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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The coronavirus pandemic has shut down small and large churches across the nation, including in Georgia, the heart of the Bible Belt. No state re-opening has been as controversial as Georgia’s.
Georgia churches are still allowed to have religious services but they must adhere to strict public health guidelines issued by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and enforced by local officials.
Will Churches Be Allowed To Open In 2020?
Those health guidelines make up a trinity of basic hygiene measures, including:
- Social distancing
- Wearing masks, face coverings, gloves and other PPE
- Limiting gatherings of 10 or more people
One of the dilemmas for Georgia pastors and other religious leaders is how to accommodate the elderly, who typically make up a large portion of the contributions flowing into a given church.
Some preachers have thought about using a ticketing system to reward those ones with in-person services, but when those numbers get close to 10, things become much more dangerous.
Here’s When Georgia Can Re-Open Bars and Clubs
Still, others have stopped tuning into church altogether or accused the state of banning religious services, which is a constitutional issue.
“In-person services were never banned,” Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted in response to criticism over church closings. “We have encouraged — and continue to encourage — online and remote services.”
He added: “In-person services should always practice social distancing and work to implement sanitation procedures to keep congregations safe.”
As far whether Georgia churches will be allowed to open this year, much depends on the virus. As Georgia’s numbers go up and down, state officials will likely keep gatherings tamped down.
That means church leaders will have to get creative. Many are doing teleconferencing services and other video systems, which are likely to continue.
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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The public is invited to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s monthly webinar on Thursday, May 14. This month’s showing will features talent from the acclaimed Netflix miniseries Unorthodox.
On hand will be series co-creator Alexa Karolinski and actor Jeff Wilbusch.
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s May Webinar: ‘Unorthodox’
May’s webinar comes on the heels of last month’s inaugural AJFF In Conversation webinar about the critically-acclaimed film Resistance.
Unorthodox is a four-part dramatic series based on the true story of one woman’s flight from the strictures of her ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn.
The series also makes history as being Netflix’s first-ever primarily Yiddish production. Here are all the details about the AJFF webinar for May:
- Who: Unorthodox‘s co-creator Alexa Karolinski and actor Jeff Wilbusch
- What: The webinar will offer viewers a chance to ask the talent pre-submitted questions about their experience with the show.
- When: Thursday, May 14 at 12 PM
- Registration: The live Q&A will be held via Zoom. Free registration and submission for questions can be found here.
If you’re interested in other events, check out other virtual things to do in Atlanta.
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If you have a video interview planned via Zoom or another videoconferencing system, you’re going to have to put your best foot forward to get the job. That means you’ll have to look the part and sound like it, too.
Video interviews are intimidating to many job candidates because of their unfamiliarity, but the key to it is feeling comfortable.
Video Interview: Everything You Need To Know
This article is going to show you how to ace a video interview so that you can get hired.
In This Article:
- How To Do Well On A Video Interview
- What Videoconferencing Services Should You Use?
- What Kind of Questions Are Raised In A Video Interview?
- What To Wear In A video Interview
- Video Interview Tips
How To Do Well On A Video Interview
The video interview is the newest way employers are fielding job candidates for their companies. The process is largely the same as an in-person interview only it’s done remotely.
To nail the interview, you want to come across confident and assured in your abilities and skills.
Of course, if you’ve made it to the interview stage, your awesome resume has done its part. Now it’s up to you to seal the deal.
What Videoconferencing Services Should You Use?
If you your would-be employer hasn’t recommended which videoconferencing service to use, perhaps you might want to suggest one you’re most comfortable with.
Some of the best videoconferencing services for interview include:
What Kind Of Questions Are Asked In A Video Interview?
Here are some popular questions and answers you’ll need to know so that you can handle this part of the video interview.
Question: Why do you want to work here?”
Answer: “I want to work here to explore new challenges that are important in my career development.” Go on to explain some positives about the company/position and ask them to expand on them.
Question: “Tell me a time when you were unsuccessful at work?”
Answer: “There were a few times when the results I received from my work were less than I expected.” Go to expand on how you turned a challenge into an opportunity.
Question: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Answer: “I see myself with a track record of successes that will continue to help the company’s stature as well as their bottom line.” You can use this to pivot to some successes you note about the company.
Question: “What skills would you bring to the job?”
Answer: “I bring X-amount of years of experience in [given profession].” Again, use this opportunity to shine a light on your resume as well as some things that you want them to know about you.
What To Wear In A Video Interview
Contrary to popular belief, you do need to wear clothes below the waist in a video interview. The reason is because not only do you want to look professional, but you want to feel like it.
