The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Atlanta, demanded that Fulton County turn over “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, and corresponding envelope digital files,” from the 2020 election. It also accuses Fulton County Clerk Ché Alexander of violating federal laws for refusing to relinquish the records.

In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the records were needed to protect U.S. citizens from “vote dilution.”

Trump has long claimed — without evidence — that the 2020 election was stolen in Georgia and other swing states, blaming his loss on unfounded accusations of rampant voting fraud, even though two recounts affirmed former President Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia. In an interview with POLITICO published earlier this week, Trump claimed that in the next few months, evidence would emerge to prove that 2020 was “a rigged election.”

Dhillon first requested Fulton County’s 2020 election records in October, following a subpoena over the same records issued by the State Election Board in 2024. In a letter to the Fulton County Board of Election, she argued that the records were needed to “ascertain Georgia’s compliance” with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

However, Alexander denied Dhillon’s request, according to the lawsuit, stating that the records were under seal and could not be released without a court order. Alexander did not immediately reply to a request for comment Friday.

Max Flugrath, communications director at the voting rights organization Fair Fight, said the Justice Department is “recycling conspiracy theories that’ve been disproven in court, in audits, and by independent experts.”

“They’re abusing federal power to manufacture a reason to restrict ballot access in 2026 and beyond,” he added.

The Justice Department also filed lawsuits against Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada on Friday to compel the states to turn over their voter registration lists.

The Justice Department has requested voter data from 40 states and filed lawsuits against 18 states that refused to provide the records, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, which is tracking the requests. Officials told Stateline that the records will be shared with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in an effort to locate noncitizens on the voting rolls.

The post Trump’s Justice Department sues Fulton County to force release of 2020 ballot documents appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Local activist and musician Samuel Tunick was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI as part of what advocates call a wave of repression against political dissent across the U.S.

On Dec. 2, Tunick was arrested after being pulled over in Atlanta and asked to step out of the car to observe an issue with a taillight on his car. According to advocates for Tunick, he was then suddenly handcuffed and surrounded by the FBI and DHS.

Tunick was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at an airport while returning from an international trip in January and federal agents attempted to coerce him into providing full access to his phone. Information has not been shared publicly or with Rough Draft as to the specific airport in which Tunick was detained; updates will come as they are available.

During his first court appearance on Dec. 4 after one night in jail, Tunick was informed that he had been indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 13, following his detainment in January. The charge was for one count of destruction of evidence for allegedly destroying evidence on his phone, though the prosecution allegedly did not clarify what evidence they were looking for. The warrant for Tunick’s arrest was also issued on Nov. 13.

Tunick was a protestor with the Stop Cop City movement against the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a $118 million 85-acre police training facility in the South River Forest. Kamau Franklin, the director of Community Movement Builders, called the arrest “totally baseless” and evidence of the Trump administration’s scapegoating of legitimate protestors.

“The Trump administration is using political prosecution to distract from the growing unpopularity in the polls, defections within the GOP, and a persistent high cost of living,” he said.

“The ongoing harassment of local activists reflects the state’s struggle to convict Stop Cop City protestors,” local activist Evan Grace said in a statement. “Tunick’s situation reveals the apparent desperation and technical inadequacy of the FBI, perceived by many as a tool of the far-right agenda. This prosecution poses a significant threat not just to Tunick, but to the broader rights of individuals to use digital security tools essential for safeguarding democratic freedoms.”

In September 2023, 61 Stop Cop City activists were charged with coordination of violence, intimidation, and property destruction. These Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charges were dismissed in September of this year by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer, who said they could not proceed because the proper authorization steps were not followed. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office called the protestors in a statement “domestic terrorists and violent criminals.”  

The case has been referred to by experts as the largest racketeering prosecution ever brought against protestors in U.S. history. Atlanta’s police training center opened earlier this year after years of protests, delays, and the death of a protestor by police.

As a condition of his bond, Tunick will be subjected to random visits from a parole officer and regular drug tests. A GiveSendGo account has been set up to help Tunick pay legal bills.

Related stories:
• Community calls for police accountability after fatal shooting of Linton Blackwell
• Trans woman still waiting for answers in DeKalb County library police incident

Editor’s note: Language surrounding Tunick’s indictment has been edited to clarify that he was indicted on Nov. 13, not Dec. 4.

