For Thursday, August 20:

1. Georgia officials blame a spike in highway deaths on distracted drivers — and reckless ones. [Read more about the state and national spikes in deaths]

2. Gov. Nathan Deal explains why he removed "Confederate Memorial Day" and Robert E. Lee's birthday from the state calendar. [Read about his decision here]

3. Former President Jimmy Carter will discuss his recent cancer diagnosis today at 10 a.m. at the Carter Center in Atlanta. [Read the full story here | check back for updates]

4. A now-former U.S. State Department employee from Atlanta is accused of threatening to share sexually explicit photos of his victims unless they gave him additional photos and videos. [Read the full story here]

5. The chance of rain is only 20 percent, but that doesn't mean you'll see the sun. [See the full forecast here]

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Lead Nurse Practitioner Lori Reed examines a Covid patient at Piedmont Pulmonary Covid Recovery Clinic in Atlanta in 2022. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mostly attributed the nationwide rise in life expectancy to fewer deaths caused by the infectious disease. (Steve Schaefer/AJC file)

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Managing Partner at Atlantica Properties, Darion Dunn (center) talks with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens during a tour following the ribbon cutting of Waterworks Village as part of the third phase of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez