Measles in Georgia; Teachers support school cell phone ban; Athens vigil for ICE

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast — February 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Georgia Today, hosted by Orlando Montoya, covers a range of urgent and compelling stories relevant to the state: a new case of measles in Bryan County, teacher support for a school cell phone ban, a candlelight vigil for people detained by ICE in Athens, an in-depth discussion about predatory practices around pelvic mesh lawsuits, significant community park funding, a possible change to HOPE Scholarship drug conviction restrictions, and local sports news.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Another Measles Case Confirmed in Bryan County

• [00:42] The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed a new measles case in an unvaccinated resident of Bryan County. The individual had recently traveled out of state but not internationally.
• The agency is now notifying potential contacts.
• This second case follows a January incident involving a baby too young for vaccination.
• In 2025, Georgia recorded 10 confirmed cases.

2. Teachers Overwhelmingly Support School Cell Phone Ban

• [01:46] Researchers at Georgia Southern University surveyed roughly 3,000 teachers statewide, revealing that about 90% support the current ban on cell phones for grades K-8—and would also support extending the ban to high schools.
• Dr. Abraham Flanagan highlights the impact of devices:

  "The collective sentiment that was expressed is something needs to be done...the devices are interfering with teaching and interfering with learning...the current approach...just doesn't seem to be working." — Abraham Flanagan ([02:42])

• The issue extends to chronic absenteeism: 1 in 5 students in Georgia is “chronically absent”—devices contribute to being “cognitively absent” even when physically present.

3. Athens Vigil for People Detained by ICE

• [03:47] A coalition of religious groups gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor those detained and those who have died in ICE detention. Candles were lit, songs sung, and names read aloud.
• Jo Beth Allen, United Methodist church member, shared a poignant story:

  "Her husband paid her bond but it was too late. ICE took her to Stuart Detention center, then deported her to Guatemala. She is frantic to be reunited with her baby to be able to breastfeed her child." — Jo Beth Allen ([04:07])

• The vigil also featured readings from the Bible, Torah, Quran, and other holy books about compassion for immigrants.

4. Trial Update for Apalachee High School Shooting

• [04:34] The mother of the accused shooter Colt Gray testified in Colin Gray’s (her estranged husband's) trial. She described a chaotic home life and said she urged Colin to lock up firearms. The case centers on whether Colin Gray is responsible for giving his son access to the weapon.

5. Georgians Mark Fourth Anniversary of War in Ukraine

• [05:31] Ukrainian community members in Georgia commemorate the ongoing conflict, expressing pain at the loss and lack of progress.

  "We don't see in the news Ukraine here anymore... my neighbors are wondering how is it going over there? And that's why I don't want to say we lost hope, but it does look like there is no light in the end of the tunnel at this moment." — Ulyana Gonzales ([05:31])

• Despite the hardships, organizing relief and talking to young people keeps spirits up.

6. $3 Million in Grants for Park Improvements

• [06:39] Nonprofit Park Pride announced 19 new community-initiated park improvement projects in Atlanta and DeKalb County.
  • 60% of the $3.5 million in grants will serve historically disinvested neighborhoods.
  • Andrew White of Park Pride emphasized the priority:

    "Whether it's bicycle connectivity or parents pushing strollers or ADA accessibility, access is something that is a big need and desire from communities." — Andrew White ([07:07])

• Projects will include trail extensions, new spaces, and crucial improvements to safety and signage.

7. Inside the Pelvic Mesh Lawsuit Scandal ("The Pain Brokers")

• [07:53] Interview with Elizabeth Chambly Burch about her new book, The Pain Brokers, exposing a troubling web of doctors, lawyers, and lenders exploiting women harmed by pelvic mesh implants.
• How the scheme worked: Via data breaches and cold calls, women with mesh implants were convinced (sometimes under false pretenses) to undergo risky removal surgeries for profit.

  "They told them, you have a ticking time bomb in you...You have to come to South Florida immediately... These mesh doctors end up removing five of these in a day... One of the doctors bragged to me, hey, I'd rip these out in 15 minutes." — Elizabeth Chambly Burch ([09:20]–[10:09])

• Many signed complex medical, legal, and financial consent forms—often without understanding the ramifications.

