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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

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Atlanta seeks lifetime license suspensions for speeding

The Atlanta City Council wants lifetime license suspensions for the worst driving offenders.

News

Restaurant group wants investigation into 2018 sinkhole at Piedmont Park

Be Our Guest Investments accuses Piedmont Park Conservancy of covering up the issue before anyone could determine the cause of the sinkhole.

The traditional Georgia accent is fading away

The speech pattern used by white English speakers "peaked" among people born around World War II

Georgia teacher fired for having book about gender identity in classroom

She is one of — if not the — first educator in Georgia to lose her job in relation to  a 2022 state law

Education

COVID hospitalizations rise in Georgia

The alarming trend is a reminder that the virus is still a public health issue.

COVID

COVID-19 hospitalization rates across Georgia were nearly double the national average between June and July amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country.Why it matters: With the rise in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="at-home testing" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/32439200.131/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMDgvaG9tZS1yYXBpZC1jb3ZpZC10ZXN0LXJlcG9ydC1wb3NpdGl2ZS1hbWVyaWNhP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/62040854aec03c0b97f858b5B42506e79" data-vars-content-id="446c0907-7dfd-471c-af7e-7eaebe4c5af1" data-vars-headline="COVID hospitalizations rise in Georgia" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/32439200.131/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMDgvaG9tZS1yYXBpZC1jb3ZpZC10ZXN0LXJlcG9ydC1wb3NpdGl2ZS1hbWVyaWNhP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1zZW5kdG9fbG9jYWxuZXdzbGV0dGVydGVzdCZzdHJlYW09dG9w/62040854aec03c0b97f858b5B42506e79" target="_blank">at-home testing</a> making official COVID-19 case numbers less reliable, hospitalization rates are an important metric for gauging viral spread.

What to know about Georgia student loan payments resuming

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Biden administration's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in loan debt is unconstitutional.

Tens of millions of borrowers will resume monthly student loan payments without any debt relief after the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="President Biden&#x27;s loan forgiveness plan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court" data-vars-content-id="3db62164-0103-4940-a904-cb297dc14d6b" data-vars-headline="What to know about Georgia student loan payments resuming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court" target="_self">President Biden&#x27;s loan forgiveness plan</a> is unconstitutional.Why it matters: Borrowers who qualified for the relief plan would have been forgiven for loans up to $10,000 for individual borrowers who make under $125,000 per year or $20,000 for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pell Grant recipients" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/24/pell-grants-student-loan-forgiveness" data-vars-content-id="3db62164-0103-4940-a904-cb297dc14d6b" data-vars-headline="What to know about Georgia student loan payments resuming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/24/pell-grants-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_self">Pell Grant recipients</a>.

Illustration of a college pennant with George Washington on it and the letters "IOU"

Lunch dining in Atlanta is down compared to before the pandemic

Food and Drink

Atlantans still aren&#x27;t dining out for lunch as much as they were before the pandemic.Driving the news: The average number of lunch transactions was down 19% in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new report from Toast" data-vars-click-url="https://pos.toasttab.com/news/how-the-pandemic-and-wfh-have-affected-lunch-across-the-u-s?x-craft-preview=u8x83wF4g5&amp;token=Eq_UvWq5B97PntOrHKV7KnVOmVCaFD5U" data-vars-content-id="8832faaf-1a99-4f4d-9b2a-fa7929503327" data-vars-headline="Lunch dining in Atlanta is down compared to before the pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pos.toasttab.com/news/how-the-pandemic-and-wfh-have-affected-lunch-across-the-u-s?x-craft-preview=u8x83wF4g5&amp;token=Eq_UvWq5B97PntOrHKV7KnVOmVCaFD5U" target="_blank">a new report from Toast</a>, a digital point-of-sale system for restaurants.<ul><li>More than 450 independently-owned restaurants with Atlanta mailing addresses (and hundreds more in the suburbs) use Toast, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per the company&#x27;s website" data-vars-click-url="https://www.toasttab.com/local/search?filters=eyJ1c2VyTGF0IjozMy43NDg3NTIsInVzZXJMb25nIjotODQuMzg3Njg0NDk5OTk5OTksInVzZXJDaXR5IjoiQXRsYW50YSIsInVzZXJTdGF0ZSI6IkdBIiwidXNlclN0cmVldCI6IiIsInVzZXJOZWlnaGJvcmhvb2QiOiIifQ%3D%3D&amp;pg=1" data-vars-content-id="8832faaf-1a99-4f4d-9b2a-fa7929503327" data-vars-headline="Lunch dining in Atlanta is down compared to before the pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.toasttab.com/local/search?filters=eyJ1c2VyTGF0IjozMy43NDg3NTIsInVzZXJMb25nIjotODQuMzg3Njg0NDk5OTk5OTksInVzZXJDaXR5IjoiQXRsYW50YSIsInVzZXJTdGF0ZSI6IkdBIiwidXNlclN0cmVldCI6IiIsInVzZXJOZWlnaGJvcmhvb2QiOiIifQ%3D%3D&amp;pg=1" target="_blank">per the company&#x27;s website</a>.</li></ul>

A map of the United States in varying shades of red, with the darker red marking states that saw an increase in the number of lunch bills that included alcohol

Rural Georgia is not OK

It's long been called the "Two Georgias" problem.

