Category: Georgia

Georgia Republican Lawmakers File Public Safety Bills

The Center Square

Georgia Republicans are moving forward with a series of bills they say will help protect residents and hold prosecutors in the state accountable.

“We’re seeing a pattern around the state of people who are committing violent crimes,” Lt. Governor Burt Jones, a Republican, told The Center Square. “They’re being processed through basically signature bonds, and a signature bond is nothing more than … a promissory note, and we believe that it’s happening on a lot larger scale than a lot of people realize.”

State Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, introduced Senate Bill 63 to expand the list of offenses that require bail or surety and will require many repeat offenders to post bail or surety.

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Georgia House Democrats Introduce Gun Bills

The Center Square

Georgia House Democrats have rolled out a series of bills they say will help stem gun violence in the state.

On Wednesday, state Reps. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, and Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, announced four pieces of legislation ranging from a proposal to institute a three-day waiting period to buy firearms to holding firearm owners responsible if a minor uses their firearm to threaten violence.

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Georgia Officials Roll Out Increased Penalties for Gang Crimes

The Center Square

Georgia Republicans formally rolled out legislation to increase penalties for those who recruit minors into gangs.

Senate Bill 44, introduced by state Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, also mandates minimum sentences for gang offenses currently on the books in Georgia. It would allow prosecutors and judges to consider lower sentences only in some situations, including where a defendant renders “substantial assistance” in identifying, arresting or convicting other gang members.

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Georgia Lawmakers to Focus on Gun Control

The Center Square

Coinciding with an uptick in gang violence in the state and mass shootings nationwide, state lawmakers are likely to consider gun legislation during this year’s General Assembly session.

Last year, Kemp signed Senate Bill 319, a “constitutional carry” measure allowing Georgians to carry guns without needing a state-issued license. State Democrats derided the move, saying it would lead to more shootings in the state.

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Former Georgia U.S. Senator Loeffler: Grassroots Can Be the GOP Ticket to Success in Elections

Just the News

Former Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican, says that if the GOP can’t out raise the Democrats during campaign season, their best bet is to win on the ground.

“If we can’t win the funding game, we can win on the ground,” Loeffler says on the John Solomon Reports podcast airing Monday. “That’s why it’s so vital that we organize. We have to become activists and organizers.”

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New House Intel Panel Member Rep. Austin Scott Calls for Probe into Adversaries’ Control of U.S. Supply Chain

Just the News

Georgia Republican Rep. Austin Scott, a new member on the House Intelligence Committee, hopes the panel will investigate efforts by unfriendly foreign powers to insert themselves into U.S. food and technology supply chains.

“One of the things that I expect us to look into, and hopefully look into, is where our adversaries have embedded themselves in the supply chain of basic necessities for Americans,” Scott said on the John Solomon Reports podcast.

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Battery Company Plans New Georgia IT Hub, but Incentives Unknown

The Center Square

A battery company plans to spend $19 million on a new regional IT hub facility in north Fulton County, but it’s unclear whether Georgia taxpayers are on the hook for any incentives.

SK Battery America expects to create 200 high-tech jobs at an integrated IT management center on Sanctuary Parkway in Roswell. It will serve the company’s battery manufacturing facilities in Georgia and the country.

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Trump Releases Video Statement on His Plan for Dealing with Atlanta Riots

Laura Baigert

Former President Donald Trump released a video statement Friday prompted by the riots in Atlanta, calling out the perpetrators and declaring what his actions would be as president under the same circumstances.

Protests against the construction of a new police training facility on Wednesday, January 18 turned violent days later when a man allegedly shot a state trooper during a law enforcement operation at the site. When police shot back, the man died, The Georgia Star News reported.

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Proposed Bill Would Increase Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program Cap

The Center Square

Proposed legislation would increase the cap on the state’s tax credit scholarship program a year after lawmakers raised it.

The proposed measure, House Bill 54, would increase the cap from $120 million annually to $200 million per year starting in 2024. The state’s tax credit scholarship program, enacted in 2008, allows individuals and corporations to use part of their state tax obligation for private school scholarships.

