Georgia Trend Daily – Jan. 22, 2021
Jan. 22, 2021 WABE 90.1
Georgia Signs A Contract For Lake Lanier Water, Settling One Piece Of The Water Wars
Molly Samuel reports, one element of the ongoing fight over water between Georgia and its neighbors has been resolved. Earlier this week, the state of Georgia and the Army Corps of Engineers signed a contract giving rights to some of the water in Lake Lanier to communities in the north metro area.
Jan. 22, 2021 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Economy – Continued Recovery
Jeffrey Humphreys reports that the COVID-19 recession was brief but steep and did a lot of damage to Georgia’s economy. The peak-to-trough drop in employment was 11%, worse than the 8% drop caused by the Great Recession. But, unlike the Great Recession, the COVID-19 recession did less damage to the state’s economy than to the U.S. economy: The nation lost 14% of its jobs.
Jan. 22, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s job growth bucks U.S. trend, but unemployment claims still high
Michael E. Kanell reports that Georgia’s economy added 44,000 jobs last month and recorded the strongest hiring since June, officials said Thursday. Even so, January has seen a surge in layoffs that’s led to more than 35,000 new applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending Jan. 16.
Jan. 22, 2021 GlobalAtlanta.com
Atlanta Still a Hub for Newly Minted Payments Unicorn
Trevor Williams reports that PPRO arrived in Atlanta from Europe with ambitious goals to win big customers: payment processors that needed help connecting to the growing number of local payment methods around the world. Three years later, the city known as “Transaction Alley” continues to be an important company hub, even as hundreds of millions of dollars in equity investment have turned PPRO’s focus outward toward the world.
Jan. 22, 2021 Brunswick News
Camden named finalist for space project
Gordon Jackson reports, the ongoing effort to establish a spaceport in Camden County may be finally paying dividends. The county has been named a finalist by an unnamed space industry-related company for what is being called “Project Osprey.” The company is looking for a headquarters site, where manufacturing, operations and future launches would be held.
Jan. 22, 2021 Valdosta Daily Times
U.S. Rep. Greene says she’s filed articles of impeachment against President Biden
Staff reports that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Thursday afternoon she filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, about 28 hours after he was inaugurated. Greene posted to Twitter a five-second video saying: “I just filed articles of impeachment on President Joe Biden. We’ll see how this goes.”
Jan. 22, 2021 The Center Square
Budget director: Georgia should continue to use COVID-19 relief funds to repay federal unemployment loans
Nyamekye Daniel reports that Georgia Budget Director Kelly Farr said Thursday the state should continue to use its Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to stabilize its unemployment trust fund. Facing a record number of unemployment claims because of COVID-19 shutdowns, Georgia nearly depleted its $2.5 billion trust fund by August.
Jan. 22, 2021 Capitol Beat News
Butler: Generous unemployment benefits keeping jobless Georgians home
Dave Williams reports that some Georgia employers are having a hard time filling job openings because generous unemployment benefits are encouraging them to stay home, state Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday. Before $600 weekly unemployment checks authorized by Congress during the early stage of the coronavirus pandemic ran out last year, unemployed Georgians receiving maximum state and federal benefits were bringing in $50,180 per year, Butler told state lawmakers during a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting.
Jan. 22, 2021 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Capitol Recap: Georgia economist predicts healthy spending will follow pandemic’s demise
Jim Denery reports, what will it take to get Georgia’s economy to make healthy gains? A shot in many arms. Jeffrey Dorfman, the state’s fiscal economist, told lawmakers this past week that Georgia’s economy is prepared for takeoff once the coronavirus pandemic is under control.
