COMMUNITY TEA

The Biden administration has officially suspended Gov. Brian Kemp’s plan to block Georgians from shopping for health insurance coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace later this year. Open enrollment for ACA plans typically begins on Nov. 1. More than 400,000 Georgians use the marketplace to sign up for their insurance. Currently, 700,000 Georgians are covered by ACA plans, and the majority buy them on the website healthcare.gov. Under Kemp’s plan, when shoppers went to the website to shop for plans, it would instead direct them to plans from individual insurance companies or private brokers. Kemp’s team had argued private insurance companies and agents would do a better job matching shoppers to plans. Foes argued that private companies do a poor job explaining pitfalls in plans and comparing competitors’ options. Their studies showed some shoppers would end up with inadequate coverage or drop coverage altogether.

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot has tentatively scheduled public hearings for prime-time slots from June 9 through the end of that month. The June 9 hearing is set for a prime-time evening start, according to preliminary planning. The precise format of the hearings and featured witnesses has yet to be announced. Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., said the committee will “tell the story about what happened using a combination of witnesses, exhibits, and other things that we have. Thompson said they will give the public the benefit of what more than a year’s worth of investigation has borne to the committee.”

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer found guilty of murder in the killing of George Floyd, has appealed his conviction, saying the jury was intimidated by ongoing sometimes violent protests and prejudiced by pretrial publicity. Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals to reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a resentencing. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin in June 2021 to 22½ years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd died May 25, 2020, after Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his knee on his neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds

Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died at the age of 76. Her death was announced on Saturday in a statement provided by her daughters. “Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,“ the statement said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.“ The statement did not elaborate further. The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame today.

Tyson Foods, the biggest meat company in the U.S., is spending $60 million to give its workers free college. Some 120,000 U.S. employees can enroll in programs at 35 universities and other education providers starting this summer, with Tyson covering all costs for tuition, books, and fees.

Cobb County Police are searching for a woman accused of using a pellet gun to shoot and damage the windows of 14 Marietta school buses in a bizarre act of vandalism caught on security cameras. The incident took place Monday around 9 p.m., police said in a social media post. Anyone with information about the incident or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 404-577-8477 or the Marietta police tip line at 770-794-6990. 

United Military Care is hosting a free We CARE Veteran Resource Fair in Cobb on May 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cobb County Civic Center, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. This event is open to all veterans — regardless of when they served, their discharge status, and whether or not they enrolled in the VA -—and their families/ caregivers. Free parking, free meals, and other giveaways will be provided. Visit facebook.com/United- MilitaryCare or UnitedMilitary- Care.org for more information.

Despite calls for the state-owned park to shut down, about 200 members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans gathered at Stone Mountain on Saturday for observation of Confederate Memorial Day. About 100 counter-protesters were in attendance as well and shouted over the SCV speakers.

NASCAR on Tuesday ordered Denny Hamlin to begin sensitivity training this week after he posted an anti-Asian meme from the television comedy “Family Guy” to criticize Kyle Larson’s driving on the last lap at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend. Hamlin deleted the tweet Monday night and apologized. “I took down a post I made earlier today after reading some of the comments,” he wrote. “It was a poor choice of memes and I saw how it was offensive. It came across totally wrong.” Hamlin drives a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan and fields two cars supported by the Japanese automaker.

The Kennesaw State University Foundation recently received a $10,000 grant from the Delta Community Credit Union Philanthropic Fund. The Foundation says the money will be used to fund its Professional Education for Women Experiencing Homelessness program, which serves women living in The Drake House. Residents are offered access to KSU’s 400-plus continuing education and professional certification courses, to prepare them for careers in high-demand fields, such as nursing, business, technology, and hospitality.

Atlanta-based Delta said this week it will start boarding many of its domestic flights earlier to allow more time for passengers to filter onto planes in a bid to improve on-time performance. Starting June 2, Delta will increase the time allowed for boarding single-aisle, narrow-body planes to 40 minutes from 35 minutes. The boarding time adjustment is one of a series of changes Delta is making to improve its operational reliability. Allowing more time to board planes can help flights to arrive on time, allowing passengers to make their connections and planes and crews to be in place for their next flights. The airline is also testing ways to incentivize customers to check their carry-on bags to speed boarding and allow flights to depart early when ready.

Dog owners are complaining about Soresto dog collars. It has been reported that 86000 pet owners filed complaints with the EPA, saying the collars spread too many powerful pesticides into the pet’s hair and skin. Consumers say that there are no safety warnings or list of risks on the packaging, and it is unsafe for pets and people. Veterinarians want the collar band, but there has been no action taken by the EPA to do so.

Up to a quarter-million, Ford Explorers are being recalled due to a mechanical problem that can cause the SUV to roll away while it’s parked, according to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The document said a bolt in the rear axle mounting could fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect, increasing the risk of the vehicle accidentally rolling away while parked when the parking brake is not on. Affected vehicles include various 2020-2022 Explorer models, including the Explorer Hybrid and Explorer Plug-In Hybrid. Some 2020-2021 Explorer Police Interceptor SUV and hybrid models are also affected by the recall. The NHTSA said dealers will replace any necessary parts or update the electronic parking brake software free of charge. Owners are expected to be notified through the mail beginning on June 6.

Tennessee Brown Bag, LLC, a Hixson, Tenn. establishment, is recalling approximately 4,590 pounds of beef jerky products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Sunday. The ready-to-eat beef jerky products were produced from January 2020 through April 2022. The products subject to recall do not bear the USDA mark of inspection because Tennessee Brown Bag, LLC is not a federally inspected establishment. The firm produced seven beef jerky varieties and sold the product directly to consumers nationwide through websites and through retail locations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Have a great week…