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Open enrollment begins in Georgia amid uncertainty over ACA tax credits

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Open enrollment begins in Georgia amid uncertainty over ACA tax credits


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Open enrollment for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace is now underway for more than a million Georgians, but this year comes with added uncertainty.

The tax credits that help make coverage affordable may not be extended, leaving many residents unsure about their health care costs.

64-year-old Gareth Finley currently qualifies for a monthly premium tax credit under the ACA, which helps keep her insurance within reach.

But this week, Finley was stunned to see her monthly premium had doubled. Her $1,200-per-month tax credit may or may not continue, a decision now in the hands of Congress.

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“I think the U.S. has amazing health care, but the financing system for it is just kind of bizarre and broken,” Finley said.

According to Georgians for a Healthy Future, nearly 1.5 million Georgians rely on ACA tax credits. 93% of those enrolled in the marketplace depend on the subsidies to keep coverage affordable.

Finley expressed concern about the broader impact of rising costs on hospitals and rural communities.

“When hospitals can’t afford sustaining emergency rooms, they’ll end up closing — especially in rural areas like where I live,” she said.

The debate over ACA tax credits has become central in the ongoing government shutdown. Democrats stress the urgency of extending the subsidies.

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Senator Jon Ossoff said in a statement, “Today, Senate Republicans again blocked a bill to fund the Federal government and prevent massive increases in health insurance premiums. More than 20 million Americans will see their health insurance premiums double next year without Congressional action, while President Trump continues to refuse to work on a solution.”

Republicans argue the pandemic-era subsidies were intended to be temporary and that continuing them could benefit higher-income households.

However, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has signaled willingness to negotiate with Democrats on a new healthcare plan, posting that she is “absolutely disgusted” that insurance premiums could double if the credits expire.

Finley said the credits are essential.

“I can’t see our country sustaining our health care system and economy without it,” she said.

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Open enrollment runs through Jan. 15. Experts warn that if Congress does not act before the end of the year, thousands of Georgia families could lose coverage or face unaffordable premiums early next year.



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11 fatal crashes, over 400 DUI arrests across Georgia during Thanksgiving travel period, officials say

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11 fatal crashes, over 400 DUI arrests across Georgia during Thanksgiving travel period, officials say


Georgia saw a double-digit number of deadly crashes during the busy Thanksgiving travel season, data from the Georgia Department of Public Safety reveals.

According to the department, 11 people died in crashes across the state between the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday, including one double fatality in Newton County. Georgia State Patrol troopers responded to six of the deadly crashes, while local law enforcement agencies handled the remaining five. 

The agency says 498 crashes with 236 injuries were reported during the period. Of those crashes, 48 were associated with driving under the influence, officials said.

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The data shows that law enforcement arrested 422 drivers on DUI charges, issued 680 distracted driving citations, and 847 seatbelt citations.

The numbers are slightly lower than in 2024. Last year, DPH said troopers investigated more than 540 traffic crashes across Georgia, which resulted in nearly 265 injuries and 17 fatalities.

AAA predicted that 2.3 million travelers from Georgia would be traveling for Thanksgiving, with the majority of those driving to their holiday destinations. Atlanta was also one of the organization’s top 10 destinations for Thanksgiving for the second year in a row.



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Georgia 400 lane closures begin Monday night

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Georgia 400 lane closures begin Monday night


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A week of lane closures on Georgia 400 begins Monday night as crews work to build new express lanes.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) said the closures will affect northbound and southbound lanes along a 16-mile stretch, from MARTA’s North Springs station in Fulton County to around 1 mile north of McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County, from Monday through Friday.

GDOT said the closures will last from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Monday, with some lane closures lasting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Tuesday.

The department urges drivers to expect delays, use caution and reduce their speed while traveling through work zones.

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Below are the details on the closures, according to GDOT:

Georgia 400 Northbound

  • SR 400 (Georgia 400) NB from Abernathy Road (MM 8) to Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) – Single outside right-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 NB from Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) to Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) – Single, outside right-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 NB from Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) to SR 141 (MM 27) – Single, outside right-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 NB from Abernathy Road (MM 8) to Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) – Double, inside left-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 NB from Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) to Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) – Double, inside left-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 NB from Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) to SR 141 (MM 27) – Double, inside left-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 NB from McGinnis Ferry Road to Big Creek Trail – Outside shoulder closure – Tuesday, Dec. 2 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • SR 400 NB Northridge Road to Roberts Drive – Outside shoulder closure – Tuesday, Dec. 2 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Georgia 400 Southbound

  • SR 400 (Georgia 400) SB from SR 141 (MM 27) to Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) – Single, outside right-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 SB from Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) to Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) – Single, outside right-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 SB from Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) to Abernathy Road (MM 8) – Single, outside right-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 SB from SR 141 (MM 27) to Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) – Double, inside left-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 SB from Old Milton Parkway (MM 19) to Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) – Double, inside left-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • SR 400 SB from Holcomb Bridge Road (MM 15) to Abernathy Road (MM 8) – Double, inside left-lane and shoulder closure – Monday, Dec. 1, to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.

Other locations

  • Windward Parkway NB Exit – Single, left or right lane closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • Mansell Road NB Exit – Single, right lane closure – Monday, Dec. 1 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
  • Roberts Drive – Lane closure – Tuesday, Dec. 2 to Friday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The work schedule could change, so drivers should check the SR 400 Express Lanes website for the latest updates, GDOT said. Drivers can also check updates by calling “511,” visiting 511ga.org, or by downloading the “Georgia511” app.

