Govt. shutdown looming; Court rules on Sapelo Island zoning challenges; Bird banding

Summary

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Georgia Today Podcast — September 30, 2025

Host: Chase McGee, Georgia Public Broadcasting
Main Themes: Impending Federal Government Shutdown, Sapelo Island Zoning Ruling, Bird Banding and Funding Threats

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Episode Overview

Today's episode brings listeners up to speed on critical developments affecting Georgia and beyond. The show covers the looming first U.S. federal government shutdown in seven years, a major court ruling in favor of the Gullah Geechee community on Sapelo Island, and federal funding threats to bird banding science. The podcast features on-the-ground reporting, interviews with affected community members and experts, and highlights the real-world impact of policy decisions on Georgia's citizens.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Looming Federal Government Shutdown

[00:26 – 03:19]

• The federal government is on the verge of a shutdown at midnight, the first since 2018.
• Immediate impacts expected on federal workers in Georgia, notably at Robins Air Force Base, and ripple effects on local businesses.
• Local business owners like Laura Hyde describe economic anxiety:

  “If people are watching their budgets, the first thing they’re going to cut is extra go out to dinner, kind of go out to lunch stuff. So yeah, I mean, we feel anytime there’s sort of a dip or recession, we definitely feel it.” ([01:32])

• Public skepticism over Congressional pay during the shutdown:

  “Do the people in Congress have their paychecks stopped?” ([01:58])
  No, members of Congress do not lose pay during a shutdown.

• The stalemate centers on disagreements over Medicaid and Affordable Care Act funding.
  • Up to a quarter of rural Georgians rely on Medicaid; hospital closures (like St. Mary's in Lavonia) could accelerate if cuts persist.

  “Those proposed changes to the ACA include an expiration of subsidies that make monthly plans affordable for millions of people.” — Sophie Gradis ([03:06])

• Georgia Ports Authority has contingency plans—essential operations to continue even if a shutdown is triggered:

  “We dealt with this back in 2018 and the ports kept operating smoothly for that 34, 35 day period.” ([03:35])

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2. Sapelo Island Zoning Dispute — Supreme Court Ruling

[05:14 – 05:59]

• Georgia Supreme Court sides with Black landowners and residents of Sapelo Island, upholding their right to pursue a referendum challenging rezoning that would double permissible home sizes.
• Community fears: rezoning could lead to unaffordable tax hikes and displacement.
• Broader legal significance: affirms that direct democracy (via referendum) can apply to zoning issues.

  “The question really was, does this process under Georgia law that allows residents to exercise kind of the purest form of democracy—does that apply to zoning laws? And the court today has determined yes.” — Miriam Gutman, Southern Poverty Law Center ([05:34])

• McIntosh County officials respect but regret the court decision.

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3. Other State News Highlights

[03:43 – 06:51]

• State Politics: Greg Dolezal, state senator, enters the lieutenant governor’s race on a hardline MAGA platform.
• Disaster Recovery Aid: $531 million federal block grant for Georgia agricultural recovery post-Hurricane Helene.
• AI in Georgia: Georgia AI Manufacturing Week demonstrates how AI benefits local businesses, e.g., in logistics at Sunnyland Farms, saving money on route optimization.

  “We have helped them use AI to identify the routes that they use for logistics...which saved them quite a bit of money.” — Donna Ennis, Georgia AIM ([06:38])

• Industry Investment: Hostess Brands invests $120 million in Columbus plant, with 48+ job additions expected by 2027.

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4. Bird Banding in Georgia: Science at Risk

[08:00 – 11:21]

• Bird banding, a critical process for tracking bird populations and migration, faces existential threat from proposed USGS funding cuts.
• Volunteers in Gwinnett County, like Mia Molloy and her team at Georgia Gwinnett College, do the hands-on work:
  • Early-morning netting and banding operations
  • Detailed measurement of bird health, molt, and fat to build long-term datasets

  “When I’m blowing on the bird, I can see how many parts of the bird are molting and then give a good number of one to four for molt level. You can also see if there’s any fat.” — Carrie Joe Titus ([09:18])

• Bird data informs research about climate change, habitat loss, and infectious diseases (ex: tracking ticks on birds that could harm humans).
• The potential loss of the national bird banding database is a huge concern:

  "Another big fear we have is if the bird banding laboratory is shut down, they will shut down the databases. We will no longer have access to literally 100 years' worth of bird banding data. And that would be catastrophic for our knowledge of wild bird populations..." — Mia Molloy ([10:43])

• The volunteers remain passionate despite the uncertainty:

  “Nobody’s paying us to do this. No salary. We are all volunteering our time because understanding our world through birds is a cause they believe in.” ([11:14])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Do the people in Congress have their paychecks stopped?” — James Watson, Perry resident ([01:58])
• “The court today has determined yes [direct democracy applies to zoning].” — Miriam Gutman ([05:49])
• “We will no longer have access to literally 100 years’ worth of bird banding data. And that would be catastrophic for our knowledge...” — Mia Molloy ([10:43])
• “Nobody’s paying us to do this. No salary. We are all volunteering our time.” ([11:14])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26–03:19: Federal shutdown effects, Medicaid/ACA debate, impacts on local communities
• 03:19–03:43: Ports Authority and economy update
• 05:14–05:59: Sapelo Island zoning Supreme Court decision
• 06:38–06:51: AI Week and business applications
• 08:00–11:21: Bird banding process, research significance, and funding risks

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For listeners seeking more detail:
Visit GPB News at gpb.org/news

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The episode weaves together urgent national issues, state developments, and a glimpse into grassroots scientific work, making clear the direct impact of federal and legal decisions on everyday Georgians and the wider environment.