Dress the part by having on a complete suit for your video interview. It will also help keep you in a professional mindset, which is crucial.
Video Interview Tips
The key to a successful video interview is to make sure you’re comfortable. Here are five tips to make the most of it:
- Set up your video in a secluded and quiet place in your home
- Make sure you have adequate lighting, but not too much light
- Check your internet connection for lags or interruptions
- Make sure your webcam shows clear and not grainy
- Dress professional and yes, wear pants
- Make sure the camera is centered on your face
- Ensure no distracting objects are in the background
Bottom Line
A video interview is one of the most convenient ways to get a job these days. Not only does it save you time and gas money, but it lets the employer process your position a lot quicker.
Because of the speedy process, you’ll be able to know if you got the job or not, in a short period of time. If you’ve followed the steps in our Video Interview Guide, let us know if you landed the job!
Metro Atlanta’s hot economy has slowed of late due to the COVID-19, but that’s OK. Check out our Coronavirus Resource Guide and find out how to make and save money.We currently have job articles that show you high-paying jobs, those close to downtown and even side hustles you might like.If you’re looking to get hired in Atlanta right now, there’s a very real possibility that you can land your dream job. -
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is astonished at the number of people who are no longer practicing social distancing and other safety guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was so taken aback this weekend when I saw so many people out,” she told MSNBC this weekend. “I thought that maybe something had changed, that maybe this still not a highly contagious virus that thousands of people were dying from each day.”
Atlanta Mayor Aghast At Number Of People Out Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Indeed, one week after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp “re-opened” the state, masses of people could be seen congregating in parks, outside busy streets and even in some restaurants.
All of which flies in the face of the guidelines issued by the Atlanta-based Centers of Disease Control & Prevention, which clearly has advised that people take the virus seriously by doing the following:
- Wearing a mask or face covering in close contact with others
- Standing at least 6 feet from one another
- Washing your hands more frequently and not touching common surfaces
“The reality in Georgia is that … many people heard what they wanted to hear, but my message is consistent: I am still encouraging people to stay home,”Lance Bottoms says.
Nowhere was her message more relevant than at Lenox Square mall, which opened its doors for the first time in more than a month on May 4.
Throngs of people were seen on social media waiting to enter the mall, which is one of many that has re-opened.
HAPPENING NOW— This is the line to get inside @LenoxSqMall. They are about to open for the first time since March 18th @11AliveNews pic.twitter.com/SRVThKIL0E
— Maura Sirianni 11Alive (@MauraSirianni) May 4, 2020
Lance Bottoms says the facts are that this is still a highly contagious virus, especially among African-Americans, who are dying disproportionately to others.
“When we look at other countries and see how they’ve gotten to the other side of this, it’s very simple: They’ve stayed in to flatten the curve. And we’re nowhere near there in Georgia.”
"I was so taken aback this weekend when I saw so many people out…I thought that maybe something had changed, that maybe this still not a highly contagious virus that thousands of people were dying from each day." Mayor @KeishaBottoms with @AriMelber on #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/tA0343eN3T
— City of Atlanta, GA (@CityofAtlanta) May 4, 2020
On CNN, Lance Bottoms says she is going to stand her ground despite what’s happening around Atlanta.
“What it really feels like to me is that there is this testing of the waters and willingness to sacrifice people for the economy. And I’m not willing to sacrifice my children or my mother, all of whom are asthmatic,” she says.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is pushing back against GA Gov. Kemp’s reopening orders. “Nothing has changed about Covid-19… what it really feels like to me, anyway, is that there is this testing of the waters and willingness to sacrifice people for the sake of our economy.” pic.twitter.com/FMenD3JwYp
— CNN (@CNN) May 6, 2020
“I saw so many people over the weekend who had no consideration of putting themselves and others at risk,” she says.
CNN says one study found that more than 80% of those hospitalized in Georgia were African-American.
Responding to that, Lance Bottoms says, “We are continuing to provide resources to people .. but so much of it really is about education, education, education.”
"The feedback that I am receiving is that people are not ready for us to open back up." – Mayor @KeishaBottoms to @JovitaMoore on reopening Atlanta during the #COVID19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/YqEvAIx26V
— City of Atlanta, GA (@CityofAtlanta) May 5, 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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The OWN TV series Greenleaf indicates that it will wrap its final season in a tantalizing teaser video the network posted on Sunday, May 3.
Greenleaf, which stars Merle Dandridge. Lynn Whitfield as Lady Mae Greenleaf. and Keith David as Bishop James Greenleaf, is set to debut its fourth and final season in June 2020.