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Georgia Gov. Kemp: ‘State of Our State Has Never Been Stronger’

Eric Burk

In his State of the State Address, Governor Brian Kemp touted progress in his first term, and laid out next steps that include increased education, incentives for law enforcement and healthcare professionals, and targeted Medicaid expansion through the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program. “Over the last four years our greatest achievements were accomplished when both chambers worked hand-in-hand with my office to put the people of our state ahead of the status quo,” Kemp told legislators Wednesday. He said, “I’m proud to report that because of the foundation that we have built together over these past four years, because of the resilience shown by the people of our great state, because of the resolve they continue to show, the state of our state has never been stronger.” Kemp laid out many of the same priorities and proposals that he highlighted in his inaugural speech and his budget proposal earlier in January, including $1.9 billion for education across the Fiscal Year 2023 and 2024 budget proposals, tougher penalties for certain crimes, and $4.5 million in loan repayment programs for healthcare professionals. He also highlighted the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program, which comes as Republicans resist a larger Medicaid expansion to cover…

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Georgia Police Officer Resigns After Being Put on Leave for Facebook Post on Traditional Marriage

Admin

A Georgia police officer has resigned after he was told by superiors that he could not share his personal religious views on social media.  

“If someone somewhere considers an opinion I have—that isn’t a direct quotation from Scripture—to be offensive, then that would be a fireable offense,” Jacob Kersey, the former officer, told The Daily Signal.

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Pro-Life Advocates Pushing Personhood Legislation in Georgia

Eric Burk

Pro-life activists expect Georgia Republicans to file two bills granting equal rights to the unborn; the bills would impact exceptions currently in place under Georgia’s heartbeat law that bans abortions after six weeks.

Georgia Right to Life (GRL) Executive Director Zemmie Fleck said the heartbeat bill grants some rights, mostly to the mother, including counting the unborn in the census. It includes exceptions for certain circumstances surrounding conception or health.

“This would actually say all of those children who are classified in the rape and incest category or the fetal anomaly category, or the life of the mother category, those children also — they have equal protection of their life, and they have the equal recognition that they are persons to be treated just like a born person,” she said.

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Georgia U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde Reintroduces Legislation to Block Funding for Biden’s Pro-Abortion Executive Orders

Eric Burk

Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) has reintroduced legislation to block funding and forbid agencies from implementing President Joe Biden’s Executive Orders 14076 and 14079. The two orders, issued in 2022, required the Department of Health and Human Services to research and advance access to reproductive healthcare services.

“As tens of thousands of proud pro-life Americans attend the March for Life in our nation’s capital today, I’m proud to stand for the sanctity of life by reintroducing legislation to block and defund President Biden’s pro-abortion executive orders,” Clyde said in a January 20 press release announcing the “Protect the UNBORN (Undo the Negligent Biden Orders Right Now) Act.”

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School Choice Legislation Is Likely from Georgia Lawmakers this Session

The Center Square

Georgia lawmakers are almost certain to discuss school funding and even school choice legislation during this year’s legislative session.

“I think we’re going to have a very robust discussion when it comes to school funding, when it comes to vouchers and other issues that come before us,” House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said during a press conference this week. “I believe we have … a very diverse state when it comes to education funding, whether you’re from rural Georgia, or whether you’re from urban Georgia, and how funding impacts us all and comes into this equation.”

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Governor Kemp, Atlanta Mayor, and Other Officials Condemn Violence in Atlanta

Eric Burk

Georgia state and Atlanta officials criticized a violent protest in the city on Saturday; Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said that some business’ windows were broken and a police car was set on fire, but said that no citizens or officers were injured.

“The City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Police Department will not tolerate this and we continue to protect the right to peacefully protest. We will not tolerate violence or property destruction,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a Saturday press conference, according to 11Alive video.

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DOJ: Atlanta Man Recruited 10 Others for $3 Million Paycheck Protection Program Loan Scheme

Eric Burk

Eleven men have been sentenced after a scheme to obtain $3 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans; Atlanta man Rodericque Thompson recruited nine business owners to obtain $300,000 loans with fraudulent applications according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

“The CARES Act and the PPP designated funds to aid struggling businesses during a pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan said in a press release. “American businesses needed these funds to keep their companies and employees afloat during a national emergency and world-wide pandemic. These defendants took advantage of that program to obtain money to which they were not lawfully entitled. We will continue investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to steal these critical funds.”

