No Kings Protests Span Coast

Sunday Solutions — June 15, 2025

Good morning! Yesterday was for marches and parades, so today we hope you settle in and catch up on stories from the past week and grab a few new ideas. We’ve got some reads today to keep you busy so you don’t have to dodge rainstorms and lightning. After all, we’re thoughtful that way. Let’s go!

---

NEWS: COMMUNITY

‘No Kings’ events span coast

Thousands gathered in towns in Coastal Georgia Saturday to show their displeasure with Trump administration policy and actions. The national mobilization event was timed to counter a military parade arranged in Washington, D.C., at the request of the president on his birthday, which coincided with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Flag Day. More than 1,300 volunteer groups registered their “No Kings” events with the nonviolent, organizing site Indivisible Project with about 20 in Georgia. Along the coast, demonstrations took the form of park gatherings, short marches, flag- and sign-waving and festivals to call attention to the need for individual support for democracy. The Current’s reporters touched base with planned and popup gatherings in Hinesville, Savannah, Brunswick, and Richmond Hill. Read what they found here, along with photos from the events.

---

---

NEWS: COMMUNITY

A park agreement, and more

Savannah City Council last week tackled long-debated topics that will seem familiar to most along the coast, and one of interest to the city’s visitors.

• First, the one for residents and visitors: Forsyth Park, public space widely considered to be one of Savannah’s brightest gems, has a happy problem: Many, many people care about what happens there. A couple years ago, that wealth of support brought together longtime institutions like the Trustees Garden Club and the city to look at a plan for what change would be acceptable there and how it would be supported financially. Drama ensued as a vague plan of action nearly got to a council vote, sparking ire from residents and others who wanted more specifics and a say in the process. (You can read The Current‘s earlier coverage of the controversial plan here.) On Thursday, after public meetings and a reexamination and codification of processes and finances, the council voted to accept a Memorandum of Understanding with Friends of Forsyth for help to preserve the gem for the future. The Current’s Margaret Coker wrapped up the new plan with a story that published just before the vote.

• Next, council passed an ordinance to make urban camping illegal. The measure, aimed at the city’s growing homeless population, was similar to one passed recently by Chatham County and the topic is no stranger to Brunswick residents. While the challenge is familiar, the Savannah council’s discussion wasn’t — the calm concerns aired were for those who may be caught up in the new law. You can read the concerns and the action taken to address them in a story by The Current’s Lily Belle Poling.

---

---

NEWS

Tracking guns to immigration, junk science

Here are some stories from the week to ponder as you work to stay out of the heat.

• Mexican drug cartels use hundreds of thousands of guns bought from licensed US gun shops – fueling violence in Mexico, drugs in the US and migration at the border: A professor of economic development and an investigative journalist have been tracking guns used by dangerous drug cartels only to find the U.S. is supplying the hardware via lax gun sales laws and federal enforcement. They learned that the flow of weapons is enabling gang violence that’s causing more people to flee to the U.S. for safety. From The Conversation.
• Kennedy’s HHS sent Congress ‘junk science’ to defend vaccine changes, experts say: A week after researchers decried a report on children’s health from the Department of Health and Human Services as having made-up sources, KFF Health News looks at a new report shared to back up firings of top vaccine advisors.

---

EXPLAINER: TECHNOLOGY

☕ Your second cup: The AI you need, and don’t

Jobs, smart speakers and electric toothbrushes — along with nearly everything else — are all examples of how artificial intelligence and the fast pace of change it brings affect us directly. Government entities are now trying to alternately apply the power and throttle access to it, so it’s important to know as much as you can to sort out your vision for it. The more we know, we can understand how to use it for good and how it can be used for less good. Here are two stories to help you sort through it:

• AI literacy: What it is, what it isn’t, who needs it and why it’s hard to define: This explainer takes on the basic questions for a foundational knowledge. From researchers at Purdue and University of Munich via The Conversation.
• AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices – here’s how to be aware of what you’re revealing: Personal info is collected every day from nearly every digital device you own. Every scroll or click is a data point. And knowing when to unplug matters. The implications for this are huge, but knowing all of this helps you let your elected officials know what you want AI to do for you — or not. From a cybersecurity expert at West Virginia University, via The Conversation.

Enjoy.

---

We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it. And, if someone shared this with you, click here to sign up for regular delivery!

---

---

Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.