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Latest News
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Metro Atlanta housing top-heavy, not enough priced for first-timers
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Want a raise? Be a white man — Report finds people of color less likely to receive...
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Delta making fixes in response to some glitches in new employee uniforms
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9 ways to make the most of your ride on the Atlanta Streetcar
From the wires
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain found dead in France at 61
The Latest: Trump says Russia should be allowed in G-7
Trade tremors: How Trump's tariffs have stirred up markets
The Latest: Trump says Democrats' advice on NKorea unneeded
AP names Steven Sloan as news editor overseeing politics
Two top officials of MiMedx out; Marietta company revising financials
Marietta-based MiMedx this morning announced that it must revise years’ worth of financial statements, following an audit committee investigation. The biopharma company, run by Peter Petit, one of Georgia’s most successful and politically connected businessmen, also announced the abrupt departures of two top officials: its chief financial officer and its controller/treasurer. The company&rsquo...
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson introduces bill to create grants for minorities in aviation
U.S. Rep Hank Johnson has introduced a bill to create grants for minorities in aviation. If approved, the grant program would be administered by the Federal Aviation Administration and named for Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to get a pilot’s license. The grants would be used to increase exposure and access to aviation-related education and jobs through internships...
Kempner: Little-known Georgia CEOs paid like movie stars, athletes
Frank Bisignano and Ronald Clarke were paid last year as if they were A-list actors or among the best pro athletes in the world. They are neither. Bisignano and Clarke are chief executives of decent-sized Georgia public companies. Not the very biggest Georgia companies, mind you. Not ones most people would recognize. Yet last year, Bisignano was received about as much as the combined compensation...
Why it’s harder to get a Chick-Fil-A franchise than it is to get in to Harvard
Three months into his new role as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt wanted to help his wife find a job, too. At Chick-Fil-A. And so, as the Washington Post reported on Tuesday, Pruitt used his government position and the help of an agency aide to arrange a call, at first with the company's chief executive, and ultimately with someone from its legal department, to discuss his...
Groups fear Eastside Atlanta development incentive could go elsewhere
Some Atlanta City Councilmembers and residents of the Sweet Auburn neighborhood are questioning a proposal to shut down a taxpayer-funded redevelopment program for the city’s Eastside, saying the work to revitalize the community and provide affordable housing isn’t finished. And some residents say they fear the city plans to end the program to provide the incentives elsewhere, including...
In some states, debate over payday lending unfolds in the black church
The Rev. Frederick Newbill is not the typical face of the payday lending industry. Recruited by Florida's largest small-dollar lender, Amscot, the senior pastor at First Timothy Baptist Church in Jacksonville was among several faith leaders to visit the state's capital this year to lobby for a bill loosening payday regulations. The group helped secure a victory for an industry known for...
.jpg "A record 30 guns were caught at Hartsfield-Jackson checkpoints last month")
A record 30 guns were caught at Hartsfield-Jackson checkpoints last month
A record 30 guns were caught at security checkpoints at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in May, the most ever for an airport in a single month, according to the Transportation Security Administration. While Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport for total passengers, it does not have the most passengers going through security checkpoints. That’s because the majority of passengers...
Delta, UPS, Coke tackle human trafficking issue
Some of Atlanta’s biggest companies are using different approaches to tackle the issue of human trafficking, from Delta Air Lines training flight attendants and others to recognize signs of trafficking to UPS training its drivers and Coca-Cola looking deep into its supply chain for labor issues. At Atlanta-based Delta, 54,000 employees have done online training on how to be alert to ...
Southern Company receives award for hurricane Maria efforts
Southern Company has won an award for its contribution to restoration efforts in Puerto Rico, following the devastation caused to the island by hurricane Maria last year. Edison Electric Institute, an association that represents U.S investor owned electric companies, presented the utility company with the 2018 Emergency Assistance Award for Puerto Rico Power Restoration. The company was among 60 other...
Small Business Administration chief aiming for more growth
Years ago, when she was running for a Senate seat in Connecticut, Linda McMahon said it would be a good idea to fold the Small Business Administration into the Commerce Department. An advocate for smaller government, McMahon said her goal was to eliminate ineffective and duplicative programs. Since that unsuccessful bid for office, the North Carolina native has not only changed her thinking on the...
