ATLANTA — While clashes between Democrats and Republicans are the stuff of Georgia political lore, the real tensions shaping the final sprint of this year’s 40-day session are between the GOP-led House and Senate.

That means the fate of contentious proposals inspired by President Donald Trump’s agenda — including plenty of new culture wars battles — will hinge on the relationship between House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency.

0
0
0
0
0

(0 Ratings)
A Look at How Tariffs Affect the Healthcare Industry
Ap
AP

A Look at How Tariffs Affect the Healthcare Industry

  • Sanjana Vig MD, MBA | Wealth of Geeks

Tariffs, or taxes imposed on imported goods, play a significant role in global trade. While they are often implemented to protect domestic industries, they can also lead to unintended consequences, particularly in sectors like healthcare and healthtech.

What is hantavirus, the infection that killed Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa?
Ap
AP

What is hantavirus, the infection that killed Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa?

  • By The Associated Press

Hantavirus — blamed in the death of Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa — is a rare virus spread by contact with rodents or their urine or feces. It is found throughout the world, but it doesn't spread between people. It can cause a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vast majority of cases since then in the U.S. have been in western states, especially the southwest. Between 1993 and 2022 there were 864 reported cases in the U.S.

Ap
AP

US measles cases jump 35% in a week; now found in 12 states

  • Jessica Nix and Damian Garde - Bloomberg News (TNS)

U.S. measles cases jumped by a third over the past week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, a worrying sign in the outbreak that’s already linked to two deaths.

Defensive mix up helps Toulouse salvage draw with Monaco
Sports
AP

Defensive mix up helps Toulouse salvage draw with Monaco

  • AP

A shocking defensive mix up has helped Toulouse to draw at home to Monaco 1-1 in Ligue 1. The visitor was leading through an early goal from Japanese winger Takumi Minamino and Toulouse rarely looked like equalizing on Friday. But in the last minute, a collision between Monaco's goalkeeeper and centre half allowed Frank Magri to steal in and score into the almost empty net. The result leaves both teams in the same positions, Monaco is fourth and Toulouse eighth. Players from both clubs wore shirts with “WO=MAN” written on the back instead of their names in a league initiative to mark International Women’s Day.

Sports
AP

Three Wolverines combine for 65 points in 98-71 romp over No. 15 Maryland women in Big Ten quarters

  • AP

Jordan Hobbs scored 23 points and Michigan used a 25-0 first-half run and a dominating second half to crush No. 15 Maryland 98-71 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Freshmen Syla Swords and Olivia Olson added 22 and 20, respectively. The fifth-seeded Wolverines face league champion and second-ranked USC in the semifinals on Saturday. Hobbs and Olson both had 10 points in the big run that saw the Wolverines race to a 31-6 lead. After the Terrapins had a 16-0 run to close within one late in the first half, Michigan outscored Maryland 57-34 in the second half. The Wolverines shot 61%, making 12 of 23 3-pointers, to score the most points of any Maryland opponent this season. Sarah Te-Biasu scored 25 points for the fourth-seeded Terrapins

A single day of Trump and Musk's cost-cutting campaign remakes huge sections of government
Ap
AP

A single day of Trump and Musk's cost-cutting campaign remakes huge sections of government

  • By CHRIS MEGERIAN - Associated Press

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's campaign of disruption is engulfing the federal government. A series of decisions revealed Friday showed how the turmoil is upending how public servants do their jobs in ways big and small. For example, Environmental Protection Agency officials now need to seek approval from the Department of Government Efficiency for contracts exceeding $50,000, and the Pentagon has choked off the ability of civilian employees to travel for work. The cascading developments are only a fraction of the upheaval that’s taken place since Trump took office. The White House is pushing ahead despite political blowback, including from some Republicans.

Ap
AP

Freedom Caucus in Wyoming claims victory with approval of most priorities

  • By MEAD GRUVER - Associated Press

Freedom Caucus leaders in the Wyoming House of Representatives are claiming victory after a legislative session in which most of their priorities got passed. Wyoming is the first state where a Freedom Caucus has taken control of a statehouse chamber. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon has signed three of the conservative lawmakers' top five bills into law. They include a steep property tax cut, a ban on diversity programs in government, and nonrecognition of driver’s licenses issued to unauthorized immigrants. Stricter voter registration and residency requirements still await Gordon's signature. A fifth bill banning environmental, social and governance investing by the state wasn't taken up by the state Senate.