RELATED COVERAGE:

Tolled express lanes on Ga. 400 become financial ‘reality’ after federal loan



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‘We have become so divided’: Georgia district prepares for life after Marjorie Taylor Greene

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‘We have become so divided’: Georgia district prepares for life after Marjorie Taylor Greene


Marjorie Taylor Greene for president. Randy Bone rolled the idea around in his hands for a second as he stood inside his wife’s antique shop in Ringgold, Georgia. He’s heard the talk. He’s even seen the prediction market action. He doesn’t have a problem with his boisterous, attention-seeking congresswoman. He just doesn’t think it will work.

“I don’t know. I don’t see her as one that is very attractive … You’ve got to focus on those that are kind of in the middle, and I don’t think that she’s unifying enough,” he said.

Greene has spent five years in Congress, drawing attention for wild conspiracies and outrageous statements about national politics. Last week, she announced that she would resign her seat in January.

Greene’s voters in north-west Georgia, contemplating her legacy with her impending exit from Congress, said they are less concerned about the culture war issues that have dominated her tenure than they are about the kitchen table concerns that drive their discontent.

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Bone, 55, a Ringgold resident and Trump supporter, said he is conservative but doesn’t describe himself as a Republican, though he is quick to distance himself from Democrats, except for former ones such as the director of national intelligence,, Tulsi Gabbard, and the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr.

When asked what he wants out of Washington, he talks economic issues. “We want the economy to keep improving, you know what I mean? You want to be able to afford gas. You want to be able to afford vacations.”

Even in Ringgold, a suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee, housing costs have skyrocketed. Bone described how rapidly rising home values and high mortgage rates trap families like his: they have equity but cannot afford to move. He believes both parties have contributed to systemic economic problems.

“I’ve got a son that’s about to be 18. We have housing issues and it’s great for the boomers … Their houses have appreciated and appreciated, but that’s pushed out the younger kids to where they can’t afford houses.”

In the weeks before Greene’s break with Trump over the Epstein files, the congresswoman had been sounding alarms about the rising cost of health insurance and how it would affect voters. Trump and Greene have been trading increasingly vitriolic public comments ever since she signed the discharge petition to bring a vote before congress to release additional documents in the case.

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Joy Thorton, who owns an antique store and other buildings in downtown Ringgold, said she has never been a Greene supporter, and finds the spat hard to take seriously.

“If she was really pissed off, she would resign now, instead of waiting until January so she gets her pension,” Thorton said. “None of them should get it.”

Deep disagreement with Trump turned Thorton into a Democrat, she said. But her concerns remain fundamentally conservative: rising property values have come with rising property taxes. Homes under construction aren’t affordable for the people who have grown up in the area.

“I bet you there are a bunch of people in this county who will not be able to pay their property tax,” Thorton said. “And if it triples over a year, the super-wealthy will buy all that property out from under them.”

Greene has spoken out against Wall Street hedge fund managers buying up single-family residential properties, in the context of criticizing a Trump proposal for 50-year mortgages as a solution to the housing crisis. The public largely missed her comments, lost in the larger conflict between the two.

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There’s a vitriol in politics both in Washington and locally that seems pervasive, said Steven Henry, chair of the Catoosa county board of commissioners.

“We have become so divided – not just Democrat and Republican, but Republican left and Republican extremist,” Henry said. “I’ve been a Republican all my life, yet I’ve got Republicans who hate me because I’m not Republican enough. Even though I never raised taxes and held them every year I was in office … It boils down to I’m not loud, I’m not boisterous.”

Catoosa county is politically as red as a barn with a “See Rock City” sign on the way to Lookout Mountain. But internecine fighting on the county’s Republican party committee threatened to administer conservative “purity tests” to candidates before allowing them to run as Republicans – a gambit halted by state judges that remains the subject of a federal lawsuit.

Henry expects a scramble of office seekers for the open seat, with resignations from local office holders and a cascade of highly contested elections down the ballot. He did not say if he would seek the nomination himself. Instead, he lamented the unwillingness of competent leaders to step up and run for public office, its luster tarnished by withering, extreme abuse taken from a disillusioned public, he said.

Even Greene in parting has described an increase in death threats against her as motivation for her retreat.

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“Oh I haven’t suffered enough for you while you post all day behind a screen?” Greene said in response to a comment on X by conservative commentator Mike Cernovich. “Do I have to stay until I’m assassinated like our friend Charlie Kirk. Will that be good enough for you then?”

The internal squabbling over ideology will eventually give Democrats an opening, even in a place where Republican leadership thoroughly dominates local politics, Henry said. “Maybe it will take some strong opponent on the Democratic side to get us back, focused on just doing the job.”

For Charles Carroll, owner of the Broken Horseshoe Winery in Ringgold and a staunch conservative, elected leaders should be focused on eliminating corruption, keeping taxes low and keeping the currency strong. His store has a video display that – in between messages about his business – intermittently flashes Trump’s face and a message of support for the city.

For Carroll, Greene’s appeal has been rooted in challenging the status quo. “I want somebody in there that’s going to ask the questions nobody will ask and try to get the answers,” he said. “Our forefathers fought for this nation to make it free, and I don’t know of anything in this nation that’s free any more.”

His winery business has been down 30% this year, which he attributes to economic conditions that are squeezing his customers.

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“It’s not just the wine industry. Every local business that I’ve talked to is struggling right now,” Carroll said. “As a country, as individuals in America, you used to have some extra income after your bills and stuff and you could splurge a little bit on this or that, go out to eat or something. Now by the time you pay your bills and stuff, from what I’m seeing from the average people out here, there’s nothing left over.”

That’s the problem that needs solving, he said.



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