  "They were filling out medical consent forms. But hidden...was also an attorney client retainer agreement, as well as a lien against a future settlement." — Burch ([11:22])

• Many women lost settlement money to middlemen, with some even chased for further payments.
• The story is exemplified through "Jerry" of Arkansas, whose life was ruined by the unnecessary surgery.
• Burch describes the "seedy underbelly" of mass tort litigation:

  "All of these guys were there...celebrating having sold all of these thousands of women's claims to another law firm for $40 million. They went on to buy...platinum toe rings and oxblood red alligator boots...you just, you can't make up the outrageousness of this stuff." — Burch ([14:54])

8. Retirement of State Representative Lynn Smith

• [16:01] Lynn Smith, chair of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee and a legislative force on environmental issues, will retire at year’s end after 30 years.

9. Closure of Iconic Athens Restaurant

• [16:50] Weaver D's, the soul food landmark memorialized by R.E.M.'s album Automatic for the People, will close after nearly 40 years.

10. Legislation to Expand HOPE Scholarship Access

• [17:38] House Bill 206 would allow students with personal-use marijuana convictions to remain eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.

  "This would be a moderate step in the right direction...to put us in federal standings with the Pell Grant and FAFSA." — Rep. Eric Bell ([17:51])

• The bill awaits approval from the House Committee on Higher Education.

11. Sports Update: Peyton Glavin Joins the Braves

• [18:27] The Atlanta Braves signed Peyton Glavin, son of Hall of Famer Tom Glavin, to a minor league deal. He is expected to report to AA Columbus.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "The collective sentiment... is the devices are interfering with teaching and interfering with learning." — Dr. Abraham Flanagan ([02:42])
• "She is frantic to be reunited with her baby to be able to breastfeed her child." — Jo Beth Allen ([04:07])
• "We don't see in the news Ukraine here anymore...I don't want to say we lost hope, but it does look like there is no light in the end of the tunnel at this moment." — Ulyana Gonzales ([05:31])
• "One of the doctors bragged to me, hey, I'd rip these out in 15 minutes." — Elizabeth Chambly Burch ([10:09])
• "They went on to buy...platinum toe rings and oxblood red alligator boots...you can't make up the outrageousness of this stuff." — Elizabeth Chambly Burch ([14:54])
• "This would be a moderate step in the right direction..." — Rep. Eric Bell ([17:51])

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Important Timestamps

• 00:42 — Measles case update
• 01:46 — Teacher support for phone ban, Dr. Flanagan’s analysis
• 03:47 — Athens ICE vigil
• 04:34 — Apalachee High School shooting trial update
• 05:31 — Ukrainian community’s reflections on the war anniversary
• 06:39 — Park Pride community grants
• 07:53 — The Pain Brokers interview (pelvic mesh lawsuit scandal)
• 16:01 — Rep. Lynn Smith’s retirement
• 16:50 — Weaver D’s closing
• 17:38 — HOPE Scholarship expansion proposal
• 18:27 — Braves sign Peyton Glavin

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This episode offers a powerful cross-section of local news, health concerns, policy debates, human stories, and investigative reporting—making it essential listening for anyone looking to stay informed about Georgia’s people, politics, and communities.

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to the Georgia Today Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, there's another confirmed case of measles here in Georgia. An overwhelming percentage of Georgia teachers support a ban on cell phones in schools, and a coalition of religious groups held a candlelight vigil in Athens last night to to remember people detained by ice.

[B]

Her husband paid her bond, but it was too late. ICE took her to Stuart Detention center, then deported her to Guatemala. She is frantic to be reunited with her baby to be able to breastfeed her child.

[A]

Today is Monday, February 23rd. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. State health officials are confirming another case of measles in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Public Health said yesterday the case is in an unvaccinated resident of southeast Georgia's Bryan County. The affected person hasn't traveled internationally, but has traveled out of state recently. The agency is notifying anyone who might have been exposed to the virus. This is the second reported measles case in Georgia this year. In January, a case was confirmed in a baby too young to receive routine measles vaccinations who had traveled internationally. There were 10 confirmed measles cases in Georgia last year. Georgia educators are expressing a broad consensus about student cell phone use and legislation to address it. In a recently published survey, researchers At Georgia Southern University's College of Education analyzed responses from about 3,000 pre K through 12th grade teachers from nearly all of Georgia's counties. About 90% support a bill signed into law last year that bans cell phones and other devices during the school day for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. About 90% also support extending that ban to high schools. Georgia Southern University associate professor of educational psychology Abraham Flanagan says the responses are especially important considering how many students in Georgia are deemed chronically absent. About 1 in 5 students fits that designation, missing 10% or more days of classes during the school year. Flanagan says when they are in school, electronic devices make them cognitively absent.