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Attorney General Carr: In First Six Months, Gang Prosecution Unit Indicted 50 Alleged Gang Members

Eric Burk

Attorney General Chris Carr touted the work done by his new Gang Prosecution Unit launched in July; since then, the unit has indicted 50 alleged gang members across 13 counties, he told legislators on Wednesday.

The Georgia gang investigators estimate that 60 percent of violent crimes are gang-related, so this unit’s creation is perfectly timed to be a force multiplier in this fight,” Carr said in a presentation to the money committees. “With the new unit, we’ve been working hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal law enforcement to ensure that violent criminals are aggressively prosecuted and put behind bars.”

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Loeffler: Georgia Is ‘Red State Awash in Blue State Money’

Eric Burk

In an after-action report on the 2022 elections in Georgia, Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler argued that Georgia is still a red state, but that  Democratic spending from outside the state is the reason for losses in the federal elections.

“Republicans won every statewide office and held both the State House and Senate. Georgia isn’t just a red state – it is a red state despite the challenges posed by the Left’s massive national funding, organization on the ground, and growing demographic advantages,” Loeffler, a former U.S. senator, wrote in the report.

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Equity Consultant ‘Evil Salesman’ Explains Plan to Upend Georgia Law Banning Indoctrination with Critical Race Theory

Susan Berry, PhD

A Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) consultant explained to an undercover Project Veritas journalist he is an “evil salesman” who plans to undermine a Georgia law banning the teaching of the concepts of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

“If you don’t say the words ‘Critical Race Theory,’ you can technically teach it,” Dr. Quintin Bostic, content manager at The Teaching Lab, is heard telling the Project Veritas (PV) journalist in the video.

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Kemp Presents Budget to Georgia Legislators by Zoom While at World Economic Forum in Switzerland

Eric Burk

Governor Brian Kemp presented his budget to state legislators by Zoom on Tuesday; Kemp explained that he was at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“I just want to apologize for not being there in person, that had been my intention,” Kemp said. “But this is just a great opportunity for me to be out here to share Georgia’s success story with people from around the world, because I believe they can certainly learn a thing or two from us.”

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Georgia Will Have Republicans in Top Three U.S. House Committees

Eric Burk

Georgia will have four Republicans in three of the most powerful House of Representatives committees: Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) has been picked for the Appropriations Committee, and Representative Rick Allen (R-GA-12) has been selected for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) already serves on that committee, and Representative Drew Ferguson (R-GA-03) already serves on the Ways and Means Committee.

Committees decide the fate of legislation in Congress and hold hearings. The appointments of Clyde and Allen to the committees give them more personal power and opportunities to advance their careers, but the positions also give them the ability to more directly influence major legislation on behalf of their districts.

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Georgia Completes First Project Under Federally Funded Rail Program

The Center Square

The state has upgraded 138 miles of the Heart of Georgia Railroad, the first project the state has completed under a federal program to upgrade rail projects nationwide.

In 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $2 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grant funding. The state contributed another $2 million in bond funds for the project.

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Georgia Legislative Study Committee Endorses Pilot Mileage Tax Program

The Center Square

The Joint Study Committee on the Electrification of Transportation has endorsed the Georgia Department of Transportation’s pilot program taxing motorists based on vehicle miles traveled.

Charging a mileage tax would recoup what state leaders see as a potential loss in revenue via the gas tax. Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, suspended the gas tax to help Georgians counter rising inflation.

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Kemp Budget Proposal Includes More Tax Rebates, Spending on Schools and Police, and a 2024 Cost of Living Increase for State Employees

Eric Burk

Governor Brian Kemp announced his budget proposal on Friday, highlighting $250 income tax rebates, one-time discounts on homeowner property tax, and spending on education, economic development, improving healthcare access, and a $2,000 cost-of-living increase for state employees.

“Despite national economic headwinds caused by 40-year high inflation, Georgia’s economy remains a leader nationwide. As we look ahead to the upcoming fiscal year, we expect the state’s economy to be well positioned to withstand any further national economic slowing,” he said in a letter to lawmakers.

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Georgia Taxpayers Will Have to Pay Majority of $6 Million to Fight Abrams Lawsuit

The Center Square

Georgia taxpayers are on the hook to cover the bulk of the state’s cost to defend a lawsuit that alleged voter suppression in the 2018 election, state officials confirmed this week.