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At issue are tax credits that lowered the cost of ACA plans that are set to expire Dec. 31. The credits were enacted as part of a Covid relief package in 2021. Unless Congress takes action to extend the credits, premiums for Georgians will, on average, more than double, a recent Georgia Health Initiative analysis found.

The enrollment deadline is Monday, Dec. 15, for coverage to begin Jan. 1.

The GHI analysis predicts that the higher costs would prompt about 340,000 of the 1.5 million Georgians who are enrolled in the ACA to go without insurance next year. The analysis is based on data showing how many people enrolled after the premium tax credits took effect.

Congress is set to recess for the holidays next week. On Thursday, a Democratic proposal to extend the subsidies and a Republican proposal to provide enrollees with additional funds for health care costs instead both failed on 51-48 votes in the U.S. Senate.

The exact amount of the rate increases will vary based on several factors, but on average, premiums in Georgia will more than double, from an average of $69 per month this year to $148 per month in 2026, according to the GHI report.

Many will likely “buy down” to lower-coverage plans that may have lower premiums, but higher out-of-pocket costs, the analysis said.

How will higher costs impact health care in Georgia?

People who make more than 400% of the poverty level (about $62,600 for a single person, or $128,600 for a family of four) will see the biggest increases if Congress doesn’t act, said Louise Norris, health policy analyst for Healthinsurance.org.

“All of a sudden they’re faced with full-price premiums, which are really high, depending on how old you are, and where you live,” Norris said. People making less than 400% of the federal poverty level will also see increases, she said.

Many people will opt to go without insurance, which will increase health care costs across the board, Norris said.

Employer-sponsored plans and Medicare plans have also set higher premiums for next year.

“When you increase the uninsured rate, you do drive up costs for everyone who still has insurance,” Norris said.

Anna Adams, senior vice president of government relations at the Georgia Hospital Association, said, “Hospitals will continue to provide high-quality care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, but the loss of coverage for many of those patients will have a substantial impact on hospitals’ ability to stretch already scarce resources.”

Many patients without insurance will turn to emergency room care, Norris said, for which they won’t be able to pay. That will cause hospitals to raise rates, which will drive up premiums for everyone.

Who is eligible for Affordable Care Act insurance and where to find plans in Ga.

U.S. citizens, nationals, or lawfully present immigrants who are not incarcerated can enroll in the plans. About 1.5 million Georgians, or around 13% of the population, currently use the plans.

Most of those enrolled do not have access to insurance through their employers.

To compare plans and enroll, visit GeorgiaAccess.gov. In the past, Georgians purchased their insurance through a federal website called the Marketplace. The state established its own portal last year.

What happens if Congress doesn’t extend the tax credits by the Monday deadline?

The rates listed on GeorgiaAccess are the rates that will take effect if Congress does not act, Norris said. She advises selecting a plan by Monday’s deadline.

“You can base your decision on those numbers. Pick a plan, but then don’t just tune out completely. Make sure you still keep an ear to whether or not anything is changing,” she said.

Congress could still renew the subsidies or agree to another plan to lower costs even after the deadline, retroactively.

What happens if you miss the Monday deadline to enroll?

Those who have health insurance through Georgia Access will be re-enrolled in the same plan or the most similar plan available for next year.

Aetna will not be offering ACA insurance in 2026, so those customers will be shifted to another company, said Bryce Rawson, a spokesperson for the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire.

Those who don’t already have health insurance and miss the Monday deadline can enroll until Jan. 15. But coverage wouldn’t start until Feb. 1.

What options are available for those who cannot afford health insurance?

Here are some resources available in Georgia for uninsured people.

• Many charity and low-cost clinics across the state operate on a sliding scale for low-income and uninsured people. Here are some directories to help find one near you.
• For DeKalb and Fulton residents, Grady Health offers financial assistance, often called a “Grady card,” for inpatient and outpatient care. For residents of other counties, Grady provides financial assistance for emergency services.
• Contact your health system or doctor and explain the situation. Hospitals are often able to write off debt, provide lower bills, or set up a payment plan. Just ask.
• Make sure you are being charged the lower “self-pay” rate rather than the insurance rate.
• Local public health departments offer an array of low-cost services, including vaccinations, many routine screenings like mammograms, and sexually transmitted infection prevention and treatment services.
• Eligibility for Medicaid varies. Typically, people who are eligible for the ACA are not eligible for Medicaid. Those who are eligible include:
• Children from low-income families
• Adults 19-64 with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level ($15,650) who work, volunteer, study, caregive or complete another qualifying activity for 80 hours per month.
• People with certain medical conditions or who are aged, blind, or disabled.
• Pregnant and post-partum women with low incomes.
• Parents of children under age 19 who earn very low incomes

Healthbeat is a nonprofit newsroom covering public health published by Civic News Company and KFF Health News. Sign up for their newsletters here.

