Georgia
Unprecedented protests sweep Georgia after government scraps EU bid
A string of top officials including the Georgian ambassadors to Italy, the Netherlands and Lithuania have resigned in protest at the move, as well as Deputy Foreign Minister Temur Janjali.
“What we see is this resistance has really gone beyond previous public demonstrations,” said Tinatin Akhvlediani, a senior researcher with the EU foreign policy unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies. “The ruling Georgian Dream party is in trouble because it’s difficult to see how they can justify making this announcement given widespread support for joining the EU, and it looks like they will use all their forces to silence people.”
On Saturday night, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili — who has previously accused Georgian Dream of rigging October’s parliamentary elections — insisted the government had “no mandate” to stay in power. The unrest, she said, “is not a revolution, it is stability,” and called for the EU to step in to oversee a new round of voting.
In a resolution passed on Thursday, the European Parliament agreed that the election had been “neither free nor fair,” echoing concerns from international election observers who warned the process had been marred by intimidation and vote buying. Georgian Dream was returned to power with a sizeable majority despite growing concerns over its break with the EU — and broad public support for joining the bloc.
Speaking to POLITICO, Nathalie Louiseau, a French MEP and vice-chair of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association, said the bloc’s new leadership — foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, incoming European Council President Antonio Costa and enlargement boss Marta Kos — need to rise to meet the challenge. “I would strongly encourage them to go to Tbilisi, meet with the President and the protesters, and ask for new elections,” Louiseau said.
EU officials announced in July that Georgia’s membership application had been frozen after the ruling party introduced a string of Russian-style legislation, branding Western-backed NGOs as ‘foreign agents’ and cracking down on LGBTQ+ rights. Authorities used force to dispel crowds protesting against the rules, deploying tear gas and batons, while opposition figures were detained and beaten.
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Georgian Dream politicians and police chiefs over the violence.
The U.N.’s special rapporteur on freedom of assembly, Gina Romero, said reports of police violence over the weekend were “disturbing” and called on Georgian Dream “to respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.”
Georgia
Wild video captures elderly driver Jerry Ross, 72, crashing into group of cyclists on Georgia road
An elderly motorist is accused of driving through a group of bicyclists in Georgia – knocking one over and fracturing his spine – before speeding off in a hit-and-run that was caught on camera.
Jerry Wayne Ross, 72, flashed a wide grin in his booking photo as he faces charges for the alleged hit-and-run with his Honda Pilot, all caught on video, on April 23 in Cherokee County, Ga, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
The North Georgia Cycling Association was on their weekly Thursday night ride when the older driver was accused of driving up on the group in a suspected road rage incident.
The cycling group was in the middle of its 32-mile ride through Cherokee County when Ross appeared behind them, blasting his horn for nearly two miles along Sugar Pike Rd in Canton.
“Just excessive. Didn’t let off the horn,” Richard Collins, the leader of the group, told Fox 5 Atlanta.
The cyclists were riding double-wide along the scenic, rural road when Ross allegedly floored forward, alongside the leading pack of the group, according to video captured by one of the cyclists and obtained by the outlet.
Ross is believed to have pulled up alongside the first group of cyclists, striking one of the riders with his passenger side mirror.
“I turned to my left to see it, at that moment, that vehicle was on my left leg,” he said.
The cyclists, who became tangled up by the bump, collided into the side of Ross’ car and crashed onto the pavement.
The vehicle sped away as Collins was left lying in the road.
Collins said he sustained road rash on his shoulder, elbow and knee and was treated by paramedics who were called to the scene.
He was later examined by an orthopedist and discovered he had suffered a fracture to his lower spine, he told the outlet.
Both cyclists were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Ross was found hiding out at a neighbor’s house down the road after officials from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office spotted damage to his SUV consistent with hitting a bicycle.
The suspected driver told authorities that he had encountered the group of cyclists but denied responsibility, blaming the bikers for the collision, saying the riders had been in the middle of the road, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Ross was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, aggressive driving, hit-and-run and failing to maintain distance, according to jail records viewed by The Post.
He remains behind bars in the Cherokee County Jail with his charges totaling $24,540.
Georgia
Rivian downsizes new EV factory after Trump’s DOE slashes loan agreement
Rivian announced some changes today with regard to the factory its building in the state of Georgia.
