On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Trump surrenders in Atlanta

USA TODAY National Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey recaps former President Donald Trump's surrender in Atlanta. Plus, the Idaho stabbings murder trial has been postponed, mortgage rates are the highest they've been since 2001, USA TODAY Economic Opportunity Reporter Charisse Jones talks about neurodiversity in the workplace, and the FIBA World Cup tips off.

Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Friday, the 25th of August 2023. Today, a look at Trump's surrender in Atlanta. Plus, mortgage rates reached their highest since 2001, and the Idaho murder trial has been delayed.

♦

Former President Donald Trump was arrested last night at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on charges that he tried to steal the 2020 election. It's the fourth criminal case he faces while campaigning for president again next year. I caught up with USA TODAY National Political Correspondent Phillip M. Bailey after Trump's surrender in Georgia. Phillip, welcome back to the show. How are you?

Phillip M. Bailey:

Hey, man. How are you?

Taylor Wilson:

Good, thanks. Local authorities had said Trump would be treated like any other defendant. Was that true yesterday in Atlanta?

Phillip M. Bailey:

Well, look, as far as the process is concerned, yeah. Donald Trump was treated like all of his other co-defendants and pretty much anyone else who is arrested or booked in the Fulton County Jail. He was processed, he was given plenty of opportunity to turn himself in. He went through the fingerprinting process. He took a mugshot. But let's be honest, he isn't like anyone else who's ever turned themselves in. He's a former President of the United States, and he's facing now 91 different criminal counts across four jurisdictions. This was the first time his booking photo was taken. In these other situations, it was not. Not in the one in Manhattan, not the two federal charges he's facing. This was the first time where you see a mugshot of him.

Again, we've said this before, how unprecedented these moments are. They keep happening over and over again. This is another one. We have a booking photo of a former President of the United States. That's never happened. During the process, it was unlike others because even the other co-defendants and other regular American citizens, there was heightened security. Every law enforcement agency in the area. I saw the Morehouse police were down there. Not just the Atlanta police and the sheriffs, but multiple agencies.

The level of attention on this and how much this system is now being stretched because... I think of it this way. Think of the legal justice system like an anaconda. I've seen an anaconda swallow a deer. I've seen it swallow a rabbit. There are even reports of it swallowing an alligator and a human being. I've never seen an anaconda swallow an elephant. A former president going through our legal justice system, yeah, he's being treated like everyone else, but the weight of a former president going through this process is unforeseen. So I don't know if we can say he was treated like everyone else in the way that it happened.

Taylor Wilson:

Phillip, you're there in Georgia. In terms of the scene outside the jail and across Atlanta, you've painted some of this picture for us, but were there protesters, a media frenzy? What was the scene like?

Phillip M. Bailey:

I think that frenzy, bedlam, mayhem, circus do not adequately describe what I've witnessed, both on the day that Rudy Giuliani turned himself in, and when President Trump turned himself in. There is a seriousness to this, but also, a kind of circus atmosphere to it as well. Many people who were down there, pro and against Trump, who dressed in costumes, obviously having signs and T-shirts, excited about him being booked.

Those who oppose him saying, "This is what he deserves. Our democracy has been under attack. This is holding him accountable." On his side, people are feeling like, no, this is a example of a two-tier criminal justice system. This is a political persecution. And you saw clashes oftentimes between that pro and con side for Trump, as you've seen in these other areas. Fulton County Sheriff's deputies did an excellent job, I think, of de-escalating some of those altercations that did get very, very tense at times.

There was one incident where the Blacks for Trump supporters got into some sort of confrontation with the security team for one of the local TV stations in Atlanta. And there was talk of like, "I'm going to get my gun. I'm going to do this." And the Sheriff's deputies de-escalated that and broke that down very quickly.

