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  • Two Democrats advance to a runoff in contest to name new state senator for metro Atlanta district

    Two candidates vying to replace former state Sen. Jason Esteves to represent a metro Atlanta Senate seat are headed to a runoff election next month after neither candidate managed to secure more than 50% of the vote in a six-way special election held Tuesday.  Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat, resigned from the state Senate in September […]

  • ‘Culture of fear’ leaves new prosecutor alone at helm of Georgia’s Trump probe

    The stalled Georgia case against President Donald Trump and more than a dozen allies accused of  trying to invalidate the results of the 2020 election was given new life last week. Or was it? Peter Skandalakis, who was tasked with assigning the case to a different prosecutor following Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ dismissal […]

  • Critics warn proposal to accelerate construction permitting in Georgia threatens water quality

    Proponents of a bill designed to speed up the construction permitting process say the changes are needed to address a lack of affordable housing.  But local officials and environmental groups warn the proposal would add a “shot clock” that could compromise public safety and lead to increased water pollution from construction runoff. The bill, sponsored […]

  • Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is charting a path for a post-Trump era, GOP observers say 

    What’s going on with Marjorie? That’s the question President Donald Trump had reportedly been asking senior Republicans about Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene last month as she publicly disagreed with him over policies like Affordable Care Act subsidies and the genocide in Gaza, as she put it. More and more people are asking about the state […]

  • Lawmakers weigh seismic changes to Georgia’s voting equipment

    Ahead of the momentous 2020 presidential election, Georgia’s state leaders faced a choice. The state’s voting system prior to that year consisted of 27,000 electronic voting machines that had been in use since 2002, which were reaching the end of their life and needed to be replaced.  The voting machines, officially called direct-recording electronic voting […]

  • New prosecutor tapped to take over Georgia election interference case against Trump

    The Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump appears to live on after the head of a nonpartisan state agency appointed himself the new prosecutor in the case. Peter J. Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, will take over the case from embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Skandalakis […]

  • GOP lawmaker says tougher campaign finance penalties needed in response to New Georgia Project case

    Stacey Abrams’ New Georgia Project is a thing of the past, but it may still be a major topic of conversation when lawmakers gather next year for the annual legislative session The voter engagement project founded by Stacey Abrams in 2013 announced in October that it was dissolving after the Georgia Ethics Commission concluded the […]

  • Georgia commission approves license for new medical cannabis dispensary as demand grows 

    The Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission approved a new dispensing license Wednesday, bringing the statewide total to 19, following a major patient enrollment threshold that triggered expansion under state law. The commission’s executive director, Andrew Turnage, said the program surpassed the 25,000 active patients mark some time ago, which allowed the commission to approve […]

  • Emboldened by statewide wins, Democrats see chance to compete in northeast Georgia House district

    A Democratic challenger focused on health care and housing and a local Republican business owner have officially qualified to compete in a special election to fill a vacant House seat in northeast Georgia. Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest IV and Democrat Eric Gisler are on the ballot for the House District 121 special election on Tuesday, […]

  • Trump pardon of 2020 election allies does not erase Fulton County election interference charges

    Georgia Republicans who came under legal scrutiny after allegedly playing a role in trying to overturn President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss are celebrating after the president issued a sweeping preemptive pardon – though the presidential decree will have no direct effect on the languishing state racketeering case out of Fulton County. In a proclamation, […]

  • Immigrant domestic violence victims face new barriers during ICE crackdown

    This story was originally published by KFF Health News. National Domestic Violence Hotline: People who have experienced domestic abuse can get confidential help at thehotline.org or by calling 800-799-7233.  The immigrant from India believed her husband when he said that if she wasn’t gone by the time he got to their Georgia home in 10 […]

  • The ballot is set for next month’s special Georgia House election in Cherokee County

    Six candidates have stepped forward to fill a Cherokee County legislative seat that was left empty after the death of the district’s state representative last month. Rep. Mandi Ballinger, a Canton Republican, died in October after a long battle with cancer. Five Republicans and one Democrat  have qualified to replace her in the state House. […]

  • Bookman: Tuesday’s elections in Georgia and elsewhere show that change is coming – and fast