The company was planning to build the facility in two phases, each resulting in 200,000 vehicles of annual production capacity, for a total of 400,000 units. Rivian held a ground breaking ceremony late last year.
Now the company says it is only planning for 300,000 units of annual capacity as a result of a revised loan agreement with the US Department of Energy — though its planning on hitting that annual capacity sooner than originally planned. DOE will now loan Rivian $4.5 billion, instead of the originally agreed amount of $6.6 billion, which had been announced in the last days of the Biden administration.
In 2024, Rivian put its Georgia factory plans on hold, as it lacked the funds to start the construction. The company argued that the pause also allowed Rivian to launch its mid-sized R2 vehicle sooner. R2 production kicked off at the company’s factory in Normal, Illinois this month. And meanwhile, Rivian was negotiating with DOE, now under the anti-EV Trump administration, to secure its loan.
Those negotiations have now resulted in a lower amount for Rivian. As vertical construction starts this year, the company says it expects to first draw on the loan by early 2027, and remains on track for vehicle production in Georgia in late 2028. The DOE loan “is aligned with the updated facility design and roadmap at up to $4.5 billion,” the company said in a press release.
The company also maintains it has plenty of space for future expansion, should it have enough money to fund the construction. Rivian reported rising revenue as part of its first quarter earnings.
Georgia
Georgia softball vs Florida: How to watch series, live streaming and more
No. 17 Georgia softball (34-16) closes its regular season slate at home in Athens beginning Thursday, April 30, against the No. 6 Gators (45-7).
The last time Georgia faced Florida was in the 2025 Super Regionals as part of the Women’s College World Series. The Gators defeated the Bulldogs, 2-1, in a best of three series to eliminate their chance of taking a trip to Oklahoma City.
The SEC Tournament is set for Lexington, Ky., between May 5-9. The NCAA Regionals is set across various campus sites between May 15-17, and NCAA Super Regionals are set across various campus sites between May 21-24. The Women’s College World Series is set for May 28-June 5 in Oklahoma City, as always.
Here’s what you need to know about the Georgia-Florida weekend series to end the Bulldogs’ 2026 slate of competition:
What channel is Georgia softball vs. Florida?
- Streaming: SEC Network+, ESPN
Georgia’s weekend series against Florida will be streamed through the SEC Network+ on Friday and Saturday, and ESPN on Sunday. Fans looking to stream the games can go to the ESPN app. An ESPN select subscription totals $12.99 monthly or $129.00 annually, while an ESPN unlimited subscription totals $29.99 monthly or $299.99 annually.
There is no other way to tune into these games, as the university is not streaming the game audio on their radiocast.
Georgia softball start times vs. Florida
Start times for Georgia’s three-game weekend series against Florida in Athens:
Date
Time (ET)
Thursday, April 30
6 p.m.
Friday, May 1
6 p.m.
Saturday, May 2
Noon
Georgia vs Florida softball history
- Series record: Florida leads, 49-33
- Georgia’s last win: May 24, 2025; 2-1
- Florida’s last win: May 25, 2025; 5-2
Georgia softball 2026 schedule
Record: 34-16 overall, 10-11 SEC
- SEC competition*
- Red & Black Showcase^
- Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational#
- Georgia Classic/
- Bulldog Classic//
| Date & Time | Opponent | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6 @ 3:30 p.m. | Missouri State^ | Athens | W, 10-1 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 6 @ 6 p.m. | Fordham^ | Athens | W, 7-1 |
