Georgia
Should South Georgia be worried about potential impacts from the Bird Flu?
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ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – According to the CDC, H5N1 or Bird Flu, is a virus that originates from wild birds. Both poultry and cows can contract this virus.
Through consumption of dairy products and interactions with infected animals, humans are also at risk for exposure.
“I think that people need to be appropriately concerned. And for most people, that’s going to mean taking precautions if they are engaging in any type of high-risk exposure. So, if they are a dairy or a poultry farm worker, absolutely they need to be taking precautions,” said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist from the University of Saskatchewan.
The CDC reports that there are 65 confirmed cases of bird flu in the US, so far none in Georgia. But many are at risk for exposure. Experts say those with backyard chickens should wear appropriate personal protective equipment when near those birds.
“When you think about all the various ways that Avian Influenza can spread, the biggest vector usually is wild birds migrating, bringing the disease into an area it wasn’t before. It’s really hard to control that interaction between domesticated birds and wild birds, especially when we want things like cage free eggs,” said Chad Hart, an Agricultural Economist at Iowa State University.
In November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that over 6 million infected chickens were slaughtered in an attempt to contain the virus from spreading to humans, but recent trends in raw milk consumption have experts worried for those who prefer unpasteurized dairy products.
“I strongly advise people not to drink raw milk. This is not a good way to immunize yourself against H5N1, and it might be a very good way to infect yourself with a massive dose of H5N1 that could lead to severe or fatal disease, and especially in a child,” continued Rasmussen.
Experts say the spread of Bird Flu from one human to another is rare. It’s more likely for an individual to contract the virus through exposure or consumption of infected animals and their by-products. The University of Georgia is currently one of five institutions working with the Food and Drug Administration to test the country’s dairy supply for signs of H5N1.
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Copyright 2024 WALB. All rights reserved.
Georgia
Proposed Georgia bill restricts voting to U.S. citizens
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
Georgia
Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s dominant win over Georgia
The Oklahoma Sooners left no doubt in their 11-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to advance to the College World Series finals. It is OU’s second trip to the finals since 2022 but this one feels far more improbable.
A bubble team toward the end of the regular season and down 8-2 in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma has defied the odds and powered its way to the finals in Omaha. On Wednesday night, the Sooners hit five home runs against a Bulldogs team that led the nation in home runs per game this season.
Jason Walk got the home run party started, and Dasan Harris hit a pair of two-run bombs to help Oklahoma separate from one of the best teams in college baseball.
From the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski put together a strong performance for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. L.J. Mercurius worked 3.1 and allowed just one earned run against the vaunted Georgia offense.
Everything is clicking for Oklahoma heading into the finals, which begins on Saturday. They’ll face a good North Carolina Tar Heels for all the marbles. But before we get to the championship series, here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners win over Georgia.
Playing for a Natty
Incredible Job by Skip Johnson
Definition of Team
Just Unreal
Got Hot at the Right Time
The Moment from the Dugout
Freshmen Phenoms
Nothing Easy, Everything Earned
Team of Destiny?
Exceeding All Expectations
Dasan Harris is that Dude
Incredible Story
Sooner Magic is alive and well
Playing for a trophy
Time to lay it all on the line
Just doing ridiculous things
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Georgia
Georgia runoff elections see turnout decline as much as 65%, showing need for reform – FairVote
On June 16, Georgia held closely watched runoff elections in Republican primaries for governor and U.S. Senate, as well as lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and the 11th Congressional District. There were also runoffs in Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and three congressional districts.
Past statewide runoffs have cost Georgia taxpayers as much as $75 million. Turnout in this year’s runoffs fell by 24% statewide – with several races falling by more than 60%. These high costs and low turnout are predictable problems that could have been prevented if Georgia used ranked choice voting (RCV).
Turnout in key Georgia runoff elections
| Primary | Initial election turnout | Runoff election turnout | Turnout change |
| Governor (GOP) | 933,817 | 709,253 | -24.1% |
| U.S. Senate (GOP) | 912,696 | 702,209 | -23.1% |
| Lieutenant governor (GOP) | 889,130 | 691,624 | -22.2% |
| Lieutenant governor (Dem) | 1,030,951 | 383,845 | -62.8% |
| Secretary of state (GOP) | 851,794 | 667,090 | -21.7% |
| Secretary of state (Dem) | 1,028,197 | 383,830 | -62.7% |
| 1st Congressional District (Dem) | 57,159 | 23,813 | -58.3% |
| 7th Congressional District (Dem) | 49,421 | 17,221 | -65.2% |
| 11th Congressional District (GOP) | 80,165 | 68,915 | -14.0% |
| 12th Congressional District (Dem) | 61,284 | 30,139 | -50.8% |
Georgia held its initial primary elections on May 19. In 27 races where no candidate secured a majority of the vote, Georgia held runoffs between the top two finishers four weeks later.
Runoff elections are supposed to make government more representative by electing candidates with majority support. But in practice, runoffs usually shrink the electorate and come with a significant price tag for taxpayers and campaigns.
In the state’s Democratic primary runoffs, turnout fell so much that several candidates won their runoffs with fewer votes than they received in the May primary – entirely defeating the purpose of the runoff.
Votes for runoff winners
| Primary | Votes for winner in May primary | Votes for winner in June runoff | Change |
| Lieutenant governor (Dem) | 426,854 | 210,660 | -50.6% |
| Secretary of state (Dem) | 435,358 | 242,205 | -44.4% |
| 1st Congressional District (Dem) | 14,095 | 12,608 | -10.5% |
| 7th Congressional District (Dem) | 19,742 | 11,664 | -40.9% |
| 12th Congressional District (Dem) | 20,112 | 16,815 | -16.4% |
Ranked choice voting offers a better, faster, cheaper alternative. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with an “instant runoff” determining a majority winner when necessary. This means winners are determined on Election Day, when participation is highest and voters still have access to the full range of choices. With RCV, voters wouldn’t need to cast a second ballot for the same offices, and taxpayers wouldn’t have to cover the cost of a second election.
To support RCV in Georgia, visit Better Ballot Georgia today!
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