Georgia May jobs numbers up, as state gears for summer hiring season
Georgia is expecting a robust hiring season for seasonal and temporary jobs as the state gears for summer hiring. Against the backdrop of strong nationwide jobs numbers, the state continues to see unemployment numbers fall as job opportunities open for both local and out-of-state talent. In May, Metro Atlanta added 40,000 new jobs, and the numbers are expected to go up as the hospitality and tourism...
Teamsters union ratchets up pressure in UPS contract negotiations
The Teamsters union at UPS has voted to authorize a strike if necessary, a negotiating tactic that’s aimed at ratcheting up the pressure in contract negotiations but does not signal a strike is imminent. The current agreements for the Teamsters at UPS last through July 31. The massive collective bargaining agreements cover roughly 260,000 workers at UPS, including drivers...
Scott Pruitt enlisted an EPA aide to help his wife find a job — with Chick-fil-A
Three months after Scott Pruitt was sworn in as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, his executive scheduler emailed Dan Cathy, chairman and president of the fast food company Chick-fil-A, with an unusual request: Would Cathy meet with Pruitt to discuss “a potential business opportunity”? A call was arranged, then canceled, and Pruitt eventually spoke with someone from the company&rsquo...
Georgia economy ranked ninth best
Georgia’s economy ranks as the ninth best among the states, according to the Washington, D.C.-based WalletHub. The state has strengths – especially in areas like growth and wealth. But Georgia also has some weaknesses, in the prevalence of poverty and the number of people don’t have high school diplomas. WalletHub offers personal finance advice online, but also moonlights...
5 of the lowest-earning jobs that require an advanced degree
It's sort of like one of those social media photo series that asks, "So, you think you had a bad day at work?" and goes on to show images of people who feed alligators and smell armpits for a paycheck. Any reasonable recent graduate might wonder if college is worth it, given the jobs that are available for their degree and the student debt piling up for millennials and ...
Hartsfield-Jackson installing translucent canopy covering
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has begun installing the translucent covering in the massive canopy it is building over the Terminal North curbside. The price tag for the canopies and other terminal improvements is $265 million, which is $102.5 million more than originally expected. It took eight months for the Atlanta airport to build the steel structure for the canopy. The translucent...
Georgia prepares as NOAA predicts a less active hurricane season
Scientists and weather forecasters are expecting a less intense hurricane season compared to last year’s historically destructive and costly storms. The official NOAA forecast for the hurricane season is for a slightly above average season across the Atlantic basin (which includes the Gulf, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic.) According to a report released last month by the National Oceanic...
For fleeing Californians, Atlanta is a top destination
Here’s how Atlanta got on a footloose Californians’ radar: low housing prices, lots of hiring and warm weather most of the year. Metro Atlanta is the eighth most-sought destination for those in the Golden State thinking of leaving and looking into the home markets across the country for alternatives. “The combination of strong job growth in Atlanta and a more favorable...
Hartsfield-Jackson luggage cart contract pressured by industry shifts
A struggling contract for luggage carts at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the latest example of a shrinking line of business due to technological advancements and shifting consumer patterns. In this case, it’s wheels on luggage and airline baggage fees prompting travelers to pack lighter that are causing consternation for Smarte Carte, the airport’s current contractor...
Clean energy jobs on the rise in Georgia, a new Energy report says
Clean energy jobs in Georgia are on the rise, surviving a slight drawback experienced in the solar industry last year following the imposition of tariffs on solar imports. An analysis of a newly published U.S. Energy and Employment report shows that Georgia had 76,533 clean energy jobs in 2017, representing a 2.21% increase compared to 2016. Nationally, 3.2 million people were employed...
Delta passenger charged after in-flight disturbance
A Delta Air Lines passenger is charged with interfering with a flight crew after an in-flight disruption that caused a flight to divert to Tulsa. The passenger, 29-year-old Bolutife Olusegun Olorunda, who lives in Vancouver, Wash., “allegedly ignored direction from a flight attendant, and the Captain determined it was necessary to divert” to Tulsa, according to the U.S. Attorney&rsquo...
Tech arm of insurance company Assurant adding 300 jobs in Gwinnett
A $6 billion-a-year insurance company plans to hire about 300 workers in Gwinnett, part of the company’s efforts to bulk up its technical wing. Assurant Inc., which currently has more than 2,000 employees in metro Atlanta, on Wednesday officially opened a tech support center in Duluth, a facility which will expand in the next few years from its current 35-person staffing, according to Michael...