Greenleaf Series Officially Ending
Filmed in Atlanta, the series delved into the trials and tribulations of a religious family at the helm of a megachurch.
It was gotten three nominations from the NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic TV Series and Whitfield was tapped for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
It looks like the coming season will be a good one. That’s because the matriarch seems to finally turn his united family into the humble servants they pretend to be for much of their screentime.
It remains to be seen whether Oprah Winfrey will return as Mavis McCready.
Here is the teaser video from OWN:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLnQBw-Y-0
Atlanta has become a movie mecca in recent years and Georgia has been a favorite location for TV productions since the state instituted generous tax breaks for film companies that agree to shoot locally. Projects from CBS, NBC, HBO, BET and more are slated to shoot in the metro area in 2018-19 and the foreseeable future.
With more than 800 movie and TV projects just in the last few years, the film industry has generated more than $9 billion for the state of Georgia.There are so many movies filmed in Atlanta these days that it’s hard to keep up with it all. That’s why I suggest you subscribe to AtlantaFi.com to get all the freshest movie casting calls, celeb sightings and Atlanta happenings delivered to your inbox.Want to work in Georgia film & TV? Here are the latest Atlanta casting calls
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Georgia Gov. Brian’s statewide shelter-in-place order is set to expire at midnight on Thursday, May 31 as local businesses continued to re-open.
Meanwhile, he has extended Georgia’s public health state of emergency through June 12, 2020. He is also ordering the elderly and medically fragile to shelter in place for now while the broader population is free from such measures.
When Will Georgia Bars Re-Open?
“I encourage all Georgians to continue to maintain social distancing, limit their travel, and use best practices,” he tweeted. “Gatherings of more than 10 people will not be allowed unless it is possible to maintain 6 feet of distance.”
I encourage all Georgians to continue to maintain social distancing, limit their travel, and use best practices. Gatherings of more than 10 people will not be allowed unless it is possible to maintain 6 feet of distance. Read the new Executive Order: https://t.co/foH4Y5kA4H pic.twitter.com/n5k5ihC2df
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) April 30, 2020
Kemp has been defiant in the face of critics who have said that Georgia is risking the lives of its residents by trying to resume normal life amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Kemp posted on Twitter recently that Georgia was ready to ramp up COVID-19 testing as it re-opens.
“We have numerous testing sites, physicians, & tests. We just need more Georgians to participate,” he said. “If you are symptomatic or work on the frontlines, download the Augusta University ExpressCare app or call 706-721-1852 to schedule a free test. RT to spread the word!”
Today we are taking another measured step to protect the lives – and livelihoods – of all Georgians. We will continue to work around the clock to follow the data, heed the advice of public health officials, and keep Georgia families safe. pic.twitter.com/kPFjAfDApW
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) April 30, 2020
Meanwhile, a recent virus spread simulation from a Harvard/MIT team shows a vicious plateau for Georgia. The team used data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Explore the Harvard/MIT Georgia data HERE.
Also, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has been a vocal critic against Kemp’s plan to re-open Georgia, which is at odds with the data she is seeing.
Penning an opinion piece in The Atlantic, Lance Bottoms said, “The political reality is that we are a blue city in a red state, trying to balance public-health concerns in a diverse environment while getting our economy back on track as soon as possible.”
She added: “I am reminded that we cannot let racism divide our country and pit communities against each other. Last week I was attacked in ugly racial terms on my personal phone, with my children nearby, for speaking out on the side of science for the safety of our residents and businesses. Cowardice like this does not deter me. As the poet Audre Lorde said, “I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” Remaining silent during this crisis will not protect us.”
"Simply because we have hospital beds and we are not at capacity does not mean we need to work to fill them up." – Mayor @KeishaBottoms discussing #COVID19 on @GMA. pic.twitter.com/sdwW3P2zDr
— City of Atlanta, GA (@CityofAtlanta) April 24, 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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For Atlantan Ciara and hubby Russell Wilson are having a baby! The Super Bowl-winning quarterback recently took to social media to show the cutest gender reveal you ever did see.
The Seattle signal caller is on the sidelines like the rest of us due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped his family life from flourishing.
Ciara, Russell Wilson Share Cutest Gender Reveal Ever
Watch Ciara and there two kids guess the new baby’s gender in the video below:
Gender Reveal Time! @Ciara
Prince 🤴🏽 or Princess👸🏽??? pic.twitter.com/JcI9mLUQEp— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) April 14, 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:
- HOW TO GET TESTED FOR COVID-19 IN ATLANTA
- Atlanta Rapper Future Is Donating Masks To Health Workers
- SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDE: How To Do It
- FREE DOWNLOAD: Print Out This Pantry List
- Self-Isolating? Here’s Where To Watch FREE Movies Online
Next: See Which Celebrities Are Actually From Atlanta
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It was just another day in metro Atlanta, but then it wasn’t. A Georgia couple had planned to get married in South Carolina but the coronavirus pandemic changed their plans.
