Community Tea

President Joe Biden traveled to Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 58th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” Biden spoke at the Edmund Pettus Bridge — where in 1965 hundreds of civil rights marchers were attacked by police. The violence, which sparked national outrage, marked a turning point in the movement and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

President Joe Biden has nominated Julie Su for Labor Secretary nominee, describing her as a “real leader” who has supported unions, enforced worker safety, and protected the victims of human trafficking. “Julie is the American dream,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. “She’s committed to making sure that dream is in reach for every American.” Su is currently the deputy US secretary of labor. The daughter of an immigrant mother who arrived on a cargo ship, Su said she believes “in the transformative power of America” as she noted that a union job gave her parents a path to the middle class, one that eventually led her to college at Stanford University and law school at Harvard University.

Author Marianne Williamson formally announced that she’s running for president in 2024, her second bid for the White House following an unsuccessful campaign in 2020. With her announcement, Williamson became the first Democratic challenger to President Joe Biden, who has long said he intends to run for reelection but has yet to make a formal announcement.

The Justice Department said that former President Donald Trump can be sued by injured Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and his speech before the riot. In court papers, the Justice Department urged a federal appeals court in Washington to allow the lawsuits to move forward, writing that “no part of a President’s official responsibilities includes the incitement of imminent private violence.”

Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos, the New York congressman whose lies and embellishments about his resume and personal life have drawn deep scrutiny, is the target of an investigation launched by the House Ethics Committee. The far-reaching investigation seeks to determine whether Santos “may have engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign” among other actions. The panel will also investigate whether Santos “failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House, violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services, and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office, per the released statement.

Eli Lilly announced it will cut prices for some older insulins later this year and immediately give more patients access to a cap on the costs they pay to fill prescriptions.This is critical relief for people with diabetes who can face annual costs of more than $1,000 for insulin they need in order to live. Lilly’s changes also come as lawmakers and patient advocates pressure drugmakers to do something about soaring prices. Lilly is cutting the list prices for its most commonly prescribed insulin, Humalog, and for another insulin, Humulin, by 70% or more in the fourth quarter, which starts in October.

FBI Director Christopher Wray publicly acknowledged the agency’s stance that the COVID-19 pandemic likely resulted from an accidental laboratory leak in China. Said Wray, “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.” 

Colorectal cancer rates in younger people have surged in recent years. More troubling, most cases diagnosed are at an advanced stage and researchers aren’t sure what’s causing the cancers. According to new statistics from the American Cancer Society, the proportion of colorectal cancer that occurred in people under age 55 doubled between 1995 and 2019, from 11% to 20%. That means that, of the roughly 1.3 million people in the U.S. living with colorectal cancer in the United States in 2019, about 273,800 were younger than age 55. 

The state of Georgia is proposing to demand more advance notice from hospital leaders any time they decide to close down a hospital or hospital services. This comes in the wake of Atlanta Medical Center’s abrupt closure last year. Wellstar Health System shut down two hospitals last year that each served predominantly needy populations: AMC South in East Point and AMC in downtown Atlanta. Each time, Wellstar gave less than 60 days’ notice before shutting down the emergency rooms. The new rule would require at least 180 days’ notice, up from the current 30. 

A bill to allow the Buckhead neighborhood to secede  from the city of Atlanta and create a separate city of its own, has died in the Georgia Senate. It failed by a 33-23 vote, with all Democrats in the chamber opposing the measure along with several GOP senators who helped cement its defeat. Shortly after the vote, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement, saying: “Atlanta is one city, with one bright future. I am thankful to the bipartisan majority of the Georgia Senate who voted to reject SB 114. I am grateful to the large number of Atlantans—from parents to businesses to educational leaders—who stood up and spoke with a united voice for a united city. 

A new distribution center, in neighboring Lithia Springs, was announced by Sam’s Club. The national wholesale club and member’s only retail store will open the $142 million facility at 1000 Douglas Hill Road and employ 600 workers. Sam’s Club officials said the new center will help bolster the company’s supply chain capabilities across Georgia and the southeast. 

Actor and Rapper, Will Smith, accepted a special honor at the African American Film Critics Association Awards, marking his first in-person awards show appearance since the infamous Oscars slap of Chris Rock. Smith, who starred in the slavery drama “Emancipation,” received the Beacon Award from the AAFCA, along with the film’s director Antoine Fuqua. 

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is coming back to Atlanta. She announced that she is leaving her temporary role as a senior official in the Biden administration, but says she intends to stay involved in public policy as she returns to Georgia. “It’s time for me to get back home, get back to my family and focus on the future,” Bottoms said in an interview. President Joe Biden announced Monday that Steven Benjamin, the former Mayor of Columbia, S.C., will replace Bottoms as a senior adviser and Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Benjamin’s new job begins in April. 