Korean solar company to build 500 worker plant in Dalton
A South Korean company will create more than 500 jobs and invest $150 million in a new solar module manufacturing facility near Dalton. The company, Hanwha Q CELLS Korea, will make “high-performance and high-quality photovoltaic modules” starting in 2019, according to the office of Gov. Nathan Deal, which announced the commitment Wednesday. The company is expected to start construction...
Hartsfield-Jackson bank deal with SunTrust advances
An Atlanta City Council committee voted in favor of a contract for SunTrust Bank to open a branch and ATMs at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, replacing Wells Fargo. The council’s transportation committee voted for the deal Wednesday over the objections of the airport’s advertising contractor Clear Channel, which wanted to offer free ATMs subsidized by advertising. But...
Delta to end New York-Havana flights
Delta Air Lines will discontinue flights from New York to Havana, Cuba effective Sept. 1. The Atlanta-based airline in December 2016 launched fights to Havana from Atlanta, Miami and New York. In February 2018, Delta drew down the New York-Havana route to once a week from daily. Meanwhile, it plans to add a second daily flight from Miami to Havana. The Atlanta-Havana...
Atlanta gas prices at four-year-high, but poised to drop
Gas prices in metro Atlanta have been hovering at their highest level in nearly four years, but motorists can expect some relief at the pump soon. A gallon of regular in the region averaged $2.90 on Wednesday, 64 cents-a-gallon higher than a year ago, according to Atlanta Gas Prices, a subsidiary of Gas Buddy. “Atlanta gas prices will be falling most of this week at most stations,&rdquo...
Delta flight diverted due to disruptive passenger
A Delta Air Lines flight from Portland to Atlanta was diverted to Tulsa due to a disruptive passenger Wednesday morning. The flight diverted at around 11:30 a.m. because of “a reported disturbance aboard the aircraft with a passenger,” according to Tulsa airport spokeswoman Alexis Higgins. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Trent Shores, issued a statement...
Delta No. 2 in category for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power study
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines ranks second in its category in an annual J.D. Power study on airline customer satisfaction. Overall, customer satisfaction has improved due to newer planes and overhead storage compartments and cheaper fares, according to J.D. Power. Satisfaction has improved with everything from booking to baggage handling. But passengers are still frustrated with in-flight wi-fi...
Kempner: Shiny, fast, loud at mall … and baffling for tomorrow’s teens?
Sitting in Atlanta traffic is like being in car prison. You get a few hours in the rec yard, but no hope for parole. Yet thousands of drivers flock the first Sunday every month to Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody — long before stores open — to spend hours ogling and conferring over the shiniest, loudest, bounciest, most elegantly restored or obscenely juiced up automobiles that money can dream...
Atlanta home prices up, with biggest increase at lower end
Fueled by a relative shortage of homes for sale, the steady rise in Atlanta real estate prices has continued, with the sharpest increases coming in lower-priced residences. Atlanta’s average home prices have risen 6.2 percent in the past year, the 11th largest increase among 20 metropolitan areas, according to the monthly report released Tuesday by the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices...
Atlanta named top U.S. city for startups outside of New York, San Francisco
San Francisco and New York may be notorious for startups galore, but Atlanta is quietly making its mark in the business sphere. » RELATED: Here are all the winners from AJC’s 2018 Top Workplaces awards According to FitSmallBusiness.com’s latest analysis, Atlanta is the top-ranked city in the nation for “fresh and exciting startups” aside from the Big Apple...
Passenger count at Hartsfield-Jackson security checkpoints sets record
The Transportation Security Administration says it screened a record 93,082 passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport security checkpoints on the Friday before Memorial Day. The previous record was 92,421 passengers screened at TSA checkpoints at the Atlanta airport on June 30, 2017. TSA said it screened a total of 320,842 passengers over the Memorial Day weekend. Some passengers...
Delta rolls out new Zac Posen-designed employee uniforms
Delta Air Lines rolled out the new uniforms that employees will wear on flights and at airports around the world with a Tuesday morning fashion show at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The new color is a dark purple shade called “Passport Plum,” a combination of the traditional blue and red of major U.S. carriers. Atlanta-based Delta has spent the last three years working...
Porsche goes hi-tech for repairs
Porsche Cars North America is launching a program that uses augmented reality technology to handle car repairs at dealerships across the country. The company is rolling out Tech Live Look, a system that connects Porsche technicians to experts through the use of smartglasses. This system may shorten the time it takes to make repairs by up to 40 percent, according to Porsche officials. “Tech Live...
