Sunday Solutions — Sept. 1, 2024
Good morning! It’s a new month and the second day of a three-day Labor Day weekend for many, so we’ll keep it short after an interesting week. Here’s a glance back and things to ponder for choices in the future. Let’s see what’s out there.
NEWS: VOTING
Poll: Election enthusiasm grows
A Gallup poll out Thursday shows that 69% of U.S. adults are “more enthusiastic than usual” about voting this year. It’s the highest level the longtime polling group has seen for a presidential campaign year. Ever. The crowds sparked last week by a visit to Coastal Georgia by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris may validate those findings. From streetside gatherings in Sandfly to a packed Enmarket Arena on Thursday, citizens showed up to see the candidate.
Students and alumni from Savannah State University, the oldest of 10 Georgia Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), were visible throughout the crowd gathered to see the first Black woman to head a major party ticket. Here’s a link to the coverage at Savannah State’s student news, The Tiger’s Roar. The story, by student reporter Jordan Ewing, points out that everyone on stage for the rally attended an HBCU.
Harris graduated from Howard University, also an HBCU. On Wednesday, The Current’s Brianna Leonard talked to students who gathered on Savannah State’s campus to encourage voter registration. Not all were convinced Harris would be their choice in November, but they were inspired by having an HBCU alum on the ticket. In Georgia, enrollment numbers for its HBCUs are growing this year. A story this week from Politico discusses the impact of HBCUs on Harris’ generation and importance for today’s students.
NEWS: FROM THE WEEK
Decisions, decisions
Political news dominated the week, but there were a few other items to check out. All of them remind us why votes matter when you’re hiring someone to make big decisions and policies in your name.
- Do these Georgia waterways support ‘significant’ commercial activity? A federal agency says no: The comment period has ended and the decision whether to abandon federal maintenance of some Coastal Georgia rivers and harbors that are home to shrimpers now goes to Congress. From GPB News
- Chatham DA, Savannah mayor spar over dismissed cases: In Savannah, politics and victims’ rights collided as the incumbent district attorney Shalena Cook Jones was chided by Mayor Van Johnson over unsolved murders. Cook Jones is running for reelection. From The Current’s Jake Shore
- ‘Judge’s hands are tied’: Jackie Johnson case turns 3 years old with no trial date set: And in Glynn County, citizens still await a public trial for former district attorney Jackie Johnson, accused of interfering in the investigation of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder in 2020. From The Current’s Jake Shore
- Critics blast Georgia Power plan to burn wood for fuel as critics warn of costs, pollution: The state Public Service Commission heard the case for burning biofuel for energy as the panel prepares to vote to allow it. From Georgia Recorder
- Kemp touts EVs, new manufacturing in state: As electric vehicles take a beating in some political debates, Georgia’s investments are yielding thousands of jobs, according to a new report. From Capitol Beat.
Read and win
What are you reading this week? Let’s find out. Test your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories we published in recent weeks. Below you’ll find our leaderboard with the top scores from the previous week, and the overall leaderboard, which tracks scores over time.
Leaderboard August 25, 2024
First Place (10/10): Shots, SG Mark
Second Place (8/10): EMF33, Kaspar, Tbolt
Third Place (5/10): Lynnie, armstrong3780
Overall Leaderboard:
First Place: SG Mark
Second Place: Shots
Third Place: EMF33
Make sure you compete every week and leave your nickname below for a chance to win an exclusive prize from The Current!
EXPLAINER: ENVIRONMENT
☕ Your second cup: What moves us
In general, true change never happens unless the need becomes part of our value system. New research on climate change finds most of us are conflicted about our feelings about nature, balancing love for its beauty and power with guilt and helplessness for our disruptive impact on the environment. So, how do we move our behavior to constructive change? This story from The Conversation leads us to the most influential motivator researchers have found: Do it for the kids.
Note: This week we say farewell to our final summer reporter, Brianna Leonard, who came to The Current GA through the Dow Jones News Initiative. She’s heading to a full-time news producer job soon, where we know her ability to dive into work head-on will serve her well.
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Kamala Harris woos Savannah, but can she win Georgia
By Craig Nelson and Gillian Goodman
Translating enthusiasm into votes is hard for any political party. For the Harris-Walz ticket in Coastal Georgia, it ‘s an even bigger challenge.
Harris rally stories: Personal missions, reflections and inspiration
By Jabari Gibbs, Gillian Goodman, Brianna Leonard, Robin Kemp, and Margaret Coker
Harris’ campaign stops in Savannah, from visits to small businesses and locally owned restaurants to the big podium at Enmarket Arena, helped strengthen her reputation both within this Democratic city and the surrounding region.
Slideshow: Harris rally at Savannah’s Enmarket Arena
By Daryl Green for The Current GA
Lines formed hours before the 5 p.m. speech by the Democratic presidential candidate and parking lots were jammed.
Savannah State students start voting push on eve of Harris-Walz rally
By Brianna Leonard
The voter event at the Savannah State University library sparked wide-ranging discussions among students about what policies motivate them to vote, whether Harris is the right candidate to focus on their problems, and whether voting matters in Georgia.
The Tide: Chatham DA, Savannah mayor spar over dismissed cases
By Jake Shore
Chatham County district attorney and Savannah mayor trade criticisms after decision on dismissed murder cases related to police misconduct and indictments.
‘Judge’s hands are tied’: Jackie Johnson case turns 3 years old with no trial date set
By Jake Shore
Prosecution of Jackie Johnson in Brunswick stretches to three years in delayed case where the former district attorney is accused of interfering on behalf of former employee who killed Ahmaud Arbery.
Critics blast Georgia Power plan to burn wood for fuel as critics warn of costs, pollution
By Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder
Wood is still the largest energy resource for biomass, which is energy produced from plant or animal waste. Critics argue that wood burning plants produce inefficient, unclean energy and pollute vulnerable areas.
Do these Georgia waterways support ‘significant’ commercial activity? A federal agency says no
By Orlando Montoya/GPB News
Whether “significant” commercial activities on these waterways are a matter of history – or not – could determine whether they continue as authorized for federal maintenance.
Kemp touts EVs, new manufacturing in state
By Dave Williams/Capitol Beat
Growing the economy in rural Georgia reflects a priority of Gov. Brian Kemp since he first ran for governor back in 2018, Kemp told Capitol Beat in an exclusive interview.
Americans love nature but don’t feel empowered to protect it, new research shows
By Jessica Eise/Indiana University
Studies: As long as people lack a personal sense that they have the ability to make change, they won’t take steps such as telling political leaders to act.
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