Georgia NOW!

Environmental and faith groups are escalating their fight against the Georgia Public Service Commission, filing a new lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court over Georgia Power’s planned expansion. Advocates argue the utility failed to prove the need for thousands of megawatts of new natural gas-powered resources. Immigration enforcement is also drawing scrutiny, as advocacy groups call on Home De...

Two key seats on Georgia’s Public Service Commission are in the spotlight this election cycle. District Five is wide open as Tricia Pridemore steps aside, while District Three could see a rematch as Peter Hubbard awaits a Republican challenger. It’s also starting to feel like spring across the state, with temperatures climbing into the 80s through the weekend. Warm and clear conditions are expecte...

A push to end the twice-a-year clock change in Georgia is gaining momentum, while chaos at Atlanta’s airport raises concerns about staffing and security. Meanwhile, a major conservation effort is underway near the Okefenokee, and a long-running legal battle over Cobb County school districts highlights ongoing concerns about representation and equity. House Bill 154, known as the Georgia Sunshine P...

Federal immigration agents are now assisting with security at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as staffing shortages tied to the ongoing government shutdown cause massive delays. City leaders say the agents are there strictly to help with airport operations, not immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, a youth braiding camp in Fairburn is giving middle and high school girls a space to l...

Gov. Brian Kemp signs a 60-day gas tax suspension and approves a one-time income tax rebate as Georgians face rising costs. Meanwhile, state lawmakers delay a switch to hand-marked ballots, keeping touchscreen voting in place for now. In Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens highlights falling crime, rising graduation rates, and new affordable housing while calling for continued investment in underserved n...

Georgia business leaders highlight the state’s economic momentum at the first-ever State of Economic Development event, with officials pointing to job growth, tax cuts, and rural investment as keys to continued success. Meanwhile, a South Georgia woman faces an attempted murder charge under the state’s abortion law after a premature birth, raising legal and ethical questions as details remain uncl...

A major health tech company is expanding in Georgia, bringing hundreds of jobs to Cobb County. Gov. Brian Kemp announced Glytec will relocate its global headquarters near Cumberland, adding 500 positions as the company continues to grow its diabetes management platform. Meanwhile, a partial government shutdown is causing disruptions at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where TSA...

Atlanta is still feeling the ripple effects of mass layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a year after the first cuts, thousands of workers have left the agency through layoffs and early retirements, raising concerns about long-term public health impacts and hurting nearby businesses that relied on the CDC workforce. Meanwhile, a major food pantry in Columbus was for...

A proposed $3.5 billion pipeline expansion would run through Georgia from Columbus to Augusta. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently held meetings in Macon, Sandersville and Griffin to hear from residents about the South System Expansion 4 project by Kinder Morgan. Environmental groups warn the pipeline could threaten waterways and increase air pollution, and federal regulators are acc...

Georgia lawmakers are considering a bill that could make it harder to obtain mugshots and police body camera footage. Senate Bill 482, which passed the Senate unanimously, would require people requesting the materials to appear in person, submit a notarized request, and identify individuals in the footage by name. Supporters say the measure would stop websites from profiting off arrest photos, whi...

  Georgia farmers say surging diesel prices tied to the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran are squeezing already thin margins. At Ellijay Mushroom Farm, growers producing thousands of shiitake mushrooms each week say rising fuel and supply costs are forcing farms to absorb higher expenses or risk raising prices for customers. At the Capitol, the Georgia House passed Senate Bill 220, the “Putting Georgia’s...

A tornado watch is in effect for parts of central and east-central Georgia as strong storms move across the state. The National Weather Service says communities including Macon, Warner Robins and Milledgeville could see wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, heavy rain and possible isolated tornadoes. Travelers are also being urged to arrive early at airports as severe weather and a partial federal g...

South Fulton police say they prevented a planned “teen takeover” at Welcome All Park after flyers circulated on social media encouraging teens to gather. Officers increased patrols at the park Monday, and no large groups showed up. Similar events across metro Atlanta have led to more than a dozen arrests in recent months. In DeKalb County, Tucker City Council has approved a new loitering ordinance...

Georgia’s primary ballots are now set ahead of the May 19 elections. In the open 10th Congressional District, three candidates from each party are competing after Rep. Mike Collins entered the U.S. Senate race. In U.S. House District 1, former Rep. Buddy Carter’s Senate bid has left the seat open, drawing eight Democrats and six Republicans into the primary. Lawmakers are also advancing Senate Bil...

Georgia ranked among the nation’s top exporting states in 2025. Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Economic Development say the state placed seventh in total trade value and ninth in exports, surpassing $60 billion in exported goods with a 12.7% year-over-year increase, more than double the national average. Civilian aircraft parts led the state’s export categories. A federal judge has...

It’s Crossover Day at the Georgia Capitol, and lawmakers are racing to pass bills before the legislative deadline. Several proposals focus on regulating artificial intelligence and social media. One measure, Senate Bill 398, would make “virtual peeping” — using AI to create or view explicit images without consent — a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Other bills moving this week aim t...

Georgia’s amended 2026 budget is now law. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the plan this week, highlighting nearly $2 billion in tax refunds, additional income and property tax relief, and pay support for teachers and law enforcement. The budget also includes $1.7 billion to expand I-75 express lanes in Henry County and funding to help build a new mental health hospital. Lawmakers say the spending package a...

Qualifying for Georgia’s 2026 election cycle is underway, with several major candidates filing paperwork this week. Democratic U.S. Sen. John Ossoff officially qualified for reelection, while Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter also entered the Senate race. Ossoff used the moment to criticize President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran, calling the upcoming midterms a crucial test of checks an...

Two Georgia Supreme Court justices could soon face challengers. Former state Sen. Jen Jordan has launched a campaign against Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren, focusing on protecting voting rights and privacy. Warren was appointed by former Gov. Nathan Deal in 2018 and won a full term in 2020. Farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for relief starting March 16 through Georgia’s $531 m...

Over the weekend, U.S. and Israeli forces launched major strikes on Iran, targeting Revolutionary Guard sites, missile facilities and air defenses. Iranian state media reports Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, though independent confirmation remains limited. President Donald Trump called the operation historic and urged Iranians to “take over” their government. Iran retaliated with...

After a 10,000-gallon jet fuel spill at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport contaminated the Flint River, the city of Griffin is investing $100,000 in upgraded water contamination detection equipment. Griffin temporarily shut off its water intake and later flushed millions of gallons from its system after residents reported foul odors traced to a de-icing agent reacting with chlorine....

State Rep. Lynn Smith of Newnan is retiring after a 30-year career under the Gold Dome. First elected in 1996, Smith represents House District 70 and chairs the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. She helped shape Georgia’s regional water planning framework and championed the statewide Water Management Planning Act. Smith will complete her term through November’s elections. In Colum...

A new bill at the Capitol could make it easier for Georgians to use solar power. House Bill 1304, the Georgia Residential Solar Access Act, would expand access to portable residential solar devices up to 1,200 watts and prevent utilities from requiring prior approval, special meters or extra fees. Supporters say it would lower barriers to clean energy and help families save money. In the governor’...

Georgia has confirmed its second measles case of 2026. State health officials say an unvaccinated Bryan County resident who recently traveled out of state tested positive. Bryan County is part of the Coastal Health District, which also reported Georgia’s first measles case this year. In 2025, the state recorded 10 cases, including at least one in Fulton County. Health leaders are urging vaccinatio...

A new report titled The Crimson Record documents more than 70 suspected modern-day lynchings across seven Southern states since 2000, arguing that some cases ruled suicides show troubling patterns. The findings come as 21-year-old Kyle Basinga of Atlanta, reported missing on Valentine’s Day, was found dead by hanging Feb. 19 at Fair Oaks Park in Cobb County. A recorded altercation with Atlanta pol...