Friday, August 28, 2026

Good morning! On this day in 1963, Atlanta native Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

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Rural Hospitals Get $93M Boost

Federal officials announced an additional $93.3 million investment that will reach 87 rural hospitals across Georgia through the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Georgia leaders said the money brings the total first-year funding under the state's GREAT Health initiative to $219 million to support rural health care transformation.

The $93.3 million federal grant will fund digital upgrades, nurse and paramedic training, telehealth, maternal health, and behavioral health services.

The funding will also support technology such as surgical robotics and specialized dementia equipment.

Meta Settlement Could Deliver $135M

Georgia could receive up to $135 million from the multistate settlement with Meta over claims that Instagram and Facebook were designed to addict teenagers.

The settlement, filed Wednesday in federal court in California, will also cap teen accounts at two hours a day, block access between midnight and 6 a.m., and restrict notifications during school hours.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr called the agreement the largest state consumer protection settlement outside of the 1990s tobacco deals.

The settlement money could fund crisis intervention, youth mental health programming, and investigations into teen safety online.

Protected Species List Set to Grow

The state's list of protected animals and plants would grow from 318 species to 423 under revisions the Board of Natural Resources reviewed this week.

The proposed updates are the first since 2006 and would add 145 declining species, remove 40 that have recovered, and reclassify 66. A public comment period begins today, followed by a hearing on Sept. 8 and a board vote on Oct. 27.

Proposed additions include the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, hoary bat, whooping crane, and Suwannee alligator snapping turtle. You can find the proposed updated list here.

A separate change would let nurseries sell 39 protected plants propagated from horticultural stock without a permit.

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➤ Columbus: Fort Benning was one of five bases picked for a project to install nuclear microreactors to make military installations less reliant on civilian power sources. (More)

➤ Augusta: Commissioners gave tentative approval to cut the property tax rate from 6.227 to 6.193 mills, holding tax bills level despite rising property values. A final vote is set for Sept. 8. (More)

➤ Mableton: The city council voted to hire University System of Georgia police chief Kerry Stallings as Mableton's first public safety director, a step toward its own police department. (More)

➤ Statewide: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones continues to withhold his endorsement of Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson as tensions from their primary election linger. (More)

➤ Lawrenceville: Gov. Brian Kemp appointed judges Veronica Cope and Kathrine Armstrong to the Gwinnett County Superior Court bench. (More)

➤ Metro Atlanta: The Dominican Republic will open a consulate general in Gwinnett County this fall, with Rosa Yanina Torres Tamares appointed as consul general. (More)

➤ Albany: Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia and Powerhouse Automotive Group launched Power Her Future, a membership drive featuring a co-branded pink Ford Bronco touring south Georgia. (More)

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➤ Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will sit out tonight's preseason finale against Miami after recently returning to full practices as he recovers from an ACL injury. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Falcons defensive end Za'Darius Smith revealed he temporarily retired midseason last year to be with his dying mother. His grandmother and father died soon afterward. The 12-year veteran, who signed with Atlanta this month, called the team his "happy place." (More)

➤ The Atlanta United Community Fund has funded the development of 53 of a planned 100 community soccer fields across underserved Georgia communities, investing nearly $5 million since 2020. (More)

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➤ What Happens To Your Body When You Drink The Wrong Water Daily? Drinking the wrong kind of water could be the reason for skyrocketing levels of fatigue, weight gain, and rapid aging. That's why this former heart surgeon is urging all Americans to make this one tweak to their water now. Those who have are reporting better weight management, more energy, and smoother skin. ==> Watch this breaking presentation now

➤ Stuckey's will close its Wrens manufacturing and distribution operations, citing rising costs, tariffs, gas prices, and Hurricane Helene's damage to Georgia's pecan crop. The candy store will stay open. (More)

➤ Georgia cattlemen said President Trump's plan to import 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef could disrupt a state industry that raises nearly 1 million head, mostly on family farms. (More)

➤ Meybohm Real Estate in Augusta acquired local competitor VanderMorgan Realty, adding more than 25 agents and keeping VanderMorgan founder Justin Bolin as a vice president. (More)

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➤ Douglas teenager Kiran Reddy was crowned Miss Teen USA 2026, becoming the first Indian American to win the national title. Reddy was Coffee High School's valedictorian. (More)

➤ The city of Tucker will mark 10 years since incorporation with the free Tucker Ten-Tober Festival on Oct. 17, featuring rock group Starship and the Georgia-Auburn game on a giant screen. (More)

➤ Jaemor Farms in Alto and other farms across the nation plan Dolly Parton corn mazes this fall, a national fundraiser for the singer's Imagination Library that was planned before her death. (Images)

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➤ Women Over 50: Why You're Losing Muscle (And 3 Ways to Stop It) Losing 1% of muscle yearly after 50? Harvard warns this leads to lost independence. But a Doctor of Physical Therapy discovered three simple rules to reverse age-related muscle loss—no weightlifting required. Takes seconds daily and delivers stronger bones, better balance, natural energy, and lifelong independence. (Learn more)