Georgia Trend Daily – April 8, 2026
April 8, 2026 WABE
Georgia families face affordability crisis, struggle for food and electricity
Marlon Hyde reports, electric bills and housing are among the expenses rising for Georgia families, who are spending more on basic necessities. The Urban Institute reports that costs are rising across several other areas of our lives.
April 8, 2026 Georgia Trend – Exclusive!
Ups, Downs and In-betweens
Kenna Simmons reports, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s provision to ban institutional investors from owning large numbers of single-family homes passed the Senate as part of the ROAD to Housing Act. The act, which aims to address the lack of affordable housing, had overwhelming bipartisan support with a final vote of 89-10.
April 8, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia-based hypersonic plane startup Hermeus moves HQ to California
Emma Hurt reports, Hermeus, a metro Atlanta hypersonic aircraft startup founded by a Georgia Tech graduate, is moving its headquarters to El Segundo, California. The focus of the defense aviation company’s Atlanta facility will shift to production, and the news involves no layoffs of its 175-person Georgia workforce, spokesperson Kate Gamble told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
April 8, 2026 Marietta Daily Journal
How Cobb is spending $12M to get ready for the World Cup
Isabelle Manders reports, from drones to cooling stations, Cobb County plans to use over $12 million in recently awarded federal grant funds to prepare for one of the world’s largest sporting events and ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Within a few months, Cobb is expected to see an influx of international visitors, large crowds and high-profile events as it hosts two team base camps — at the Atlanta United FC Training Grounds in Marietta and Fifth Third Stadium at Kennesaw State University — along with fan engagement activities tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
April 8, 2026 GPB
Why even after close to two years, it will still be the early days of Hurricane Helene recovery
Grant Blankenship reports, it’s now been over 1.5 years since Hurricane Helene cut a path across Georgia. Since then, people in the 62 affected counties have been rebuilding homes, routines and their sense of security.
April 8, 2026 Newnan Times-Herald
Full Sail Ahead: Commissioners approve Project Sail data center in split 3-2 vote
Clay Neely reports the Coweta County Board of Commissioners approved the controversial Project Sail rezoning Tuesday night in a 3-2 vote. The decision allows a large-scale data center campus in West Coweta, rezoning predominantly rural conservation land for industrial use under a series of conditions.
April 8, 2026 Rome News-Tribune
This nonprofit wants to conserve land in NW Ga … can you help? From Congo research to North Georgia trails, biologist leads growing park trust
Tom Mayer reports, Northwest Georgia could play a bigger role in land conservation if a regional nonprofit has its way. That was the message delivered Wednesday by conservation biologist Keith Ray, executive director of the Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land, during a presentation to members of Rotary of Rome at Coosa Valley Country Club.
April 8, 2026 State Affairs
Data Center stumble: How Georgia lawmakers ditched cost protections
Beau Evans reports, the Legislature adjourned without passing any measures on cost protections from the AI-generating facilities. Amy Sharma, executive director of the nonprofit Science for Georgia, said she shouldn’t have been surprised.
April 8, 2026 Georgia Recorder
Midwives file lawsuit challenging Georgia restrictions on maternal health providers
Maya Homan reports that a group of reproductive health advocates is challenging a series of state laws that restrict the practice of midwifery in Georgia, arguing that the state unfairly limits a sector of maternal health providers who could help improve access to maternal care. The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Fulton County Superior Court, highlights Georgia’s high maternal mortality rate, widespread provider shortages and racial disparities in health outcomes, and argues that Georgia’s current rules — which they say are among the strictest in the country — give doctors too much control over midwives’ ability to practice in the state.
April 8, 2026 Macon Telegraph
Georgia lawmakers debated PFAS, data centers and more green bills. What passed?
Margaret Walker reports, Georgia lawmakers delivered one major environmental win this legislative session, but left several other priorities on the table as the session wrapped up April 2. The lone win for environmental advocates was Senate Bill 478, which reauthorized the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program.
April 8, 2026 Augusta Chronicle
Former state rep returning to Georgia House representing Augusta
Joe Hotchkiss reports, Democrat Sheila Clark Nelson won a runoff election Tuesday with 70.69% of the vote to represent District 130 in the Georgia House of Representatives. Nelson, a retired postal employee who represented District 125 in the Georgia House from 2017 to 2023, defeated Republican challenger Thomas D. McAdams, 1,107 votes to 460.
April 8, 2026 Capitol Beat News
Republican Clayton Fuller wins special election to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress
Ty Tagami reports that Republican Clayton Fuller was cruising to victory in the special election runoff Tuesday night to select a successor for former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to unofficial results. Fuller, a former district attorney endorsed by President Donald Trump, held more than a 10 percentage point margin over Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, with most of the 10 counties in Congressional District 14 fully reporting.
April 8, 2026 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two Democrats and a Republican secure seats in the Georgia Legislature
Caleb Groves reports, voters elected two Democratic state representatives and one Republican state senator Tuesday in special election runoffs across the northern half of the state. The results did not change the partisan mix in the Republican-majority General Assembly, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office.