    Maybe what happened in Tuesday’s election was an anomaly. You could certainly make that case, as many Georgia Republicans have tried to do. It was, after all, an odd-year election, with relatively low turnout, for two low-profile statewide races. So even if the resulting margins were spectacular – Democrats won two seats on the five-member […]

  • Democrats rush to seize momentum after Georgia victories built on affordability messaging

    Decisive Democratic victories in Georgia and across the country on Tuesday have given the Democratic Party momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms, while Republicans are left grappling with how to quickly recenter voters’ affordability concerns.  Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard delivered an upset Tuesday by gaining over 60% of the statewide vote each, unseating […]

  • Two Democrats advance to a December runoff for Georgia state House seat in Gwinnett County

    Two Democratic candidates seeking to replace outgoing state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson are headed to a December runoff after neither managed to clinch over half of the vote in a three-way race that overlapped with other statewide and municipal elections.  Hutchinson, a Snellville Democrat who has held the seat since 2019, stepped down from the state […]

  • Democrats flip two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission

    Democrats Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson have delivered an upset in Georgia’s off-year special election Tuesday, defeating two Republican incumbents on the state’s Public Service Commission. The double victory marks the first time the Democratic Party has won a statewide constitutional office in Georgia since 2006 and reshapes the political landscape ahead of the pivotal […]

  • Drawn to the polls by local issues, Atlanta voters influence statewide Georgia utility races

    Voters at a south Atlanta polling place cited local issues like infrastructure and City Council accountability as top concerns Tuesday. Two statewide races for the Georgia Public Service Commission were often an afterthought.  Yet, voters like the ones streaming in and out of the Thomasville Recreation Center on Tuesday are poised to help Georgia Democrats […]

  • Voter snapshot: Residents of Cherokee County have their say on Georgia PSC races 

    Update: Both Republican incumbent commissioners were not able to run up the score on friendlier turf like Cherokee County, where they won nearly 60% of the vote, to overcome the Democratic challengers’ lead.  It’s election day in Georgia for two Public Service Commission seats, and voters are making their voices heard over who should sit […]

  • Georgia utility races seen as potential bellwether for 2026 midterms

    The results of an unusual off-year special election for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission are being closely watched as a key indicator of voter sentiment heading into the critical 2026 midterm election. Whereas Republicans say they are running on a track record of producing reliable energy, Democratic leaders have framed the PSC […]

  • Community groups in Georgia try to keep families fed as uncertainty over food aid continues

    About 20 people gathered outside MUST Ministries’ Canton office Monday morning, some waiting in parked cars to avoid the lingering chill, others bundled up and chatting in English or Spanish. When the doors opened at 10 a.m., the people walked into a waiting room and lined up in front of a receptionist’s desk. One young […]

  • Battle for two seats on Georgia regulatory body heats up as campaigns enter homestretch 

    Campaigning for two contested seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission has intensified during the early voting period, turning a relatively quiet election cycle into a partisan fight over utility rates and energy policy. Two Republican incumbents, Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson, are being challenged by Democratic nominees Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson in an […]

  • Kemp resists calls to use state funds to keep food aid available in Georgia during shutdown

    A critical federal food assistance program that benefits roughly 1.4 million Georgians is on track to run out of funding this weekend, as the federal government shutdown approaches a full month. Yet while governors in both red and blue states have taken steps to ease the burden on people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition […]

  • Georgia agency will research imperiled diamondback terrapin but declines to require protections

    The Georgia Board of Natural Resources has rejected a petition aimed at protecting diamondback terrapins from crab nets, but state wildlife experts will perform a statewide terrapin survey and study methods for protecting the unique turtle. Terrapins live in brackish tidal creeks along the Atlantic coast as far north as Cape Cod in Massachusetts and […]

  • Georgia teacher sues school district that fired her and others because of budget shortfall

    Ashley White, who was the only art teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School in Dublin, said the district violated the law when the director of human resources abruptly asked White to resign on Oct. 6, citing an inability to fulfill the district’s employment contracts.

