Christopher D. Alston

Morning Edition Producer at WPBA-TV (Atlanta, GA)

Morning Edition Producer at WABE-FM (Atlanta, GA)

Articles

Trump’s 2026 budget threatens HIV prevention funding vital to metro Atlanta

2 weeks ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

The state of Georgia, including multiple jurisdictions in metro Atlanta, is waiting to find out if it will receive federal money needed to provide HIV prevention programs. The Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed a notice of award was due June 1 but has yet to be received. Dr. Stephen Lee, executive director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, joined “All Things Considered” to talk about what these funding cuts could mean.
Atlanta considers city’s first public LGBTQ community center

3 weeks ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

Atlanta is the largest city in the U.S. without an LGBTQ community center, despite being home to the South’s largest LGBTQ population. That may soon change, thanks to a city-led feasibility study that is currently underway through October. The initiative was launched late last year by Mayor Andre Dickens and is being led by Malik Brown, the city’s director of LGBTQ affairs.
Poll shows most American voters support access to FDA-approved vaccines

3 weeks ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

A recent poll shows most American voters — across party lines — support making FDA-approved vaccines widely available. Nearly 70% are worried about falling childhood vaccination rates, according to a survey by the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease. The survey also found people trust their doctors the most when it comes to vaccine advice, although there has been a rise in disinformation and misinformation surrounding the issue.
What research shows about the ‘data center invasion’ in Georgia

1 month ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

As part of WABE’s Server South series, Science for Georgia Executive Director Amy Sharma joined “All Things Considered” to discuss her work researching the development of data centers in the state. Science for Georgia is a non-profit that works to bridge the gap between scientists and the public through training, outreach and advocacy.
Legal questions raised by case of Georgia pregnant woman declared brain-dead

1 month ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

The case of a Georgia woman who was declared brain-dead and has been kept on life support because of her pregnancy is raising legal questions about the state’s restrictive abortion law. Adriana Smith was two months pregnant when doctors declared her brain-dead after a medical emergency, her family told TV station WXIA. But the family says Emory University Hospital has kept Smith on life support since February, citing Georgia law banning most abortions after about six weeks.
New novel by Atlanta journalist highlights gentrification in the city

1 month ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

Josh Green is a writer and editor of Urbanize Atlanta who has spent decades writing about housing, development and Atlanta’s changing neighborhoods. He’s written three books set in Georgia, primarily in Atlanta, and he recently published, “Goodbye, Sweetberry Park,” the second novel in a trilogy.
Future uncertain for intercollegiate sustainable building design competition

1 month ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

Just a few days before the 2025 Solar Decathlon semifinals, members of Georgia Tech’s team were informed that the competition would be postponed indefinitely. The program had been put on hold as part of President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal spending, after the group had put months of work into designing a low-carbon campus for a preschool in Clarkston.
New report shows trend of removing confederate memorials has slowed

2 months ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

As Fort Moore in Columbus, Georgia, reverts to its previous name, Fort Benning, the Southern Poverty Law Center says the trend of removing monuments and place names related to the Confederacy has slowed since 2022. Its 2024 “Whose Heritage” report acknowledges the role that President Donald Trump has played in touting Confederate symbolism and what the SPLC calls the “Lost Cause mythology.”Seth Levi is chief strategy officer with the SPLC.
Local non-profits face potential funding shortages amid Trump administration budget cuts

2 months ago | wabe.org | Christopher D. Alston

A Georgia non-profit that provides medically appropriate meals to Atlantans in need could be among the many organizations feeling the pinch of the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to public health spending. Such funding could drop by as much as a third, according to a proposed budget circulating among federal officials. The effects of cuts that large would extend well beyond the government agencies they directly target.
US Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia says ‘draconian’ tariffs threaten small businesses

2 months ago | wabe.org | Jim Burress |Christopher D. Alston

Small businesses across metro Atlanta are raising concerns about the Trump administration’s new and rapidly-changing tariffs. Democratic U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of DeKalb County said he’s been meeting with local business owners and his constituents are worried about staying in business. “All of that is heightened by how we don’t know what’s going to happen.