Georgia

Florida politicos are crossing over into Georgia as that state faces a critical runoff in two U.S. Senate races. Those seats could decide the fate of the Senate—and Republicans and Democrats are battling to get their candidates across the finish line. The fight over Georgia, coupled with Florida’s relatively low profile at the moment, is raising a question: is Georgia, the new Florida?

Early voting opened Monday in Georgia for the 2020 general election — but the first day was marred by technical issues and lines that in some locations stretched more than five hours long, particularly in the Atlanta metro area.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suing the Atlanta City Council and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms following her efforts to require face masks in public places as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to skyrocket across the nation.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, asserts that Kemp alone "leads the State of Georgia in its fight against the worldwide novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic" and adds he has the power "to suspend municipal orders that are contradictory to any state law or to his executive orders."

Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law drew withering criticism Monday from civil rights advocates who called for a House legislative committee to push for a repeal of an antiquated and dangerous law rooted in racism that dates to its use to detain suspected escaped slaves.

The law captured the attention of many lawmakers and the public after it was used to justify the detention and subsequent killing of 25-year-old African American Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County early this year.

The Washington Redskins on Monday announced the NFL franchise was retiring the team's controversial nickname following a review process that started several weeks ago.

"As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward," the football team said in a statement. "Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review."

According to Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law is rooted in medieval times and is an “outmoded concept” in this age of “increased police forces.”

Porter made those remarks at a Georgia House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee hearing on Monday.

A dog that tested positive for coronavirus in Georgia last week did not pass the disease to a second dog in the home,  state health officials said Thursday.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Wednesday signed an executive order mandating face masks in Georgia's largest city in an attempt to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control. 

The decision defies the governor's executive order that stops short of such a mandate.

While a record 1.1 million Georgians voted by mail in this year’s June 9 primary, thousands more ballots were not counted because they came in after the Election Day deadline.

According to the state’s absentee voting records, more than 11,000 mail-in ballots were rejected this cycle, and 8,479 were received after polls closed, with the late ballots about 0.74% of the total absentee ballots returned.

Whether going to a restaurant or window-shopping downtown, people will be required to wear face masks in Athens as of 8 a.m. Thursday morning, after it gets signed by the mayor. 

The Athens-Clarke County commission unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday night that makes masks mandatory in public spaces. 

Facing an uproar from professors, the state system overseeing Georgia universities abruptly changed course on face masks late Monday, mandating students at public universities wear masks in classrooms due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she has tested postive for COVID-19, although she is asymptomatic. 

In a tweet Monday, the mayor said "COVID-19 has literally hit home."

As the state of Georgia continues to see coronavirus cases rising at an alarming rate, Georgia Tech professors are continuing to speak out against the current reopening plans, saying their health and students' health must be the top priority.  

At least 11 Georgia Tech students living in Greek life housing near campus have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, the university told GPB News Thursday.

The University of Georgia said Tuesday 154 people on campus, comprised of students and faculty, have tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes as both the state of Georgia and the U.S. have experienced a spike in confirmed cases.

Shannon Stevens, an Entertainment and Media Studies senior, found the news frightening, but not surprising.

"I would see frat house lawns filled with people — none wearing masks or social distancing," she said. "I also drove through downtown and saw the same thing."

Gov. Brian Kemp won't make face masks mandatory, but he's visiting Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, Savannah and Valdosta ahead of the holiday weekend to encourage everyone to heed public health advice and wear a mask to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Kemp also extended the public health state of emergency to Aug. 11. The emergency order was set to expire at the end of this month.

The historic CNN Center in downtown Atlanta that has served as the global headquarters for the 24-hour news network for decades is up for sale, WarnerMedia announced Monday. 

WarnerMedia chief financial officer Pascal Desroches informed employees of the news in an email titled "CNN Center - Property Update."