10. Film industry feels the heat
After the state Legislature passed the abortion bill, Georgia’s massive entertainment and film industry was the most impacted. Numerous Hollywood celebrities and production companies threatened to pull out of the state if the bill actually went into effect. Gov. Brian Kemp toured and conducted meetings with Pinewood Studios executives to calm their fears.
»READ: Heartbeat protests stir debate about Georgia's film industry
9. Judge halts new Georgia abortion law
Georgia passed one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws in 2019, but a federal judge stopped the so-called “Heartbeat Bill” from taking effect on Jan. 1, 2020, until an ACLU-backed lawsuit could make its way through the courts. The bill would have banned most abortions after about six weeks, which is when a fetal heartbeat is usually detected. It would have allowed abortions when the mother’s life or health was in danger.
»READ: Georgia Senate passes anti-abortion heartbeat bill
8. Federal government partially shuts down
Nearly 16,000 Georgians were furloughed in early 2019, as President Donald Trump and House Democratic leaders sparred over securing the nation’s southern border and immigration funding. Also impacted were Georgia farmers, law enforcement and courts, universities, parks and airports. The impasse resulted in the second-longest government shutdown in history.
»READ: Georgia feels impact from partial government shutdown
7. CDC tracks vaping-related deaths
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked more than 2,000 vaping-related illnesses and almost 50 deaths. In Georgia, three people were confirmed to have died from e-cigarette-related causes. Federal and state health officials continue to discourage the use of vaping-related products until the habit’s full health effects are fully known.
»READ: Third vaping-related death in Georgia confirmed
6. Super Bowl returns to Atlanta
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won a record sixth NFL championship at Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams and coach Sean McVay, who attended metro Atlanta’s Marist, 13-3 in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. This was Atlanta’s third Super Bowl and the first hosted in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
»READ: Atlanta's super moment
5. Johnny Isakson stuns nation
Johnny Isakson, Georgia’s senior senator, stunned the nation when he announced he was retiring at the end of 2019. The popular Republican served in the U.S. Senate since 2005. His announcement set off a flurry of speculation until Gov. Brian Kemp named business executive Kelly Loeffler as Isakson’s replacement. It also fueled hopes among Democrats that Georgia, now with both U.S. Senate seats on 2020’s ballot, could indeed become a battleground state for congressional control.
»READ: Isakson to resign from Senate at end of 2019
4. Georgian rises to president’s defense
House Democratic leaders began writing a series of formal impeachment articles against the president. In the process, they set the stage for a Georgia congressional Republican to become one of the president’s most ardent defenders. U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican from Gainesville, repeatedly slammed House Democrats for leaping to conclusions before they examined the facts.
»READ: Who is Doug Collins?
3. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ makes history
The finale in the Marvel Studios’ Avengers series, Atlanta-filmed “Avengers: Endgame” became the highest-grossing film of all time with a worldwide total of $2.7 billion. It was also the fastest film to eclipse the $1 billion and $1.5 billion mark in five and eight days, respectively, surpassing “Avatar,” the previous record holder.
»READ: Atlanta-filmed 'Endgame' poised to topple box office records
2. Atlanta stars in Democratic debate
Atlanta was at the center of the nation’s political scene in November, when Tyler Perry Studios hosted the fifth Democratic debate. Ten Democratic White House hopefuls debated everything from Trump’s impeachment hearings and health care to corporate taxes and who deserves the support of the nation’s African-American voters.
»READ: Georgia issues, leaders come up in Atlanta Democratic debate
1. Tariffs hit Georgia’s wallet
Trump raised tariffs on imported goods from countries around the world in 2019, specifically China, impacting Georgians’ wallets. Georgia is the nation’s 11th-largest exporting state and seventh-largest importing state, including nearly $7 billion in goods from Mexico. As the U.S. and China were engaged in an ongoing trade war, Trump’s tariffs raised prices on everything from power tools to leather products imported from China.
»READ: Georgia builders, buyers brace for impact from higher Chinese tariffs
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