Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms have discussed settling the lawsuit he has filed against her.
Bottoms told The Tonight Show that she and Kemp have had some productive talks of late.
“We discussed where we disagree and hopefully we can figure out how to agree to disagree without having to play this out in court. At the end of the day, we want the same thing: We want people to be safe. We want to stop the spread of COVID-19,” she said on the show.
Things got heated between two of Georgia’s most high-profile political leaders when Bottoms tweeted Sunday that Kemp had as for an emergency injunction to “restrain” her from speaking to the media.
Bottoms’ national profile has risen dramatically over the last three months as she has appeared on big TV news shows repeatedly amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to being sued over a mask mandate and voluntary advisory guidelines on COVID-19, Governor Kemp has asked for an emergency injunction to ‘restrain’ me from issuing press statements and speaking to the press. Far more have sacrificed too much more for me to be silent,” she tweeted.
The move comes one week after Kemp filed a lawsuit against Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council related to their mandate requiring residents and visitors to the city to wear masks.
In addition to being sued over a mask mandate and voluntary advisory guidelines on COVID-19, @GovKemp has asked for an emergency injunction to “restrain” me from issuing press statements and speaking to the press. Far more have sacrificed too much more for me to be silent. pic.twitter.com/gWlnZlCtoR
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 19, 2020
Meanwhile the city of Atlanta has rolled back to Phase 1 of the COVID-19 reopening plan, according to an order issued by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
The mayor is doing what she can to stem the rise of coronavirus in the city despite a hostile reception from the governor and others outside the state’s largest city.
Phase 1 is the initial plan issued by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in conjunction with the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
For individuals, it means they must:
- Stay at home except for essential trips
- Wear masks or face coverings in public
- Wash your hands frequently
- Practice social distancing
For Businesses, here’s what Phase 1 means:
- To-go and delivery orders only for restaurants
- Teleworking for employees that are able
- Frequent cleaning of public places and spaces
For City Government, Phase 1 means:
- Closure of all non-essential city facilities
- Moratorium on special event applications
In response to Atlanta’s actions, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted that the new rules were just “guidance.”
“Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms’ action today is merely guidance – both non-binding and legally unenforceable. As clearly stated in my executive orders, no local action can be more or less restrictive, and that rule applies statewide,” Kemp tweeted.
“If the Mayor actually wants to flatten the curve in Atlanta, she should start enforcing state restrictions, which she has failed to do.
We ask citizens and businesses alike to comply with the terms of Executive Order 06.29.20.02, which was crafted in conjunction with state public health officials. These common-sense measures will help protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians,” Kemp went on to say.
The development comes days after Bottoms tested positive for coronavirus, along with some members of her family.
At the time, she also instituted a public mask policy for Atlanta residents and visitors.
“We will continue to take active measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 infections in Atlanta,” said Mayor Bottoms said in a press release. “Public health experts overwhelmingly agree that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this sometimes deadly virus.”
Meanwhile, Georgia officials are being accused of messing with the COVID-19 numbers to make it look like the cases aren’t rising exponentially.
In just 15 days the total number of #COVID19 cases in Georgia is up 49%, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at the state’s data visualization map of cases. The first map is July 2. The second is today. Do you see a 50% case increase? Can you spot how they’re hiding it? 1/ pic.twitter.com/wAgFRmtrPk
— Georgia Person (@andishehnouraee) July 17, 2020
Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links:
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If you’re working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, things can get a bit boring around the house. While you don’t want to liven things up too much with extra noise, some relaxing sounds and images can do wonders while you work.
The key to a relaxing video is two-fold:
- You don’t want images, videos to be so mesmerizing that you can’t concentrate on your work.
- You don’t want the videos or music accompanying it to be so loud that you can’t focus.
Here are 10 relaxing videos to play in your home office.