| Feb. 7 @ 1 p.m. | Fordham^ | Athens | W, 5-1 |
| Feb. 7 @ 3:30 p.m. | Belmont^ | Athens | W, 12-0 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 8 @ 1 p.m. | Belmont^ | Athens | L, 1-2 |
| Feb. 12 @ 11 a.m. | Oklahoma State# | Clearwater, Fla. | L, 5-6 |
| Feb. 12 @ 4 p.m. | Nebraska# | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 6-5 |
| Feb. 13 @ 9 a.m. | NC State# | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 16-2 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 13 @ 1 p.m. | UCF# | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 13-5 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 14 @ 1 p.m. | Northwestern# | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 8-3 |
| Feb. 14 @ 4 p.m. | Duke# | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 9-1 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 18 @ 4 p.m. | Samford | Athens | W, 13-8 |
| Feb. 20 @ 3:30 p.m. | Seton Hall/ | Athens | W, 9-1 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 20 @ 6 p.m. | Utah State/ | Athens | W, 4-1 |
| Feb. 21 @ 3:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech/ | Athens | L, 3-9 |
| Feb. 21 @ 6 p.m. | Utah State/ | Athens | W, 11-2 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 22 @ 1 p.m. | Virginia Tech/ | Athens | L, 3-9 |
| Feb. 25 @ 6 p.m. | Clemson | Athens | L, 1-10 (6 inn.) |
| Feb. 27 @ 6 p.m. | South Alabama// | Athens | W, 8-0 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 28 @ 1 p.m. | South Alabama// | Athens | W, 9-0 (5 inn.) |
| Feb. 28 @ 3:30 p.m. | UNC-Wilmington// | Athens | W, 9-1 (5 inn.) |
| March 1 @ 1 p.m. | UNC-Wilmington// | Athens | W, 9-1 (5 inn.) |
| March 4 @ 6 p.m. | Georgia State | Athens | W, 9-1 (5 inn.) |
| March 6 @ 3 p.m. | Arkansas* | Fayetteville, Ark. | W, 7-2 |
| March 7 @ 6 p.m. | Arkansas* | Fayetteville, Ark. | L, 6-7 |
| March 8 @ 2 p.m. | Arkansas* | Fayetteville, Ark. | L, 0-6 |
| March 10 @ 6 p.m. | West Georgia | Athens | W, 8-0 (5 inn.) |
| March 18 @ 6 p.m. | Georgia Tech | Athens | W, 5-1 |
| March 20 @ 6 p.m. | Mississippi State* | Athens | W, 6-3 |
| March 21 @ 2 p.m. | Mississippi State* | Athens | L, 2-3 |
| March 22 @ 2 p.m. | Mississippi State* | Athens | W, 7-4 |
| March 25 @ 6 p.m. | Mercer | Athens | W, 18-1 (5 inn.) |
| March 27 @ 6:30 p.m. | Kentucky* | Lexington, Ky. | W, 10-2 (6 inn.) |
| March 28 @ 2 p.m. | Kentucky* | Lexington, Ky. | W, 11-1 (5 inn.) |
| March 29 @ 1 p.m. | Kentucky* | Lexington, Ky. | W, 5-0 |
| April 2 @ 7 p.m. | Texas A&M* | College Station, Texas | L, 2-3 |
| April 3 @ 5 p.m. | Texas A&M* | College Station, Texas | W, 10-6 |
| April 3 @ 7:30 p.m. | Texas A&M* | College Station, Texas | L, 1-2 |
| April 8 @ 6 p.m. | USC-Upstate | Athens | W, 19-6 (5 inn.) |
| April 10 @ 6 p.m. | Missouri* | Athens | W, 8-0 (5 inn.) |
| April 11 @ 2 p.m. | Missouri* | Athens | L, 3-4 |
| April 12 @ 2 p.m. | Missouri* | Athens | W, 4-0 |
| April 15 @ 6 p.m. | Kennesaw State | Kennesaw, Ga. | W, 7-5 |
| April 18 @ 4 p.m. | Texas* | Athens | L, 5-7 |
| April 19 @ Noon | Texas* | Athens | W, 4-2 |
| April 20 @ 7 p.m. | Texas* | Athens | L, 3-6 (8 inn.) |
| April 22 @ 6 p.m. | Georgia Southern | Athens | W, 8-0 (5 inn.) |
| April 24 @ 7:30 p.m. | Oklahoma* | Norman, Okla. | L, 2-10 (6 inn.) |
| April 25 @ 2:30 p.m. | Oklahoma* | Norman, Okla. | L, 1-3 |
| April 26 @ 1:30 p.m. | Oklahoma* | Norman, Okla. | L, 5-6 |
| April 30 @ 6 p.m. | Florida* | Athens | |
| May 1 @ 6 p.m. | Florida* | Athens | |
| May 2 @ Noon | Florida* | Athens | |
| May 5-9 | SEC Tournament | Lexington, Ky. | |
| May 15-17 | NCAA Regional | Campus sites | |
| May 21-24 | NCAA Super Regional | Campus sites | |
| May 28-June 5 | Women’s College World Series | Oklahoma City, Okla. |
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