Sunday Solutions – Oct. 16, 2022
The debate event in Savannah is over, and we glide into early voting on Monday. Today we have notes about Coastal Georgia’s minute in the political sun and then we move along to a few other things for your consideration.
Entertainment? Citizens’ debate? Or both?
Spotlights were literally on Savannah Friday evening for the US Senate debate between football star and businessman Herschel Walker and pastor and incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock. The lights, camera and action permeated the blocks around Plant Riverside for hours, bringing Georgia’s unique brand of politics to the country through a NewsNation “Debate Night in America” production. While we’ll leave the debate highlights for you to consider as you gear up to vote, The Current’s Mary Landers, Jake Shore and Susan Catron have a few notes on the spectacle, media scrum, a state debate as a national production and give you an audience view from inside the ticket-only event and a nearby watch party. Here’s a link to the full debate if you missed it.
Easier access to electronic health records
On Oct. 6, new federal rules kicked in to require healthcare companies to give patients complete access to digital health records. If you’ve ever tried to see your own health information, you likely know how these requests can turn into time-consuming battles. The legislation that set it free was passed in 2016, and the law is also designed to give you power over who else can see it — companies holding the data have been able to sell it for marketing and research. The democratization of health data is important, and it’ll require some public education, too. So, bear with your doc if she needs to explain a few things. Here’s a story from STAT News to describe the new access powers you have and why it’s taken so long.
There’s a poll for that
In case you missed it: The Georgia News Collaborative released a wide-ranging and comprehensive poll last week that addressed much more than the horse-race political campaigns. The GNC, more than 100 Georgia-based media organizations (including The Current), commissioned the University of Georgia for the survey. We compiled an easy-to-read list of results and coverage from it. Check it out to see how majorities of Georgians feel about the new state laws, legalized gambling, abortion rights, the state budget surplus and the household effects of rising prices. Look at the full poll data to see how various age, race, gender and political groups answered. As with any poll, it’s a snapshot of how Georgians feel and how various topics may affect their daily decisions.
Early voting starts, more debates
Candidate debates for state-wide offices start today (Sunday, if you open promptly) and go through Tuesday night. The matchups, sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Public Broadcasting, feature a debate for US Senate at 7 p.m. today between Democratic candidate Sen. Raphael Warnock and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver. Republican candidate Herschel Walker was invited but has not confirmed. He will be represented by an empty podium, as is the tradition for this debate series. The governor debate will be at 7 p.m. Monday. If you are still on the fence about other state offices, here’s the schedule link for each debate.The debates will be available on live and on-demand video on the Atlanta Press Club Facebook page and the Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) website.
The final debate in the series will be live-streamed only at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday and will feature Coastal Georgia candidates for US house with Earl L. “Buddy” Carter and Wade Herring. Asking the questions will be journalists Margaret Coker, editor in chief for The Current GA, and Will Peebles, government reporter for savannahnow.com.
Ready to vote? Go here to request an absentee ballot or find early voting locations.
Your second cup: Lowering carbon paw prints
We all love our pets, and if their food supply was counted as a country, America’s pets would rank 5th in global meat consumption. The livestock industry already commands a large portion of our CO2 production, and our high-protein pet food contributes to that. So what can we do? Fix, a solutions journalism arm of Grist.com, looks at the science, the substitution and experience from an entrepreneur who’s figured out an alternative: bug-based dog food.
Enjoy.
Debate night in Savannah: Walker, Warnock and media
An inside look at the debate, from the prep, audience, media room and aftermath.
Raphael Warnock, Herschel Walker clash in U.S. Senate debate
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Republican opponent Herschel Walker faced off in a contentious […]
October in Georgia: Poll takes new snapshot in election season
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Pets eat a lot of meat. Feeding them insects could lower their carbon paw print.
Fighting climate change may mean changing pet diets. Here’s how one company found a new […]
YOUR GUIDE TO VOTING IN COASTAL GEORGIA
Resources to help Coastal Georgia voters make informed decisions. Page includes links to our nonpartisan […]
New poll finds nearly two-thirds of Georgia voters object to state’s new abortion restrictions
When asked how a candidate’s position on abortion would factor into their decision-making at the […]
Support non-partisan, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
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