Fair Fight Action, founded by failed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and other groups filed a lawsuit in November 2018, alleging Georgia’s election processes denied thousands of residents the ability to vote. The allegations centered on Georgia’s absentee ballot procedures, voter registration and voter list management practices.

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Nonprofit Says Georgians Are Still Hurting from Inflation

The Center Square

While the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers dropped 0.1% in December and the year-over-year inflation rate stands at 6.5%, a Georgia nonprofit says Peach State residents may not be feeling the good news.

“We keep seeing positive headlines about the inflation rate, but that good news is lost on average Georgians who are continually pinched on the cost for everyday necessities like groceries and gas,” Erik Randolph, Georgia Center for Opportunity’s director of research, said in a statement. “Although there was some positive news in the December numbers, it’s important to keep in mind that core inflation remained elevated, including for food. If policymakers in Washington truly want to help the most economically vulnerable in our country, they must return to fiscal sanity and rein in the spending.

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At Inauguration, Georgia Gov. Kemp, LG Jones Call for Tax Relief, Money for Law Enforcement and Schools, and Tougher Sentencing Guidelines

Eric Burk

During their inaugural speeches, Governor Brian Kemp and newly-elected Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones painted a picture of Republican successes in Georgia but called for further tax relief, investment in schools and health care, and tough-on-crime policies. “Last year on the campaign trail, no matter where we went, hard-working Georgians told us about the pain they and their families were feeling at the pump, at the grocery store, in everyday life, thanks to 40-year-high inflation. I know these pains haven’t gone away,” Kemp said Thursday after being sworn in for a second term. The inauguration came amid the first week of the legislature’s session, and a day before Kemp’s office will share his budget proposals with legislators. Kemp said his proposal would include $2,00o pay raises for state employees, including teachers and law enforcement; $150 million in grants to address learning loss; $1 billion set aside for income tax refunds; and $1.1 billion for homeowner property tax relief. In his speech, Jones praised Kemp for his leadership and said Kemp made Georgia the first state to reopen the economy amid COVID-19. “We have a $6 billion surplus. Our unemployment rate is a record low. We’ve created hundreds of thousands of new…

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Solar Panel Manufacturer Invests $2.5 Billion in Georgia Factories

Eric Burk

Governor Brian Kemp announced that solar panel manufacturer Qcells will invest $2.5 billion to build two new factories in Georgia, a significant expansion after the company opened the largest solar panel factory in the western hemisphere in Dalton in 2019.

“I am honored to announce the growth of Qcells in Georgia for a second time in less than a year,” Kemp said in a press release.

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Georgia Gas Tax Moratorium Ends, Rises to 31.2 Cents

Eric Burk

Governor Brian Kemp allowed Georgia’s moratorium on state gas and diesel taxes to expire on Tuesday night, after first introducing the moratorium in May and renewing it six times since then.

In 2022, Georgia’s gas tax was 29.1 cents and the diesel tax at 32.6 cents, but that’s going up on Wednesday to 31.2 cents and 35 cents, respectively. As of January 10, before the taxes took effect, Georgia’s average gas price was $2.808, below the national average of $3.270, according to AAA Gas Prices.

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Georgia House Elects Speaker Jon Burns

Eric Burk

The Georgia House of Representatives elected former Majority Leader Senator Jon Burns (R-Newington) to be Speaker of the House in its first day of session. Burns replaces Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton), who became Georgia’s first woman Speaker of the House after late Speaker David Ralston died November 2022. Jones was re-elected to be Speaker Pro-Tempore on Monday.

“This is, admittedly, a very bittersweet moment,” Burns said in a speech after he took the dais. “Just a matter of weeks before today, I never would have imagined standing for this office. The passing of Speaker David Ralston has left a hole in the heart of this House.”

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Georgia U.S. Rep. Clyde Explains Vote for McCarthy as Speaker

Eric Burk

U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) was one of fifteen hold-out Republicans to flip on Friday and vote in favor of Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) to be Speaker of the House, paving the way for McCarthy’s late Friday win after a week of falling short by about 20 votes.

“My fight has never been about personalities — it has always been about restoring the People’s voice in the People’s House,” Clyde explained in a Friday social media statement. “I voted for Kevin McCarthy based on an agreement to a framework that creates significant historic institutional change. I look forward to helping implement these changes, which will hold the Speaker accountable to the People.”

