Georgia

Georgia abortion ban temporarily reinstated while state supreme court considers case

Published

3 months ago

October 7, 2024

Georgia abortion ban temporarily reinstated while state supreme court considers case

The Georgia Supreme Court has temporarily reinstated a 6-week abortion ban across the state effective one week after a state court overturned the law, declaring it unconstitutional in a 26-page opinion that compared the state’s abortion ban to the Handmaid’s Tale. The 2019 ban, known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, will be reinstated at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7, meaning abortion will once again be inaccessible for the vast majority of Georgia residents until the state supreme court issues a decision.

More: Judge rules Georgia’s six week abortion ban unconstitutional

When the six-week abortion ban was overturned on Sept. 30, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr immediately appealed the ruling, and filed an emergency motion requesting that the state supreme court reinstate the LIFE Act while the justices considered the case. The court’s ruling today granted that injunction, temporarily preventing the lower court’s ruling from taking effect.

The renewed battle over Georgia’s abortion law is the latest development in a yearslong court case that was filed shortly after the law took effect in 2022. It comes a few weeks after reporting from ProPublica found that the law forced healthcare providers to delay medical care to pregnant patients, and linked the deaths of at least two women — Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller — to the ban. The story drew national attention, with Vice President Kamala Harris visiting Atlanta to promote reproductive rights across the state.

More: Kamala Harris addresses abortion bans, reproductive rights at Atlanta rally

SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, the organization that originally filed the lawsuit challenging Georgia’s abortion ban, condemned the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision in a statement released Monday.

“Today, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with anti-abortion extremists,” Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong said. “Every minute this harmful six-week abortion ban is in place, Georgians suffer. Denying our community members the lifesaving care they deserve jeopardizes their lives, safety, and health—all for the sake of power and control over our bodies.”

She also highlighted the deaths of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, who were both women of color in a state where Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.

“The right to bodily autonomy transcends partisanship; it’s a human right that every Georgian deserves,” Simpson added. “We still believe in a Georgia where we all have the right to decide whether or not to have children and raise those children in safe, sustainable communities.”

Feminist Women’s Health Center, an Atlanta-based abortion provider that quickly resumed abortion care during the week that the ban was lifted, also condemned the ruling.

“Once again, we are being forced to turn away those in need of abortion care beyond six weeks of pregnancy and deny them care that we are fully capable of providing to change their lives,” Feminist Women’s Health Center Executive Director Kwajelyn Jackson said in a statement. “This ban has wreaked havoc on Georgians’ lives, and our patients deserve better. The state of Georgia has chosen to subject our community to those devastating harms once again, even in light of the deadly consequences we have already witnessed.”

The Georgia attorney general’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the Georgia Supreme Court’s order below:

Maya Homan is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY who focuses on Georgia politics. She is @MayaHoman on X, formerly Twitter.

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Georgia

Notre Dame vs. Georgia: Odds and how to watch the Allstate Sugar Bowl

Published

7 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Notre Dame vs. Georgia: Odds and how to watch the Allstate Sugar Bowl

The first round of the College Football Playoff lived up to expectations, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish claimed a quarterfinal spot after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers in snowy South Bend, Indiana. The Fighting Irish will face the No. 2 seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish secured their first playoff victory in the new era of the College Football Playoff with a 27-17 win over Indiana. Quarterback Riley Leonard delivered a stellar performance against the Hoosiers, completing 71.9% of his passes for 201 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while also scoring a touchdown on the ground. On defense, safety Xavier Watts was the standout player, recording 10 tackles and an interception to help the Fighting Irish clinch the victory.

The Bulldogs, who received a bye, are gearing up for a run at the College Football Playoff without their starting quarterback, Carson Beck. He will likely be sidelined due to an elbow injury on his throwing arm, which he sustained during the final play of the first half in the SEC Championship game against Texas. This injury forced him to leave the game early. Sophomore Gunner Stockton stepped in and successfully led the Bulldogs to a 22-19 victory. Gunner has a completion rate of 78.1% and has thrown for 206 yards in the three games he played this season. He is expected to lead the offense moving forward.

Here is everything to know ahead of kickoff at the All-State Sugar Bowl.

Allstate Sugar Bowl odds, lines: Notre Dame vs. Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs are favorites to defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, according to the BetMGM college football odds.

Odds as of afternoon on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Spread: Georgia (-1.5)
Moneylines: Georgia (-120); Notre Dame (+102)
Over/under: 44.5

How to watch Notre Dame vs. Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 1
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo
Where: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans, LA)

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Georgia

Georgia Disaster Recovery Centers to be closed for Christmas, New Year holidays

Published

15 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Georgia Disaster Recovery Centers to be closed for Christmas, New Year holidays

ATLANTA, Ga. (WALB) – All Georgia Disaster Recovery Centers will be closed for the holidays.

For the upcoming Christmas holiday, the centers will be closed from Tuesday, Dec. 24, until Thursday, Dec. 26.

The centers will be closed from Tuesday, Dec. 31, until Thursday, Jan. 2, for the New Year holiday.

All centers are also closed on Sundays.

While the centers are closed, you can call the FEMA helpline at (800) 621-3362, or apply or check your application on https://www.disasterassistance.gov/. The helpline will be closed on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Survivors may visit any one of the FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers throughout the state to apply for assistance. Click here to find a center near you.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

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Georgia

Notre Dame vs. Georgia opening odds: Date, time, point spread and total for Sugar Bowl, CFP quarterfinal

Published

23 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Notre Dame vs. Georgia opening odds: Date, time, point spread and total for Sugar Bowl, CFP quarterfinal

The first victory of the new 12-team College Football Playoff goes to Notre Dame, as Marcus Freeman and the Irish blasted Indiana at home in South Bend to advance on to the quarterfinal. Their reward? A date with No. 2 seed Georgia, which earned a first-round bye after outlasting Texas in a classic SEC Championship Game earlier this month.

After a dominant performance against the Hoosiers, Notre Dame won’t be scared of anybody. The Irish defensive front manhandled the nation’s top scoring offense, while Jeremiyah Love and Co. outrushed Indiana 193-63. Notre Dame was the physically superior team from the opening snap, but now the competition ratchets up considerably against one of the most talented teams in the country. Which of these two teams is installed as the early favorite? The early spread and total have been released, so let’s break it all down.

Time: Jan. 1, 8:45 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.

According to FanDuel, Notre Dame opened up as 1.5-point favorites. However, the spread quickly flipped, and UGA became a 1.5-point favorite. There was also movement with the total, which opened at 46.5 before dropping to 45.5.

The big unknown looming over this game is Georgia’s QB situation, as redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton is set to start for the Dawgs with Carson Beck unavailable due to an arm injury suffered in the conference title game against Texas. (Beck is likely out for the rest of Georgia’s season, with Smart saying earlier this week that his quarterback is still weighing surgical options.)

Of course, Stockton still did just enough to lead Georgia to a dramatic OT win over Texas in Atlanta, completing 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards (albeit with one brutal interception). And when this Georgia team is rolling, they’re commanding on both lines of scrimmage, capable of bullying just about anyone in the country. Even with Beck out, you can understand why Vegas would consider the Dawgs a slight favorite, especially considering that we still haven’t seen Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard succeed when pressed against a great defense.

Still, an essential pick ’em here feels about right, considering how stout both of these defenses are and how battled tested these teams have proven themselves to be.

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