Vanessa Bryant, wife of the late Kobe Bryant, has agreed to accept a $28.85 million settlement from Los Angeles County in exchange for ending her fight against those she accused of improperly taking and sharing gruesome photos of her dead husband and daughter after they perished in a helicopter crash in January 2020. The settlement includes the $15 million judgment she won against the county after a two-week civil jury trial last year in Los Angeles. It also resolves all pending litigation and future claims from Bryant, widow of Kobe Bryant, the NBA legend. The settlement is subject to court approval and would cover her children as well.

Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers, died Wednesday night, the team announced. He was 86. Richardson was a standout football player at Wofford College and played for the Baltimore Colts from 1959 to 1960. He caught a touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas in the 1959 NFL Championship Game. He helped bring football to North Carolina in 1993 as the state was awarded the NFL’s 29th franchise. The team would debut in 1995. 

The Atlanta Falcons have released quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota started for the Falcons in 2022 until he was benched for rookie Desmond Ridder with four games left in the season. The team went 5-8 in Mariota’s starts and had a tough time establishing

its passing game which featured the team’s last two first-round picks, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London. Releasing Mariota saves the Falcons about $12 million towards the NFL salary cap.

The Atlanta Braves revealed their bobblehead and other promotional giveaways for the upcoming season, Included in this years’ giveaways is an OutKast bobblehead for the May 25 game. The bobblehead features Big Boi and Andre 3000 cruising in a signature red Cadillac. Only the first 15,000 fans through the Truist Park gates will receive one.

AMC Entertainment has found a new way to bring the movie theater experience into the homes of its customers. The company announced it will start to sell its microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn at Walmart stores beginning March 11. The product line will include three new flavor varieties of microwave and popped popcorn: classic butter, extra butter, and lightly salted. 

A series of fights erupted as Six Flags Over Georgia reopened the amusement park on Saturday. Witnesses say multiple groups of teenagers began fighting in front of them. Security broke the fight up, but the group began fighting again and were removed from the park. Six Flags released the following statement: “Unfortunately, several groups of young people decided to engage in inappropriate behavior in more than one area of the park this evening. Their actions disrupted the park experience for our guests and violated our park policies; as a result, those involved were removed from the property. We have absolutely no tolerance for inappropriate behavior. Safety for our guests, and our team members, is our foremost priority. Unruly behavior will not be tolerated.”

Russell Stover Chocolates is voluntarily recalling its sugar-free peanut butter cups in 2.4 oz packaging due to the potential for undeclared pecans. The company is concerned that some packages may instead contain its Sugar Free Pecan Delights. The recall was issued after customers complained about the mix-up. The company blames the error on a third party co-packing company. 

Lidl US announced Wednesday that it is voluntarily recalling its ready-to-eat Tapas branded Cocktail Shrimp by Lidl, 7 oz. packages, due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The shrimp was distributed to all Lidl locations in the US, including here in Georgia.

Nissan issued a recall of over 809,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada because the key can malfunction and cause the ignition to turn off while the vehicle is moving. The recall covers Nissan Rogue models from 2014 to 2020, as well as Rogue Sports from 2017 to 2022. The company says the vehicles have keys that may not stay fully open. If the keys are not fully open while the vehicle is being driven, a driver could accidentally touch the key fob, turning off the engine.

Car owners are petitioning for a class-action lawsuit against carmakers Hyundai and Kia following headlines about a missing safety feature on many of its used models. This software gap has led to a spike in thefts of these vehicles. And now This is on top of recent news that some used Kias and Hyundais are missing what is called an engine immobilizer. This is what allows the car and the key to talk to each other. It verifies that’s the right key for that vehicle.  The security gap has led to a spike in thefts of brands. Because of that, some insurance providers no longer insure these Kias and Hyundais, and those who do have pushed up the cost. The same company produces both car brands. The petition says the carmaker knew that Kias from 2011 to 2021 were “defective” but did nothing to fix the problem. In the meantime, both car manufacturers are offering a software fix for free. For Hyundai owners, call 800-633-5151. If you own a used Kia, call 800-333-4542.  When your car gets the software patch, you will also receive a sticker to put in the window to tell would-be thieves that the vehicle has been updated with this security feature. 

March is known for several social awareness campaigns including Women’s History Month, National Reading Month, Disability Awareness Month, Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, and Kidney Month. 

Have a wonderful week.