  • Georgia panel raises state park fees with additional price hikes in the works 

    The Georgia Board of Natural Resources has voted in favor of a plan to increase parking pass rates at state parks, and the Department of Natural Resources could be considering further cost hikes. The new changes, which include surge pricing for campsites, cabins and yurts as well as golf courses, could go into effect next […]

  • Georgia lawmaker steps down, creating another vacancy under the Gold Dome 

    It continues to be a busy year for off-cycle state legislative races in Georgia. An Athens-area Georgia lawmaker announced Tuesday that he is stepping down from the seat he has held since 2018, creating a new vacancy in the state House. State Rep. Marcus Wiedower, a Watkinsville Republican, said he is stepping down to focus […]

  • Bookman: Democrats have a chance to flip governor’s seat in Georgia, with the right candidate

    With Brian Kemp leaving the governor’s office after next year’s election, Georgia Democrats have an opportunity to make history.  All they need now is a candidate. The alleged frontrunner for the 2026 nomination is Keisha Lance Bottoms. According to a poll of Democratic primary voters commissioned by her own campaign last month, Bottoms “pulls more […]

  • Georgia Democrats call on governor to use state funds to keep food benefits flowing during shutdown

    The political fallout from the ongoing federal government shutdown continued Monday in Georgia, as Democrats pushed to protect America’s largest food assistance program while Republicans deflected blame onto Democrats in Washington. Georgia SNAP seeks at least $60 million after federal budget cuts The latest clash stemming from the federal shutdown centers on the Supplemental Nutrition […]

  • Georgia board set to raise fees at state parks 

    The next time you want to take in some of Georgia’s natural beauty at one of its state parks, it could cost you a little more. Or at least it will if the Board of Natural Resources signs off Tuesday on a proposal to raise fees. Under the plan under consideration, the cost to park […]

  • Federal food aid for over one million Georgians to stop Nov. 1 because of shutdown

    As many as 1.4 million Georgians who rely on federal food assistance could face the abrupt loss of benefits starting Nov. 1 if the government shutdown has not ended. The Georgia Department of Human Services announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture informed the state that there is “insufficient funding” to cover November payments […]

  • Georgia SNAP seeks at least $60 million after federal budget cuts

    Georgia’s SNAP administrators say they would need more than $60 million from state coffers to maintain their level of staffing after next year’s federal cuts to the program that more than one in 10 Georgians use for groceries. The news from the agency that oversees the food stamp program comes after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp […]

  • Fans of Okefenokee Swamp call on Kemp to support permanent land protections after mining scare

    A coalition of environmental organizations delivered more than 24,000 petition signatures and nearly 300 pieces of artwork from children to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office Thursday, urging him to permanently protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The groups, which included Environment Georgia, Garden Club of Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light and others, called on the […]

  • State election panel recommends ending no-excuse absentee voting in Georgia

    When Georgia’s State Election Board considered a proposal to recommend that state lawmakers ban no-excuse absentee voting early last year, the Republican-dominated body shot it down, with then-newly appointed Chair John Fervier casting the deciding vote. But in a Wednesday meeting in Atlanta, a trio of Trump-aligned board members successfully approved a similar proposal in […]

  • Prominent clean energy advocate accused of stealing Georgia Power ‘trade secrets’ at public meeting 

    Patty Durand, a former Democratic candidate for the Georgia Public Service Commission and a clean energy advocate, was arrested Tuesday for the alleged theft of a Georgia Power document containing trade secrets during a commission meeting earlier that day. Georgia Capitol Police arrested Durand, who is a frequent critic of the PSC, on Tuesday before […]

  • Will Georgia join a GOP-led state exodus from a multistate voter accuracy group?

    Georgia election officials credit an embattled voter accuracy organization with helping them identify over 180,000 voters who have moved out of state just this year. But the state could be poised to end its participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, ahead of the 2026 election after the once-obscure organization became the target […]

  • HIV rates are highest in the American South, despite effective treatments

    The American South has the highest HIV rates in the country, accounting for more than half of new HIV diagnoses nationwide in 2023. This is despite growing availability of a highly effective HIV prevention medication that has made it possible to live a long, healthy life with this once fatal disease. This medication – called […]

  • Thousands, including many dressed as frogs, rally against Trump at Atlanta No Kings protest

    Thousands of people gathered Saturday in Atlanta as part of the No Kings rallies taking place nationwide, where speakers sounded the alarm against the potential for authoritarian rule under the Trump administration. Speakers, which included prominent Georgia political figures and leaders of civil rights and advocacy organizations, described the current climate as a move away […]

  • Planned Parenthood Southeast hires law firm to probe ‘troubling allegations’ after petition drive