At one point, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, one of President Trump's fiercest supporters, came to the Fulton County Jail and spoke to the media and others as sort of an impromptu press conference. She's being bombarded by questions by both media and critics and supporters. But at one point when she's leaving, there is a pro-Trump contingency of people who are harassing Marjorie Taylor Greene, saying that she's not enough of a defender of Trump, that she's sold out to Kevin McCarthy. And there were a couple of other times where you saw among the pro-Trump people, some of these fights and arguments over who was more pro-Trump or who was actually fighting for the president and who wasn't.

So this frenzy that you describe and talked about infects everyone, members of the media, whether they are mainstream TV organizations or newspapers or whoever else, your more amateur citizen journalists, everyone's clashing at some point, hustling to find who can we speak to? Who can we bombard? You have the activists and also the residents. This is a residential neighborhood, the Fulton County Jail. So you had average people whose entire day was inconvenienced who couldn't get to and from home because for one man, as one guy said, he said, "This is all for one man," their entire neighborhood is shut down.

So it's an atmosphere that's both ugly, that shows you democracy is so messy. Oh, and by the way, we did this all in 90 plus degree Georgia heat.

Taylor Wilson:

Yeah.

Phillip M. Bailey:

So the fact that there wasn't any sort of incident at the jail, I think is a testament to both law enforcement and to cooler heads prevailing more times than not.

Taylor Wilson:

All right. Phillip M. Bailey joining us from Atlanta on another historic day surrounding the former president. Thank you, Philip.

Phillip M. Bailey:

Thank you very much, man.

♦Taylor Wilson:

At least nine of the 18 co-defendants charged alongside Trump for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia had also surrendered this week at the same jail as of yesterday. They include former New York City mayor and Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and former Trump campaign lawyer, Jenna Ellis. And John Eastman surrendered. The attorney is accused of promoting a strategy of finding Trump-supporting electors in battleground states. You can read a full list of co-defendants and a look at what happens next in the case with a link in today's show notes.

♦

Home buyers' purchasing power continues to fall this month as mortgage rates continue rising. Rates averaged 7.2% in the week ending yesterday, the highest level since 2001, according to newly released data by Freddie Mac. That's after they'd already climbed to the highest levels in more than two decades the week before. As rates remain high and the supply of unsold homes very low, incoming data shows that existing home sales continue to fall. Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist said, "Indications of ongoing economic strength will likely continue to keep upward pressure on rates in the short term." He said a slight increase in new home availability should provide modest relief to the housing inventory predicament. The Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes to fight inflation have driven the yield on the 10-year treasury bond, a benchmark for pricing an average 30-year loan, causing mortgage rates to climb, according to experts.

♦

The murder trial for the man accused of stabbing and killing four college students last year has been postponed. That's after accused murderer, Bryan Kohberger, waived his right to a speedy trial, according to court documents. Trial had been scheduled to begin on October 2nd. Now, a new trial date will be scheduled after his next hearing in September. He's charged with the murders of Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle. All were aged 20 or 21 when they were found stabbed to death last November in a home near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, who was studying criminology at a nearby school, was arrested after investigators said they linked him with DNA found on a knife sheath left at the crime scene. They also discovered through surveillance footage that his car was in the neighborhood around the time of the killings. His attorney said in previous court filings that he was out driving alone that night and not at the crime scene. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he intends to pursue the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. A judge previously entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger's behalf.

♦

Companies are increasingly making it a priority to hire employees who are autistic or have other diagnoses that lead them to behave or think differently. I spoke with USA TODAY Economic Opportunity Reporter Charisse Jones about neurodiversity in the workplace. Charisse, thanks for hopping on 5 Things.

Charisse Jones:

Love to be here.

Taylor Wilson:

So can we start by just outlining what we mean when we use the words neurodivergent and neurotypical?

Charisse Jones:

Yeah, that's a great question. So neurodivergent basically refers to people who are autistic, dyslexic, may have high anxiety, ADHD, basically having conditions that often lead you to communicate or think or behave differently than a lot of other people. And then folks who are neurotypical are those who fall outside of those categories.