[C]

The collective sentiment that was expressed is something needs to be done, that the devices are interfering with teaching and interfering with learning, and that while they might have a place for supporting student learning in terms of different platforms or activities that the devices can gain access to, you know, those benefits are washed out by the downsides. And so the current approach to how we're treating students personal electronics in schools across the state, you know, just doesn't seem to be working.

[A]

A state House committee this month approved a bill that would extend the cell phone ban, but the bill has not moved in the Senate. Flanagan says the survey findings do not reflect any official policy positions of Georgia Southern University. A coalition of religious groups held a candlelight vigil in front of a federal courthouse in Athens last night to remember people detained by ICE. GPB's Chase McGee has more.

[D]

About 35 miles from a planned ICE detention center and social circle vigil, attendees lit candles, sang songs and listened as the names of people who've died in ICE detention were ready. Jo Beth Allen is a member of a local United Methodist church. She spoke about the mother of a seven month old infant she worked with who was put in detention after a car accident.

[B]

Her husband paid her bond but it was too late. ICE took her to Stuart Detention center, then deported her to Guatemala. She is frantic to be reunited with her baby to be able to breastfeed her child.

[D]

Speakers read passages from the Bible, the Torah, the Quran and other holy books advocating for compassion for strangers and hospitality for immigrants. For GPB news, I'm Chase McGee in Athens.

[A]

The mother of accused Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray testified today in the trial of Colt's father, her estranged husband, Colin. Marcie Gray told jurors their home life has been chaotic for years. She says she urged Colin to lock guns in his truck so Colt could not reach them. The father, Colin, is on trial for second degree murder and other charges related to Colin giving his son the weapon used in the 2024 shooting. Defense lawyers say Colt hid his plans for the shooting from his father. Ukrainians in Georgia are remembering the fourth anniversary of the war in their country. Several events took place this weekend ahead of the anniversary tomorrow. Ukrainian Ulyana Gonzales in Savannah says she feels in constant pain for loved ones that she's lost and the lack of progress in secur.

[C]

It has been a lot of talks but not a lot of actions at the field. And people in Ukraine, the ones that actually protect the country at this moment, they don't feel as much support anymore and it looks like there is a lot of people that gave up even though nothing changed there. But we don't see in the news Ukraine here anymore and my neighbors are wondering how is it going over there? And that's why I don't want to say we lost hope, but it does look like there is no light in the end of the tunnel at this moment.

[A]

She and others have been organizing relief efforts since the war began. Gonzalez says those efforts and speaking to young people about Ukraine have buoyed her spirits despite how long the war has been going on. Over $3 million is being awarded to community driven projects to improve parks Atlanta and DeKalb County. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports. The nonprofit Park Pride recently awarded a series of grants.

[E]

A total of 19 park improvement projects initiated by community members will be funded with Park Pride investments. This year, 60% of the $3.5 million awarded went to historically disinvested communities. Grants will be used to extend trails, add new gathering spaces and fix old signage and lighting. Andrew White with Park Pride says each neighborhood project addresses different needs, but there are some common themes.

[F]

Whether it's bicycle connectivity or parents pushing

[B]

strollers or ADA accessibility, access is something that is a big need and desire from communities.

[E]

Once the organizations receive funding, Park Pride works with them on permitting and procurement to complete the project on budget. For GPB News, I'm Amanda Andrews.

[B]

Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of FRESH AIR. Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians and musicians. The people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the FRESH AIR podcast from NPR and wwe.

[A]

For years, pelvic mesh was used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women. Once surgically inserted, the wiry net often caused complications and was eventually banned by the FDA in 2019. Women who've been harmed by it have sued its makers, and the enormous pools of settlement money meant to compensate these women also became a draw for unscrupulous and sometimes shady doctors, lawyers, lenders and other middlemen. That network of grifters is the subject of the new book by Elizabeth Chambly Burch, who teaches law at the University of Georgia. The book is called the Pain Brokers, and she spoke about it with GPB's Peter Biello.