    Planned Parenthood Southeast’s board of directors announced this week that it would be hiring a law firm to investigate allegations of mismanagement that reproductive health advocates say threatens to undermine the organization’s mission and has alienated donors and partner organizations. The statement followed the circulation of a “save Planned Parenthood Southeast” petition that advocates say […]

  • All eyes are on Trump after no Republican emerges as the frontrunner in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race

    Georgia is set to host what will likely be the most expensive U.S. Senate race in the country next year. But Republicans are still searching for a clear frontrunner to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who continues to raise huge sums of cash as he prepares to defend his seat. U.S. Reps. Mike Collins […]

  • Court ruling allows Georgia woman to pursue lawsuit against makers of hair relaxer products 

    A woman who says she developed a medical condition after using a common hair product can continue legal action against the manufacturers after a decision from the Georgia Supreme Court released Wednesday. 

  • About 600 CDC workers are expected to be permanently fired after latest round of cuts

    Public health experts in Georgia are speaking out against furloughs at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention they say have left hundreds of employees at the agency unemployed as the federal government shutdown enters its third week. Federal employees began receiving reduction-in-force notices, the technical name for layoffs, on Friday. Initially, about 1,300 […]

  • Early voting begins for Georgia Public Service Commission and municipal races

    Grab your ID and get ready to head to the polls: Tuesday marks the first day of early voting for the 2025 statewide and municipal election in Georgia. This year’s Nov. 4 general election is set to include candidates for two seats on the state’s five-member Public Service Commission, the body that regulates utilities like […]

  • Controversial party-switching former Georgia lawmaker announces campaign for secretary of state

    Former Democratic state representative turned Trump supporter Vernon Jones has launched a bid for Georgia’s secretary of state. Jones is the fourth Republican candidate to declare a run to be the state’s top election official, joining state Rep. Tim Fleming; Kelvin King, a former candidate for U.S. Senate; and former state elections official Gabriel Sterling. […]

  • Georgia lawmaker who died after long battle with cancer remembered as a champion for children

    Colleagues of state Rep. Mandi Ballinger say they’ll remember her as a woman with a heart for Georgia’s children, a mind for parsing intricate laws and the guts to stand up for what she believed in. Ballinger, a Canton Republican, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, according to an announcement from House Speaker […]

  • Georgia Republicans say they fear local elections could help Democrats in statewide utilities race

    A unique off-year election for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, a body responsible for regulating utilities in the state, has Republicans vocally concerned, especially considering concurrent municipal elections that they worry could favor Democratic mobilization. Early voting starts Tuesday for the Nov. 4 election, which will decide the fate of two incumbent […]

  • Judge’s ruling temporarily blocks construction of massive poultry project in south Georgia 

    A proposed south Georgia chicken plant that could be the state’s largest poultry operation is on hold after a Coffee County judge found it would likely harm locals’ health and property values and damage the nearby Satilla River. The proposal called for 60 chicken houses, each holding more than 25,000 birds, which are projected to […]

  • Georgia NAACP, residents challenge district map in county with all-white commission

    Voting rights advocates in Meriwether County have filed a lawsuit challenging the districts drawn for local county commission seats, which they say illegally dilute the voting power of Black residents under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court Thursday, alleges that district maps enacted in 2022 have contributed […]

  • Georgia makes strides on emissions while growing economy

    This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Georgia has cut its greenhouse gas emissions per person nearly in half in the last 20 years, mostly by replacing coal power plants with natural gas and solar. But the state still has a long way to go […]

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene sounds alarm over expiring health care subsidies as shutdown continues

    As the government shutdown drags into its second week, Georgia’s congressional delegation is locked in a partisan struggle over who is to blame, with one of the state’s most high-profile Republicans, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, seemingly charting her own political path by challenging both parties on the issue of rising health care costs. Greene, a […]

  • Bookman: Republicans will pay for inaction on expiring health care subsidies

    It has taken some time, but the American public is finally beginning to understand what Republicans in Washington are doing to our nation’s health care system, including the Affordable Care Act that now covers an estimated 24 million people. “When the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are […]

  • Ossoff raises another $12 million as he fights for reelection in closely watched 2026 Senate race

    U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is boasting a major fundraising haul as he heads into 2026 and the election that will determine whether he gets six more years in office.