1. Relaxing Tropical Island
2. Birds Singing By The Lake
3. Beautiful Scenes Of Nature
4. Relaxing Farm Village
5. Satisfying Rain And Thunder
6. Relaxing City Park
7. Relaxing Nature Preserve
8. Gentle Rain And Native American Flutes
9. Relaxing Sounds And Underwater Scenes
10. Dance Of Life: Relaxing Music
Bonus (For Star Wars Fans)
It’s no secret that women are ruling the world. In fact Beyonce tried to tell y’all that some years ago. Today they make up the #1 entrepreneurs in 50 of the biggest cities in America. From femtech to beauty products, women have their hands on the pulse.
If you want to keep abreast of the latest lifestyle news, subscribe to AtlantaFi.com’s newsletter.More Articles From AtlantaFi:
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One of the biggest news events in Atlanta’s history occurred in 1996. That’s the year Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games.
The city was awarded The Games six years earlier and had built and remodeled extensively. Then the bombing happened. This article is going to clear up one and for all who did the bombing.
Who Did The Atlanta Olympic Bombing In 1996?
Who Was Killed In The Atlanta Olympic Bombing?
The Olympic bombing in Atlanta happened on Saturday, July 27, 1996. While scores of people wee injured, two people are officially determined as having been killed in the Olympic bombing.
- Alice Hawthorne: The 44-year-old woman from Albany, Georgia suffered injuries from the blast in Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.
- Melih Uzunyol, a cameraman from Turkey, died from a heart attack attributed to the event moments after the explosion.
Intense media coverage
Who Committed The Atlanta Olympic Bombing?
Intense pressure was on federal officials to name a suspect in the bombing. Meanwhile, the media had begun doing vignettes of local heroes who had acted swiftly during the bombing.
Three days after the event, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution named a security guard — Richard Jewell as — as a suspect in the bombing. Jewell had earlier been mentioned as a hero for his fast actions in discovering a mysterious backpack.
He had maintained his innocence after a media frenzy swarmed his home and everywhere he lived for three months.
In October 1996, the FBI said that Jewel was no longer a suspect. By that time, federal officials had turned their attention to white supremacist groups.
Jewell sued several media outlets, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and NBC, settling with both.
The following February, Eric Rudolph, 29, is named a suspect by federal authorities. Also a suspect in the bombing of an abortion clinic in Alabama, Rudolph began to draw heavy media attention.
The FBI said that it was Rudolph who made two anonymous 911 calls 30 minutes before the bombing in Centennial Olympic Park.
Where Is Eric Rudolph Now?
Rudolph has been in federal prison for more than 20 years. Today he remains locked up behind bars at the ADX Florence Supermax prison near Florence, Colorado.Richard Jewell died 11 years after the bombing on August 29, 2007. He had been having complications due to diabetes. He was 44 years old.Atlanta has a lot of inspirational people and AtlantaFi.com is going to introduce you to many of them as well as cool places to go, great restaurants and other ATL happenings.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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If you are an Uber driver, independent contractor, starving artist or another kind of freelancer, you probably could use $1,000 right now, especially with the coronavirus pandemic still wreaking havoc.
Are You A Gig Worker? Here’s How To Get a $1,000 Forgiveable Loan
The U.S. government is still offering freelance workers up to $1,000 as part of the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) distributed by the Small Business Administration.
The EIDL is called a loan, but works more like a grant in that it is forgiveable and you don’t have to repay it.
What Are The Requirements?
As for as eligibility, here is what you need..
- You must be a small business owner or have a qualified agricultural business in the United States or its territories.
- are currently eligible to apply for a low-interest loan due to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
- You must also state your name, address and other basic business information
How To Apply
To apply for an EIDL loan, fill out this application for Disaster Loan Assistance.
Although you face a perjury charge if you’re not truthful on your application, you don’t even have to be directly affected by the pandemic to get the loan.
Are you a small business owner? Here are some grants you should apply for.
Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links:
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Google is doing what it can to create jobs to underrepresented communities in Georgia and other places. The tech company announced three new Google Career Certificates in high-demand, high-paying fields, including:
- Data Analytics
- Project Management
- User Experience (UX) Design
Google Announces Programs To Help Underserved Communities
The initiative is all part of the Grow with Google economic opportunity program, which we previously wrote about.