When ranking the health of Georgia counties, a familiar discrepancy is clear: Those around metro Atlanta sit at the top. <ul><li>Rural Georgia counties are at the bottom — in particular, those south of the &quot;gnat line,&quot; stretching roughly from Columbus up to Augusta.</li></ul>Why it matters: Statistics show rural Georgians have less access to health care and must travel farther for it, which can mean life or death. But it&#x27;s not just health. Rural Georgia&#x27;s population is shrinking while Atlanta keeps growing. And rural Georgians on average <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="make" data-vars-click-url="https://georgiadata.org/topics/economics/median-household-income" data-vars-content-id="94f8b152-b84c-4c2a-b241-9b24e7b59ace" data-vars-headline="Rural Georgia is not OK" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://georgiadata.org/topics/economics/median-household-income" target="_blank">make</a> less money.

Illustration of a distressed hospital sign with the arrow portion detaching and swinging downwards

Georgia has the 9th-highest COVID death rate

That's according to an analysis published by The Lancet.

Georgia saw the 9th-highest adjusted COVID death rate, according to an analysis published by The Lancet.Zoom out: D.C., Arizona and New Mexico saw the three-worst rates, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Tina Reed writes." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/24/why-america-uniquely-vulnerable-covid" data-vars-content-id="0abcd0cf-9374-4c7a-b162-24d1d4086298" data-vars-headline="Georgia has the 9th-highest COVID death rate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/24/why-america-uniquely-vulnerable-covid" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Tina Reed writes.</a>

Why Atlanta's Black-owned homeownership rate jumped during COVID

It's not just  a straightforward piece of good news.

The rate of Black homeownership in Atlanta increased by nearly 5% during the pandemic— more than any other race. But that&#x27;s not a straightforward piece of good news.Driving the news: The Black homeownership rate in the city remains about 25% less than that of white households in 2021, according to new data from<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Zillow" data-vars-click-url="https://zillow.mediaroom.com/2023-02-27-Homes-owned-by-Black-families-appreciated-the-fastest-during-the-pandemic" data-vars-content-id="ef9417ff-627a-477d-b547-00d2c65ec2b3" data-vars-headline="Why Atlanta&#x27;s Black-owned homeownership rate jumped during COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://zillow.mediaroom.com/2023-02-27-Homes-owned-by-Black-families-appreciated-the-fastest-during-the-pandemic" target="_blank"> Zillow</a>.

Covid shots for tots start to arrive in Georgia

PSA, parents: Georgia pediatricians this week have started administering the COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as six months. <ul><li>However, many health officials are telling parents to stay tuned as they prepare their doses. </li></ul>

Illustration of a toy dinosaur with a bandaid on it's arm. 

Atlanta business travel is still below pre-pandemic levels

Atlanta hotels are projected to bring in $1.3 billion in revenue from business travelers this year. That’s $386 million less than in 2019.

The business traveler — a once-familiar sight in Atlanta&#x27;s corporate hubs — is slowly returning to metro Atlanta, but not at pre-pandemic levels.Why it matters: Atlanta is a convention hotspot, and parts of the metro region — particularly downtown — have relied on that steady stream of people to book hotel rooms, eat in restaurants and visit attractions.

Illustration of briefcase in an airplane seat with a safety belt on. 

Georgia left thousands waiting for COVID unemployment aid

In the first two months of the pandemic, Georgia labor department staffers received 9 million calls. Short-staffed and overwhelmed, they answered only 4% of them.

Thousands of Georgians laid off during the COVID pandemic waited weeks, and in some cases several months, to receive their first unemployment check because the state labor department was short-staffed and unprepared, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new state audit says" data-vars-click-url="https://www.audits2.ga.gov/reports/summaries/unemployment-insurance-pandemic-response/" data-vars-content-id="f3e4fb12-3375-43a9-884f-21d0929aab59" data-vars-headline="Georgia left thousands waiting for COVID unemployment aid" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.audits2.ga.gov/reports/summaries/unemployment-insurance-pandemic-response/" target="_blank">a new state audit says</a>.Why it matters: The state’s assistance program for unemployed Georgians is funded by employers’ payments. Accessing those benefits should be simple, fast and reliable.

Illustration of an upward trend line over a group of people, with others in the background grayed out

Georgia eases some COVID guidelines for school districts

Teachers and other school employees who return to work will have to remain asymptomatic, wear a mask and comply with other quarantine requirements.

The state Department of Public Health has relaxed some <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="guidelines" data-vars-click-url="https://dph.georgia.gov/administrative-orders" data-vars-content-id="590dc575-a831-4fa4-9819-1e81f3ad79df" data-vars-headline="Georgia eases some COVID guidelines for school districts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://dph.georgia.gov/administrative-orders" target="_blank">guidelines</a> for Georgia school districts in their efforts to fight COVID-19 in the classroom. A letter sent Thursday by Gov. Brian Kemp and DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey says educators and school staff who are exposed to COVID-19 can return to work, regardless of their vaccination status or when they were exposed “if their employer deems it necessary to ensure adequate staffing.”

