(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*The state Department of Human Services (DHS) is dealing with the suspension or elimination of several programs that address foster care. Agency staff said earlier this month that there’d be a pause on assessments, training and education programs due to the federal shutdown, which ended two-weeks ago. Other programs were slashed completely. DHS is already expecting a deficit of more than 85-million-dollars in fiscal year 2026.
*Members of Georgia’s self-described “dysfunctional” State Election Board hired their former executive director’s wife amid intense infighting, according to internal emails obtained by the AJC. The board hired Hope Coan as their paralegal earlier this year despite her having no prior legal experience.
*Georgians may soon be able to use a digital driver’s license to prove their age when purchasing alcohol or tobacco. Reports show retailers have the option to accept these mobile IDs, which can be scanned at checkout instead of a physical card. While some stores, like Topline Spirits in Macon, say they still prefer traditional ID scanning, the convenience of digital IDs is being considered. Susan Sports, public information officer with the Georgia Department of Driver Services, tells 13WMAZ setting up a mobile ID is similar to adding a credit card to a digital wallet, and the agency claims there are security benefits with this new system.