Georgia Man At Center Of Supreme Court Hearing On LGBT Rights

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a potential landmark case that could decide whether lesbian, gay, and transgender people are protected under the federal discrimination law.

“It has the potential of ensuring and affirming that LGBT people are protected against employment discrimination under the current federal provisions of sex discrimination,” Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, said.

At the center of the consolidated cases is a Clayton County man, Gerald Bostock. In Bostock v. Clayton County, Bostock claims he was fired from his job after his employer found out he was gay.

Read more from GPB's Ross Terrell here.

Democratic presidential candidates at a Democratic presidential primary debate in Houston. The DNC announced Georgia will host a debate on Nov. 20. DAVID J. PHILLIP / AP

DNC Announces Georgia Will Host November Presidential Debate

The road to the Democratic presidential nomination will run through Georgia, as the state will host the next primary debate on Nov. 20.

While the exact location, panelists and final list of qualified candidates is not yet known, the Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday that MSNBC and The Washington Post will co-host the debate. 

State party leaders said the decision to bring White House hopefuls to Georgia signals the prominent role the state will have in the 2020 elections. 

Read more from GPB's Robert Jimison and Stephen Fowler here.

The Georgia Department of Public Health issued a health advisory about vaping and e-cigarette use Wednesday, Oct. 9, after the state confirmed a second person has died. TONY DEJAK / AP

Kemp, Health Department Issue Advisory After 2nd Vaping-Related Death In Georgia

The Georgia Department of Public Health has issued a health advisory following the death of a second person here in Georgia connected to vaping and the use of e-cigarettes. That person had a history of nicotine vaping and DPH does not yet know whether other substances were used.

The Georgia Department of Public Health has issued a health advisory following the death of a second person here in Georgia connected to vaping and the use of e-cigarettes. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports.

The advisory issued Wednesday serves to notify residents about the potential hazards of vaping, especially among adolescent and young users.

Gov. Brian Kemp said the safety of Georgians is his top priority.

"We are asking convenience stores, vape shops, and leaders in communities throughout Georgia to join us in raising awareness,” Kemp said in the news release about the advisory.

Read more from GPB's Ellen Eldridge here.

A full-size bronze statue of Eugene J. Bullard was unveiled on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the Air Force Museum of Aviation on the Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia. Bullard, a Georgia native, fought in the French Armed Forces during World War I.

World's First Black Fighter Pilot Honored At Robins Air Force Base

Jim Crow laws were in full swing when Eugene Bullard was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1895. His dad was a former slave and his mom, a Creek Indian.

The racial tensions at the time were so overwhelming that he ran away from home as a child and stowed away on a boat to Europe at the age of 16.

He first arrived in Scotland before moving to France. During that time, he’d become a street performer, a dock worker, work on a fish wagon and even become a prize-fighting boxer. 

Three years later, World War I broke out and Bullard joined the French Armed Forces at the age of 19, becoming the first African American pilot to ever fly in combat. 

Read more from GPB's Ross Terrell and Kaley Lefevre here.

For these stories and more visit GPBNews.org.