Delta rolls out new employee uniforms in ‘Passport Plum’ hue
Delta Air Lines rolled out its new employee uniforms on flights and at airports around the world Tuesday with an early morning fashion show at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The uniforms are spreading a new color across Delta’s massive hub in Atlanta and on the airline’s thousands of flights around the world. Delta calls this dark purple shade ‘Passport Plum...
Delta warns of flight cancellations due to subtropical storm Alberto
Delta Air Lines is warning that it expects it will have to cancel flights due to subtropical storm Alberto. The storm is expected to make landfall just west of Panama City on Monday afternoon with heavy rain and strong wind affecting areas in Alberto’s path, according to Delta. Atlanta-based Delta said it expects delays and cancellations as the storm moves through the Gulf Coast this week. Travelers...
Ex-Googler turns mom's money into a billion dollars
After Steven Yang left his coveted job at Google, he asked his mother whether he should take venture-capital money to fund his business idea. » RELATED: Do you have the new Gmail? Google’s email gets massive redesign If his online consumer-electronics enterprise was a risky bet, she told him, go with the venture capitalists. But if building the business into something great was his...
Home Depot CEO says company investing, well-positioned
Home Depot, the largest company based in Georgia, is poised for a growth spurt, but not because it plans to open a rash of new stores. Instead, the company will build about 170 warehouses and distribution centers around the United States, including in Georgia, said Craig Menear, the company’s chief executive, during an extended interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution...
Transit likely key in Amazon’s hunt for HQ2
SEATTLE — Felix Gudino spends hours behind the wheel each day, and traffic, he said, has gotten worse in the past few years as Amazon gobbled up more and more downtown real estate. Gudino is an Uber driver, and the crush of tech workers downtown has been good for business, but a pain for fellow motorists. Vexed by some of the worst traffic in America, Seattle has a $54 billion transit expansion...
Wes Moss: What you need to remember when navigating choppy markets
I recently got a question from a listener to my radio show that I believe is relevant to just about every investor out there. For the sake of this article, we’ll call her Debbie. Debbie is retired and in her early 60s. For years, she kept a significant portion of her retirement savings in cash, waiting to put it to work when the time was right. We all know that the current return on money market...
Atlanta ranks 10th in population increase, U.S. Census Bureau reports
Among the U.S. cities with the biggest jump in population, Atlanta ranked 10th last year, according to a newly released report by the U.S. Census Bureau. The city saw an influx of 13,323 new residents between July 2016 and July 2017, translating to about 36 people moving in each day. Nationally, at the top of the list, San Antonio registered the largest population gain — with more than 24,200...
New bank law spurs both support and criticism in Georgia
Some Georgia bankers joined U.S. Sen. David Perdue in praising this week’s rollback of the Dodd-Frank law’s restrictions on banks, although consumer groups criticized the measure. The new banking law, signed by President Trump on Thursday, loosens the restraints on banks that were put in place by the Dodd-Frank law after the financial crisis of 2008. In Georgia, 85 ...
TSA travel tip: Throwing stars, Freddy Krueger glove should go in checked bag, not carry-on
The Transportation Security Administration recently shared some of the prohibited items it caught in passengers’ carry-on bags at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Here’s some of what they found: In this video, a TSA supervisor talks about the variety of tools and weapons on display from passengers’ carry-on bags, including some that are cleverly disguised: The TSA also posted...
Weak job growth in metro Atlanta last month
Metro Atlanta saw weak job growth in April, although the unemployment rate dropped as thousands of people stopped looking for work, according to a report Thursday from the state department of labor. Although April is typically a strong month for hiring, the economy added just 8,100 jobs – less than half the average growth during the previous five Aprils. It is the worst growth for the month ...
Delta plans to restart flights to Mumbai
Delta Air Lines said it plans to restart nonstop flights from the United States to Mumbai next year. Atlanta-based Delta made the announcement in the wake of U.S. agreements reached earlier this year with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said the new flights would be from Atlanta or New York. The agreements with Qatar and the U.A.E. were aimed at...
Atlanta’s HQ2 bid: Amazon’s business much more than e-commerce
There’s the part of Amazon that sells and ships books, shoes, electronics, toys and even groceries. There’s the side of Amazon that makes movies and television shows, e-readers and devices for the connected home. There’s also the Amazon business that forms a vital link in the global internet infrastructure that helps companies and governments do business. In choosing a second headquarters...
