens of Georgia locations, but the number of stores participating remains unclear.
• The core issue: Ongoing delays in finalizing a contract agreement with management.

[02:59–03:28]

---

5. Economic News: Lumber Mill Closure in Augusta

• West Fraser, a Canadian timber company, is closing its Augusta plant, resulting in 130 job losses, citing "challenging lumber demand."
• Follows similar closures in Canada due to tariffs; reported alongside a spike in layoffs in Georgia.

[03:28–03:55]

---

6. Georgia Tech Student Pioneers Smarter Prosthetics

• Nathan Wallace, who lost his foot as a child, now works at Georgia Tech's Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Control Lab.
• He leverages his personal experience to improve prosthetic leg technology, focusing on devices that learn from their users’ movements.
• Memorable reaction to the lab's dedication:
  • "I almost wanted to cry just seeing how much time and how much energy and the passion that the people have in the lab towards this kind of field." (Nathan Wallace, 04:16)
• Wallace aspires to an academic career to further this work.

[03:55–04:40]

---

7. Upcoming Investigative Podcast: The BioLab Disaster

• Brief teaser for a new season of Manufacturing the Biolab Story—an investigative series covering the BioLab disaster in Conyers, Georgia.
• The show promises whistleblower testimony and stories of community advocacy.

[04:40–05:13]

---

8. Culture Spotlight: Atlanta Opera’s La Traviata

• The Atlanta Opera opens its production of Verdi’s La Traviata at Cobb Energy Center.
• Guest conductor Evan Roger (Denmark-based), reflects on the challenges and joys of conducting opera:
  • "Well, I will say opera is simply almost twice as hard as doing symphonic work, but I'll tell you, that is it still feels to me, I still feel like that 4 year old getting to do his dream job is like playing in a candy shop." (Evan Roger, 05:34)
• Interview with Roger available on GPB Classical.

[05:13–05:48]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kate Blair (Brightside Child and Family Advocacy):
  "A judge cannot return a child to an environment where they cannot have a house and food and schooling right, like they're required to provide these needs. That is what I anticipate. That will be the impact if this continues and these families are without these much needed benefits." (01:01)

• Nathan Wallace (Georgia Tech student):
  "I almost wanted to cry just seeing how much time and how much energy and the passion that the people have in the lab towards this kind of field." (04:16)

• Dr. Jean Sumner (Mercer University Medical School):
  "We're about 50% rural, 70% outside of metropolitan Atlanta, and those students are as good as any student you can find in this country. They have work ethic, they have resilience, and they want to go home." (02:36)

• Evan Roger (Atlanta Opera guest conductor):
  "Opera is simply almost twice as hard as doing symphonic work, but...I still feel like that 4 year old getting to do his dream job is like playing in a candy shop." (05:34)

---

Important Timestamps

• Foster care & SNAP crisis: 00:31–01:19
• Tyler Perry’s donations: 01:19–01:53
• Mercer Medical School move: 02:10–02:48
• Starbucks workers strike: 02:59–03:28
• Lumber mill closure: 03:28–03:55
• Innovative prosthetics at Georgia Tech: 03:55–04:40
• BioLab disaster podcast teaser: 04:40–05:13
• Atlanta Opera’s La Traviata preview: 05:13–05:48

---

Conclusion

This episode masterfully threads together stories of hardship, resilience, and innovation shaping communities across Georgia. From policy-driven challenges in child welfare and labor to inspiring advancements in medical technology and the arts, it provides listeners with a clear window into the lives, struggles, and ambitions of Georgians today.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, we'll look at how the ongoing government shutdown could delay reuniting children in foster care with their parents. Some Starbucks workers in Georgia vote to strike, and a Georgia Tech student who lost his foot as a child is now working with fellow students to build smarter prosthetics for others.

[B]

I almost wanted to cry just seeing how much time and how much energy and the passion that people have in the lab towards this kind of field.

[A]

Today is Friday, November 7th. I'm Peter Biello and this is Georgia Today. Advocates for foster care families are warning the continuing government shutdown could delay parent and child reunions. That's because the federal funding gap and ongoing court battles are adding to weeks of uncertainty over the food program. Snap. Kate Blair says she works with parents that could face a choice between food and their children. She's the executive director of Brightside Child and Family Advocacy in Savannah.

[C]

A judge cannot return a child to an environment where they cannot have a house and food and schooling right, like they're required to provide these needs. That is what I anticipate. That will be the impact if this continues and these families are without these much needed benefits.

[A]

She says young adults transitioning out of the foster care system are feeling the impact first and reaching out to her for help. As more than 1 million Georgians who rely on SNAP benefits face continuing uncertainty over the food program, an Atlanta filmmaker is stepping in to help. Tyler Perry told People magazine in an article published yesterday that he's donated nearly $1.4 million to Atlanta and Los Angeles groups helping impacted families. The organizations include Atlanta Community Food bank and Meals on Wheels Atlanta, the media mogul told the magazine Compassion is not political, it's humanity. The state's only medical school devoted to training doctors from rural Georgia to practice in rural Georgia will move to a new facility anchoring downtown redevelopment in Macon. GPB's Grant Blankenship has more on the groundbreaking.

[D]

When completed, Mercer University's medical school will move to a new $80 million facility on a former industrial site on the banks of the Uwaugee R. Also planned are 198 apartments, retail space and a conference center. Dr. Jean Sumner is the dean of Mercer Medical School and was a graduate of its first class some 40 years ago. She says the new school will help students, all of whom must come from Georgia, train with the latest technology before going home to practice.

[E]

We're about 50% rural, 70% outside of metropolitan Atlanta, and those students are as good as any student you can find in this country. They have work ethic, they have resilience, and they want to go home.

[D]

The new Mercer Medical School and the related development is expected to take about three years to complete. For GPB News, I'm Grant Blankenship in Macon.

[A]

Starbucks union members have voted to strike at the company's US Stores next week unless it finalizes a contract agreement. Starbucks Workers United says it represents workers at a dozen Georgia locations, but it's unclear how many of them could be impacted by any strike. The work stoppage would begin on November 13th. Starbucks Red Cup Day, typically one of the company's busiest days of the year. A Canadian timber company is closing its lumber mill in Augusta, West Fraser said yesterday. The move will eliminate 130 jobs and is a result of challenging lumber demand. The company is closing another mill in British Columbia because of higher duties and tariffs. The announcement comes as George is on track to end the year with as many layoffs as 2023 and 2024 combined. After losing his foot as a child, one Georgia Tech student decided to use his experience to design smarter prosthetics for others. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

[F]

Nathan Wallace has been wearing a prosthetic leg for the majority of his life. That experience can be exhausting, especially on long treks across a college campus. But but now he works at Georgia Tech's Exoskeleton and Prosthetic Intelligent Control Lab, helping design and test prosthetic legs that learn from their users. He says the first time he visited the lab, he was overcome with emotion.

[B]

I almost wanted to cry just seeing how much time and how much energy and the passion that the people have in the lab towards this kind of field.

[F]

That experience encouraged him to work towards a future in education so he can continue his research and help the next generation of engineers. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee.

[G]

A toxic fire, a plume of smoke and a community demanding answers. In Conyers, Georgia, the BioLab disaster left residents searching for truth and accountability. This season, GPB uncovers system failures, hears from whistleblowers and follows neighbors still fighting to be heard. I'm Pamela Kirkland. Join me for season two of Manufacturing the Biolab Story. Listen now at gpb.org podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[A]

The Atlanta Opera is bringing to the stage this weekend the show about love, scandal and death by tuberculosis. Can you name the show? It's Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata and the Opera's guest conductor Denmark based Evan Roger recently sat down with GPB Classical's Sarah Zaslaw to talk about the tragic romance and the difference between conducting an orchestra and an opera.

[H]

Well, I will say opera is simply almost twice as hard as doing symphonic work, but I'll tell you, that is it still feels to me, I still feel like that 4 year old getting to do his dream job is like playing in a candy shop.

[A]

The Atlanta Opera production begins tomorrow at the Cobb Energy Center. You can hear Sarah's interview with [e-mail] and that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. We do appreciate you tuning in and we hope you'll come back on Monday. We're going to have the latest headlines, same time, same place. Hope you subscribe to this podcast so you remember to listen and you can send any feedback and story ideas you have to us by email. The address is Georgia todaypb.org you can always check for updates to these stories and read the latest [e-mail] news or our reporters are constantly working and posting new stories there. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening and have a great weekend.