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DOJ Announces Final Sentence in Operation Against Drug Traffickers Targeting Savannah

Eric Burk

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced the final sentence in its Operation Stranded Bandit which saw 34 defendants sentenced to up to 292 months for involvement in meth trafficking from Mexico to Savannah through Atlanta.

“Our law enforcement partners built Operation Stranded Bandit on the foundation of prior investigations dismantling a network of drug traffickers operating inside and outside prisons to bring large quantities of methamphetamine to coastal Georgia,” U.S. Attorney David Estes said in a Thursday press release. “Getting gun-carrying drug traffickers off our streets, particularly those with gang affiliations, is a vital part of protecting our communities from violent crime.”

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Incentives Unknown for Window Replacement Company Building Georgia Plant

The Center Square

A full-service window replacement company plans to build its first manufacturing facility in Georgia. However, it’s unclear whether Georgia taxpayers will be on the hook for any part of it.

Renewal by Andersen, a division of Bayport, Minnesota-based Andersen Corporation, said it would spend more than $420 million on the manufacturing facility. Economic development officials said the company would create 900 new jobs as part of the project at The Cubes at Locust Grove in Henry County.

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District 9 Chairwoman Rebecca Yardley Announces Campaign for Georgia GOP Chair

Eric Burk

Georgia GOP (GAGOP) District 9 Chairwoman Rebecca Yardley announced her campaign to chair the Georgia Republican Party; current Chairman David Shafer hasn’t yet decided if he will run, but Yardley will likely face him or one of his allies in the June convention.

“Our Party deserves a chairman who is fully focused on taking the steps required to win Georgia elections. I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible work done on the county and district levels. Now it’s time to have our top leadership at the state match the same energy, concentration, and drive shown by our local members daily,” Yardley said in a Thursday press release.

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Kemp Announces $234 Million in Grants to Expand Broadband Access

Eric Burk

Governor Brian Kemp announced $234 million in 29 grants for broadband expansion using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds; the money will go to 12 internet service providers in 28 counties and will be matched with other funds for a total $455 million to support 76,000 locations.

“Georgia is again leading the nation in identifying where the digital divide is the deepest and acting on that knowledge to improve service for hardworking people all the way from Seminole County to Gordon County and beyond,” Kemp said in a Wednesday press release.

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Georgia’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Boss Wants to Expand Service in Atlanta Metro Area

The Center Square

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority recently unveiled the first of its new railcars for its network. The $646 million cars are expected to start service in 2025.

MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood spoke with The Center Square during the event about what’s next for the transit agency, funding and possible expansion to new areas.

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Ralston, Chastain Go to Runoff in Georgia’s House District 7 Election

Eric Burk

Sheree Ralston took 45.02 percent of the  House District (HD) 7 special election vote on Tuesday night, followed by Johnny Chastain with 39.28 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results. That sets the two candidates up for a runoff.

That’s a bad result for Kemp-endorsed Sheree Ralston since Chastain is likely to pick up votes from conservative supporters who backed the other three candidates on Tuesday, according to Atlanta Tea-Party President Debbie Dooley.
That’s a bad result for Kemp-endorsed Ralston, since Chastain is likely to pick up votes from conservative supporters who backed the other three candidates on Tuesday, according to Atlanta Tea-Party President Debbie Dooley.

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American Catholic Leaders Celebrate Life of Pope Benedict, ‘Defender of Truth’ Who Taught Above All Else ‘God Is Love’

Susan Berry, PhD

American Catholic leaders are acclaiming the life and work of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whose scholarly writings emphasized the unity of faith and reason and, most fundamentally, the primary truth of the Catholic faith, which teaches God is Love.

Benedict, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, died Saturday at the age of 95. He became pope in April 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, and served until his resignation in February 2013.

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Georgia High School Students Demand Right to Use ‘N-Word,’ Want White Teacher Fired for Saying It

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Black students at a Georgia high school claim they should be able to say the “n-word” if they wish, but want a white teacher sanctioned for using it in a disciplinary context.

According to Atlanta News First, after two (black) Decatur High students allegedly were saying the epithet to each other, physics teacher John Chesnut told the duo to stop using the term — while saying it himself.

This led to student and community outrage, including a forum with the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights on December 21.

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