Community Tea

President Joe Biden has had a busy week. On Wednesday, he signed the “PACT Act of 2022” — the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — which provides benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill was passed with Republican and Democratic support.

The U.S. House delivered another major legislative victory for President Joe Biden on Friday, approving slimmed-down health care, tax, and climate change bill. The vote was 220-207. Every Georgia Democrat voted for the package, while all of the state’s Republicans in the House opposed it. The measure now goes to the president for his signature.

About 135 million more doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine from a troubled Baltimore factory will have to be destroyed due to quality problems, congressional panel leaders said Thursday. The announcement follows a report in May that detailed how more than 400 million vaccine doses made at an Emergent BioSolutions plant had to be trashed. 

Gas prices in the U.S. fell below $4 a gallon on Thursday to their lowest level since March, a sign of relief for Americans struggling with historically high inflation and a political boost In Georgia, which has lower gas taxes than in some states and is close to refineries. The statewide average price for a gallon of gas is about $3.55. 

Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right more than 440 times Wednesday in refusing to answer questions at a deposition by lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is investigating the Trump Organization’s business practices. In a statement released shortly after the questioning began, Trump said he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, explaining that he “declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.” Two sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed that Trump was refusing to answer questions, citing the Fifth Amendment.

An armed domestic terrorist, clad in body armor, tried to breach the FBI’s Cincinnati office on Thursday. He was shot and killed by police after he fled the scene and engaged in an hour’s long standoff in a rural part of the state. The confrontation came as officials warned of an increase in threats against federal agents in the days following a search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Two of the three men responsible for Ahmaud Arbery’s killing apologized to the 25-year-old’s family on Monday before being sentenced on federal hate crimes charges. Greg McMichael, who instigated the chase, and William “Roddie” Bryan, who filmed the graphic cellphone video of Arbery falling dead in the street, appeared to show remorse for their actions for the first time publicly. “The loss you’ve endured is beyond description,” McMichael told Arbery’s family in the second-floor courtroom. “I never wanted any of this to happen.” 

Following a $25 million class action lawsuit alleging multiple incidents of discrimination, Sesame Place, a “Sesame Street”-themed park near Philadelphia, announced the implementation of diversity and inclusion training for all employees. The public outcry and lawsuit were sparked by a video of a costumed character snubbing two 6-year-old Black girls that went viral online.

A grand jury declined to indict the white woman whose accusation set off the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago. After more than seven hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses, a Leflore County, Mississippi, the grand jury determined there was insufficient evidence to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter. A group searching the basement of the Leflore County Courthouse in June discovered the unserved arrest warrant charging Donham, then-husband Roy Bryant, and brother-in-law J.W. Milam in Till’s abduction in 1955. While the men were arrested and acquitted on murder charges in Till’s subsequent slaying, Donham, 21 then and 87 now, was never taken into custody. In an unpublished memoir obtained last month by The Associated Press, Donham said she was unaware of what would happen to the 14-year-old Till, who was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he was abducted and killed. She accused him of making lewd comments and grabbing her.

Tens of thousands of college students in Fulton County will have an opportunity to vote on their campuses ahead of the November election. The Fulton County elections board on Thursday approved 36 early voting locations and times for college campus voting, following a call from students and a civil rights organization. The ACLU of Georgia earlier this month asked Fulton to provide on-campus early voting opportunities to college students after hearing from concerned students and administrators. Higher education institutions hosted early voting sites during Fulton’s 2018 and 2020 elections.

Johnson & Johnson is pulling baby powder containing talc worldwide next year after it did the same in the U.S. and Canada amid thousands of lawsuits claiming it caused cancer. Talc will be replaced by cornstarch, the company said. The company has faced litigation alleging its talcum powder caused users to develop ovarian cancer, through use for feminine hygiene, or mesothelioma, a cancer that strikes the lungs and other organs. J&J insists that the talc baby powder is safe and doesn’t cause cancer

 
Atlanta-based email marketing company Mailchimp is giving Clayton State University $1 million for a school program that gives students hands-on training in tech. The funding supports Launchpad, a program in the university’s College of Information & Mathematical Sciences. It increases Mailchimp’s prior partnership with Clayton State, which received $300,000 from the company for Launchpad in 2018.

Olivia Newton-John, the beloved singer, actress, and Grease star, died on August 8, at age 73, after a decades-long battle with breast cancer. The four-time Grammy Award winner was a passionate and vocal advocate for breast cancer research. She was 44 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Olivia underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and breast reconstruction. Olivia went into remission for about 20 years, but the cancer returned and she fought a second battle after she first found a lump on her right shoulder after she was in a minor traffic accident. While she originally thought the lump was from the car accident, testing showed the cancer had returned. Olivia and her husband created the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund which works to research plant medicine and how it can be used to treat cancer. The family has asked that donations be made to the foundation in honor of Olivia’s memory. 

