pandemic
‘There was no concern for my life’: Families losing homes despite federal eviction moratorium
WASHINGTON — The national moratorium on evictions, as well as rental assistance programs, weren’t enough protection to keep Katrina Chism and her family in their DeKalb County home when money got tight. Chism was laid off twice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and when she fell behind on rent, she faced an initial eviction notice. She […]
Biden boosts assistance to fight COVID-19 as delta variant surges
WASHINGTON — Amid a rise in infections and hospitalizations from the surging delta variant of COVID-19, the Biden administration is boosting money and other assistance to the hardest-hit areas of the country. This week, just three states with lower vaccination rates — Florida, Texas and Missouri — accounted for 40 percent of all cases nationwide. […]
Mental health called Georgia’s ‘next pandemic’ as substance abuse rises
Mental health advocates are warning of a coming mental health and substance abuse crisis on the heels of a pandemic that brought isolation to many and heartache to those who lost loved ones to COVID-19. “We’re looking at this – as mental health – as being the next pandemic,” said Abdul Henderson, executive director of […]
Delta variant Q&A
As the delta variant takes hold, the unvaccinated are in for a rude awakening. It’s not just ignorance — they’re begging for a Darwin Award. Unfortunately, thanks to all these unvaccinated knuckleheads, vaccinated Americans are now being put more at risk, too. The delta variant is a mutant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Early estimates suggest the […]
Biden administration vouches for COVID ‘surge response teams’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s key COVID-19 advisers on Thursday defended the administration’s strategies for boosting vaccinations in Georgia and other states, after Missouri’s governor said federal door-to-door outreach efforts are not welcome there. Top Biden adviser Jeff Zients said anyone mischaracterizing the administration’s attempts is “doing a disservice to the country.” Missouri Gov. Mike […]
Bookman: Blame murder surge on pandemic-related rage and gun sales
The rising number of murders in the Atlanta metro region, some of them apparently random, has truly been alarming, and it’s important to try to grasp what its causes might be. If the phenomenon was local, then you might suspect that the causes and solutions are local as well. But it’s not. It’s occurring all […]
News outlets strain against money ills worsened by pandemic losses
As advertising sales return to pre-pandemic numbers at local newspapers, industry experts are both optimistic about the near future and concerned about the overall, long term health of Georgia’s news industry. For the past year, as readers searched for the latest COVID-19 news, local newspapers continued to cover news from virtual city council meetings to […]
CDC finds racial, regional disparities as schools reopened classrooms
WASHINGTON — After last year’s abrupt shutdown of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic, increasing numbers of students returned to in-person learning. But a new study shows that racial and geographic gaps persisted as K-12 students went back to their classrooms—with non-Hispanic white kids more often the ones attending a brick-and-mortar school full-time in most states. […]
Biden and bipartisan senators clinch a deal on $1.2T infrastructure plan
WASHINGTON — The White House and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators said Thursday they’ve struck a deal on the outlines of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, marking a breakthrough on federal dollars for road and bridge projects after weeks of negotiations—but with significant hurdles still ahead. President Joe Biden stood with the 10 senators […]
Order in Georgia courtrooms to gavel back in as in-person hearings restart
For the first time since last spring, the Georgia Supreme Court’s nine justices, attorneys, and other courthouse regulars are set to return Wednesday morning for in-person hearings in a building barely used before the pandemic shifted proceedings online. Since the shutdown of the courtroom, the Supreme Court hosted virtual hearings that allowed the state’s highest […]
‘Get a shot and have a beer’: Biden touts free brew to boost vaccines
WASHINGTON — Free child care during COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Late-night appointment slots on Fridays. And free beer for everybody 21 or older if President Joe Biden’s vaccination goal is reached next month. These are some of the latest incentives and strategies lined up by the Biden administration to boost national vaccinations against COVID-19 leading up to […]
Georgia public health board to resume regular meetings after COVID pause
The advisory board for the state’s public health agency plans to resume its regular public meetings this fall after not holding any since before the COVID-19 pandemic first reached Georgia early last year. The public health board met virtually during a special meeting Tuesday to approve a bond spending package. The public could listen to […]