Magnets on a school locker in the shape of a contact tracing chart.

George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress

The House is slated to vote to expel Santos on Friday.

Politics & Policy

Ahead of a vote that could make him the first House lawmaker to be expelled in more than 20 years, Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Santos" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/george-santos-expulsion-vote-republicans-majority" data-vars-content-id="c7450d99-da7b-4552-a983-4be840a7ed9c" data-vars-headline="George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/george-santos-expulsion-vote-republicans-majority" target="_self">George Santos</a> (R-N.Y.) is introducing an expulsion resolution on Thursday targeting a House lawmaker from his own state. Why it matters: Santos — who faces an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="uphill battle in a vote" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/republicans-george-santos-resign-expulsion" data-vars-content-id="c7450d99-da7b-4552-a983-4be840a7ed9c" data-vars-headline="George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/28/republicans-george-santos-resign-expulsion" target="_self">uphill battle in a vote</a> to remove him from office following a scathing House Ethics report — is seeking an expulsion vote on Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Jamaal Bowman" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/house-ethics-jamaal-bowman-fire-alarm" data-vars-content-id="c7450d99-da7b-4552-a983-4be840a7ed9c" data-vars-headline="George Santos introduces expulsion resolution in potential final act in Congress" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/22/house-ethics-jamaal-bowman-fire-alarm" target="_self">Jamaal Bowman</a> (D-N.Y.), who pulled a fire alarm in one of the House office buildings.

George Santos expulsion spurs rare bipartisanship among House lawmakers

Rep. Robert Garcia encouraged fellow Democrats to support Republicans' expulsion measure.

House Democrats and Republicans finally have something they agree on: booting Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Santos" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/george-santos-jamaal-bowman-expulsion-resolution" data-vars-content-id="4eec0a24-5338-46c4-8b6e-5526cda73c0f" data-vars-headline="George Santos expulsion spurs rare bipartisanship among House lawmakers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/george-santos-jamaal-bowman-expulsion-resolution" target="_self">George Santos</a> (R-N.Y.) from Congress.Driving the news: In an email sent to Democratic congressional offices on Thursday, Rep. Robert Garcia&#x27;s (D-Calif.) office advocated for Republicans&#x27; resolution to expel the embattled Long Islander.

GOP speculation mounts that McCarthy will exit Congress early

Multiple GOP lawmakers expect former House Speaker <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Kevin McCarthy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/12/mccarthy-gop-elections-2024" data-vars-content-id="dbdacc28-b2ed-40c2-a4cb-3bf4792a4d9b" data-vars-headline="GOP speculation mounts that McCarthy will exit Congress early" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/12/mccarthy-gop-elections-2024" target="_self">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-Calif.) to step down from his seat before the end of the year, Axios has learned.Why it matters: The potential exit of McCarthy — who privately told donors he is looking to &quot;get the hell out,&quot; according to a source familiar with the conversation — could leave the House GOP with an even narrower majority.

Trump unleashes grievances, warnings in wild 24 hours on Truth Social

Trump warned that his indictments have opened up a "very big and dangerous Pandora's Box."

Former President Trump has spent the last 24 hours on Truth Social unleashing a torrent of grievances, vengeful promises and links to online conspiracy theories about his political rivals.Why it matters: Trump&#x27;s online rhetoric has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="frequently dipped into violent extremism" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/04/trumps-words-turn-violent-pressure-builds" data-vars-content-id="4ce9173c-4439-425e-8986-ec54c92037e6" data-vars-headline="Trump unleashes grievances, warnings in wild 24 hours on Truth Social" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/04/trumps-words-turn-violent-pressure-builds" target="_self">frequently dipped into violent extremism</a> since he left office, escalating as his legal troubles have mounted. Public fatigue and the pro-Trump echo chamber created by Truth Social have at times softened the shock value of the GOP front-runner&#x27;s daily musings.

Rep. George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote

Santos is the first Republican to be expelled from the House.

The House on Friday voted to expel Rep. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="George Santos" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/19/george-santos-republican-congress-biography" data-vars-content-id="235bb126-9767-4b36-a5c3-4560ae03474e" data-vars-headline="Rep. George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/19/george-santos-republican-congress-biography" target="_self">George Santos</a> (R-N.Y.) over his many fabrications on the 2022 campaign trail and his two federal indictments.Why it matters: The vote makes Santos just the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sixth lawmaker" data-vars-click-url="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/" data-vars-content-id="235bb126-9767-4b36-a5c3-4560ae03474e" data-vars-headline="Rep. George Santos expelled from Congress in historic vote" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Discipline/Expulsion-Censure-Reprimand/" target="_blank">sixth lawmaker</a> – and first Republican – to be expelled from the House in U.S. history.

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