SUMMARY: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified the 2024 presidential election results, marking a faster, secure process compared to 2020. He congratulated President-elect Donald Trump, who won Georgia and other battleground states. Raffensperger, focused on election security since 2018, oversaw a statewide “risk-limiting audit” confirming accurate results. This audit, including hand counts of random ballots across 159 counties, showed minimal discrepancies. Georgia saw record voter turnout, with 5.3 million of nearly 7.3 million voters participating. Trump won Georgia with 50.73% of the vote. Governor Brian Kemp will now certify the state’s electors for the Electoral College.

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SUMMARY: A report by the Jack Kemp Foundation warns that average American energy bills could rise by 25% to 70% over the next decade due to soaring energy demands driven by AI, hyperscale data centers, and advanced manufacturing. The surge is straining the U.S. power grid, leading to significant price increases in capacity markets. Dominion Energy disputes these findings, predicting only a 2.5% annual increase in Virginia. The report argues for policy changes, including charging data centers more for energy and halting subsidies for their construction to alleviate the burden on consumers. Recommendations also include implementing minimum take clauses for utility contracts.

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SUMMARY: A former DeKalb County deputy, Joanne Marx, has been arrested for bringing contraband, including a cell phone and cigarettes, into the jail and engaging in sexual acts with an inmate. Meanwhile, former inmate Tobias Woods faces felony murder charges linked to the overdose death of Christian Collins, who consumed fatal drugs supplied by Woods. The DeKalb County District Attorney is committed to eliminating corruption in the jail and is investigating how these drugs entered the facility. The DA emphasized that incarceration should not lead to death, stressing accountability for those involved.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced 2 arrests Thursday afternoon in connection to DeKalb County Jail.

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