They had to make do in Lawrenceville’s Rhodes Park when a celebrity happened upon them. R&B singer Tony Terry saw the couple and asked to sing for them, which they eagerly accepted.
“I asked if I could sing for their first dance and they danced while I sang to them. We were walking in Rhodes Jordan park today socially distancing ourselves of course and we see a couple getting married It was just the two of them and the officiant I asked if I could sing for their first dance and they danced while I sang to them,” he posted alongside the video.
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Much is made about the guitar work of superstar Jimmy Hendrix, whose rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” forever altered the anthem in the minds of countless baby boomers.
The performance was cemented at Woodstock, the 1969 music festival in upstate New York.
Remembering The Atlanta International Pop Festival
More than a month before more than 400,000 hippies, college students and lost souls traveled to a remote gathering space up north, Atlanta hosted an event that featured many of the same artists.
When Was The Atlanta International Pop Festival?
The official name of Woodstock was “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music,” in ATL, The rock festival was held at the Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, home of the Atlanta Motor Speedway, on July 4th, 1969.
According to Birmingham Weekly, “The bill was wildly eclectic, from mainstream jazz with Dave Brubeck to first generation rock with Chuck Berry; from sweet soul by the Staple Singers and Booker T to the blues of Canned Heat and Paul Butterfield; from the folk of Ian and Sylvia to the cataclysm of Led Zeppelin. As an intrepid band of explorers from Alabama arrived at the outskirts of Hampton prior to the show amid a stupendous traffic jam, it was clear that word-of-mouth had drawn the crowd Cooley sought.”
Cooley would go on to apologetically host a concert the following Monday in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, embarrassed that he’d made a $12,000 profit at the pop fest. “You have to understand the context,” Cooley told Atlanta Magazine. “It was the height of the Vietnam War, and Lester Maddox was governor. I wanted to do something that would make people where I lived understand that we could change.”
There are so many Atlanta events popping off every week it’s hard to keep up with it all. That’s why I suggest you subscribe to AtlantaFi.com to get all the freshest gatherings, Atlanta happenings, parties and more delivered to your inbox.
Things to do in Atlanta on a weekly basis can range from going golfing mid-week to checking out the latest restaurant openings. At AtlantaFi.com, we curate the city for you!
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The year 2020 has brought a momentous change to all of our lives. The coronavirus pandemic has caused a big shift in the fortunes of millions of people. The reason is because of the “r” word: Recession.
In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about recession, which is the economic condition that many experts say we’re about to enter into.
What Is A Recession?
Technically speaking a country is officially in a recession when its production goes from positive to negative. This is called negative growth of a country’s gross domestic product.
A recession is characterized by a number of economic indicators, including:
- Unemployment
- Housing bust
- Stock market decline
When Is The Next Recession?
Many economic experts believe that we are entering a recession. The reason they say that is because consumers stop spending.
Another sign is that businesses begin to slow down. They may also stop hiring and even lay off employees.
This creates anxiety in the workplace and other companies guard their budgets and people begin to cut back.
How To Prepare For A Recession
A recession is a terrible thing, but you can navigate it if you have a strategy. Here are three steps you can do to help mitigate the situation.
1. Cut Back On Spending
You don’t want to be spending a lot of money if you can help it. The #1 thing you need to do is stop spending money on things that are not necessities.
This would include things like:
- Subscriptions
- Gym memberships
- Going out to eat
- Shopping sprees
- Entertainment and recreation
2. Start Saving
This goes hand in hand with #1. When you cut back on spending, what you want to do with the money is start saving it. You’ll want to save on groceries and other things.
You could open a savings account if you can find a good APR. That way, you money can begin to accrue interest at a faster rate.
You’ll also need to put a savings strategy into practice. Here are some great tips.
3. Start Making Money
During a recession, full-time employment is something that only a relatively few people will be able to sustain. If you’re not deemed an “essential” worker, it may be tough to keep a job.
That’s why you’ll want to try to get some part-time work or a side gig to help pay the bills. Keep your eyes and ears open. There are plenty of opportunities to:
Final Words
Always remember that it’s not how you start, but where you end up. In other words, in a recession, it may get bad, but just know that it’s temporary. Things always bounce back. Always.
Next: These Side Gigs Can Pay $500 A Week
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