Opinion

A student at the Young Women’s STEAM Research & Preparatory Academy in El Paso, Texas, takes a moment to relax and decompress in the school’s “calm center.” Districts around the country are placing greater emphasis on student and faculty emotional well-being in the wake of the pandemic. Credit: El Paso Independent School District

Opinion| 14m ago

Opinion: Has pandemic changed schooling forever?

May 7, 2021 Atlanta: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms held a press conference Friday, May 7, 2021 at Atlanta City Hall speaking about her decision not to run for a second term as her husband Derek (left) looks on. In her first public appearance since announcing her decision to supporters Thursday night, Bottoms said her decision was guided by faith. “In the same way that it was very clear to me almost five years ago that I should run for mayor of Atlanta, it is abundantly clear to me today that it is time to pass the baton on to someone else,” Bottoms said at an emotional news conference at City Hall. She added that “the last three years have not been at all what I would have scripted for our city,” referencing a crippling cyber attack, a widening federal corruption investigation into the previous administration, the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest last year. Bottoms said she doesn’t know what’s next for her; she denied rumors that she or her husband Derek have taken jobs for Walgreens out of state. “I can’t get Derek to move two miles off Cascade Road,” she said. Bottoms, who was seen as a strong incumbent candidate despite a spike in violent crime, told friends and supporters Thursday evening she won’t seek a second term. She released a video and statement online a few hours later elaborating on her decision and reflecting on her time in office. “This is not something I woke up and decided yesterday,” Bottoms said Friday. “This is something I’ve been thinking about for a very long time.” (John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com)

Our View: A surprising departure and what lies ahead

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FILE- This Feb. 13, 2019, file photo shows multiple forms printed from the Internal Revenue Service web page that are used for 2018 U.S. federal tax returns in Zelienople, Pa. If you don’t think you will be able to complete and file your taxes on time, request an extension. Filing an extension helps taxpayers avoid penalties for a late return, according to the IRS. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

Opinion: The rich already pay a lot in taxes

Sanari Hendricks, 31, of Douglasville shared her traumatic birth experience in the CDC's Hear Her campaign. By the time it was released, she had lost her son, Zeus. (Courtesy of Mike Newman / Shane Michael Photography)

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(Dreamstime/TNS)

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Back from the dead, crash-victim Gary (Peter Horton, center) reunites with his "thirtysomething" castmates Melanie Mayron (left) and Polly Draper on the "Good Morning America" set in New York. (Raise your hand if you proudly wore a "thirtysomething" T-shirt back in the late '80s.) (Donna Svennevik/ABC)

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Aaron Sones uses hand sanitizer during the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) career expo on Thursday, March 12, 2020, at the World Congress Center in Atlanta. This year, additional safety measures were implemented, including mandatory hard hats and incremental wipe downs. (Christina Matacotta, for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Opinion: Remember importance of hand hygiene

Memorial Hall (foreground) and Confederate Memorial Carving (background) at Stone Mountain Park on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (HYOSUB SHIN/ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION/TNS)

Opinion: Changes, compromise coming to Stone Mountain

Readers Write

PHIL SKINNER / PSKINNER@AJC.COM

FILE - In this June 15, 2018 photo, twenty dollar bills are counted in North Andover, Mass. Nobody wants to pick up essential financial knowledge by making mistakes or finding out key information too late. A less painful way to enlightenment can come from self-help books, quizzes and personal finance websites. As soon as you have an income, it’s wise to get started on habits that lead to financial success. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Readers Write: Nation’s debt will continue to drive low interest rates

Flags line the National Mall, with the Washington Monument behind them, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington , DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Readers Write: Columnists’ arguments on D.C. misleading

Ann White of Roswell holds protest signs on the North Wing stairs of the Georgia State Capitol building on day 38 of the legislative session in Atlanta, Thursday, March 25, 2021. "It ain't over yet," said White. "I look forward to going door-to-door working against everybody that voted for (SB 202)." SB 202 passed the House Chambers and was immediately transferred to the Senate Chambers. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution /TNS)

Readers Write: Choice to boycott Home Depot is a poor one

April 15, 2021 Atlanta - Kelsey Williams, PA-S, administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Kjisten Osvold at Highland Urgent Care & Family Medicine in Atlanta on Thursday, April 15, 2021. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Readers Write: Be courageous and get the COVID-19 vaccine

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Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill leaves the scene in northwest Atlanta where a man sought by law enforcement officers killed himself on July 10, 2019. (Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC)

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A crew from the group HEY! pulls down the rotten wooden ramp leading to the home of Kathryn Johnston, who was killed there by police in 2006. Photo by Bill Torpy

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Reporters crank out copy in 1950 in the Atlanta Constitution newsroom. Longtime reporter/columnist Celestine Sibley composes something, mid-right of photo. (credit: AJC archives)

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Protesters march around Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta during a rally on April 14, 2021, in solidarity with Minnesota - Justice for Daunte Wright. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

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