The federal government has given the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) the go-ahead to turn over more than $80 million in unspent emergency rental assistance (ERA) funds to higher performing metro-Atlanta governments. The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday approved the DCA’s petition to hand over $80.6 million in unspent funds from the $552.3 million it received one year […]
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Posted inDemocracy
Unrigging democracy: campaign finance vouchers help level the playing field for candidates, voters
Running for political office is daunting if you don’t have much money. It’s also tough for regular voters to compete against political donors with deep pockets. But Seattle has devised a novel way to level the playing field for both candidates and voters that could potentially work in cities like Atlanta: democracy vouchers. Here’s how […]
Posted inHousing Affordability
Would Buckhead cityhood worsen housing affordability?
The creation of Buckhead City could deal a devastating blow to housing affordability across Atlanta and make living in the posh neighborhood even more inaccessible, experts told Atlanta Civic Circle. Supporters of the exodus effort say that’s nonsense. Although the controversial prospect of Buckhead seceding from the City of Atlanta hinges on a series of state […]
Posted inColumns
Graceful Sidney Poitier blazed trails, opened doors for Blacks in film
To say that Sidney Poitier was the Jackie Robinson of Hollywood is just a beginning.
Posted inLatest News
Brad Currey (1930-2022): an Atlanta leader like no other
Brad Currey, a great Atlanta leader for more than six decades, died on Thursday evening at the age of 91.
Posted inColumns
The secret sauce of Georgia’s extraordinary film industry: Georgians
By Guest Columnist JEFFREY STEPAKOFF, founding executive director, Georgia Film Academy
There are so many reasons to be proud of our state. But I’d like to share with you something that Georgia has quietly done which should be not only a point of pride for all of us, but should also give us a sense of optimism about our collective future and the role our state will play in the burgeoning entertainment, technology and creative industries.
Posted inLatest News
Plan to demolish historic Lakewood Elementary School blasted as ‘shameful’
An Atlanta Public Schools proposal to demolish the historic Lakewood Elementary building is being blasted as “shameful” by City planning staff in advance of a Jan. 12 review hearing.
Posted inLatest News
Microsoft begins seeking intelligence, input on public safety concerns for Westside campus planning
A Microsoft security consultant this week began gathering intelligence and seeking input on metro Atlanta public safety concerns as the company plans its massive new Westside campus.
Posted inLatest News
Rock star from Johns Hopkins to lead Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health
Dani Fallin was a rock star at Johns Hopkins University when she accepted Emory University’s offer to lead the Rollins School of Public Health. Fallin’s term as dean is to start July 1.
Posted inLatest News
Reporter’s Notebook: MLK Day in Atlanta
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Atlanta next Tuesday, Jan. 11. The pair will focus on the “urgent need” to pass voting rights legislation to protect “the integrity of our elections from corrupt attempts to strip law-abiding citizens of their fundamental freedoms and allow partisan state officials to undermine vote counting […]
Posted inLatest News
Net cost of Buckhead deannexation includes services no longer provided: Report
The sky’s the limit in some discussions of the cost to Atlanta and its public school system if Buckhead deannexes. Figures that have not changed are cited in a report commissioned by the Buckhead Coalition.
Posted inLatest News
Spelman, seven other HBCUs receive bomb threats on same day
Historically Black Universities in eight states ordered lockdowns and evacuations to keep students, faculty and staff safe. By Allison Joyner This morning, Spelman College announced that the campus received a bomb threat on Jan. 4, they are the eighth historically Black institution to announce they received a threat on that day. The school, located inside […]
Posted inLatest News
Spelman College grad a contender for seat on Federal Reserve’s board
Spelman College graduate Lisa Cook may be the first Black woman to serve on the governing body of the nation’s central bank.
Posted inDemocracy
Lawsuits challenge Georgia’s new redistricting maps ahead of 2022 midterms
Georgia’s newly redrawn legislative maps violate federal voting rights law and will prove detrimental to voters of color, contend a trio of federal lawsuits that seek to overturn the new redistricting laws before voters head to the polls in 2022. The three lawsuits, filed late Thursday in federal district court for the Northern District of […]
Posted inThought Leadership
Economic Recovery for Families through the Advanced Child Tax Credit
At United Way of Greater Atlanta, we’re focused on the well-being of children, families, and communities across our 13-county region. One of our most important areas of work is economic stability. Helping families and individuals attain financial security is foundational for our community to thrive. We have set a goal of positively impacting 250,000 children […]
Posted inColumns
Rivian announcement heralds the dawn of the electric South
At the end of one year and the beginning of another, two big stories, the prolonged pandemic and the protracted battle over ballots, dominate the news. But the story of the decade is the one that will be taking shape on a huge site on I-20 between Social Circle and Madison.
Posted inLatest News
Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman names committee chairs
By Maria Saporta Perhaps the most important job of the president of the Atlanta City Council is to select the members to serve on the seven Council committees and to decide who will chair each committee. Incoming City Council President Doug Shipman took that responsibility to heart. Even though he was sworn in on Monday […]
Posted inThought Leadership
Creating a More Equitable and Resilient Food System in Atlanta
By Shannon Lee One year ago, in January 2021, The Conservation Fund launched the Working Farms Fund, a new program piloted in metro-Atlanta. This innovative program is conserving high value farmland under threat of development and urban sprawl, while also supporting diverse, next-generation farmers, and growing a more healthy and sustainable local food system. After […]
Posted inColumns
Okefenokee Swamp mining proposal could be affected by Supreme Court ruling
The proposal to mine sand near the Okefenokee Swamp could be affected by a groundbreaking ruling on water rights issued by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Posted inThought Leadership
Listen to students first; improvements in education will follow
By Rebecca Parshall As we conclude yet another semester of school amidst this pandemic, Learn4Life reflected on this year’s bright spots and challenges across metro Atlanta through our annual State of Education report and event. While we believe these resources are helpful in summarizing our region’s educational data and charting a path forward, some of […]
