Atlanta, GA
Metro Atlanta voters react to Trump’s vice president pick
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The name JD Vance is unusual for many people in metro Atlanta considering he is now a vice presidential nominee who is a first-time senator from Ohio and is only 39.
“It’s a younger generation. He’s giving an opportunity to somebody younger to participate in this position that’s really important and it’s good. I don’t know him well, but his speech is really, really great,” one voter in Marietta said.
On Monday, Atlanta News First spoke with voters on the Marietta square and a lot of people were stunned and didn’t know about Vance.
Voters said they want to learn more about the former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick.
“I don’t know who that is. I have to research,” another voter said.
Donald Trump names Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance as running mate
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to vote for Biden. I don’t like Donald Trump,” another voter said.
Many of the voters on the Square said they will be watching Vance when he takes the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee because that will be an opportunity for them to learn more about him then and come to a decision before November.
“An impressive resume for such a young guy. It’s not bad at all. I still have to read more about him and look into it, it’s not bad,” a voter said.
But Vance is well known in political circles.
“I think he’s the perfect example of the American Spirit and the American Dream that can still happen,” Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. “I think he personifies that.”
Vance grew up in poverty in Appalachia, served as a military journalist in the Marines, and received degrees from The Ohio State University and Yale Law.
However, despite coming from a very different background than Donald Trump, Vance’s detractors don’t see much of a difference.
“He’s a clone of Trump on the issues,” said president Joe Biden. “So, I don’t see any difference.”
Closer to home, Smyrna resident and former Republican Leliah Mack-Haygood thinks the choice might actually help Democrats.
“I think it’s a bad choice, but I’m happy that he selected him,” she said.
While opinions on Vance fall mostly on political lines, there is one point that nearly everyone agrees on.
“You know, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who the vice president picks are,” Jones said. “It’s all about the top of the ticket.”
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The Georgia Department of Transportation announced that a major weekend construction project, set to fully shut down two miles of I-285, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Atlantans are relieved, with many looking forward to more freedom to travel this Mothers’ Day weekend. Kim Leoffler has the story.
ATLANTA – An Atlanta flight attendant and mother of eight is among 17,000 Spirit Airlines workers struggling to find a new “destination” after the carrier suddenly shut down.
Spirit Airlines Atlanta impact
What we know:
Spirit Airlines ended all operations on Saturday, grounding its entire fleet and ending employment for its 17,000-person workforce. Flight attendants and customers were stranded across the country, often forced to pay for their own travel home after the discount carrier ceased operations.
Kamille Carter, an Atlanta-based flight attendant of five years, said she received the termination email from the CEO at 3 a.m., despite earlier assurances from union representatives that the company was stable. The company immediately cut healthcare benefits and stopped payments for sick leave and vacation time for all staff members.
Unpaid wages and benefits
What we don’t know:
It is unclear if Carter and her fellow employees will ever receive their final paychecks or if there is any legal recourse for the lost benefits. The company has not specified if any transition assistance will be provided to workers, some of whom had been with the airline since it launched in 1994.
Employee reaction in Georgia
What they’re saying:
“This is a death because you have to mourn, you have to grieve, it’s a process,” Carter said of the sudden job loss. Despite the financial strain of supporting eight children, Carter is looking toward her passion for cooking as a potential new career. She noted that while being uncomfortable is difficult, it can “push you to your destiny.”
Finding help in Atlanta
What you can do:
Community members looking to support Carter and other local workers affected by the shutdown can find more information on the FOX 5 Atlanta website. The station is collecting resources for those navigating the sudden loss of income and healthcare.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview conducted by FOX 5 reporter Eric Perry, who spoke directly with former flight attendant Kamille Carter in Atlanta. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.
The search for missing 16-year-old Benjamin Braithwaite is over. Atlanta police announced just before midnight Thursday that he had been located, more than a week after he vanished from his Regency Trace home.
The department shared the update on social media but did not release additional details about where he was found or the circumstances surrounding his recovery.
Braithwaite had been missing since the night of April 27, when he was last seen around 9 p.m. at his home in Atlanta. His family said they had no contact with him during the entire time he was gone.
The disappearance of the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School sophomore and basketball team member had galvanized the Atlanta community. His family, teammates, Atlanta police officers and neighbors gathered at the school last week to raise awareness about his disappearance. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his mother works, joined the search effort — asking the public to watch for him at MARTA stops and fast food restaurants.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for credible information leading to his safe return.
“Even small details matter. Your awareness could make the difference,” the airport wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.
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