  • Georgians can now get updated Covid shots at pharmacies without a prescription

    This story was originally published by Healthbeat. Sign up for their public health newsletters at healthbeat.org/newsletters” Georgians should now be able to get the updated Covid vaccines at pharmacies without a prescription after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the latest federal guidelines. The same goes for access at county health departments, the state […]

  • U.S. Senate GOP hopefuls say they raised nearly $2M each in fight for Georgia seat 

    How much does it cost to run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia? Millions of dollars are already pouring into the coffers of Republicans hoping to claim the office – and of Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is fighting to hold onto it. In dueling Monday morning press releases, Republican Congressman Mike Collins and former […]

  • Have you seen a Joro spider in Georgia? Researchers want to know 

    On top of everything else that’s going on, now Georgia is being invaded by giant spiders. If you live in north Georgia, there’s a good chance you’ve come face to cephalothorax with the Joro spider in the last few years. The behemoth black and yellow arachnids hitched a ride to Georgia from East Asia around […]

  • Fulton County DA Fani Willis to testify before GOP-led Senate panel, chair says

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought charges against President Donald Trump, will testify before a Senate committee next month after resisting requests to make an appearance, according to the committee chairman. “She’s going to be treated fairly like any other witness here, but counsel will be present,” said Athens Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert, […]

  • New stamp honoring Jimmy Carter unveiled on the late former president’s 101st birthday

    Former President Jimmy Carter’s 77-year marriage with former first lady Rosalynn Carter was a defining feature of his life, spanning Carter’s career from a south Georgia peanut farmer to state senator, governor and president, as well as his post-presidency humanitarian work. But, those who knew him say, there was another relationship that was just as […]

  • Six candidates, including a recently retired lawmaker, enter race for open Georgia Senate seat 

    Four Democrats, a Republican and an independent have all thrown their hats into the ring to represent a metro Atlanta district in the state Senate. Senate District 35, which includes parts of Cobb and Fulton counties, was vacated after former Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat, stepped down to focus on his run for governor. […]

  • Science makes America – and Georgia – great 

    The recent shooting at the CDC was shocking. It feels like it was a lifetime ago. Every day seems like a new crisis: vaccines, Tylenol, turning off environmental monitoring, curtailing food stamps and then not reporting on hunger. All of this is shocking, but not unexpected. It’s the natural outcome of all of us retreating […]

  • Cumming state senator joins crowded GOP primary in race to be Georgia’s next lieutenant governor

    Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming has become the latest member of the Georgia Senate to launch a bid for lieutenant governor, joining several other Republican candidates in a race that includes some of the most powerful figures in the chamber. Dolezal, a businessman, was first elected to the state Senate in 2018 and represents a […]

  • Georgia farmers set to receive $531M in federal disaster aid, though no details yet on how to apply

    It’s been just over a year since Hurricane Helene ripped across the Southeast, killing 250 people and causing billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses. In Georgia, the storm claimed 37 lives while its devastating winds and floodwaters led to at least $5.5 billion in damage to the state’s farmers and foresters, according […]

  • Georgia voters have until Oct. 6 to register to vote for this year’s PSC, municipal elections

    Georgia voters have less than one week left to change or update their voter registration ahead of this fall’s statewide and municipal elections. Peach State residents can register to vote ahead of the Oct. 6 registration deadline by going online to the secretary of state’s website or by mailing a voter registration application to the […]

  • Participation in Medicaid child dental care continues to decline in Georgia, audit finds

    A state agency responsible for administering Medicaid in Georgia has failed to adopt or follow through on most of the recommendations made in an earlier audit that were meant to help more children, including those with disabilities, obtain dental care, according to a recent report.  Despite a 2021 state audit that highlighted falling dental care […]

  • History-making Georgia Democratic lawmaker launches campaign for governor

    This story was updated at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. At least one more Democrat is jumping into the race to be Georgia’s next governor. State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a public policy consultant, once made history as the first Muslim woman to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives and the first Palestinian American to […]

  • Taxpayer funds: Where school voucher money goes in Georgia

    Private schools in 102 Georgia cities received $5.4 million in state voucher funds this fall, as parents took advantage of the state’s newly expanded program aimed at helping students from low-performing public school get private education. Private schools in McDonough, Covington and Conyers received as much money as schools in in more populous places like […]