Housing crunch will grow if Atlanta lands Amazon’s HQ2
If Atlanta wins Amazon’s second headquarters, the region will get wealthier, but the demand for homes will soar and the gap between haves and have-nots will also likely surge. According to housing experts and economists, the metro area would get a flood of well-paid and mostly young professionals within a short time. In general, companies move in and out of a region and nobody really notices...
Kempner: Why Amazon might want you more than money
In Amazon’s decision about where to put its second headquarters, nothing matters more than people. Specifically, people who will help delight customers and ultimately make money. The company wants incentives from whatever community it picks for HQ2 (hopefully, Atlanta). And it cares deeply about issues, such as traffic and transit, a vibrant community, welcoming folks, costs of living,...
Why Atlanta’s shot at Amazon HQ2 is better than expected
Atlanta’s odds of luring Amazon’s second headquarters look better than I had expected before I visited the company’s Seattle hometown. It was Amazon employees — most of them rank and file, none of whom believed they had any inside knowledge — who made me think Atlanta has a real chance. And I don’t mean like in the movie “Dumb and Dumber,” where the...
Hartsfield-Jackson canopy construction moving to next phase
The final piece of steel has been placed for the construction of one of the massive curbside canopies at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. It took eight months to erect the steel structure for the canopy over the Terminal North curbside. Construction crews placed an American flag on top of the structure Tuesday evening to mark the completion of the steelwork. The next step is to install the ...
Phone scams on the rise, Georgia Power says
Reports of fraudulent activity targeting Georgia Power customers are on the rise. The company said scammers, posing as Georgia Power employees have been defrauding residential customers and businesses threatening disconnection if bill payments are not made immediately. The scammers allegedly attempt the scams in person, over the phone or online. Georgia Power warns customers to be wary of...
Paulding commissioner candidates headed to runoff as second airport issue looms large
Candidates for two seats on the Paulding County commission are headed for a runoff as a debate over a proposed second commercial airport in metro Atlanta looms large in campaigns. At issue is a plan announced in 2013 to commercialize Paulding County’s airport and attract airline flights. Lawsuits filed by the county and residents challenging the commercialization have halted the plan. But some...
Georgia economy tightly tied to global factors, says GSU forecaster
The economic trajectory of Georgia is now pretty much the same as the national track, making the state’s growth sensitive to the same big factors – especially trade and interest rates, according to a high-profile forecaster. Job growth will continue – albeit more slowly than in the past several years – but after nearly nine years of expansion, the economy could be tipped ...
NORAD military plane exercise planned over metro Atlanta Thursday
Military plane exercises planned for Thursday morning could bring some low-flying aircraft over metro Atlanta. Weather permitting, the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region plans to conduct aircraft training flights in the greater Atlanta area from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Some portions of the flights will be at about 3,500 feet “and may be visible from...
PSC races headed to November without runoffs
All three Georgia races for the Public Service Commission (PSC) will head directly to the November general election without runoffs. Incumbent Tricia Pridemore narrowly beat her Republican opponent John Hitchins to win her party nomination for the District 5 Public Service Commission race. Pridemore, who was appointed in November by Governor Nathan Deal, was in a tight race against Hitchins,...
Hartsfield-Jackson expects 1.7 million passengers over Memorial Day weekend
About 1.7 million passengers will fill the terminals and concourses at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport over the Memorial Day weekend, marking the start of the busy summer travel season. Hartsfield-Jackson International general manager Roosevelt Council said the airport is adding guest relations staff and K9 units, and opening security checkpoints early for the holiday weekend...
Equitable no more: Downtown Atlanta tower’s landmark sign to go digital
The 32-story building at 100 Peachtree Street has occupied part of Atlanta’s skyline since the 1960s. But soon, major changes are coming to the skyscraper known most recently as the Equitable Building, including removal of the insurance company’s glowing sign, a fixture in the city since 1968. On Tuesday, owner Zeller Realty Group unveiled renderings featuring a 174-foot digital sign that...
Metro Atlanta home sales crimped by record shortage of listings
Metro Atlanta’s incredible, shrinking inventory is at it again: the number of homes listed for sale continued to fall in April, according to a report issued by Re/Max of Georgia. That supply of homes on the market represented just 1.9 months of sales, compared to the six or seven months of supply that is typical in a healthy real estate market. It was also a drop of 27 percent from the inventory...