Transcript

[Peach Jam Podcast Host]

Georgia is the new hotbed for musical talent and the music industry knows it. Record executives are turning their eyes to the Peach State to discover the next big thing. On GPB's Peach Jam podcast, you'll hear those rising Georgia artists before anyone else listen and discover the sound of what's next on the Peach Jam Podcast from Georgia Public Broadcasting.

[Chase McGee]

Welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB News Room. On today's episode, the US Government is headed for its first shutdown in seven years. Georgia's highest court sides with the Gullah Geechee community members over a zoning dispute on Sapelo island. And federal funding cuts could threaten the future of a process used to track bird habits called bird banding.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

There are some birds that are very, very particular about the habitat they need and if that habit is disappearing, they are going to move out of that place.

[Chase McGee]

Today is Tuesday, September 30th. Hi, I'm Chase McGee and this is Georgia Today. The US government is nearing its first shutdown in almost seven years at midnight tonight. If Congress doesn't stop it, it'll likely hit the paychecks of civilian employees of the Department of Defense, like the thousands working at Robbins Air Force Base in Middle Georgia. Laura Hyde's husband manages a popular family style restaurant in nearby Macon. She says past shutdowns have hurt their bottom line.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

If people are watching their budgets, the last the first thing they're going to cut is extra go out to dinner, kind of go out to lunch stuff. So yeah, I mean, we feel anytime there's sort of a dip or recession, we definitely feel it.

[Chase McGee]

With his business outside a different lunch spot, James Watson of Perry says he's not a federal worker and would not have his paycheck stopped in a shutdown. But he did have one question about the potential lapse in funding.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Do the people in Congress have their paychecks stopped?

[Chase McGee]

If a shutdown is triggered, members of Congress would not see a pause in their pay. With a federal government shutdown looming, Congress remains deadlocked over spending priorities. Democrats are pushing for an extension of Medicaid and Affordable Care act benefits that are set to be cut, among other demands. GPB's Sophie Gradis has more on how Georgia counties that rely most on federal health care dollars could be impacted if the cuts remain.

[Sophie Gradis]

Up to a quarter of people in rural Georgia's congressional districts use Medicaid to pay for health care. Former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid administrator Chiquita Brooks Lasher says even just the fear of losing revenue from Medicaid patients could push hospitals and clinics to cut services. St. Mary's Hospital system in northeast Georgia cited the proposed cuts as one factor in the closure of its labor and delivery unit in Livonia just last month.

[Peach Jam Podcast Host]

There have been rural hospitals that have been closing over the years, but this.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

Really puts a lot of pressure on them and the Affordable Care act changes, they're going to start very soon.

[Sophie Gradis]

Those proposed changes to the ACA include an expiration of subsidies that make monthly plans affordable for millions of people. For GPB News, I'm Sophie Gratis.

[Chase McGee]

Ahead of the potential shutdown of the federal government, the head of the Georgia Ports Authority says the agency is prepared for any disruptions. GPA President and CEO Griff lynch told the authorities board members today that essential and critical operations will continue during a shutdown.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

We dealt with this back in 2018 and the ports kept operating smoothly for that 34, 35 day period.

[Chase McGee]

He also noted that August container volumes at the port of Savannah jumped 9% over the same month last year. That represents the third highest month for container volumes in the agency's history. CUMMING State Senator Greg Dolezal has entered the race for lieutenant governor with a campaign focused on hardline MAGA principles. The Republican's entry into the race Tuesday makes him the fourth GOP state senator running for the office. He's pledged to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in Georgia's government agencies. He also wants to remove prosecutors he says are soft on crime and stop what he calls transgender indoctrination in schools. Dolezal supported Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Other Republican candidates include state Senators Blake Tillery, Steve Gooch and John Kennedy, and state Representative David Clark. Farmers and other agricultural producers in Georgia will get financial aid to help with recovery from Hurricane Helene. The massive storm wiped out crops and timberlands more than a year ago. Georgia and U.S. department of Agricultural officials today announced the state will receive $531 million from the US government for a Hurricane Helene block grant program. Georgia's highest court is siding with black landowners in a zoning dispute affecting a historic Gullah Geechee community. On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had halted a referendum on zoning changes in southeast Georgia's McIntosh County. The ruling could have broad implications for Georgia government and businesses. Miriam Gutman is a senior attorney with the Southern Poverty Law center, which was not involved in this case but is representing area residents in a similar lawsuit.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

The question really was does this process under Georgia law that allows residents to exercise kind of the most purest form of democracy. Does that apply to zoning laws? And the court today has determined yes.

[Chase McGee]

Residents of Sapelo island opposed a rezoning that doubled home sizes. Fearing unaffordable tax hikes. Last year, they submitted a petition to reverse it by referendum. McIntosh county officials said they were disappointed by the ruling, but respect it. Nine Georgia communities are getting a hands on look this week at how artificial intelligence can help business and advance careers. Hosted by Georgia AI and Manufacturing and Georgia AIM Week connects manufacturers, farmers, entrepreneurs and students with AI tools. Funded in part by a $65 million federal grant and led by Georgia Tech, the group promotes economic development through AI. Georgia AIM co director Donna Ennis says one of its practical applications included a partnership with Albany Sunnyland Farms.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

We have helped them use AI to identify the routes that they use for logistics when they're moving their product from the plant to the customers, which saved them quite a bit of money.

[Chase McGee]

On Monday in Carrollton Middle School, students got a chance to tour electrical manufacturer Southwire. Expos for students and business reps are planned for cities including Atlanta, Savannah, Athens and Dublin through Friday. Food and beverage giant Hostess Brands is expanding its manufacturing facility in Columbus with a $120 million investment. The J.M. smucker Co. Subsidiary said construction is already underway and expected to be complete in 2027, adding at least 48 new jobs to the site. Hostess Brands and the area's economic development organization Choose Columbus, announced the investment jointly on Monday. The facility supports Hostess Brands, including Twinkies, Cupcakes and Ding Dong. Across Georgia, groups of volunteer bird scientists do something called bird banding. It's a process involving catching and releasing birds after surveying them and placing a metal band on their leg. It goes back decades. The data is used nationally to track bird habits and even monitor climate change. Now these groups are facing federal funding cuts. GPB's Amanda Andrews spoke to volunteers in metro Atlanta's Gwinnett county about their work.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Early in the morning, hours before the sun even begins to rise, a group of about a dozen volunteers are spread across Harbin's Park. They've got on headlamps and knee high boots to set up nets.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

I'm gonna leave this. Yep, Yep. We have 10 net lanes that we set up. We have numbers for them where the birds came from.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Mia Malloy is a professor at Georgia Gwinnett College and a part of the bird lab there. Her team watches birds year round. They catch and band them like this most weekends. When the weather's right.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

You wouldn't want a bird if it were cold or something, sitting there getting wet. So we do not band in the rain.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Molloy has become very familiar with the.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

Birds and harvest in the morning since.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

The team started coming here in 2017.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

I mean, you're hearing them now, right? As we just start to get a little bit of daylight. Heard the Carolina wren and Northern cardinal, Louisiana water thrust chipping.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

One Carolina wren can tell you a little about this place.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

Oh, you're just a ice cream.

[Chase McGee]

I see. Whoa.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

But hundreds of wrens seen across decades are data that can affect policy. So volunteers like Carrie Joe Titus add data through all kinds of measurements.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

When I'm blowing on the bird, I can see how many parts of the bird are molting and then give a good number of one to four for malt level. You can also see if there's any fat. Yes.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

So and Bird Lab professor Maribel Fernandez helps make sense of those measurements.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

These are migratory birds, right.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Fernandez says they learn as much from the birds they no longer catch as the ones they still do.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

There are some birds that are very, very particular about the habitat they need. And if that habitat is disappearing, because sometimes we're cutting it down, but sometimes it might be a disease, sometimes it might be droughts, too much water. So they are going to move out of the place.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Beyond the health of trees and rivers, Bird Banding Data is providing leads on research into infectious diseases.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

We are helping a study from a student at UGA that is studying the diseases that are carried by the ticks.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

That are on the birds that might also make us sick.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

No birds. You want to check other nets on the way back.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

It takes more than a group of eager volunteers to manage all this information. It also takes a database to store it. That's where the U.S. geological Survey's bird Banding Lab comes in. Budget cuts have been proposed for the usgs. Maloy says if that filters down to the banding lab, she fears it would mean more than not having a place to send new data.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

Another big fear we have is if the bird banding laboratory is shut down, they will shut down the databases. We will no longer have access to literally 100 years worth of bird banding data. And that would be catastrophic for our knowledge of wild bird populations and for.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Our understanding of the ecosystems where the birds live. For now, Molloy and the Bird Lab are still banding even if there's no money in it.

[Field Reporter / Interviewer]

Nobody's paying us to do this. No salary. We are all volunteering our time because.

[Interviewee / Local Resident or Expert]

Understanding our world through birds is a cause they believe in. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews in Dakula.

[Chase McGee]

That's it for today's edition of Georgia Today. If you'd like to learn more about these stories, visit gpb.org news and if you haven't hit subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment right now and keep us current in your podcast feed. Got feedback? We'd love to hear it. Email us@georgia todaypb.org I'm Chase McGee. We'll see you tomorrow.

[Peach Jam Podcast Host]

Georgia is the new hotbed for musical talent, and the music industry knows it. Record executives are turning their eyes to the Peach State to discover the next big thing. On GPB's Peach Jam podcast, you'll hear those rising Georgia artists before anyone else listen and discover the sound of what's next on the Peach Jam Podcast from Georgia Public Broadcasting.