Morning Reads for Shark Awareness Day (July 14)

Good morning! Happy Bastille Day to the Francophiles among us! It’s also Shark Awareness Day, and in case you’ve ever wondered what kind of shark you’d be, here’s a quiz. Apparently, I’d be a little skate. Tell me in the comments what kind of shark you’d be.

Now, let’s get to the news.

Pat Conroy

• CNBC has ranked Georgia the sixth best state for business.
• Delta has managed to turn a profit in Q2 with federal assistance. (Alternate link.)
• Devan Seabaugh and Leesa Hagan have won state House seats in the two runoff elections held yesterday.
• COVID cases are on the rise again in parts of the state. Again, please get vaccinated if you haven’t already.
• The DeKalb County Commission has approved $3,000 bonuses for public safety workers. (Alternate link.)
• Former lawyer for the Georgia Department of Health claims Dr. Kathleen Toomey fired her in retaliation for resisting potential violations of state and federal law.

Alice Walker

• House and Senate Democrats are set to move forward with their $3.5 trillion budget plan.
• Texas state House Democrats organized an effort to leave the state for Washington, D.C. in order to shut down a vote on a restrictive voting bill pushed by Republicans. (Alternate link.)
• U.S. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer is making a push for legalizing weed at the federal level.
• Former President George W. Bush is not a fan of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
• The U.S. 4th Circuit of Appeals has ruled that a federal law restricting the sale of guns to those under the age of 21 is unconstitutional.
• The Southern Environmental Law Center and others have sued Alabama Power (part of Southern Company) over fees the power company imposes on customers who generate their own electricity with rooftop or on-site solar panels.
• U.S. overdose deaths hit a record of 93,000 in 2020, according to the CDC.
• The new child tax credit payments start tomorrow.
• Culper Precision’s lego-themed “Block 19” pistol is no longer available for purchase. (Alternate link.)
• One person has died as anti-government protests continue in Cuba.
• The European Parliament has released a blueprint for a carbonless future. (Alternate link.)
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that those who attacked the England players with racist remarks online will be banned from all future matches.

Flannery O’Connor

• Failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore has lost his lawsuit against Sacha Baron Cohen.