Mark Cuban tells Dallas TV station he would have asked for more in return for Doncic
Sports
AP

Mark Cuban tells Dallas TV station he would have asked for more in return for Doncic

  • AP

Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban says he wouldn’t have traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers without receiving much more in return. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has come under heavy criticism after sending Doncic to the Lakers in a shocking three-team deal on Feb. 1 that sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick to Dallas. The Lakers have put themselves in position to be title contenders and the Mavericks are in danger of missing the playoffs after Davis and then Kyrie Irving were injured.

Defendant in $250 million pandemic food fraud case pleads guilty to wire fraud
Ap
AP

Defendant in $250 million pandemic food fraud case pleads guilty to wire fraud

  • By STEVE KARNOWSKI - Associated Press

A man accused of tampering with a witness in a courtroom hallway has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Abdinasir Abshir will be sentenced for his role in a scheme that prosecutors said stole $250 million in federal funds meant to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The witness tampering allegation surfaced last month at the trial of the alleged ringleader of the Feeding Our Future scheme. Abshir's lawyer conceded it was a “shocking incident.” Under Friday's plea deal, both sides recommended 63 to 78 months in prison, and Abshir has agreed to pay nearly $2.3 million in restitution. The judge is not bound by the recommendations.

In 2015, Obama committed the US to achieving UN global goals by 2030. Trump just rejected the goals
Ap
AP

In 2015, Obama committed the US to achieving UN global goals by 2030. Trump just rejected the goals

  • By EDITH M. LEDERER - Associated Press

In 2015, then-President Barack Obama committed the United States to achieving newly adopted U.N. global goals by 2030. They included ending poverty, achieving gender equality and urgently tackling climate change. The Trump administration now says it “rejects and denounces” the goals. The 17 goals were adopted unanimously by all 193 U.N. member nations, with the aim of eliminating global hunger, protecting the planet, ensuring prosperity for all people, and promoting peace. Edward Heartney is a minister-counselor at the U.S. mission to the United Nations. He says the U.N. goals “advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans.”

Mexican finance minister, a holdover from previous administration, resigns and is replaced by deputy
Ap
AP

Mexican finance minister, a holdover from previous administration, resigns and is replaced by deputy

  • AP

Mexican Finance Secretary Rogelio Ramírez de la O, a holdover from the previous administration, has resigned for personal reasons and will be replaced by his deputy. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday in a video posted to X that Ramírez de la O would serve as an economic advisor on international issues. The economist had served as finance secretary since July 2021, when he was appointed by then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador amid the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheinbaum named Edgar Amador Zamora, Ramírez de la O’s number two, to replace him.

France begins handing over military bases to Senegal
Ap
AP

France begins handing over military bases to Senegal

  • By BABACAR DIONE - Associated Press

France has handed control of two military facilities to Senegal, beginning the formal process of withdrawing its military presence from the West African country amid its waning influence in the region. The handover Friday follows a declaration by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye late last year that all foreign troops would leave the country. The French Embassy said in a statement that it has handed “the facilities and housing in the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry districts” over to Senegal. It has not said how many French troops remain. Senegal’s new government has taken a hard-line stance on the French military presence as part of a larger regional backlash against what many consider the legacy of an oppressive colonial empire.

Raegan Beers scores 20 as No. 10 Oklahoma beats No. 12 Kentucky 69-65 to reach SEC semifinals
Sports
AP

Raegan Beers scores 20 as No. 10 Oklahoma beats No. 12 Kentucky 69-65 to reach SEC semifinals

  • By STEVE REED - AP Sports Writer

Raegan Beers had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Payton Verhulst added 16 points and No. 10 Oklahoma battled back from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat No. 12 Kentucky 69-65 and advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals. Sahara Williams chipped in with 13 points for Oklahoma, which has won nine straight. The Sooners will face two-time defending Southeastern Conference champion and fifth-ranked South Carolina, an 84-63 winner over Vanderbilt, on Saturday. Georgia Amoore scored 29 points and Clara Strack added 12 points and 16 rebounds to lead Kentucky.

Shaun White kicks off new league with visions of snowboarding riches on the halfpipe
Sports
AP

Shaun White kicks off new league with visions of snowboarding riches on the halfpipe

  • By EDDIE PELLS - AP National Writer

This week in Aspen marks the debut of Shaun White's Snow League. It's a four-contest circuit that the retired three-time Olympic gold medalist hopes can alter the trajectory of halfpipe snowboarding. White's league promises $1.6 million in prize money, and $50,000 first prizes for men and women. It also offers Olympic qualifying points with the Milan-Cortina Games less than a year away. Top names competing this week include defending Olympic champion Ayumu Hirano on the men's side and Maddie Mastro for the women. White says he sees the league as a long-needed way to bring the best riders together more than every four years for the Olympics.