[G]

This mesh, once it has been installed, didn't always cause problems, but when it did cause problems, it had to be removed. And when a woman had mesh removed, if she was part of a lawsuit against a mesh manufacturer, she would be entitled to a bigger settlement than if the mesh didn't cause complications and was still inside her. So the first task of these shady people was to identify women who had the mesh inside them and convince them to get it removed even if they weren't having complications. So this is gonna get complicated if we're not careful. So let's try and simplify. First off, how did these people identify women who had meshened them in the first place?

[F]

So there was a data breach in India as health Companies began to outsource their medical records, keeping the call centers there realized that they were sitting on a gold mine. And they, in concert with a number of unscrupulous people down in South Florida, began cold calling the women. And those cold calls meant that they had an inordinate amount of medical information about these women. So you can imagine if you're sitting in your kitchen and you get a phone call, normally you'd probably just hang up. But these people actually knew the women's names, their birth date, their medical histories. They knew the name of their surgeon, the name of their implant, the date that they had the surgery. And then they told them, you have a ticking time bomb in you. You have to come to South Florida immediately. You have to have it removed, or else you'll die.

[G]

So what then do these people on the other end of the phone ask them to do so?

[F]

They tell them, don't worry, we are setting up removals down in South Florida. There are only a few doctors in the country who can do this. But don't worry, we're going to set you up. We need you to fly down within two weeks. They make arrangements. The women are then picked up at the airport, taken to a hotel, and taken for a pre op visit. The pre op visit doesn't actually involve any kind of exam. And then the very next day, the mesh doctors end up removing five of these in a day. This is a very intricate procedure. It's something that can ordinarily take seven to eight hours to do it correctly. Mesh is a product that's meant to go in, it's never meant to go out. It's sort of like putting rebar in concrete. The scar tissue is supposed to form around it, meaning that you are trying to extract this from living tissue. And one of the doctors bragged to me, hey, I'd rip these out in 15 minutes.

[G]

So when they get this call and all of that is described to them, they are then sent a DocuSign link. What are they signing up for when they actually click all those buttons that electronically sign their name?

[F]

They were filling out medical consent forms. But hidden inside that DocuSign packet was also an attorney client retainer agreement, as well as a lien against a future settlement. So a procedure that, if they had actually needed it, would have cost their insurance somewhere between 800 and $1,000 ended up costing them between $69,000 and $150,000 as a lien against their future settlement.

[G]

So if they got a settlement, and it was several thousand dollars, a huge percentage of that would go to all these middlemen, which was the incentive in the first place to have them go get surgery.

[F]

Absolutely, yeah. And you know, in some instances, just the average mesh settlement was only $40,000. So in some instances, when the full amount wasn't covered by the settlement, these lenders actually went after the women themselves.

[G]

Was it legal to have them sign up for both a lawyer and a loan, essentially, and a medical agreement all at once?

[F]

I mean, this is where we're in the gray shades of legal. So, you know, there's nothing illegal about using DocuSign. There's nothing illegal about using its auto populate function. We are getting into areas where they are signing consents that say that I have consulted with my attorney and my attorney says that this lien is okay for me to do. Well, of course, they hadn't consulted with an attorney. Many of them didn't even realize they were filing a lawsuit. So you have attorneys who are signing these retroactively saying that they have given advice to clients who were never their clients at the time that they underwent the surgery. So that's deeply problematic, if not unethical, if not illegal. But the way that they set this up, you know, you would be concerned about doctors paying for patients. And by refusing to use Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance companies, they were skirting along the outskirts of those anti kickback statutes saying that you can't pay for patients.

[G]

There were doctors, though, who actually were taking kickbacks.

[F]

There were. And later on, the only way to ultimately try to prosecute those doctors was if the state statute provided for some sort of an anti kickback because you couldn't find it in a federal statute anywhere.

[G]

And that was true in Florida, Correct?

[F]

That was true in Florida. It is sadly untrue here in the state of Georgia.

