The transportation advocates with Propel ATL return to “Closer Look” with their latest report, which reveals deaths from vehicular crashes outpaced homicides in metro Atlanta in 2024. Propel ATL Executive Director Rebecca Serna joins the program to detail the data in "The Human Cost of Mobility". We’re also joined by a local daughter who lost her father in a still unresolved, deadly hit-and-run crash.

Plus, it was a year of Kendrick Lamar shading Drake at the Super Bowl, Beyoncé hosting a ho-down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Cowboy Carter Tour, and some Swifties giving mixed reviews of Taylor Swift’s latest album. We hear from music journalist and author Quentin Harrison. He discusses some of the best songs that defined 2025, and we hear the “Closer Look” team’s favorite albums of the year.

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Amid the national immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, family members of an Atlanta-area rapper have decided to self-deport. We hear from Victor Marachi. He shares how the unfolding situation is affecting his artistic work and upcoming album.

Plus, a history-making move is coming for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After 157 years, the AJC is ending its print edition while expanding its digital footprint—including its mobile app, newsletters, podcasts, and more. Leroy Chapman Jr., the editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, discusses the past, present, and future of the publication and the evolving local news media landscape

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The “Closer Look” team closes out 2025’s series of live coffee shop broadcasts with Coffee & Cocoa Conversations at Sidecar Coffee in Chamblee, Georgia. In a year that saw hardships for many communities, program host Rose Scott focuses on the people who make it their job to bring joy - Santa Rick & Mrs. Claus, Santa D. Sinclair, and Santa Bradley with the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta. Hosting this festive event is Leigh Heymann, the co-owner of Sidecar Coffee. We also hear what the “Closer Look” crowd is asking Santa to bring them this holiday, and the Santas & Mrs. Claus rate some contestants’ best Ho-Ho-Ho!

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Oglethorpe University and The King Center are partnering to teach Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s way of leadership – centering nonviolence, civic responsibility, courage and compassion. Under their new partnership agreement, four selected Oglethorpe students will participate in The King Center Scholars Program and receive The King Center's Nonviolence365 training. We hear from Oglethorpe University’s Dr. Kendra King Momon, a politics professor and the associate provost of academic affairs, and Dr. Gabriel Barreneche, a provost and vice president for academic affairs. They discuss details about the partnership that allows students to learn more about Dr. King’s principles.

Plus, data from the National Alliance for Caregiving reveals 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. are caregivers. Along with caring for a loved one, many caregivers are juggling careers and other responsibilities. It’s something Chanel T. Rowe, an Atlanta-based attorney and caregiving advocate, understands. Since 2019, she’s been navigating the many experiences that come with being a caregiver. Rowe talks with program host Rose Scott about her journey and the hope and inspiration she wants readers to gain from her new book, “Finding Balance: A Devotional to Help Caregivers Move from Suffering to Strength.”

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Inflation, high costs, and economic uncertainty have Georgians rethinking how far they plan to spend and stretch their dollar in 2026. For Feedback Friday for a special edition of “Closer Look,” program host Rose Scott opened the phone lines to hear from callers. They discussed their spending habits in 2025 and candidly shared their concerns for how they plan to navigate their spending in the new year. We also hear from WABE contributor Tom Smith, an associate professor in the practice of finance at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, and Roger Tutterow, a professor of economics at Kennesaw State University.

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Real Estate Developer Booker T. Washington is teaming up with Rapper Killer Mike to bring affordable housing to their hometown of Atlanta. There remains a wide gap between the number of Black and White homeowners in the U.S., and the pair are working to make homeownership more attainable for the Black community with their micro-home concept. So far, they’ve produced $60 million in real estate developments in the Atlanta area. Now, Washington joins “Closer Look with Rose Scott” to discuss their new $13 million project, give his insight on the housing market, and share his long term strategy for making housing more accessible and affordable.

We also revisit another unique affordable home project. Shipping containers travel all over the world and are constantly reused for transporting goods. Wanona Satcher, the CEO and founder of Mākhers Studio, sees even more potential in the durable, steel boxes. Back in February, Satcher gave the “Closer Look” team a tour of her East Point warehouse, and shared her vision for turning shipping containers into affordable housing.

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December 10th marks the 77th Anniversary of World Human Rights Day. CARE USA President and CEO Michelle Nunn says 91,000,000 lives have been saved internationally in the last 20 years as a result of U.S. humanitarian aid. She added that less than a fraction of a penny is invested from every U.S. tax dollar. Those are the numbers Nunn wants the public to be aware of as the Trump Administration makes deep cuts to foreign aid programs, despite over one-billion people living in extreme poverty around the world. She says CARE USA had to reduce their operating budget by $300 Million this year to make up for the financial shortfall. Nunn also mentioned they’ve had to pull back on some of their outreach to areas experiencing crises, like Haiti. Nunn joined “Closer Look with Rose Scott” today to explain the impact of these investments, why they also matter to U.S. economic and national security, the pivotal part Georgia plays in global development and international aid, and how organizations like CARE USA are finding new ways to support communities abroad. Show host Rose Scott also shares a segment of her 2013 journey to Jordan where CARE assisted Syrian refugees.

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Since 1994, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund has distributed nearly $93 billion to individuals, organizations, and businesses in under-resourced communities through credit unions. However, the fund has faced growing uncertainty under the Trump administration, including layoffs that were reversed after the government shutdown and stalled funding. Sydney Seral, the chief advocacy officer at the League of Credit Unions & Affiliates, talks with program host Rose Scott about the ongoing impact on Georgia and the risk credit unions and their communities could still face.

Plus, as Atlanta prepares for an influx of people for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Play Fair ATL is working to make sure the human rights of workers, immigrants, and the city’s unhoused population are protected. We hear from the coalition’s director, Michael Collins. He shares more about what Play Fair ATL is doing to make sure people will not be displaced by this mass event, that’s been described as multiple Super Bowls at once.

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