On today’s “Closer Look with Rose Scott,” an open records request by Atlanta Journal-Constitution Transportation Reporter Sara Gregory revealed a “secret vote” that was not known to the public and members of the Atlanta City Council. What she discovered was a May 2025 vote by officials from MARTA, Atlanta Beltline, Inc., and the City of Atlanta to halt light rail construction on Atlanta's Eastside Beltline. Gregory joins the show to share how she learned of the vote.

Also on the program, we’re joined by the new mayor of South Fulton, Carmalitha Gumbs. She shares her priorities for the first year of her administration, which includes economic development and searching for a new police chief.

Finally, we speak with the leaders of Food Well Alliance, a nonprofit that helps connect local growers with area communities, to support them socially, economically, and environmentally. Executive Director Kate Conner and Sarah Brown, Senior Manager of Policy and Planning join the program to share the latest local Food System Plan award recipients.

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It’s a new chapter for Peter Hubbard, one of two Democrats elected to Georgia’s Public Service Commission, flipping long-held Republican seats. A longtime clean-energy advocate, Hubbard told “Closer Look” host Rose Scott he’s committed to working across political lines. He’s also closely watching the rapid growth of data centers in Georgia, questioning their true economic benefits, workforce impact, and tax incentives. He then raised concerns about their strain on energy infrastructure, noise pollution, e-waste, and the higher costs often passed on to residential customers.

For weeks, immigration agents with the Department of Homeland Security have confronted communities in Minnesota - resulting in arrests, school closures, injuries, and the killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Good. The State of Minnesota, along with the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis recently announced a lawsuit against DHS for its actions. On today’s “Closer Look,” Anthony Michael Kreis, associate professor of law at Georgia State University, provides his legal analysis about what hurdles the lawsuit might face.

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Thursday marks what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 97th birthday. Ahead of the federal holiday, as various events get underway and people around the world are commemorating the life and legacy of the civil rights giant, President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota. This comes as ongoing protests continue after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good last week, and another federal agent shot a Venezuelan man in the leg on Wednesday.

Today’s program connects King’s moral leadership ideology to the current state of American politics. First, we revisit “Closer Look” program host Rose Scott’s interview with Dr. Robert Michael Franklin Jr., an author, theologian and Emory University’s James T. and Berta R. Laney Professor in Moral Leadership. During the discussion, Professor Franklin reflects on the life and legacy of Dr. King, specifically his efforts to lead with courage, nonviolence and integrity. He also explains how King used his influence to inspire others to be moral leaders.

We then hear from Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. He discusses the ongoing protests happening in Minneapolis. He also reflects on Dr. King’s life and legacy and the intersection of moral leadership and politics. Warnock then talked about the importance of combating the fear and despair that he says the Trump administration is intentionally trying to spread.

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