Georgia
Georgia special election to replace MTG tests the power of Trump’s endorsement
People cheer for President Trump en route to his speaking engagement at the Coosa Steel Corporation on Feb. 19 in Rome, Ga. Trump delivered remarks on the economy and affordability as the state started voting to replace the seat vacated by former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
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ATLANTA — Voters in Northwest Georgia are choosing who should replace former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Voting closes in the district’s special election on Tuesday night.
The election will test the weight of President Trump’s endorsement of one of the candidates in a crowded race. Some voters say the president’s choice is not who they think would best support the conservative MAGA movement championed by both Trump and Greene.
Greene resigned at the beginning of this year, leaving Georgia’s 14th Congressional District without representation in Congress — and slimming the GOP’s majority in the House — following a bitter split with Trump.

Greene rose to prominence over five years in office as a strong ally of Trump, bombastically attacking critics and pushing the MAGA movement’s “America First” policy. Yet the two had a very public clash after she pushed for the release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Greene has also been sharply critical of Trump’s actions abroad, saying he has strayed from his promises to focus domestically.
With Trump now in the second year of his second term, other high-profile spats with key parts of his MAGA coalition have erupted over his administration’s handling of other issues, including sweeping tariffs, immigration policy and more. More recently, rifts have emerged over the war with Iran.
Some, like Greene, argue that though Trump helped create the “America First” worldview, he is not the sole arbiter of what it looks like.

Most of the GOP candidates in the special election have said they want to focus on Trump’s priorities and the concerns of their district, rather than become headlines themselves — an approach they say Greene embraced in her public disputes with Democrats and even with members of her own party.
“The difference between Marjorie and I is I will not use the press to become a celebrity,” Republican Star Black said during a candidate forum on Feb. 16. “I will use the press to actually show what I have done — the accomplishments,”
Trump has endorsed Clay Fuller, a district attorney in northwest Georgia for the state’s Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. He emphasized his support last month during a visit to Rome, part of the state’s 14th District, where he held a rally to tout his administration’s economic policy.
Fuller called himself a “MAGA warrior” at the event.
Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller (left) shakes hands with President Trump as he arrives on Air Force One at Russell Regional Airport on Feb. 19 in Rome, Ga.
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“I really like him,” said rally attendee Jill Fisher. “I think he’s a strong candidate, seems like a very nice family man with some great values. And I think he’ll add a lot to Congress.”
Highlighting Fuller’s military service as an Air Force veteran, an ad for his campaign says, ” ‘America First’ is the story of his life.”
Fuller faces several other GOP candidates in the primary, including former state Sen. Colton Moore. Moore won elections for the state Legislature in the district before and is considered one of the most right-leaning lawmakers at the state level.
“I’m 100% pro-Trump,” Moore declared in his campaign announcement video.

He’s made a few headlines of his own. Last year, Moore was arrested for attempting to enter the House chambers in Atlanta to attend the State of the State address by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. Moore argued he had a constitutional right to enter the chamber. Moore had been banned from entering the chambers by the state’s Republican House Speaker Jon Burns for disparaging comments he made about a late Georgia lawmaker at his portrait unveiling.
Moore’s record matters for some GOP voters even more than Trump’s endorsement. Less Dunaway, 14th district voter, says he’s a strong supporter of Trump, but thinks Moore will do a better job carrying out the president’s agenda than Trump’s own pick.
“He actually knows what he’s doing,” Dunaway said of Moore. “He was a state representative, a state senator. He was the first one to fight the people over the 2020 election in Georgia.”
Moore was one of a group of GOP state lawmakers who called on lawmakers to investigate or impeach Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after she charged Trump and others with trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, when Trump and his allies pushed baseless claims of widespread election fraud.