  • Reproductive health advocates turn to giant inflatable IUD to help broadcast message

    What’s the best way to celebrate World Contraception Day? For some reproductive health advocates, the answer is clear: By breaking out a whimsical, 20-foot-tall inflatable statue of an IUD, affectionately known as Freeda Womb. The art installation, which belongs to the nonpartisan organization Americans for Contraception, was also part of a 2024 tour aimed at […]

  • Georgia’s limited Medicaid expansion program is extended through 2026 despite concerns about cost

    Georgia has received approval from the Trump administration to extend its Pathways to Coverage program, a partial Medicaid expansion with work requirement components, at least through the end of 2026. An approval letter from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that was sent this week to Georgia leaders noted that the temporary extension […]

  • Trying to get the COVID-19 shot in Georgia? You might still need a prescription, at least for now

    Georgia residents seeking the COVID-19 vaccine may still need a prescription — for now. That’s due, in large part, to shifting federal guidelines that have narrowed the pool of people who are eligible for this year’s COVID-19 vaccine. In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new round of COVID-19 vaccines, but limited […]

  • Bookman: Fani Willis will never get the chance to present her case against Trump

    She blew it. Fani Willis blew it. Give her credit for this much: The Fulton County district attorney did have the guts, the courage and the ambition to attempt to bring Donald Trump to justice for his role in trying to overthrow the 2020 election here in Georgia. For all we know, Willis might also […]

  • ICE officials, attorneys for Mario Guevara spar over the Georgia journalist’s immigration history

    Lawyers for Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara and his family are asking a federal court to stop U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting him while he is in their custody. Guevara’s lawyers, who include those from the American Civil Liberties Union, asked the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Georgia on Monday for […]

  • Republicans hold onto Georgia state Senate seat as Democrats tout gains in red district

    A GOP lawmaker will continue to represent a conservative state Senate district in a north Atlanta exurb after a Democratic candidate’s first-place finish last month surprised Republicans and left Democrats hopeful that a flip was possible.  Jason Dickerson, a Cherokee County resident who is the president of a private investment firm, had 61.5% of the […]

  • Christian schools, Amazon attract most Georgia voucher school dollars

    This story was done in collaboration with The Current GA and is part of an ongoing series examining Georgia’s school voucher program.  Georgia’s new program to subsidize private education has helped more than 8,000 children move from public schools with low test score averages to educational organizations predominantly affiliated with Christian churches, data from the […]

  • Former judge and Biden official announces campaign for Georgia secretary of state

    Penny Brown Reynolds, a Biden administration appointee and former Fulton County state judge who also settled family disputes on TV, has announced her candidacy for secretary of state. She is one of the first Democratic candidates to enter the race, joining voting rights advocate Adrian Consonery Jr. The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing […]

  • Democrats’ chief visits Georgia to campaign with state Senate candidate as runoff enters homestretch

    MILTON – The national Democratic Party’s top official campaigned in Georgia this weekend with Democrat Debra Shigley in hopes of helping her flip a conservative state Senate district in the north Atlanta suburbs. Ken Martin, who chairs the Democratic National Committee, called Shigley’s surprising first-place finish in last month’s seven-way race “a huge overperformance for […]

  • CDC panel abandons, for now, more controversial vaccine proposals but casts doubt on safety

    This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. on Sept. 22. ATLANTA —  A key vaccine advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indefinitely postponed a controversial change to guidelines on administering hepatitis B vaccines to newborn babies, and altered long-standing recommendations around COVID-19 vaccine access for children and adults, though a […]

  • Spanish-language journalist in Georgia now faces imminent deportation 

    An immigration judge ordered Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara to be deported on Friday despite a pending First Amendment case in federal court, setting off a frenzied attempt by his attorneys to stop the deportation from happening.  Guevara was arrested earlier this summer while covering an anti-ICE protest in DeKalb County. His arrest has alarmed free […]

  • CDC panel opts against requiring COVID shot prescription, but wants greater emphasis on its risks

    ATLANTA — The top vaccine advisory committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Friday to change long-standing recommendations around COVID-19 vaccine access for children and adults, though a proposal to require prescriptions for all individuals seeking the shot narrowly failed.   If approved by CDC leaders, the recommendations will also place a new […]