[G]

You profiled three women in this book as a way to sort of narrow the story and make it human. There's Barb, there's Sharon, and there's Jerry. And you spent a lot of time with all of them, but with Jerry in particular. It seems Jerry's from Arkansas. She went through with this surgery and it went so badly for her afterwards. Can you talk a little bit about the impact on Jerry?

[F]

So Gerry goes and she has the surgery and she is immediately worse off. She is now permanently incontinent. She wears diapers every day and she's been to multiple doctors to try to figure out if there's a fix for the fix. And there is not.

[G]

The story for me in this book is, will these three women and will the women in general who are part of this multi district litigation get any meaningful settlement? Will they get any meaningful judgment? And will the shysters that you've described here get the justice that they deserve? Now, I can't spoil the book, but I will ask you, as someone who knows the law very well, you've written about torts. Now you're also diving into an aspect of human nature and seeing how dark and awful it can be. I mean, did this sort of open your eyes to a new level of the darkness that human beings can stoop to?

[F]

Oh, absolutely. You know, the prologue of the book actually starts at a conference in Las Vegas, ironically called Mass Torts Made Perfect. And it's a whole bunch of lawyers who are talking about these cases. And I was there talking about the concerns that I have about mass torts. For some reason, I was never invited back. And unbeknownst to me at the time, all of these guys were there at the same time. They were throwing a huge party. They were celebrating having sold all of these thousands of women's claims to another law firm for $40 million. They went on to buy these outrageous things like platinum toe rings and oxblood red alligator boots and, you know, boats. Boats, right. $450,000 boats. I mean, you know, you just, you can't make up the outrageousness of this stuff. And all of that is going on. It's the seedy underbelly that I think lawyers know exists, but that the surface world pretends doesn't exist. And yet it fuels this whole industry.

[G]

Well, the book is called the Pain Brokers. Elizabeth Chambly Burch, thank you so much for speaking with me. I really appreciate it.

[A]

The Pain Brokers will be the subject of the next episode of Narrative Edge, GPB's podcast about books with Georgia connections. Subscribe to Narrative Edge from GPB in your podcast app of choice and watch each episode on YouTube. State Representative Lynn Smith, one of the longest serving members of the Georgia House, plans to retire after 30 years. Focused on environmental issues, the Noonan Republican chairs the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. Since being elected in 1996. Her legislative record includes bills that protect water resources and dedicate funding to outdoor areas. She also championed the creation of Chattahoochee Bend State park park in her district. Smith said today she plans to complete her term at the end of this year. The Athens restaurant that became world famous because of an REM album named after its sign Automatic for the People will serve its last customers on Thursday. Dexter Weaver has owned the soul food eatery Weaver D's for nearly 40 years. He says the landmark will close this week and be replaced with a restaurant affiliated with Batty's Burgers, which has four locations in Northeast Georgia. State lawmakers are considering a bill that could make the HOPE Scholarship accessible to more Georgians. GPB's Sarah Kallis reports.

[E]

House Bill 206 prevents students from being denied the HOPE Scholarship because of a prior marijuana for personal use conviction. Atlanta Representative Eric Bell is the bill's sponsor.

[D]

This would be a moderate step in the right direction to put us in federal standings with the Pell Grant and FAFSA as well as recently HHS as well as the fda, with the urges of President Trump, has moved to do a reschedule of marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3.

[E]

Under current law, students with drug convictions cannot qualify for the HOPE Scholarship. Members of the House Committee on Higher Education need to approve the bill before it receives a full chamber floor vote. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis.

[A]

And finally today in Georgia Sports, the Atlanta Braves have added a familiar name to the organization. Multiple reports say the club has signed left handed pitcher Peyton Glavin, the son of hall of Famer Tom Glavin, to a minor league deal. Peyton Glavin is expected to report to AA Columbus. His father, a Braves legend and two time Cy Young winner, remains a frequent presence around the club's broadcast booth. And that's it for this edition of Georgia Today. We invite you to visit gpb.org

[D]

to

[A]

get the latest from our GPB newsroom. You'll find many of the stories that you hear on the podcast there. We always also invite you to subscribe to this podcast that helps you to stay current with us in your feed. We love to hear feedback from you, send story ideas or things you might think to improve the product we bring you here at GEORGIA Today. Send that to us at Georgia [e-mail] I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll talk to you again tomorrow.