Georgia Today: Georgia soldiers promoted posthumously; UPS layoffs; Sports betting update

Peter Biello: Welcome to the Georgia Today podcast from GPB News. Today is Tuesday, Jan. 30. I'm Peter Biello. On today's episode, three soldiers from Georgia killed in Jordan over the weekend are posthumously promoted. Atlanta-based UPS plans to cut 12,000 jobs. And will this be the year Georgia legalizes sports betting? These stories and more are coming up on this edition of Georgia Today.

Story 1:

Peter Biello: The white House says President Joe Biden has spoken to the family members of the three American soldiers, all from Georgia, who were killed in an attack by an Iran-backed group in Jordan on Sunday. Administration spokesperson said today the president expressed the nation's pride in their service and sorrow for their loss. Biden is expected to attend a dignified transfer ceremony as their bodies are returned to the United States on Friday. Sgt. William Rivers of Carrollton, and specialists Kennedy Sanders of Waycross, and Breonna Moffett of Savannah all served a company of army engineers based out of Georgia's Fort Moore, near Columbus. The Army Reserve today said Sanders and Moffett have been posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant as a, quote, "small token of gratitude for their service and sacrifice."

Peter Biello: Tributes are pouring in for the three soldiers from Georgia. GPB's Benjamin Payne has more on that.

Benjamin Payne: Speaking at Savannah City Hall, Mayor Van Johnson honored Sgt. Breonna Moffett as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Van Johnson: The Bible says there is no greater love than a man laid down his life for his friends. We recognize that there is no greater love. And so we love Breonna Moffett for loving us.

Benjamin Payne: Johnson ordered city flags be flown at half staff and called for the U.S. military to hold accountable those who carried out the drone attack. A group of Iran-backed militias has claimed credit. Moffett graduated in 2019 from Savannah's Windsor Forest High School, which is planning an assembly in her honor for Thursday. For GPB News, I'm Benjamin Payne in Savannah.

Story 2:

Peter Biello: UPS plans to cut 12,000 jobs. The Atlanta-based shipping giant announced the cost-cutting measure today, about five months after the company reached a deal with the Teamsters union to raise wages. UPS CEO Carol Tomé said the job cuts will save the company about $1 billion. UPS also said its fourth-quarter revenue slid more than 7% to just under $25 billion.

Story 3:

Peter Biello: Authorities have arrested another Georgia resident on charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Department of Justice records show 31-year-old Silas Hamilton was arrested last Friday in Blue Ridge on four misdemeanor charges, including entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. An FBI report says Hamilton live streamed himself inside the Capitol during the attack. He's one of 23 people arrested in Georgia on Jan. 6-related charges.

Story 4:

Peter Biello: One of the most influential members of the Georgia House has died. The House speaker's office says Columbus State Rep. Richard Smith died at his home after a brief illness early this morning. Since 2020, he had been the chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, which controls what legislation is considered by the full House. GPB's Sarah Kallis has more.

Sarah Kallis: Lawmakers paid emotional tribute to Smith in the House chamber. He served in the House for nearly two decades. Gov. Brian Kemp told House members he remembers Smith as a strong leader and a friend.

Brian Kemp: When he was your friend, you knew it. There were times when he was standing with me, when others were not, but that didn't bother him. He just did what he thought was right. And I know he did the same thing serving as committee chairman and as the rules chairman.

Sarah Kallis: Smith was 78 and passed away following a battle with the flu. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kallis at the state Capitol.

Story 5:

Peter Biello: A panel of state senators overwhelmingly approved a bill today to legalize sports betting in Georgia. The Economic Development and Tourism Committee advanced the measure 8 to 2. Nick Fernandez of the Metro Atlanta Chamber spoke to the committee, saying the bill would boost education.

Nick Fernandez: We believe this additional $100 million can go towards additional opportunities, whether it be pre-K, college completion grants, HOPE grants or other opportunities that this legislature comes up with for the higher education.

Peter Biello: But spokesmen for several faith based organizations, including Mike Griffin of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, warned the committee of socioeconomic consequences.

Mike Griffin: Gambling is basically legalized fraud because gambling is gambling. The thing is, you can't win.

Peter Biello: The bill has bipartisan backers who hope this could be the year sports betting is passed, after several years of failed efforts. The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee.

Story 6:

Peter Biello: Authorities in Atlanta's Fulton County are investigating what they're calling a cyber attack that shut down some county services starting on Sunday. Public libraries, property tax transactions, some court functions and government phones were among the services slowed or interrupted. County chairman Rob Pitts said he didn't know when the services would be restored.

Rob Pitts: At this time, we are not aware of any transfer of sensitive information about citizens or employees, but we will continue to look carefully at this issue.

Peter Biello: Cyber attackers targeted the cities of Atlanta and Savannah in 2018 and Augusta-Richmond County last year as reports of cybercrime grow worldwide. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the global annual cost of cybercrime is predicted to reach nearly $10 trillion this year.

Story 7:

Peter Biello: The Georgia Ports Authority says it handled a record number of automobiles on its docks last year. The agency said today more than 775,000 autos and heavy machinery units moved through the Port of Brunswick in 2023. That is an increase of more than 15% over the previous year. The Ports Authority is investing heavily to expand Brunswick's booming auto business. Agency CEO Griff Lynch says he wants Brunswick to pass Baltimore as the top U.S. port for automobiles by 2026.

Story 8:

Peter Biello: Tenants will begin moving into Atlanta's first rapid housing community this week, marking a milestone in the city's efforts to combat homelessness. Named The Melody, the project just south of downtown Atlanta stands on what was a city-owned parking lot near the Garnet Marta station. It includes 40 micro-units made from converted shipping containers, with 32 units being ADA compliant. Each unit includes a bed, bathroom, and kitchenette. Completed in a record-breaking four months, the $5 million project is the first of many the city is planning, as part of its rapid housing initiative, to build 500 low-cost micro-units on city owned land by the end of 2025. The first 22 residents will begin moving in Feb. 1.

Credit: Courtesy of Joe McTyre

Story 9:

Peter Biello: When celebrated American novelist and short story writer Flannery O'Connor died at the age of 39 in 1964, she left behind an unfinished third novel titled Why Do the Heathen Rage? Scholarly experts uncovered and studied the material, deeming it unpublishable, and it stayed that way for 40 years — until now. For the past 10-plus years, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson has explored the 378 pages of typed and handwritten material of the novel, transcribing pages, organizing them into scenes, and compiling everything to provide a glimpse into what Flannery O'Connor might have planned to publish. Wilson's behind-the-scenes look at this unfinished work by O'Connor is the latest subject of the Georgia Public Broadcasting podcast called Narrative Edge. Narrative Edge is hosted by Orlando Montoya and me, Peter Biello. Join us as we explore, along with author Jessica Hooten Wilson, the lessons and the what might have been of Why Do the Heathen Rage? Find Narrative Edge online at GPB.org/NarrativeEdge, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

And that is it for this edition of Georgia Today. If you want to learn more about any of these stories, visit our website GPB.org/news. And if you haven't yet, hit subscribe on this podcast. Take a moment and do it now. We'll be back in your podcast feed tomorrow. And as always, if you've got some feedback for us, we would love to hear it. Email us. The address is GeorgiaToday@GPB.org. I'm Peter Biello. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

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For more on these stories and more, go to GPB.org/news