(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson will face off in a one-hour town hall-style gubernatorial debate hosted by Atlanta’s WANF at 8:00 tonight and broadcast statewide on Gray Television states and streamed online. The format calls for members of the audience to ask questions of the candidates. Then, Thursday night, the same stations will air the first debate between senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rick Jackson.
*Meantime, state election officials are examining whether artificial intelligence could make it easier to identify how individual voters cast their ballots. The Guardian reports a Princeton University researcher found that publicly available election records and AI tools could potentially be combined to link voters to specific ballots. State officials say steps are already being taken to restrict access to key identifying data ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
*Rural Georgia healthcare providers are reaching a breaking point as thousands of residents lose their health coverage. At Open Arms Clinic in Toccoa, free medical care for low-income residents is becoming a critical lifeline as patient numbers double. Executive Director Sherry Beavers says the expiration of enhanced Obamacare subsidies has left many locals with nowhere else to turn. According to the AJC, safety-net clinics and rural hospitals across the state are absorbing millions in uncompensated care as former policyholders drop coverage due to rising costs. Officials warn the current model isn’t sustainable. Healthcare providers now face tough choices about service cuts as they struggle to keep their doors open.
*A temporary curfew is being enacted in Vienna following last weekend’s mass shooting. Mayor Eddie Daniels signed an emergency declaration that sets curfew for Sunday to Thursday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., while Friday and Saturday overnights switch to midnight to 6 a.m.
*Some Georgia Power customers are being warned about a cyberattack. The company says a third-party recently accessed personal information for around 300,000 customers, including addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. Affected customers will receive free credit monitoring services. The unauthorized access has since been stopped.