Blues' Cam Fowler expects nerves in his Anaheim return after trade ended his 14 1/2 years with Ducks
Sports
AP

Blues' Cam Fowler expects nerves in his Anaheim return after trade ended his 14 1/2 years with Ducks

  • By GREG BEACHAM - AP Sports Writer

Cam Fowler is back to play in Anaheim for the first time since the Ducks traded the longest-serving and highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history to the St. Louis Blues less than three months ago. Fowler insists he feels no bitterness or disappointment about the way his 14 1/2 seasons in Orange County ended, and he is likely to receive a boisterous welcome when the Blues face the Ducks. Fowler had been a mainstay on the Ducks’ blue line since 2010, when the team selected him with the 12th overall pick. The Ducks traded him to St. Louis in December.

Oklahoma schools chief seeks donations to put Bibles in classrooms
Ap
AP

Oklahoma schools chief seeks donations to put Bibles in classrooms

  • By SEAN MURPHY - Associated Press

Oklahoma's top public schools official is continuing his quest to put a Bible in classrooms. Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced this week he's teaming with country music singer Lee Greenwood and seeking donations to buy $59.99 leather-bound “God Bless the USA” Bibles. The move comes one day after a legislative subcommittee in the GOP-controlled Legislature turned down Walters' request for $3 million to pay for the Bibles. Walters announced his Bible mandate last year, prompting a lawsuit from a group of parents and teachers. Some of his proposed policy changes, like a mandate that schools collect immigration status of students, have faced opposition from other GOP leaders.

D'Wayne Wiggins, founding member of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!, has died at 64
Ap
AP

D'Wayne Wiggins, founding member of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!, has died at 64

  • By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. - AP Entertainment Writer

D’Wayne Wiggins, a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Tony! Toni! Tone! behind the classic songs “Anniversary,” “It Never Rains (In Southern California)” and (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow,” has died. He was 64. A statement released by his family on social media says Wiggins died Friday morning after battling bladder cancer over the past year. Wiggins was a vocalist and bass guitarist of the beloved R&B group, which included his brother Raphael Saadiq and their cousin Christian Riley. The Oakland, California, natives became mainstays of the New Jack Swing movement, blending R&B, jazz and traces of gospel melodies.

Ap
AP

George Santos’ ex-fundraiser is sentenced to a year in prison for wire fraud

  • By PHILIP MARCELO - Associated Press

A former campaign fundraiser for ex-U.S. Rep. George Santos has been sentenced to serve one year in prison for impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide while raising campaign cash for the disgraced New York Republican. Sam Miele pleaded guilty in 2023 to a single count of federal wire fraud for his role in the criminal case that led to Santos’ expulsion from office. Miele admitted that in 2021, he solicited donations under the name Dan Meyer, who was then-chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the eventual House speaker before his departure in late 2023.

Ap
AP

On the Paris runway, Kenzo’s punk revival puts a British spin on streetwear

  • AP

At Paris Fashion Week, Kenzo’s latest evolution trades its signature jungle prints for something sharper: punk-infused tailoring, underground energy, and a touch of British irreverence. For its first dedicated women’s show in eight years, the LVMH-owned house embraced a rebellious streak. Shawl-collared tuxedo jackets melted into kimono shapes, harem pants slouched low, and lingerie peeked from waistbands. The soundtrack? Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and Blondie — setting the mood for a collection that felt more East London than Parisian cool.

French soccer makes special matchday jerseys to mark International Women's Day
Sports
AP

French soccer makes special matchday jerseys to mark International Women's Day

  • By JEROME PUGMIRE - AP Sports Writer

Every player in the top two divisions of men’s soccer in France will have “WO=MAN” written on the back of their jerseys instead of their names this weekend. The French league initiative is centered around International Women’s Day on Saturday. It started Friday with Toulouse’s home game against Monaco. It was continuing on Saturday and Sunday with the other teams in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. The LFP says the “WO=MAN” message highlights “the importance of gender equality not only on the field, but also in the stands.” LED panels around the pitches will display “WO=MAN” and official match balls have the motto written on them.