Community Tea

U.S. President Joe Biden and House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy will meet to discuss the debt ceiling on Monday, after a “productive” phone call as the president headed back to Washington, the two sides said on Sunday. McCarthy, speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol following the call, said there were positive discussions on solving the crisis and that staff-level talks were set to resume later on Sunday.

Gov. Brian Kemp says he supports programs to help veterans and make education affordable. But he recently vetoed House Bill 249, a measure that was designed to provide more need-based financial aid to Georgia college students and offer tuition-free training to help veterans obtain a commercial driver’s license. The financial aid portion of the bill would have meant more money for students — upping the maximum award from $2,500 to $3,500 — and made them eligible to receive it earlier in their studies. The training program for veterans has long been a priority for its advocates. All that made it a popular bill in the General Assembly — it saw only two “nay” votes as it worked its way through the legislative process, one in the Georgia House and one in the state Senate. But Kemp said “nay” as well, rejecting it because it was “subject to appropriations and the General Assembly failed to fully fund these educational incentives” —politico-speak meaning it needs more work on how to pay for them. 

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has released its latest edition of the “County Health Rankings & Roadmaps,” revealing Georgia’s most and least healthy counties for 2023. According to their findings, the healthiest county in all of Georgia is Forsyth County, followed by Oconee County, Cherokee County, Cobb County and Fayette County.

To address the busy lives of families, rideshare company Uber is adding an option for teens to ride solo in certain cities. According to the company, the teen accounts will give kids “the freedom to request their own rides” while also giving parents notifications for each one they take. The teen account features include live real-time updates, which parents can follow from pickup to drop off. One of the main features for teen riders will be matching them with only highly rated and experienced drivers. After the teen gets in an Uber, destinations will be locked and drivers cannot change the destination — only the teen riders can. On top of the live tracking and destination lock features, Uber said teen riders will have “always-on” safety features such as PIN verification and RideCheck, as well as an audio recording option on every trip. They’ll also be able to contact support services and call 911 through the app during every trip if needed.

The attorneys general of New York and California announced Thursday that they are investigating allegations of workplace discrimination at the NFL, citing lawsuits filed by employees that describe sex, racial and age bias, sexual harassment, and a hostile work environment. Attorneys General Letitia James of New York and Rob Bonta of California said they issued subpoenas to NFL executives as part of an examination into the workplace culture at the league’s corporate offices in both states. The officials, both Democrats, said they are exercising their legal authority to seek information from the NFL regarding allegations of gender pay disparities, harassment, and gender and racial discrimination. The investigation focuses on the league’s corporate offices, not specific teams or players. “No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or objectification in the workplace,” James said in a statement. 

The National Football League released the 2023 season schedule Thursday night. The Atlanta Falcons will open their season at home on Sept. 10 against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. WAGA-TV (FOX 5 Atlanta) will serve as the club’s television broadcast partner and will locally broadcast nine of the Falcon’s regular-season games. Sports Radio 92.9 The Game will serve as the Falcon’s radio broadcast partner for the 2023 season. All 20 Falcons games (preseason and regular season) can be heard on 92.9 The Game. The Falcons will play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 1, at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the 2023 NFL International Games and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The Week 4 matchup will mark Atlanta’s third regular-season game played in London. 

Atlanta rapper, actor, producer, and philanthropist Ludacris just received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last week. Ludacris, whose real name is Christopher Brian Bridges, was selected as a recipient of the illustrious honor in 2022. His acting career began when he made a cameo in the 2001 film titled, “The Wash.” He has acted in a dozen other films, including eight of the Fast franchises. Ludacris is reprising his role as Tej Parker in Fast X which is in theaters. His impressive acting career really took off when he played a larger role in the 2003 film, 2 Fast, 2 Furious, alongside singer Tyrese and the late actor Paul Walker. Ludacris first rose to prominence as a radio DJ, formerly known as Chris “Luva Luva” at Hot 97.5 in Atlanta in the late 1990s. 

General Motors is recalling over 660,000 SUVs due to a potential safety issue involving car seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a recall notice on its website Thursday, stating that in certain models of Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, the rear-seat LATCH anchorage bars used to secure car seats may have “excessive powder coating” that would prevent them from being installed. LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) is an attachment system that can be used instead of the seat belt to install a car seat.

Peloton Recalls Two Million Exercise Bikes Due to Fall and Injury Hazards. The bike’s seat post assembly can break during use, posing fall and injury hazards to the user. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled exercise bikes and contact Peloton for a free repair. Peloton is offering consumers a free seat post that can be self-installed.

Peloton announced the approval of a new rear safety guard for its recalled Tread+ treadmill that will be offered free of charge. The approved rear guard, which was announced jointly with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, comes after 125,000 Tread+ treadmills were recalled in 2021 after being linked to a child’s death and other injuries. U.S. safety officials warned how adult users, children, pets, and objects could be “pulled underneath the rear roller, posing a risk of injury or death,” and customers were told to stop using the product. Since the May 2021 recall, there have been 279 additional reported incidents and 61 additional reports of injuries, Peloton said in a joint statement with the CPSC. The new safety guard features a breakaway design that pivots away from the treadmill when it comes into contact with a person or object, shutting off power to the unit and decelerating the belt, Peloton and the CPSC said.

Perrigo Company plc issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of Gerber® Good Start® SoothePro™ Powdered Infant Formula in the U.S. The product is being recalled out of an abundance of caution due to the potential presence of a bacteria, Cronobacter sakazakii.

LiDestri Foods has issued a nationwide recall for select Wegmans Italian Classics Diavolo pasta sauce jars over undeclared fish allergen concerns. It is feared that select 24-ounce jars of the sauce may contain undeclared fish allergens, namely anchovies. Individuals who are allergic to anchovies run the risk of experiencing severe to life-threatening allergies upon consumption of the recalled product.

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, which has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, NAMI joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Working together, they fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness. For more information, go to: https://www.nami.org/home

Have a wonderful week.