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Georgia Today: Ga. Guidestones demolished, spaceport bets, gun company CEO called to testify
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It's Friday, July 8, 2022, and you've arrived at the digital version of Georgia Today, a twice-weekly newsletter featuring original stories from GPB News reporters and the latest headlines from around the state. See the digest below.
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Georgia Guidestones bombed, demolished
A rural Georgia monument that some conservative Christians have criticized as satanic was bombed before dawn on Wednesday, damaging one of four granite panels that some people dubbed "America's Stonehenge."
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the Georgia Guidestones monument near Elberton was damaged by an explosive device. The GBI released surveillance video from Wednesday morning’s explosion that destroyed the roadside attraction.
For safety reasons, the structure was completely demolished later that day.
Congressional committee calls CEO of Ga. gun company to testify
After yet another mass shooting over the holiday weekend, Georgia gun maker Daniel Defense has been requested to testify in front of a congressional committee later this month.
AT ISSUE: Lawmakers in May ramped up a probe into the use of military-styled semi-automatic rifles that have become commonplace in mass shootings and how gun makers manufacture and advertise the firearms.
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“I am deeply troubled that gun manufacturers continue to profit from the sale of weapons of war, including AR-15-style assault rifles,” wrote Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat.
Sen. Lindsey Graham to fight subpoena
Attorneys representing Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Wednesday he intends to challenge a subpoena compelling him to testify before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies' actions after the 2020 election.
Graham was one of a handful of Trump confidants and lawyers named Tuesday in petitions filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of her investigation into what she alleges was "a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere."
Despite failure to launch, Camden officials keep placing spaceport bets
Camden County officials continue to hold out hope they will be able to purchase the Union Carbide Corp. property as they meet with potential investors for their long-stalled spaceport project.
The planned launch facility’s fate could be determined when ongoing legal battles are settled, but that doesn’t mean the county’s negotiations for the spaceport are on hold.
Multiple times during the confidential real estate negotiations between Camden officials and the industrial company, the county has triggered costly extensions on the site of a proposed rocket launch facility for the coastal Georgia region.
Ga. census shows how state changed from 2020-2021
Georgia’s population increased between July 2020 and July 2021, according to annual data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The state’s 2021 population was roughly 10.8 million, an increase of almost 74,000 residents, or about 0.7%, over 2020.
In Jefferson, it was the 25-to-64 age group that saw the largest increase, Kristie Wilder, demographer in the Census Bureau’s population division, said. Among other small cities, Statesboro, St. Mary’s, Cornelia, and Cedartown all picked up more than a 1% population increase. Americus and Bainbridge saw a 1% decrease for both cities.
The latest data also shows that the nation is increasingly diverse, and the Georgia data on race and ethnicity reflects that, said Wilder.
Carters add another year to milestone anniversaries
At 97, former President Jimmy Carter is the longest-lived president in American history, and former first lady Rosalynn turns 95 next month. In 2019, the pair became the longest-married couple in presidential history when they bested the late George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, who were married for 73 years.
Today's rare 76th wedding anniversary adds another milestone to the Carters' achievements, which also include being the governor and first lady of Georgia, stewards of the Carter Center and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.
Tonight, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter will celebrate at home in Plains, said Carter Center spokesperson Rennie Sloan. The Center's Board Chair, Jason Carter, will throw the first pitch in honor of his grandparents as the Braves take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Truist Park.
Headlines around the state
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GPB News: Fulton County judge denies Georgia Lt. Gov., lawmaker's request to avoid Trump grand jury
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Decaturish: DeKalb County commissioners disagree about location of convention center
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WSB-TV: Ga. man jumps into alligator-infested pond to escape arrest
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Savannah Now: Decades of unchecked growth, backlash put Port Wentworth on the brink
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The Technique: Georgia Tech Quiz Bowl team honors former coach with national title
Listen now
Check out Battleground: Ballot Box, GPB's biweekly podcast on all things elections as Georgia continues to be central in American politics.
This episode, host Stephen Fowler takes a look at at the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to undo precedent around abortion — upending Georgia politics in the process.
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