Metro Atlanta / State News
Q&A on the news
Q&A on the news
Got a question? We will try to get an answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name and city). Sorry, individual responses are not possible.
- Q: Why is there such a long delay of the closed captioning during live TV broadcasts? Surely voice recognition software or someone typing could keep up better than what we see. During the Falcons game, the delay was an average of 10 seconds.
- Q: The mayor of Boston has been the mayor for 16 years and won another term Tuesday. In Atlanta and other cities, a person can only serve two terms. Why the huge differences in the states?
- Q: With all the rain we’ve had recently, why have North Georgia lakes Nottely and Blue Ridge remained so far below normal?
- Q: I just read an article about chickens being one of the largest exports in Georgia. Why can’t the countries these chickens are sent to grow their own chickens instead of exporting so many from the
- Q: Was Omar Ismael (who died at the Habitat for Humanity construction site) from the Atlanta area, did he have family here, and has any fund been set up to help with expenses his family incurred? Wha
- Q: When the Northwest Airline pilots overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles, how many minutes did that take?
- Q: The United States has hosted a fair share (no pun intended) of World’s Fairs (Expos), but I don’t think we’ve done so for many years. Do we have any plans to host any and, if not, why?
- Q: Did the Atlanta police officers get their health care services reinstated? — Robert Pittman, Carrollton
- Q&A on the News
- Oct. 21 AJC says that Beijing has the world’s largest airport. Is it bigger than the Atlanta airport?
- Q: There is legislation before Congress to protect older workers from discrimination. How many elected representatives have sponsored and co-sponsored this bill and how do their numbers line up?
- Q: What are the plans for the Fort McPherson property? Are there any plans to relocate any wildlife there? — Deborah Griffin, Hiram
- Q: I read somewhere that the AARP was subsidized by the federal government. Is this true?
- Q&A on the news
- Q: Did Home Depot or Lowe’s retail stores sell any of the Chinese drywall now causing health, corrosion and insurance concerns? — Mary Jones, Norcross
- Q: With all the rain in metro Atlanta, I read several times about 100- and 500-year floods. How do meteorologists determine how often a major flood is likely to happen? — Frank Manfre,| Grayson
- Q: What is United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice’s background, education and ties to President Obama? — Marlise Landeck, Sandy Springs
- Q: What was the cost to the American taxpayers for the Obamas’ trip to Copenhagen for Chicago’s appeal to the International Olympic Committee? — Maiburn Coffee, Woodstock
- Q: How does the church attendance of President Barack Obama compare to that of his immediate predecessor? — John Walker, Doraville
- Q: My question has to do with the tennis complex that hosted the 1996 Olympics. Who owns the stadium and what are the future plans for it? — Jim Crenshaw, Atlanta
- Q: Why do I have to go through full security when I’m just going back home after an international flight at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport?
- Q: Why have the lights on the “king” and “queen” buildings been green? They are usually pink for [the fight against] breast cancer and then go to white most of the time. Why green and why for so long?
- Q: Who pays the expenses, including salaries, for the Georgia State Patrol officers and GBI agents at University of Georgia football games?
- Q: On I-85 between Atlanta and LaGrange, there is road construction both east and west for approximately 25 miles. Traffic is horrendous. In traveling in each direction, you might count a total of 20
- Q: Is the Sforza horse that will be on display at the High Museum as part of the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit the Nina Akamu casting that is on display at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Ippodromo (horse racing stadium) in Milan, Italy?
- Q: What is the actual percentage of annual U.S. healthcare costs that tort reform would address? — Jean Reber, Duluth
- Q: Concerning the tall tower steel poles along Dallas Highway, since they’ve been erected, why are pine poles still standing?
- Q: How can I donate furniture specifically for the flood victims? — Tammy Hails, Chamblee
- Q: What’s the story behind the multicolored lights on the beautiful new 14th Street bridge? — Lawson Young, Norcross
- Q: What is the Georgia State Patrol policy on issuing tickets to the person at fault in an accident? Is a ticket automatic or at the investigating officers’ discretion? — E.D. Payton Jr., Marietta
- Q: We’ve had a lot of rain during the spring and summer. What effect will this have on autumn foliage in North Georgia? — Scott MacLean, Forest Park
- Q: Why isn’t Lake Lanier rising faster after all this rain? — David Magee, Atlanta
- Q: Does Georgia require drivers to turn on their lights when it is raining and visibility is really low? — Pavittar Safir, Roswell
- Q: Why do weather forecasts no longer include current and predicted relative humidity? It makes such a difference in how we perceive heat.
- Q: Why is there a long delay in the broadcast of sporting events (including Georgia Tech’s season opener), meaning that the live action precedes the broadcast by 20 to 30 seconds?
- Q: When a criminal is sentenced to two life sentences, why is one life sentence not enough?