Report: This is the hottest (little-known) career in America right now
The hottest job in America may be one you've never heard of, but demand for people who can fulfill the roll is very high – as is its starting pay. If you're qualified to be a data scientist, according to Bloomberg, you may find companies fighting for your services. Andrew Gardner, a senior machine learning manager in Atlanta at Symantec Corp., an IT security firm, works to fill roles at...
Atlanta man in legal tussle with ambitious housing start-up
The real estate industry is replete with tech-savvy start-up companies aiming to disrupt a massive market, but sometimes the disruptors get disrupted. Take the case of Divvy Homes vs. Matthew Cardinale. Friday, a judge in Fulton County Superior Court will consider whether to break the contract between the company and a frustrated wannabe homeowner. The San Francisco-based company and Cardinale, 37...
Atlanta City Council approves $130 million generators for Hartsfield-Jackson
The Atlanta City Council on Monday approved $130 million for airport generators in the wake of a massive blackout in December. The generators would power the entire airport in the event of another full outage, according to officials at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Short-term financing will pay for the generators, which will ultimately be covered by airline rent payments...
Knock is one of the ambitious entries in Atlanta real estate
Knock, Inc., a venture-backed start-up, has plans to disrupt the housing market, and it has picked Atlanta as one of its first two targets. The San Francisco-based company, which actually set up shop in Atlanta more than a year ago has moved to boost its profile in recent months, working with homeowners who wants to sell their property, then buy another. The company handles transactions at a customer&rsquo...
7 of the most popular jobs for 2018 college grads
It's the ultimate accessory for that fancy diploma they just placed in your hands. Not a frame, no. How about a job to go with it? Pay attention, anxious parents, recent grads and anyone currently in the process of choosing a college major who would like to earn a healthy income post-graduation. According to LinkedIn, the 2018 college graduating class will be applying for certain jobs in record...
First job salaries for college grads up 5.2 percent from 2017
College graduates entering the job market for the first time are in for some good news. » RELATED: Atlanta among top 3 best places to start a career, study finds According to the latest numbers from payroll processor ADP, which tracks about 20 percent of the labor force, average pay for new entrants ages 24 and younger increased by 5.2 percent in March compared to their counterparts...
Delta opens pop-up lounge for middle-seat passengers in Boston
Delta Air Lines passengers stuck in the middle seat are getting special treatment at a pop-up lounge at the Boston airport Monday. Two Atlanta-based companies, Delta and Coca-Cola, are partnering to open the pop-up “Middle Seat Lounge” at Boston Logan International Airport for the day. Those with a Delta boarding pass showing a middle seat assignment can enter the lounge near...
Getting girls fired up about welding
As a high school student in Texas, Bria Sativa Aguayo walked past the all-male welding class on the way to her cosmetology class. “I never looked in. I wasn’t even curious,” she says. “It didn’t seem something that I, as a girl, would ever do.” Twenty-five years later, Aguayo, 43, is now teaching welding and pushing to get more girls interested in the high-paying...
Class action lawsuit filed against SunTrust over recent data breach
A class action lawsuit has been filed against SunTrust Bank, over the data breach that left information for 1.5 million of its customers exposed. The complaint filed at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia said the Atlanta-based company failed to secure and safeguard customers personal and highly private information, and for failing to provide timely, accurate and...
Chick-fil-A to offer $1.35 million in scholarships in Atlanta
Chick-fil-A will award $1.35 million in educational scholarships to 543 of its employees in Atlanta this year. The Atlanta-based company announced a $5.7 million increase in scholarship funds to its employees this year, bringing to $14.5 million the amount to be disbursed to employees across the nation. The funds will help approximately 5,700 employees pay for their college education. According...
Seattle’s message to Atlanta about Amazon HQ2: ‘Be prepared for growth’
SEATTLE — Travis Nguyen sees both the good and the bad with Amazon. Nguyen works in an auto repair shop in the shadow of Amazon’s Day 1 tower, where CEO Jeff Bezos keeps his office. Amazon has helped make Seattle more diverse and created tens of thousands of jobs, Nguyen said, and Washington state’s tech industry produces many times more. But with Seattle’s explosive tech boom...
5 things Atlantans need to know about Amazon’s HQ1 amid our HQ2 bid
SEATTLE - To get a sense of how big Amazon’s second headquarters will be, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution went to Seattle to see the first. The e-commerce and technology giant is massive here. The company is the largest employer in downtown Seattle, with more than 45,000 workers. The company says HQ2 will ultimately have more than 50,000 workers and grow to become an equal to the original...
