The state of Georgia has the go-ahead from the federal government to regulate coal ash, a byproduct from burning coal for electricity that can contain contaminants like chromium, boron and mercury. Read the full article: WABE 

Close to one-third of a $1.5 million federal grant meant to fund HIV prevention efforts in DeKalb County could go unspent by an end-of-the-year deadline, state records show. Budget documents from the Georgia Department of Public Health, which won the money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund projects in DeKalb, show a…

The city of Brookhaven officially opens the first mile of the Peachtree Creek Greenway on Thursday. It’s the initial piece of what’s intended to be a 12-mile paved trail, linking Doraville, Chamblee and Brookhaven to Atlanta and the BeltLine. Read the full article: WABE 

There are just a few days left for Georgians to sign up for insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act health exchange. Open enrollment ends Sunday. Read the full article: WABE

Georgia continues to rank among the states with the highest rates of maternal mortality, low birth rate, preterm birth and infant mortality. The findings are part of a report released Thursday by Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. Despite the low rankings in several key categories, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia executive director Elise…

Georgia’s Sen. Johnny Isakson is retiring at the end of the year, three years into his third term. The state’s senior U.S. senator said poor health is forcing him out. WABE political commentator Denis O’Hayer talked about the senator’s remarks and legacy on “Morning Edition” on Wednesday. Read the full article: WABE 

Time is running out for Georgians to weigh in on Gov. Brian Kemp’s plans to change the state’s health care landscape. The public comment period runs through Tuesday for the governor’s plans for a limited Medicaid expansion, to tweak the state’s individual insurance marketplace, and to cut Georgia’s ties with Healthcare.gov. Read the full article: WABE

With the presidential debate behind them, Georgia Democrats say they can win big here in 2020 with the help of national campaign resources. Now they have to convince outsiders to invest in the fight, because Republicans still control state government. Read the full article: WABE 

Concerns about coal ash also came up again on this year’s list. Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal for electricity, and how utilities clean it up has become a focus for environmental groups. Georgia Power is closing all 29 of its coal ash ponds, excavating 19 of them, and closing the remaining 10 as…

Gov. Brian Kemp’s plans to tweak the state’s individual insurance marketplace and expand Medicaid coverage to a limited population are facing pushback. A handful of people appeared at a public hearing in Macon Wednesday to express their concerns about the proposals. They worried about how the plans would be implemented and how many Georgians would be affected….