  • Policy requiring Georgia college professors to put their class syllabus online begins to take effect

    Have you ever wondered what college students are studying these days? Under a University System of Georgia policy rolling out this semester, finding out could soon be easier. The policy, approved in May, calls for publicly posting all class syllabuses, including a course description, grading policy and reading list, onto university websites. Starting this fall, […]

  • CDC vaccine panel votes to limit use of a childhood vaccine as COVID, hepatitis B decisions loom

    ATLANTA — A key vaccine advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to change its recommendations around certain childhood immunizations Thursday, despite the CDC’s own data showing that the vaccines are safe and effective. The panel, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is charged with setting national guidelines around […]

  • Raffensperger, who defied Trump in 2020, enters race for Georgia governor 

    Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger officially launched his long-expected campaign for governor Wednesday with a video announcement touting his conservative bona fides. “I’m a conservative Republican, and I’m prepared to make the tough decisions,” he said. “I follow the law and the Constitution, and I’ll always do the right thing for Georgia, no matter […]

  • An overhauled CDC panel is set to issue guidance on COVID shot access and childhood vaccines

    A key advisory panel that oversees nationwide vaccine recommendations will meet this week at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta amid ongoing uncertainty about which Americans can access a wide slate of vaccines.  The committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, will likely vote to shift eligibility requirements for immunizations […]

  • Rural Georgia hospital plans to close its labor and delivery unit, in part due to Medicaid cuts

    This story was updated at 6:19 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2025.  St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in rural northeast Georgia will discontinue its maternal health services next month as its parent company moves to consolidate OB/GYN services to one location, the hospital announced last week. The decision will affect the hospital’s labor and delivery unit […]

  • New report finds it’s too soon to gauge Trump’s impact on EV industry

    This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. As electric truck and SUV maker Rivian broke ground on its Georgia factory Tuesday, questions swirled about electric vehicle manufacturing in the US in light of Trump administration policies. A report released the same day found that, so […]

  • DA Fani Willis loses appeal in quest to lead Fulton County election interference case against Trump

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis remains disqualified from prosecuting President Donald Trump’s election interference case after the Georgia Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal over her removal. The 4-3 decision issued Tuesday means the state’s highest court will not review the Georgia Court of Appeals’ December ruling that disqualified Willis from prosecuting the […]

  • Georgia higher ed board approves $50K Sonny Perdue pay bump

    University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue is getting a raise. The Board of Regents voted unanimously Tuesday to finalize a $50,000 pay raise for the former Georgia governor and U.S. agriculture secretary, bringing Perdue’s pay up to $572,500. The pay hike will go into effect next month. In a statement after the vote, Board […]

  • Ex-GOP lieutenant governor enters race for Georgia governor with anti-Trump message

    Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is running for Georgia governor as a Democrat. Duncan announced his campaign Tuesday with a video targeting President Donald Trump. “Georgians deserve leaders with the courage to take on Donald Trump and do what’s right,” Duncan said in the video. “As Georgia’s first Democratic governor in 28 years, I […]

  • NIH grant cuts throw science into a ‘downward spiral,’ researchers and advocates say

    When Geza Kogler, a former professor at Kennesaw State University, lost his National Institutes of Health grant, he didn’t just lose funding; he lost a program he believed in and, quite possibly, his career in academia. Kogler recently retired from leading a program aimed at training the next generation of orthotists and researchers who specialize […]

  • Expiration of premium tax credits spells disaster for rural Georgia

    Living in a rural area, almost by definition, means being a little bit further away from the big box stores and modern conveniences, like rideshares and food deliveries. Rural living should not, however, mean that you cannot access health care. Right now, too many Georgians living in small towns and rural areas struggle to access […]

  • Early voting is underway for Georgia Senate runoff between Shigley, Dickerson 

    It’s the final countdown for Democrat Debra Shigley and Republican Jason Dickerson in their mission to represent a suburban Atlanta state Senate district. Early voting begins Saturday in parts of Fulton and Cherokee counties ahead of the Sept. 23 election, when residents will select a successor for former state Sen. Brandon Beach, an Alpharetta Republican […]

  • Public health officials warn of potential exposure after new measles case confirmed in Fulton County

