Georgia Trend Daily – Dec. 29, 2025
Dec. 29, 2025 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
GA one of friendliest states in US, study shows. See where it ranks and why
Sundi Rose reports that most Americans say they don’t know their neighbors very well, with 26% reporting only a very loose connection to a few people nearby and 56% saying they know just some of their neighbors, according to a 2018 survey from the Pew Institute. However, data suggests Georgians may be far more welcoming than the average American, ranking among the top 10 friendliest states in America.
Dec. 29, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Catching up with… Jason Moss
Rachel Wallenstein reports that Jason Moss is founder and CEO of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance, a membership-based organization that supports the state’s manufacturing community. Read how the organization is vital to Georgia.
Dec. 29, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What’s ahead for metro Atlanta business in 2026
Staff reports, a jobs engine that seems to have sand stuck in its gears. Fears about what artificial intelligence will mean for jobs, and whether spending on that advanced tech will keep booming. Tariffs and trade.
Dec. 29, 2025 Augusta Chronicle
Unemployment claims in Georgia declined last week
Staff reports, initial filings for unemployment benefits in Georgia dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 3,952 in the week ending December 19, down from 4,895 the week before, the Labor Department said.
Dec. 29, 2025 State Affairs
Georgia’s data centers fuel growth – and tax debate
Beau Evans reports, since 2018, more than $10.4 billion in economic benefits have been generated from building and running 63 fully operational data centers and another 35 centers under construction, according to new findings from the University of Georgia. Those benefits are poised to skyrocket with plans underway for another 249 data centers across the state through 2030, upping the total economic output since 2018 to nearly $48 billion while creating tens of thousands of permanent and temporary jobs, UGA researchers say.
Dec. 29, 2025 Marietta Daily Journal
Cumberland CID details big projects, future plans
Jack Lindner reports that Cumberland Community Improvement District leaders updated lawmakers on the latest projects on their agenda during a Cobb Legislative Delegation meeting this month at Jim Miller Park. CID Executive Director Kim Menefee said 2025 marked the “best year ever” for ribbon cuttings on major capital projects for the CID.
Dec. 29, 2025 The Brunswick News
Commercial shad season opens on Jan. 1
Staff reports that the Altamaha and Savannah rivers are open to commercial shad fishing on Jan. 1, the state Department of Natural Resources announced last week. Starting at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026, shad season is open, according to the DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division.
Dec. 29, 2025 GPB
More Georgians with ACA coverage are eligible for health savings accounts in 2026
Ellen Eldridge reports, when health savings accounts (HSAs) came into existence more than 20 years ago, only people with a high deductible health plan were qualified to contribute to one. But beginning in January and moving forward, purchasers of a “bronze” or “catastrophic coverage” policy through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange or equivalent are now deemed HSA qualified.
Dec. 29, 2025 Rome News-Tribune
Floyd County’s state senators have bills set to go in January
Diane Wagner reports that the Georgia General Assembly is slated to reconvene Jan. 12 for the second year of its two-year term. That means two things: it’s an election year for all members and any legislation that didn’t pass last session will start this session where it left off.
Dec. 29, 2025 Georgia Recorder
The Georgia Recorder presents 2025 in photos
Ross Williams reports, we took thousands of photos across Georgia this year. Some captured dramatic moments that will shape the lives of all Georgians, others are just kind of fun.
Dec. 29, 2025 New York Times
‘I Was Just So Naïve’: Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump
Robert Draper reports, eleven days after Charlie Kirk was killed in September, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the third-term Georgia congresswoman, was watching his memorial service on TV as the luminaries of the conservative movement and the Trump administration gathered to pay tribute to the young activist. What stayed with Greene long afterward were the last two speakers who took the stage.
Dec. 29, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia hurtles toward 2026 as Trump’s return reshapes the political map
Greg Bluestein reports, it was supposed to be a quieter year in Georgia politics — a pause between election cycles, a chance for both parties to regroup before the 2026 onslaught. Instead, 2025 became a prelude to what is sure to be a political tempest.