- Q: In Fulton County a judge is deciding whether a developer can move the graves in a cemetery he bought after a lien was placed on the cemetery for nonpayment of taxes. Are cemeteries taxed? — Betty
- Q: The AJC recently reported that the unemployment rate in Georgia had reached 10.3 percent. Which county has the highest percent of unemployment? — Ann MacLean, Ball Ground
- Q: When a football game is not sold out, the game is blacked out in the home team’s viewing area. But when a baseball game is not sold out, it is still televised. Why the double standard? — Andy Sims
- Q: Who checks the water at Lake Lanier for contamination? — Barbara Turner, Newnan
- Q: Is there a law against our prisoners working? Our highways and secondary roads are horrible with trash and high grass. What’s the problem? — Bob Collins, East Point
- Q: Is it legal for a policeman to run your tag for no reason? — Tamara Plummer, Atlanta
- Q: What accommodations are made for the days of schooling missed by the participants of the Little League World Series? — Paul White, Stone Mountain
- Q: I have noticed that the last couple months the Weather Channel puts the rainfall amount, and then a day or two later, subtracts the monthly totals. Why are they doing this? — Kris Holt, Cumming
- Q: A recent article about dogfighting in Talbot County made me wonder: Why would an investigative firm in Atlanta be staking out a dogfighting operation in Talbot County? Who paid the firm for their e
- With all the voting problems in Afghanistan, what has been the role of the Carter Peace Program? Has it been involved at all and, if so, in what way? — Renee VanderBoom, Norcross
- Q: Are there any plans to modify/alter/change/fix/help the I-285 west exit onto Ga. 400 and the entrance ramp to 400? The interchange is one of the worst in the city and only continues to worsen. — Bl
- Q: With all of the construction at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, will a cellphone waiting lot finally be built? — Merrie Edelston, Sandy Springs
- Q: One of your recent answers said the Gwinnett Braves had the second- lowest average attendance in the league. Where do their ticket prices rank in the league? — Grady K. Dukes, Conyers
- Q: I always enjoyed Andy Griffith in his role as Atlanta-based defense attorney Ben Matlock. How is he doing these days?
- Q: How did “Dog Days of Summer” originate, and how is the weather affected by it? — Rick Brewer, Smyrna
- Q: What is the seating capacity and average attendance for the Gwinnett Braves stadium? — Norm Staehling, Lilburn
- Q: Regarding the man (Frank Hatley) who went to jail for a year for nonpayment of child support even though he had a paternity test that proved he was not the father. Will he get back the money that h
- Q & A on the News
- Q: Why have lawn fertilizers in the lawn and garden stores doubled, and some tripled, in price from a year ago? — Jimmy Kovacs, East Point
- Q: The old DOT building next to the Capitol and the Archives building in Atlanta is being torn down. What will happen to all the marble? — Lisa Williams, Jonesboro
- Q. Is there an estimate of the economic impact in Georgia of the “Cash for Clunkers” program, such as sales tax, tag tax? — Fred Smith, Tucker
- Q. Several years ago, a high-rise bridge was constructed over the Brunswick River on U.S. 17 to provide access for cargo ships to the port of Brunswick. The contractor was being fined for every day pa
- Q. In a recent column, I saw that there was tuition-free education offered to seniors 62 and older. Can you confirm that? — Sheila Pryor, Jonesboro
- Q: Sandy Springs recently enacted an ordinance prohibiting contractors from stopping vehicles in the roadway to pick up day laborers. Does Atlanta have a similar ordinance and, if so, does it also app
- Q: In the Cash for Clunkers program, will the clunkers be destroyed by the government or will they end up back on the road polluting the air?
- Q: Are any of the nuclear power plants in Georgia or elsewhere in the U.S. using nuclear material derived from dismantled weapons in the U.S. or the former Soviet Union states?
- Q. Will those of us who got swine flu vaccinations during the last big scare (late ’70s) still have increased immunity to the present strain?
- Q: What happened to fired 911 operator?
- Does a retired senator have to pay taxes?
- Q&A on the News
- Q: I’ve been watching the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing on TV. There are two astronauts frolicking on the moon. I thought there were only two astronauts on the space shuttle. Who was taki
- Q. Are there any accurate figures as to how many Canadians come into the United States for medical service?
- Q: Now that all TV broadcasts are digital, are there plans and a timetable for them all to be in HD?
- Q: Did the city of Atlanta ever own Lincoln Cemetery on Simpson Road?
- Q: There hasn’t been any news recently about the Somali pirates. Do they still hold any hostages or ships?
- Q&A: Who was the Soviet Union fighting in Afghanistan in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and who is the U.S. fighting there now?
- Q&A: Who paid for the Michael Jackson memorial service? I heard they were looking for donations.
- Q&A: It is challenging for me to understand how (people in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan) are able to repeatedly assemble the materials for suicide bombings...
- Q&A: Regarding these czars that President Barack Obama has been appointing, who pays their salary, who determines how much they make and are tax dollars involved at all?
- Q&A: I'm watching the Sotomayor hearing and I wonder: Since when do they let you know what questions they will ask the day before?
- Q&A: Can you break down Atlanta property tax collections by council districts?
- Q&A: What happened to New Haven firefighters involved in suit over promotions?
- Q&A: What's Delta doing with Airbus planes inherited from Northwest?
- Q&A: Who decides whether a candidate is qualified to run for president?
- Q&A: How do I dispose of unwanted medications?
- Q&A: What's the highest temperature ever recorded in Atlanta?
- Q&A: Are families of Congress members covered by public or private medical insurance?
- Q&A: Do umpires get official feedback when they goof?
- Q&A: Is gov still subsidizing tobacco growers?
- Q&A: How does Germany like "The Producers"?
- Q&A: What is Jay Leno up to now?
- Q&A: How will Chrysler and GM save money by reducing dealerships?
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