Georgia Trend Daily – Sept. 19, 2025

Sept. 19, 2025 The Brunswick News

State unemployment rate unchanged

Gordon Jackson reports that Georgia’s unemployment rate is holding steady at 3.4%, which is unchanged from July. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate is nine-tenths higher. “Georgia is already the No. 1 state for business, and now we’re building a reputation as the top state for talent,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes.

Sept. 19, 2025 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!

Ben Young Named to Goodwill of North Georgia Board of Directors

Julia Roberts reports, Goodwill of North Georgia, the nation’s leading Goodwill in connecting job seekers to meaningful employment, is proud to announce the addition of four visionary leaders to its Board of Directors—each bringing the passion, perspective, and expertise needed to help shape the future of workforce opportunity. These new board members will play a vital role in advancing the organization’s mission of putting people to work.

Sept. 19, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

10 hybrid and EV models, 3K jobs part of Hyundai’s next phase in Georgia

Zachary Hansen reports that Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday unveiled an ambitious growth plan to accelerate its electrified vehicle offerings in North America, a strategy that hinges on rapid expansion in Georgia. The Korean automaker detailed a $2.7 billion expansion to its electric vehicle factory near Savannah, which only completed its first construction phase 11 months ago.

Sept. 19, 2025 GlobalAtlanta.com

Rivian Keeps an Eye on China Trade Tensions as It Breaks Ground on $5B Georgia Plant

Trevor Williams reports, in the long run, Rivian’s road to profitability runs through Georgia, the state where it broke ground this week on a $5 billion factory devoted to U.S.-made electric SUVs. But after turning over the soil next to Gov. Brian Kemp, with a huge American flag at their backs, CEO RJ Scaringe stressed the short-term importance of keeping trade lanes with China open.

Sept. 19, 2025 Saporta Report

Georgia Research Alliance celebrates 35 years at the Governor’s Mansion

Maria Saporta reports, for the first time in its 35-year history, the Georgia Research Alliance held its quarterly board meeting at the Governor’s Mansion on Sept. 18. Appropriately, the location meant the meeting was filled with reverence and symbolism.

Sept. 19, 2025 Macon Telegraph

$2 billion data center project moves forward in Twiggs County

Margaret Walker reports, the proposal to rezone nearly 300 acres of timberland in Twiggs County for a data center passed Thursday evening after the county’s Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the project, with conditions. The approved development, by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Eagle Rock Partners, is one of many data center projects coming to Georgia as demand grows for AI and rural areas often have an abundance of cheap land and struggling economies. The development will include up to nine buildings, three substations and two retention ponds, according to county documents.

Sept. 19, 2025 WSB Radio

Norfolk Southern donates $350K to Atlanta Community Food Bank to help fight hunger

Miles Montgomery reports that Norfolk Southern has partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help combat hunger in the Atlanta area, donating $350,000 to support food distribution efforts. The partnership is designed to address food insecurity by enhancing the food bank’s ability to provide nutritious meals to those in need.

Sept. 19, 2025 WABE

Emory undergrad tuition will be free for families making under $200K

Meimei Xu reports that Emory University joins a growing number of institutions that are offering free undergraduate tuition for students with annual family incomes at or under $200,000. The Emory Advantage Plus program will take effect in fall 2026 and will apply to new and returning domestic undergraduates whose families earn under the income threshold and who qualify for need-based financial aid.

Sept. 19, 2025 Georgia Recorder

Policy requiring Georgia college professors to put their class syllabus online begins to take effect

Ross Williams reports, under a University System of Georgia policy rolling out this semester, finding out what college students are studying could soon be easier. The policy, approved in May, calls for publicly posting all class syllabuses, including a course description, grading policy and reading list, onto university websites.

Sept. 19, 2025 State Affairs

Counting down: Pressure mounts to replace voting machines before 2025 elections

Beau Evans reports, decisions are ahead for lawmakers considering major changes to Georgia’s voting system ahead of the 2026 elections. State and local officials face a July 1, 2026, deadline to overhaul how polling places count ballots, largely by tallying votes from written summaries on each ballot rather than electronic barcodes that have been used since 2019.

Sept. 19, 2025 Capitol Beat News

Georgia lawmakers, keen on abolishing income tax, hear from other states without one

Ty Tagami reports that Georgia Republicans who want to eliminate the state income tax vowed on Wednesday that they would not pay for it by taxing groceries and housing. Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, secured agreement from a largely Republican study committee to neither impose a state tax on property or on grocery sales nor to increase the gasoline tax.

Sept. 19, 2025 AccessWDUN

New Democratic candidate for Georgia’s Secretary of State primary next May

Steve Winslow reports that Penny Brown Reynolds, a former state judge, lawyer to Georgia’s last Democratic Governor Roy Barnes, an ordained pastor and educator announced her candidacy for Georgia Secretary of State Thursday evening.  Judge Reynolds stated in her media release that she previously served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the federal level.

Sept. 19, 2025 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Why did GA governor candidate Geoff Duncan switch parties? He answers in Columbus

Kelby Hutchison reports that Geoff Duncan, a former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia, said his driving motivation every day when he wakes up is to figure out a way to love his neighbor. Duncan said the Democratic party gives him the best chance to do that.

Sept. 19, 2025 Capitol Beat News

Georgia’s version of Medicaid had high overhead, federal report finds

Ty Tagami reports that a federal review of Georgia’s unique implementation of Medicaid found that two-thirds of the money went to administrative overhead rather than to medical assistance. The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office also found that more than half of the $80 million spent on the program since 2021 went to contractors who helped the state overhaul its eligibility and enrollment system.

Sept. 19, 2025 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lobbyists spend big on summer trips for Georgia lawmakers

David Wickert and Caleb Groves reports that many Georgia families fled to the beach or the mountains when the school year ended and summer began. But some state officials got an early start on summer vacation — with food and lodging paid by lobbyists representing Georgia’s doctors.