Fuller insists Trump made the right choice in supporting his bid.
“I think they’re looking for someone to carry President Trump’s banner, support his agenda, and fight for him on Capitol Hill,” Fuller told Georgia Public Broadcasting last month.
Still some Republicans who attended the February rally left undecided.
“I don’t just blindly follow what [Trump] says,” said Clay Cooper of Rome.
Still, Cooper said that Trump’s endorsement means he will give Fuller more thought. “[Fuller is] someone that [Trump] thinks aligns very much with his messaging, with his actions, so that certainly weighs in,” Cooper said.
Unlike a partisan primary, all the candidates — Republicans, Democrats and third party candidates — will be on the same ballot for voters in the special election. If no one gets over 50% of the vote, the two top vote-getters regardless of party will advance to a runoff on April 7.
Follow the results below as polls close on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
NPR’s Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.
Georgia
Two ‘Love Island USA’ contestants call GA home. When does season begin?
Love Island’s Olandria Carthen shares her workplace hot takes
“Love Island USA” star, Olandria Carthen played a fun game of Yay or nay with USA TODAY.
USA TODAY Entertainment
From dazzling smiles and lustful dates to shocking eliminations and lifelong friendships, Love Island USA is back.
A dozen singles are about to begin their journey on the hit dating show, and this summer is guaranteed to bring more viral moments.
The new season premieres on Tuesday, June 2, and Georgia viewers may recognize two of the new cast members.
Aniya Harvey, 23, and Kenzie Annis, 24, are leaving the Peach State behind for the beaches of Fiji for a chance at love in the villa.
Daughter of NBA player makes television debut
Aniya Harvey, daughter of Shellman-born former NBA player Donnell Harvey, is joining the cast from her home in Tyrone, Georgia.
Harvey graduated from Sandy Creek High School in 2020 and went on to play volleyball at Florida Atlantic University, where she studied marketing. According to her LinkedIn profile, Harvey has worked with the Reconstructing Youth Foundation, an organization started by her father to help at-risk youth in Georgia.
She posts carefully curated images on her social media pages, but very little personal information, instead choosing model-esque photos from various trips and activities.
Harvey says she has been single for six months and she’s “excited about finding … prince charming,” according to a video shared ahead of the premiere.
Recent KSU grad looks for love
Kenzie Annis is a recent graduate of the Kennesaw State University nursing school, finishing her degree just days before being whisked away to Fiji.
“I GRADUATED NURSING SCHOOL! Thank you KSU for some of the hardest, but best years of my life!” Annis said in an Instagram post on May 17. “I am happy to announce, I am now adding BSN to my name!”
Annis has already faced some online backlash after an old photo of her with a “Make America Great Again” cap resurfaced and was shared on social media.
In a now deleted post, Annis’ management team released a statement on TikTok that said older images no longer reflect her current beliefs, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.
“Before viewers have even had the opportunity to get to know Kenzie, narratives are already being created based on outdated and selective information. We encourage everyone to approach these conversations with fairness, maturity, and an understanding that people grow and evolve over time … We hope people allow her the space to enter this new chapter without immediate judgment or unnecessary hostility,” the statement read.
In a video posted by Love Island, Annis said she’s been single for a year and a half and strives to find a relationship like her parents, who are still happily married.
Previous online bullying prompts statement
Concern over Annis’ previous affiliations are just the tip of the iceberg of how carefully dissected Love Island contestants become. Online bullying of the cast in previous seasons has warranted comment from Love Island USA, and even prompted a precautionary warning this season.
“The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community. We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected,” Love Island USA said in May 27 statement on Instagram. “This is a space for fun, not negativity – and remember: this is LOVE island!”
Another member of the season 8 cast, Vasana Montgomery, has already been removed from the season before it airs, USA TODAY reported. Montgomery, a 25-year-old business owner from Oregon, was accused of using racial slurs in recently resurfaced videos. Two previous contestant on season 7 of the show, Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega, were pulled from the cast mid-season over similar accusations.
Where and when can I watch Love Island USA season 8?
All episodes of season 8 of Love Island USA will be streamed on Peacock. New episodes will drop each night at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Peacock subscriptions can range from $7.99 to $16.99 depending on the package.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
Georgia
Oklahoma WALKS OFF No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech to win regional | Full 10th inning
Baseball
June 1, 2026
Oklahoma WALKS OFF No. 2 overall seed Georgia Tech to win regional | Full 10th inning
June 1, 2026
Oklahoma baseball knocked out No. 2 overall national seed Georgia Tech to clinch a spot in super regionals, thanks to a towering walk-off home run to dead center in the bottom of the 10th inning from Dayton Tockey. Watch the full extra-inning finish here.
Georgia
Georgia man arrested after confessing to 1989 New Jersey cold case murder, authorities say
A Griffin, Georgia man is now under arrest, charged in connection with a cold case homicide investigation in New Jersey, prosecutors say.
It’s been nearly 37 years since 42-year-old Mauricio Cuadra was shot during an apparent home invasion; now, authorities say 62-year-old Joseph Quiros-Soto is charged with his murder.
Officials say on Aug. 9, 1989, the officers with the Bayonne Police Department responded to reports of a home invasion and shooting at an apartment on the 400 block of Avenue C. Inside the home, they found Cuadra suffering from a gunshot wound. Cuadra died shortly after.
The case remained a mystery until 2024, when Quiros-Soto confessed to the murder to police in Locust Grove, Georgia, saying that he had become a born-again Christian, NJ.com reports.
Police told the outlet that he gave the detectives details of the crime and allowed visiting Hudson County authorities to take a DNA sample, which matched a stain on the victim.
Authorities were eventually able to obtain a warrant for the Georgia man’s arrest. On May 27, 2026, deputies with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office arrested Quiros-Soto at his home in Griffin, charging him with murder and murder during the commission of a burglary.
Quiros-Soto is being detained in Georgia, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
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