Taylor Wilson:

And Charisse, some neurodivergent people are out of work or underemployed. What's the data say here?

Charisse Jones:

Yeah, there isn't great data on the broader neurodivergent community, but when it comes to autism, about 30% to 40% of autistic individuals who have a college degree are either underemployed or are out of work. So it's really this underutilized talent pool. About 3.5% of the population in the U.S. is believed to have ADHD. And then again, you have lots of folks who are dealing with anxiety, dyslexia, Tourette's, and other conditions. So it's a lot of folks.

Taylor Wilson:

More companies are making it a priority to hire neurodivergent employees. What steps can they take and are they taking to give neurodivergent candidates a better shot?

Charisse Jones:

Yeah, it's really important to try and be more sensitive and accommodating in the hiring process to start with. So for instance, you might want to give a candidate the interview questions in advance. Wells Fargo basically stretches their interview process out over four days. And so they have problem solving exercises where the candidates get to know each other and the hiring managers. They then can refer to that experience during the final interview a few days later in case they don't have work experience that they can talk about.

It's a matter of being very direct with your questioning, not making it obtuse, understanding that folks may not necessarily look you in the eye or have the firmest handshake or be the biggest self-promoter, but that doesn't mean that they don't have the talent to do a great job for you. You just need to look at a different set of metrics when you're evaluating what they bring to the table.

Taylor Wilson:

Charisse, what is the Americans with Disabilities Act and how does it apply to those with disabilities like autism and ADHD, for example?

Charisse Jones:

Yeah, so the ADA basically says that you cannot discriminate against a person who has a disability, whether it's in the hiring process, when they're on the job, when it comes to promotions, and pay. You need to provide accommodations to enable people to be able to tap into the same opportunities and benefits as someone who doesn't have a disability.

This applies to so-called invisible disabilities as well as those that are visible. So if you're in a wheelchair, obviously that's something that anyone can see. The fact that a person is autistic or dyslexic may not be as obvious, but they are also protected under that federal law.

Taylor Wilson:

And what benefits can neurodivergent workers bring to the companies?

Charisse Jones:

Just the fact that you have folks who are really adept at navigating society, being inventive, being innovative, and just having whatever brilliance and skills that they have. And sometimes that's overlooked, because again, if they communicate in a way that's not neurotypical or they behave in a way that isn't neurotypical, you have folks that may not really appreciate what they have to offer. A lot of folks don't self-identify, they don't feel comfortable, and so they're going into an interview or coming onto a job, and perhaps if they're dyslexic, they take a little while to get back to you on email. Or they feel a little overwhelmed by back-to-back meetings.

But understanding that if you just tweak the workplace a bit and tweak those hiring processes, you're going to be able to avail yourself of folks who have a lot to offer your company, and they can be authentic in the workplace and bring all their creativity and talent to the table.

Taylor Wilson:

USA TODAY Economic Opportunity Reporter Charisse Jones. Thanks so much.

Charisse Jones:

Thank you.

♦

Taylor Wilson:

One World Cup ends and another begins. After this summer's Women's World Cup crowned Spain as the best on the soccer pitch, it's now time for the FIBA Men's Basketball World Cup. The tournament tips off today and will be held through September 10th in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The U.S. team enters the World Cup as heavy favorites, but struggled at the 2019 Cup, finishing in seventh, the first time they didn't medal at the event since 2002.

Still much of the world has caught up to the U.S. in recent years, and France, Canada, Australia, Serbia and others have rosters full of professional talent. The U.S. begins its run tomorrow morning at 8:40 AM Eastern Time on ESPN2. And you can follow along all tournament long with USA TODAY Sports.

Thanks for listening to 5 Things. We're produced by Shannon Rae Green, and our executive producer is Laura Beatty. Special thanks to Cherie Saunders. If you have any comments, you can reach us at [email protected]. I'm Taylor Wilson, back tomorrow with another episode of 5 Things.