Morning Reads for World Sea Turtle Day (June 16)

Happy World Sea Turtle Day! Did you know that sea turtles are ancient, having been around since the time of dinosaurs? Pretty cool, I think. You can learn facts like these, and experience sea turtles in all of their magnificence, at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. I highly recommend the behind the scenes tour (which may not be happening right now due to COVID), and also taking a ride with the night patrol!

Let’s get on to the news, shall we?

Pat Conroy

• There will be runoffs for the two open state House seats.
• The Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled that abortion clinics have a right to operate without fear of nuisance lawsuits from their landlords.
• Three Georgia Congressmembers – Jody Hice, Andrew Clyde, and Marjorie Taylor Greene – voted against awarding Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol Police who defended the Capitol on January 6th.
• With only 35% of Georgians fully vaccinated against COVID, a new coalition – ACT Against COVID – has formed to urge unvaccinated folks to get tested.
• The Stonecrest Housing Authority has confirmed it never did business with the company the city’s mayor tried to pay $100,000. (Alternate link.)
• A nursing home owner in Dade County is facing cruelty charges after county police found residents living in temperatures over 90 degrees with only one person – not a nurse – attending to them.
• Three no-show jurors in Macon have delayed a murder trial.

Alice Walker

• The first of two sessions between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin has concluded. (Alternate link.)
• The U.S. Senate passed a bill yesterday to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday.
• The may be another housing crisis on the way. (Alternate link.)
• An Associated Press investigation has found that the U.S. Army has downplayed the number of their firearms that go missing for years, and a significant number end up being used in street crimes.
• Audio released yesterday shows that members of the Proud Boys are surprised that they’ll be held accountable for their crimes.
• A new survey has found that one in three American elections workers feel unsafe on the job and one in six have been threatened.
• The Israeli military launched its first strikes on Gaza since the cease fire after Hamas launched 20 fire balloons.
• Junta troops are escalating their violence in Myanmar, burning entire villages.
• Hungary’s parliament has passed a law that bans the dissemination of materials in schools that are deemed to promote homosexuality or gender change.
• The Australian High Court has upheld the country’s foreign interference laws, stemming from a case involving the American Conservative Union.

Flannery O’Connor

• A Spanish man has been convicted of killing and eating his mother.