    The Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed a new case of measles in an unvaccinated Fulton County resident, and the department is working to contact people who may have been exposed. DPH officials believe exposures may have occurred between Sept. 2 and 11 at Georgia State University, Sweetgreen Restaurant in Atlanta and at youth […]

  • All eyes on CDC vaccine panel as Georgia officials mull access for the COVID-19 shot

    Georgia residents may face an uphill battle accessing COVID-19 vaccines this fall, as federal agencies consider sweeping changes to eligibility requirements for immunizations. The process of updating vaccine guidelines — which for many years has been a matter of routine — is now increasingly uncertain amid shifting federal guidance on public health policies. And in […]

  • Warnock pitches plan to encourage troops to eat healthier meals as new defense bill advances

    Service members could have easier access to healthy meals under a bipartisan proposal introduced Thursday by Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. The Commissary Healthy Options and servicemember Wellness Act – or the CHOW Act – introduced by Warnock and Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, creates a limited year-long pilot program to give junior enlisted servicemembers […]

  • Bookman: There have always been those who prefer to live in an alternate reality of their own design

    Donald Trump’s appointee as secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has set out to dismantle an Atlanta-based institution, attempting to transform the Centers for Disease Control, the planet’s pre-eminent public-health agency, into the Centers for Deluded Conspiracy, an official purveyor of pseudo-science and quackery. And those with the power to stop […]

  • Georgia transgender sheriff’s deputy seeking coverage for care dealt a setback after earlier win

    A transgender sheriff’s deputy seeking gender-affirming medical care through a county-operated health plan in central Georgia was handed a loss by a federal court Tuesday. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a trial court’s decision in favor of Houston County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Anna Lange and sent the case back to the […]

  • Former Democratic lawmaker who switched parties plans to run for superintendent as a Republican

    A former state representative who switched parties over Georgia’s school voucher plan is joining the race for Georgia School Superintendent as a Republican. Former Democrat Mesha Mainor became the state Legislature’s first Black Republican woman when she joined the GOP in 2023 following friction over her full-throated support of a proposed voucher bill that passed […]

  • Judge says Georgia AG’s office lacked authority to bring racketeering charges in ‘Cop City’ case

    A Fulton County judge says he is likely to throw out racketeering charges filed against 61 people in connection with an alleged conspiracy to stop the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center because the Georgia Attorney General’s office lacked authority to bring the charges.  Georgia law specifies the circumstances when the Attorney General’s […]

  • Judge: Georgia can prohibit groups from sending unsolicited absentee ballot applications to voters

    A federal judge has rejected a challenge to absentee ballot restrictions implemented under a controversial measure passed in 2021, delivering a blow to one of the last ongoing lawsuits against the sweeping election law. The law, passed as Senate Bill 202, included new provisions that prevented voter registration organizations from distributing pre-filled absentee ballot applications […]

  • Open attorney general seat in 2026 sets off competitive race to be Georgia’s next top cop 

    The upcoming race for governor won’t be the only wide-open constitutional office on the ballot next year.  In addition to choosing Georgia’s next chief executive, lieutenant governor (and possibly Secretary of State), voters will also be selecting the state’s next attorney general. It’s just the latest in a game of political musical chairs playing out […]

  • Georgia Democrats press governor to reverse decision to send National Guard members to DC

    Democratic state lawmakers are asking Gov. Brian Kemp to recall Georgia National Guard members recently sent to Washington. Kemp announced on Friday that Georgia is sending about 300 soldiers and up to 16 support staff to Washington to assist in Trump’s crime crackdown, despite crime in Washington being at a 30-year low. A group of […]

  • Ban on gender-affirming care in Georgia prisons is on hold, for now 

    Transgender people incarcerated in Georgia prisons can once again receive some gender-affirming care, at least temporarily, following a judge’s order. A federal judge ruled Thursday that a ban on using public funds for gender-affirming care in state prisons likely violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. According to court documents, there are about 340 […]

  • Federal operation at Savannah-area Hyundai plant nets 475 detentions

    Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include information from the federal warrant executed during the Thursday operation and to include a statement from Hyundai Motor Group. The raid on Hyundai’s Savannah-area electric vehicle plant was part of a lengthy investigation into the unlawful hiring of illegal aliens at the industrial site that Georgia officials […]

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