HD Supply: showy building, aggressive growth
For a $5.1 billion-a-year company, HD Supply has been a little obscure, but that may be changing. So far this year, the Atlanta-based company – spun off from Home Depot – has plopped down $380 million to buy Hartford-based A.H. Harris, moved into a brand new $100 million headquarters that overlooks I-75, and is looking to add hundreds of employees. The company&rsquo...
Hartsfield-Jackson: $130 million generators will provide full backup
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the massive Atlanta airport power outage that halted travel at the world’s largest airline hub in December, Hartsfield-Jackson International plans to spend $130 million on about 20 generators. The generators will supply enough juice to power the entire airport, according to Hartsfield-Jackson officials. They say the equipment will be paid for...
Bill aims to fight sexual harassment on flights
A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., aims to fight sexual harassment on airline flights, an issue flight attendants say is common. In a survey by the Association of Flight Attendants union, 68 percent of flight attendants said they had experienced sexual harassment in their careers. More than one-third said they had experienced verbal sexual harassment and 18 percent said they...
7 tips for males who manage or mentor females
It's a sensitive time in this #MeToo era. As Peter J. Strauss described it in Forbes, "Over the past few months, there has been an important and long overdue national conversation surrounding the topics of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in the workplace." And while the movement has generated massive positive change, "some of the fallout from the ongoing discussion...
Cybersecurity a major issue for Georgia PSC candidate
Johnny White is one of the three Democratic candidates in the District 3 primary race for the Public Service Commission. In a previous story covering PSC primary races, White’s issues were not included. White, an IT professional is running his campaign around cybersecurity, protecting ratepayers data from breaches and Vogtle. He said rate payers should receive refunds for money they have paid...
Taco Mac is returning to Marietta, Woodstock soon
Like a phoenix, what were once Taco Macs in Marietta and Woodstock are being born anew. Because of new ownership, the eateries that were Morgan's Sports Grill will on May 30 rejoin the Taco Mac chain, which has nearly 30 locations. Here’s what happened, according to the chain: These two locations opened in 1998 and were run under a management agreement in which Taco Mac ran them on behalf of...
First back-to-back job loss for Georgia since 2010
After a pretty good start to the year, Georgia’s economy lost 2,800 jobs in April, according to a report Thursday from the state Department of Labor. The disappointing news follows a job loss in March. Monthly data is notoriously uneven and even two months do not make a trend, but the back-to-back monthly downers are the first in nearly eight years. So far in 2018, the state has added...
How Amazon could revolutionize downtown Atlanta’s grittiest spot
Cristian Ospina told me he really likes Castleberry Hill, his cool Atlanta neighborhood, just south of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But as he walks the few blocks to a MARTA station in adjacent south downtown Atlanta, he passes what I’ve called one of the the scraggliest, most forgotten parts of downtown, where oases of promise are surrounded by neglect. Ospina’s simple advice for newcomers...
DOT seeks public comments on emotional support animals, service animals on flights
The controversial issue of service animals on airline flights is getting attention from the federal government. The U.S. Department of Transportation is taking public comments as it considers changing regulations of service animals and emotional support animals on flights. The move comes in the wake of high-profile incidents involving animals on flights, including the mauling of a passenger...
Ga. Watchdogs seek more evidence of ex parte conversations on Vogtle
Three Georgia watchdog groups have filed a joint motion in Fulton County superior court seeking additional evidence of alleged conversations between Georgia Power and regulators at the Public Service Commission in the days leading up to the vote on the expansion of Plant Vogtle. Georgia Watch, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, and the Partnership for Southern Equity are seeking help from the...
Delta adding flights to Italy
Delta Air Lines is adding flights from Atlanta to Italy this summer. Atlanta-based Delta will operate summer seasonal flights from Atlanta to Milan and to Venice. Delta will also launch a second daily nonstop flight from Atlanta to Rome starting next week.
Georgia Power introduces incentives to aid hiring efforts at Vogtle
Georgia Power is still holding job fairs to recruit skilled workers to help in the construction of the nation’s only new nuclear plant. The utility reported earlier that Bechtel corp., the company hired to oversee construction at Plant Vogtle, was having difficulty recruiting skilled craftsmen. In a report presented to the Public Service Commission, “attracting and retaining the necessary...