With so many people out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Google Career Certificates will equip participants with the essential skills they need to get a job.
The certificates will be available online on the learning platform Coursera and will focus on Data Analytics, Project Management, and User Experience (UX) Design.
Applicants don’t need a degree to enroll.
Along with the certificates, Google says it will fund 100,000 need-based scholarships for those enrolled in any of these Career Certificate programs.
The good news is that Google will consider all of its Career Certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for applicable roles at the company.
“College degrees are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn’t need a college diploma to have economic security,” said Kent Walker, Senior Vice President of Global Affairs at Google. “We need new, accessible job-training solutions—from enhanced vocational programs to online education—to help America recover and rebuild.”
In addition to those developments, Google also announced that it will give $10 million in grants for the YWCA, NPower and JFF to support job training programs and increase access to digital skills for women, veterans, and underserved Americans.
Atlanta has a lot of inspirational people and AtlantaFi.com is going to introduce you to many of them as well as cool places to go, great restaurants and other ATL happenings.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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The city of Atlanta now requires masks for the general public to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed the executive order, which covers Hartsfield-Jackson Airport as well, on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
“We will continue to take active measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 infections in Atlanta,” said Mayor Bottoms said in a press release. “Public health experts overwhelmingly agree that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this sometimes deadly virus.”
Masks Mandatory In Atlanta And Other Georgia Cities
East Point also has mandated masks for the general public when they visit businesses. The south Fulton County city joins Savannah and Athens in requiring the use of face masks.
So far the cities and other municipalities that have mandated or about to require masks are:
- Atlanta
- Avondale Estates
- Athens
- Augusta
- Brookhaven
- College Park
- Decatur
- Doraville
- DeKalb County
- Dunwoody
- East Point
- Fairburn
- Hinesville
- Savannath
- South Fulton
- Rome
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is another destination where masks are required, with Delta Air Lines leading the way in enforcement.
Some of the fines for not wearing masks in these jurisdictions range from a warning to a $25 fine to a $75.
In East Point, the new law means that people who patronize restaurants, liquor stores, barbershops, the post office and any other business must wear a mask or face covering.
If you don’t comply, people without a mask could be penalized $75 along with the business.
The “wear a mask” law for East Point goes into effect on Thursday, July 8, 2020. The law won’t be enforced until Monday, July 13, 2020, according to the AJC.
Meanwhile, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has resisted the call to mandate that all state residents wear masks. Last week, he told reporters that requiring people to wear masks was”a step too far.”
Despite that, Georgia’s COVID-19 cases have topped 100,000 and now Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has been a frequent critic of Kemp’s handling of the virus, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Taking to Twitter, Mayor Bottoms also defended herself against purported reports that she attending a news conference while awaiting a COVID-19 test.
“FINALLY received our test results taken 8 days before. One person in my house was positive then. By the time we tested again, 1 week later, 3 of us had COVID,” she said. “If we had known sooner, we would have immediately quarantined. Perhaps the National Guard can help with testing too.”
The Atlanta fire chief has quarantined himself as a result of Bottoms’ infection, according to local reports.
Want to know how to make a mask? Here’s everything you need to know.
Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links:
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Atlanta is among the cities where Uber will start asking passengers to disinfect the backseat of vehicle they ride in. The program is part of a partnership with Clorox to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Among the pilot cities in the Uber-Clorox cleaning program are:
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- New York City
Drivers in those cities will have Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in their vehicles to help keep the backseats clean. Riders can see inside the Uber app whether disinfecting wipes are available for use in the car.
Uber says it will supply up to 200,000 canisters of Clorox wipes per month to supply drivers. The prgroam may add more cities soon.
Uber says it has mandated its drivers to wear face masks and follow all the guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to drivers, all Uber riders are required to wear face covers or masks.
The new Uber-Clorox program comes as Atlanta and the state contend with a surge in COVID-19 cases. Still, Gov. Brian Kemp has resisted calls to make face masks mandatory.
“Mandating that I think is a bridge too far for me right now,” Kemp told reporters in late June. “We have to have the public buy-in. Over the last several months, the public has done that. I’ve been demonstrating that myself. It’s a good idea if you’re going out in public.
Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links:
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I don’t have to tell you how much the restaurant landscape has changed due the coronavirus pandemic. One really cool development is the launch of Electric Provisions, a new online food, drink, and lifestyle marketplace.
Electric Provisions comes to us from Atlanta-based hospitality group Electric Hospitality, which is responsible for such local eateries as Ladybird, Muchacho and Golden Eagle.
The company also is behind the recently launched nonprofit organization ATLFAMILYMEAL.
At ElectricProvisions.com you can find local beer in an assortment of packages as well as thoughtfully crafted prepared meals, groceries, food, drink, and more.
Electric Provisions Online Marketplace: How It Works
Here’s how Electric Provision works: Customers can visit the digital marketplace to order online or use curbside pickup. They also have the option to choose between take-out or home delivery and even schedule pick-ups for a later date.
And of course, online customers can get their goods delivered to their homes.
If you need select grocery items like homemade pimento cheese, spice rubs for grilling meat and more, Electric Provisions is the spot.
If you’re a fan of Ladybird, Golden Eagle and Muchacho, you’ll be able to find meal kits representative of those restaurants as well. Here’s a sample of what’s in store:
- Ladybird’s Backyard BBQ Board ($45-$60)
- Muchacho Taco Kit ($24)
- Golden Eagle’s Whole Smoked Chicken ($35-$50)
Electric Provisions is also planning to expand their offerings to things like toilet paper, hand wipes, and hand sanitizer. Stay tuned.
Read more: 15+ Essential Soul Food Restaurants In Atlanta
The city has some good restaurants in each quadrant of the city: East, West, North, South. All you need to do is think about what you have a taste for. Italian? Soul food? Tex-Mex? Atlanta has it all.
For the latest in metro Atlanta’s food and drink scene, stay with Atlantafi.com.
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The New York-New Jersey area has mandated that residents visiting from 16 states must quarantine upon entry, according to officials. The new rules are designed to stem the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in a majority of states, which has alarmed public health officials. As a result, the New York area, including Connecticut and New Jersey have issued a mandatory quarantine for visitors from states with an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Residents From These States Must Quarantine In NY-NJ Area
Here are the states identified by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo whose visiting residents must quarantine if they come to the Northeast:
The mandatory 14-day quarantine now includes travelers from:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Nevada
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
Cuomo said, those violating the quarantine could be subject to a judicial order and mandatory quarantine, and fines are $2,000 for the first violation, $5,000 for the second violation, and $10,000 if you cause harm.
If you're traveling to New York from the following states you must self-quarantine for 14 days.
The states are: AL, AR, AZ, CA, FL, GA, IA, ID, LA, MS, NC, NV, SC, TN, TX, UT.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 30, 2020
Not a single case met the criteria for reopening according to the nation’s top public health expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
Masks have also become a hot-button issue, as many Americans violently oppose wearing facial protection.
CDC health officials recommend that anyone with symptoms self-quarantine for 14 days. If you feel sick, here are the new COVID-19 symptoms to know about.
Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links:
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After a woman was taken into custody and charged in the Wendy’s fire during the June protest in Atlanta, officials are now looking for a male suspect.
The Atlanta Fire Department released photos of the suspect at the scene of the protest outside Wendy’s on June 9. The unrest was in response to the officer-involved killing of Rayshard Brooks.
“Fire Investigators are seeking the public’s help to identify the person seen in these photos,” the fire department tweeted. “We believe they may have vital information related to the Wendys Fire investigation. Please call 1-800-282-5804 or 404-547-TIPS(8477) to provide information. Rewards of up to $10,000.”
Meanwhile the Wendy’s has become a makeshift shrine and gathering place for the community. Many people have cardoned off the area and made it a no-passing zone.
Protesters are also reportedly demanding that White be released out of custody, although she is scheduled to be arraigned in the coming days.
Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency. More definitive advice on health, please visit CDC.gov. Here are some helpful links: