Sunday Solutions — Oct. 5, 2025
Good morning! We greet you today with a timely message: Your vote always matters, and be sure you can use it. And, with that comes responsibility to do your homework — we can help. And we’ve got stories on how the federal shutdown hits home during the standoff over health care access and affordability. Plus, the economic freighter of Georgia ports continues to bring jobs.
Questions, suggestions or random remarks? Send them our way at staff@thecurrentga.org.
NEWS: VOTING
Be certain, encourage others
Tomorrow — Monday — is the last day to register to vote or make sure you are registered for the Nov. 4 election. Thousands of voters have been removed recently from Georgia’s voter rolls; not all were notified. If you’ve already checked your voting status, good job. But keep reading. If you haven’t, stop now and do it here.
OK, now that you know that answer, let’s talk about voting itself. It may be an “off year,” but only if you consider your electric bills and tax rates “off topics” and we know you don’t. We’ll be voting on candidates for the Public Service Commission who directly approve how much we pay for utility services, and most of us will be asked to extend or add a 1-cent sales tax to our purchases for schools, general infrastructure projects or transportation. A few cities will be looking at new mayors and council members. This is how each American has a say in what happens. The vote is how it works.
So here’s another assignment: Talk to someone today about voting and encourage them to use the power. Make it important. We’ll leave you with this advice on how to do that from Shirley James, publisher at the Savannah Tribune, when she addressed a meeting in August: “We just have to talk about the importance of a vote. It does matter, but a lot of times you have to start when you’re talking about it. … find out where the person is. You have to meet a person where they are. What is it that concerns you? … you work into why the vote is important, because your vote helps determine who those persons are that make the decisions that affect your life.”
READ THE DOCUMENTS
Georgia’s EV infrastructure plan
Georgia is tapping $135 million in federal money over five years to help build electric vehicle charging stations where they’re lacking — a 14-page state plan with a map shows gaps they mean to fill on interstates 16 and 95.
The Trump administration halted spending in this national program earlier this year but then let it restart for states including Georgia that scrubbed language relating to equity and worker safety.
NEWS: HEALTH CARE ACCESS
All bound up
Congress has tied itself (and citizens) in knots this week shutting down the federal government we all pay for and expect work from. The hill they are battling on: Your access to health care. So, with that thought in a state swimming at the bottom of statistical rankings for rural health, infant deaths and pediatric care, we have a buffet of stories this week for you to get a look at who’s affected, what it means and what people are thinking about all of this.
- More than a hundred thousand Georgians could be directly affected by shutdown: The jobs directly affected. From Capitol Beat.
- How the government shutdown is hitting the health care system – and what the battle over ACA subsidies means: The overall look and the care systems that are threatened or gone. From The Conversation.
- Report: Ending Affordable Care Act subsidies could raise Georgia health costs by $2 billion: Hospitals would lose $1.6 billion next year if subsidies don’t survive, driving up costs for patients. From The Current’s Margaret Coker.
- Survey indicates strong bipartisan backing for ACA tax credit renewal: More than 78% of all people surveyed say they want Congress to keep the credits. From Georgia Recorder.
- Georgia’s Medicaid work requirement program spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care, GAO says: The state’s effort and national example for work requirements for insurance gets a review. From The Current‘s Margaret Coker.
- The federal government has shut down. Here’s what it could mean for federal workers and lower-income families.: A quick primer on what services hurt most, who bears the early brunt of cut services. From The 19th*
🎉 Congratulations to Cal for knowing that last week’s Spyglass was a display at Fort Pulaski. We had 3 correct answers last week — let’s see how you do this week.
Test how well you spy details in Coastal Georgia. Give us the location of the item in the photo above. Some spots may be easier to identify than others; some will be tougher. We’ll collect correct answers each week and draw for a weekly winner.
CLICK HERE TO GIVE YOUR ANSWER
NEWS: UPDATES
Bigger investments for the ports
An economic impact study brings more validation that the ports of Savannah and Brunswick are bringing a windfall of jobs — 650,000 — for the state. While container traffic is growing, auto and machinery traffic is down some. The Georgia Ports Authority doubled down on growth with another $614 million approved for infrastructure work and $4.5 billion over the next 10 years. With the big numbers flowing in and around the port, it’s a good time to remember that it’s a public entity owned by Georgia citizens. Here’s an update from Capitol Beat.
Also from the week:
- Georgia journalist Mario Guevara deported to El Salvador: Despite no charges, Atlanta-based, Spanish-language reporter has been sent to the country he fled out of fear. From WABE.
- Georgia lawmakers hear more from both sides on election security: In a Thursday meeting, facts and rumors flew. From Capitol Beat.
- Taxpayer funds: Where school voucher money goes in Georgia: Where are the funds being used the most by students moving to private schools? The Current’s Maggie Lee maps it.
- Ga. Supreme Court upholds citizens’ right to vote to repeal Sapelo zoning: The first of two lawsuits over zoning rights is complete. A recap and explanation by The Current‘s Mary Landers.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
☕ Your second cup: Don’t hide
It happens to all of us: We start to avoid bad or uncomfortable news. You aren’t alone. According to a Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism survey, 42% of Americans say they avoid news because it makes them feel anxious or helpless. And, as we enter the countdown to some local and state voting decisions, we urge you to take control of your information to stay civically informed without the anxiety of doomscrolling. The News Literacy Project has some tips:
• Sign up for newsletters from credible sources.
• Turn off mobile news alerts.
• Limit social media use.
• Set specific times to read news instead of constantly being immersed in it.
It’s crucial for all of us to make informed decisions as we vote and send feedback to those we hire on our behalf, aka elected officials. Thinking about your news consumption like you might your food diet isn’t a bad thing. Here’s some very practical advice on how to take control of your info menu from a researcher with expertise in skills for staying healthy when every thing demands your attention.
Enjoy.
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Georgia voters have until Oct. 6 to register to vote for this year’s PSC, municipal elections
By Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
Georgia voters have until October 6th to register or update their voter registration for the November 4th election, which will include candidates for two seats on the state’s Public Service Commission, as well as municipal elections in some cities and towns.
Feds OK updated Georgia plan for electric vehicle charging stations
By Maggie Lee
Millions in federal money is still set to flow to Georgia’s program for building EV charging stations on highways that lack the infrastructure. But an updated plan mandated by the Trump administration erases talk of equity and safety.
Report: Ending Affordable Care Act subsidies could raise Georgia health costs by $2 billion
By Margaret Coker
If Congress ends Obamacare subsidies, Georgia residents will face an estimated $2 billion in higher costs for health insurance, and hospitals in the state will lose $1.6 billion in revenue, according to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute.
Survey indicates strong bipartisan backing for ACA tax credit renewal
By Jennifer Shutt/Georgia Recorder
According to a KFF poll, a majority of Americans, including Republicans and Trump supporters, want Congress to extend the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.
Georgia’s Medicaid work requirement program spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care, GAO says
By Margaret Coker
Republican lawmakers cite Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage as a national model for federal Medicaid work requirements that are set to take effect in 2027. A new report shows the program has spent at least $54 million on administrative costs alone.
State investing more in Georgia ports as shipments increase
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
New impact report: Ports of Savannah and Brunswick support 650,000 jobs and generate $43 billion in personal income, with the Georgia Ports Authority investing $4.5 billion over the next decade to further grow the ports.
Taxpayer funds: Where school voucher money goes in Georgia
By Maggie Lee
Private schools in a few smaller communities in Georgia are receiving as much money as schools in much bigger cities.
Georgia lawmakers hear more from both sides on election security
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia lawmakers held a marathon hearing to discuss election security, with Republicans questioning the credibility of witnesses and Democrats questioning the motives of the GOP-led committee.
Georgia journalist Mario Guevara deported to El Salvador
By Emily We Pearson, Melissa Feito/WABE
Mario Guevara, an Atlanta-based Spanish-language journalist, was deported to El Salvador after the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected his request to remain in the U.S., despite his fears of retribution for his media coverage.
Ga. Supreme Court upholds citizens’ right to vote to repeal Sapelo zoning
By Mary Landers
The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the right of McIntosh County residents to vote directly to repeal a controversial zoning decision that would allow larger houses in a traditional Gullah-Geechee enclave on Sapelo Island.
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