Morning Reads for Ash Wednesday (February 26)

Good morning. Lent begins today for those of us that follow that faith tradition. Of course, that means someone in your office has likely given up coffee, and someone else has probably given up chocolate. As you’re now pondering whether or not to call in sick for the next 40 straight days, I’ll pivot to the news.

Pat Conroy

• A bill that would cut out half of the end-of-courses tests required for Georgia high school students has passed out of committee and will be considered by the full Senate. The Georgia Association of Educators supports the bill; the Georgia Association of Education Leaders is opposed.
• The DNC considers Georgia a battleground state. Y’all, get ready. There will be so many ads. You just thought there were a lot before, but now you will really know.
• Dumping coal ash will probably cost a lot more soon… it’s going up from $1/ton to $2.50/ton. 1.4 million tons of coal ash were buried in Georgia landfills in 2018.
• Some Georgia legislators are seeking a pardon for Susan Eberhart 147 years after her execution.

Alice Walker

• Coronavirus has the potential to become a pandemic. Moderna has created an experimental vaccine for the virus, which is undergoing human testing.
• Bloomberg’s girlfriend telling sexual harassment victims to “get over it” is sure to play well in the Democratic primary… Bless her heart.
• Mitch McConnell was hoping to stir up social conservatives’ excitement for the upcoming election by getting a few abortion bills passed that he could claim were “stalled in the House.” Senate Democrats said, “Not today!“
• The world’s oldest living man has died at 112 years old.

Flannery O’Connor

• An Arkansas man was charged with trying to blow up an SUV at the Pentagon yesterday.
• An Ohio inmate’s attempted escape went awry recently when she fell through the ceiling and landed head-first in a trashcan.