The post Many Georgians could see ACA insurance rates double with no tax credit extension appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

State senators on the special committee studying the impacts of social media and artificial intelligence on children said they will file bipartisan legislation to regulate tech use in schools. 

Senators on the committee said they will recommend extending the state’s cellphone ban to high school students, limiting the use of AI in schools to administrative tasks only, and strengthening recess and learning through play recommendations. 

State Sen. Ed Setzler said the regulations would help parents.

“The best we have among us feel powerless in the face of the conditions that exist today in our culture,” he said. “To do nothing about that, to turn a blind eye to that, is to be derelict in our duties.”

State Sen. Sally Harrell, the co-chair of the committee, said that legislation will also include regulations around technology that makes video games addictive. 

“They’re fighting a losing battle because what these the products these children are using are so incredibly addictive that if you try to intervene as a parent it causes all kinds of issues between the child parent relationship that can get quite painful,” she said. 

Senators also discussed privacy laws around social media and AI. They’re recommending legislation to minimize how technology companies can use minors’ data, and prohibit them from using minors’ geolocation data. 

Regulating AI chat bots was another top priority, senators said. They plan to recommend that minors be unable to access chatbots, and they want stronger privacy laws about using someone’s likeness in an AI chatbot. 

Committee members also discussed an idea that would link children’s phones with their parents’ phones, requiring the child to get parental approval before opening an app. 

Senators can introduce the legislation in January at the start of the legislative session.

The post State lawmakers plan for bipartisan legislation to regulate cellphone, technology use in schools appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

The commission is set to discuss a request from Georgia Power to increase the state’s energy capacity by nearly 10,000 megawatts, equal to about five Hoover Dams, to meet an expected spike in demand because of new energy-hungry data center growth. Staff initially recommended approving only about one-third of the utility’s request and granting conditional approval to another third but changed their recommendation to agree with Georgia Power to move forward with the full request.

Several people disrupted the start of proceedings with chants of “Rein in Georgia Power” and “Power to the people, not Georgia Power,” and were escorted out. According to law enforcement, no one was arrested, and some people were allowed to return to the hearing.

Georgia Power spokesperson Matthew Kent said in a statement that the company welcomes “all public comment during this important process, but these public hearings are in professional settings that require an amount of decorum.”

In exchange for allowing Georgia Power’s energy buildout of at least $16 billion, with 90% of it intended to power data center growth, Georgia Power promised to lower power bills by about $100 a year in its subsequent rate case proceedings. Because Georgia Power and the commission agreed to a three-year rate freeze, the promised savings wouldn’t be considered by the commission until after 2028.

“This plan means more money stays in your pocket while we power Georgia’s future,” said Georgia Power’s head, Kim Greene, in a statement.

But environmental organizations involved in the proceedings weren’t convinced about Georgia Power’s promise that the deal would lead to “downward pressure” on customers’ power bills. Jennifer Whitfield, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, said during lunch break that there is no guarantee the decrease will ever materialize, and it was unclear what the customer got out of the deal.

“It doesn’t mean that in 2029 residential customers will see their bills go down. What it means is that when they do all the various accounting, they promise that if we have a rate case — which we may not — that this class of customers will put downward pressure on the costs otherwise attributed to residential customers, which is just a really long, complicated way of saying, ‘we don’t know what’s going to happen,’” Whitfield said.

At the start of the hearing, Whitfield asked commissioners for additional time to review the agreement, saying they had not had enough time because they became aware of it on their commute to the hearing. PSC Chair Jason Shaw said that, because of the public hearings, lawyers for the advocacy organizations had the morning to review the agreement and could leave the room if they wished.

“There’ll be some more time there. We will probably not even get to the hearing until after lunch,” Shaw said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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