Plan for SunTrust to open branch, ATMs at Hartsfield-Jackson under review
A measure that would allow SunTrust to open a bank branch in the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson International and put ATMs around the airport is on hold after a city council committee vote. The city council transportation committee questioned whether the airport should be considering a bank branch, or whether ATMs would suffice. The airport invited banks to compete for the lease...
Atlanta Gas Light customers to get $16 million in bill credits
The Public Service Commission has approved $16 million in credits to customers within the Atlanta Gas Light delivery area. The credits which will show up in customer bills in July and October stem from savings from the recent tax cuts, a statement from the PSC said. The new law lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. Residential customers will receive credits totaling $8.62 that...
SunTrust plans to open branch, ATMs at Hartsfield-Jackson
Hartsfield-Jackson International is seeking Atlanta City Council approval for SunTrust Bank to open a bank branch in the domestic terminal and put ATMs around the airport. If approved, the SunTrust branch would replace the Wells Fargo branch that closed at Hartsfield-Jackson last August. The SunTrust bank at the airport would open about 6 to 9 months after approval from the city. SunTrust would also...
Delta plans more international flights in wake of U.S.-Emirates deal
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the airline is planning to launch more international flights after the U.S. and United Arab Emirates reached a deal to resolve a long-standing dispute over airline competition. “We’re going to have the opportunity to, once again, go back into parts of the world that we’ve been run out of,” Bastian said. Delta had contended some airlines...
Atlanta’s Home Depot: higher profits in not adding stores
Home Depot opened just one store last quarter – and the lack of expansion is actually good for profits. With 2,285 retail locations, Atlanta-based Home Depot now has 90 percent of the U.S. population within 10 miles of a store, which means it does not need to spend money and resources to the costly process of finding, planning, building and staffing new outlets. “During the downturn ...
A barista refused to serve a man for 'being really racist' to a Muslim. Her bosses backed her.
Kathleen "Amina" Deady stood in front of a pastry counter in Riverside, California, holding a key fob and wearing a veil across her face. Only her eyes peeked through the veil. In Islam, it is called a niqab, though the man standing in front of Deady at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Friday had other words for it. » Muslims in America, by the numbers "Is this Halloween or something?"...
Atlanta-based Porsche has record U.S. sales in April
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. announced the company recorded an all-time sales month in April for the United States market. The German carmaker sold 5,570 vehicles, surpassing the previous all-time high of 5,555 cars recorded last November. It also marks a 0.7 percent gain over April 2017, another record month for the company. Retail sales for January through April were up 7 percent from a year...
AAA: Nearly 42 million will travel over Memorial Day
AAA said it expects more 41.5 million Americans to travel over Memorial Day weekend, up nearly 5 percent over last year. Of those, 3.1 million will travel by air, up 6.8 percent, according to the auto club. That includes more than 100,000 in Georgia who plan to fly over the holiday weekend. Memorial Day marks the start of the busy summer travel season. The vast majority of travelers over Memorial...
Hartsfield-Jackson to spend $130 million on generators in wake of outage
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport plans to spend $130 million on power generators in the wake of a massive December power outage that disrupted operations. A measure to be considered by the Atlanta City Council seeks approval of financing, including $130 million for the installation of generators. Airport officials had previously considered temporary portable generators, but Hartsfield-Jackson...
Atlanta home sales: Prices up, listings down in April
Metro Atlanta home prices in April were up 8.7 percent from a year ago, according to a report from the Atlanta Realtors Association. The median price of a home sold in the 11-county region tracked by the Realtors during the month was $274,000. A year ago, the median sales price was $252,000. The April price at least partly reflected the monthly increase in homes listed for sale – the larger...
Kempner: How this selfie sensation from Cobb took 49 years to graduate
Larry Johnson is a grandfatherly looking Cobb County guy whose college graduation selfie went viral. “My goal was to graduate before I reached 100 years of age. I made it with 33 years to spare,” he tweeted just before his Georgia State University ceremony began Thursday. It took him 49 years to graduate. Johnson, 66, started taking classes at Georgia State in the fall of 1969. Over the...
Plant Vogtle, rural broadband and renewables dominate Georgia PSC race
The five-member body’s roles and decisions affect the daily lives of Georgia residents, yet rarely attract public interest. Set out among the roles of the PSC on the commission’s website is the “authority to set rates, require long-range energy plans, provide for the safety of natural gas pipelines and protect underground utility systems from damage,” all while “ensuring...
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