Emmy and Tony-nominated actor Anne Heche, whose work includes “Six Days Seven Nights,” “Another World” and dozens of other projects as well as her romance with Ellen DeGeneres that challenged homophobia in Hollywood, has died. She was 53. Heche was removed from life support after being hospitalized after crashing her car into a Mar Vista home, which then caught on fire. Heche was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in critical condition. She was declared brain dead Thursday night but was kept on life support for possible organ donation. She suffered significant burns in the crash and fell into a coma with a major injury that required her to be put on mechanical ventilation.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a letter in Variety Magazine directed at Hollywood studio executives, said states like Georgia have legislatures waging “a cruel assault on essential rights” in contrast to California, “a freedom state.” California, where most creative Hollywood executives still reside, has seen a huge amount of TV and film business in the past two decades move elsewhere courtesy of generous tax credits in places like Canada, the U.K., New Mexico, and Georgia. Georgia, which has severely restricted access to abortion, was cited in Newsom’s letter as “carrying out these attacks brazenly and with the intent to cause pain in the communities they target — many of whom are essential to the success of your industry. Today more than ever, you have a responsibility to take stock of your values — and those of your employees — when doing business in those states.” In contrast, California is “a freedom state. Freedom to tell your stories. Freedom to access the health services you need, including abortion care. Freedom to love who you love and to ensure that your LGBTQ friends, family, and colleagues can proudly be who they are. Freedom from repressive state governments that want to tell you what to believe and threaten you with felonies if you don’t toe the line.” Newsom asked decision-makers to “walk the walk’ and “choose California.” Companies like Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. have not made public statements regarding Georgia’s abortion laws and have continued to announce new TV and film projects in the state. About 1,000 TV showrunners have sent letters to big production companies seeking insight into how they plan to protect the rights of employees in states like Georgia.

Serena Williams says she is ready to step away from tennis and wants to have another baby. Saying “the countdown has begun,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion announced Tuesday she is ready to step away from tennis so she can turn her focus to having another child and her business interests, presaging the end of her sports career. Williams was not completely clear on the timeline for her last match, but it could happen at the U.S. Open, which begins on  August 29. “There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction. That time is always hard when you love something so much. My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun,” Williams, who turns 41 next month, wrote on Instagram. “I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just (as) exciting Serena.” Williams wrote that she does not like the word “retirement” and prefers to think of this stage of her life as “evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”

Aunt Fanny’s Cabin, the historic building that formerly housed a controversial, Old South-themed restaurant, has finally been torn down. Smyrna city officials confirmed the structure was torn down Friday after the City Council voted to move forward with demolition Thursday night. Aunt Fanny’s was loathed by many as a relic of racism and defended by some as historically significant. In December, the City Council approved the recommendations of a task force to either demolish the 19th-century cabin or allow someone to move it on their own dime. The council had approved a proposal to move the structure to a Carroll County farm, but that fell through. A second person expressed interest in the building but decided against taking it. The council revisited the proposal at their Thursday work session and a decision was made at that time to tear it down.

Two of the three remaining living cast members from the original “Star Trek” series will be attending this year’s Dragon Con convention: William Shatner and Walter Koenig. Shatner, now 91, played Captain James T. Kirk in the series and subsequent films and last fall flew into space on Jeff Bezos’ rocket ship Blue Origin. Koenig, 85, was the Enterprise’s navigator Pavel Chekov. Both “Star Trek” veterans have appeared at Dragon Con numerous times. The only other remaining lead cast member of “Star Trek” still alive is George Takei, who has also appeared at Dragon Con multiple times but will not be there this year. The convention happens in downtown Atlanta over Labor Day weekend

Two giant cruise companies are dropping vaccine requirements for some ships, following a wave of recent moves to ease pandemic-era restrictions that precluded some travelers from boarding. Sister cruise lines Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises said on their websites that as of Sept. 5, everyone “regardless of vaccination status” would be able to sail on specific cruises as long as they met testing requirements.

Lyons Magnus LLC announced that following continued collaboration and consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and in furtherance of its longstanding commitment to food safety, the Company is expanding its July 28, 2022, voluntary recall of nutritional and beverage products to include additional brands and code dates. This recall is being conducted due to the potential for microbial contamination, including from the organisms Cronobacter sakazakii and Clostridium botulinum. Although Clostridium botulinum has not been found in products, consumers are warned not to consume any of the recalled products even if they do not look or smell spoiled. A complete list of the recalled products is available on their website. Consumers also are advised not to consume any products that are beyond their Best By Date.  Clostridium botulinum may cause a severe form of food poisoning. It can begin from six hours to two weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness. Botulism poisoning can cause respiratory paralysis, resulting in death, unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.  Anyone who has a recalled product in his or her possession should dispose of it immediately or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers in all time zones with questions may contact the Lyons Recall Support Center 24/7 at 1-800-627-0557, or visit its website at www.lyonsmagnus.com.

King’s Hawaiian is voluntarily recalling its Pretzel Slider Buns, Pretzel Hamburger Buns and Pretzel Bites products out of an abundance of caution following a recall of an ingredient used in the pretzel products from one of its suppliers, Lyons Magnus. Lyons Magnus is recalling this ingredient due to the potential for it to cause microbial contamination including from the organisms Cronobacter sakazakii and Clostridium botulinum. While no illnesses associated with King’s Hawaiian pretzel bread have been reported, and no pathogens have been found in any King’s Hawaiian products to date, the recall is being conducted to ensure consumer safety. This recall does not impact any other King’s Hawaiian products, as no other products use this ingredient from Lyons Magnus. King’s Hawaiian will resume producing all pretzel products once the company has ensured all current products have been disposed of and has confirmed the safety of all ingredients. Consumers in possession of any King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Slider Buns, King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Hamburger Buns, or King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bites should dispose of the product. Consumers can contact King’s Hawaiian at 877-695-4227, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT if they have any questions, or to request a replacement product.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening a recall query into 1.7 million U.S. Ford 2013-2018 model year Fusion and Lincoln MKZ cars after receiving 50 complaints alleging front brake hose failures. Ford recalled 488,000 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles in 2020 in the United States for brake hose failures. Ford said it would cooperate with NHTSA’s probe. NHTSA said many complaints reported brake hoses are rupturing, leaking brake fluid, and occurring with little or no warning. The safety agency said it is aware of one alleged crash as a result of a failed brake hose.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger airbag may explode or deploy improperly. 1,216 units are affected. 

Have a wonderful week….