Latest news with #QuesoCrispTaco
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE claims millions saved in Georgia with terminated leases. Where are the buildings?
The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, has claimed more than $600 million in lease savings across the country by terminating federal building leases. More than $17 million of that is on 23 buildings DOGE claims to have terminated in Georgia, the largest being the 120,000 square foot CDC building in Atlanta. DOGE's claims are posted to its 'Wall of Receipts' on its government website, where it shows total value of the expenditures and savings created from selling off the property. The 'Wall of Receipts' also lists more than 5,500 canceled federal contracts and grants, but the site is vague in displaying which contracts and grants are being terminated. Many of the grants are listed as Department of Education, Department of State, the EPA and USAID, with DOGE claiming $10 billion in savings from the cancellations. Multiple fact checks of the agency's previous cost savings statements have shown inflated estimates that fall short upon review. Here's what we know so far about government cuts and layoffs and which Georgia offices have reportedly been shuttered due to DOGE decisions. Look up in the sky: A total lunar eclipse will be visible next week over Georgia. Here are the best viewing spots The Centers for Disease Control is the hardest hit by the federal cuts, with $2,473,060 claimed to be saved by terminating the lease on the 119,812 square-foot building. Forest Services in Atlanta is the other million-dollar savings, according to DOGE, as it loses a 49,617-foot building that is listed as saving $1,399,770. Several concerning cuts involve the Bureau of Prisons, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, National Resources Conservation and the Government Accountability Office. The Government Accountability Office is a non-partisan watchdog group that monitors the government for the safety and freedom of Americans. "GAO examines how taxpayer dollars are spent and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, non-partisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently," its website notes. The Bureau of Prisons holds accountable that prisons are run and operated in a professional manner to provide humane care for inmates. "We protect public safety by ensuring that federal offenders serve their sentences of imprisonment in facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and provide reentry programming to ensure their successful return to the community," claims the Bureau of Prisons website. The Energy Regulatory Commission monitors interstate transmission of electricity and natural gas while the NRC is key to protecting air quality, safe water, forests, soil, wildlife and it provides scientific research for agriculture. Taco Bell Menu: What is a Queso Crisp Taco? Taco Bell announces new items and old favorites back on the menu Government Agency Location Square Feet Claimed Savings CDC Atlanta 119,812 $2,473,060 FDA Atlanta 17,000 $446,286 FTC Atlanta 8,360 $223,483 Allowance for President Carter* Atlanta 7,682 $128,233 Social Security Admin. (SCA) Columbus 1,632 $51,023 SCA Gainesville 17,844 $506,527 SCA Vidalia 10,133 $228,757 SCA Brunswick 9,856 $215,383 SCA Thomasville 11,150 $289,139 Forest Service Atlanta 49,617 $1,399,770 IRS National Savannah 15,492 $427,511 Fish & Wildlife Atlanta 35,330 $738,357 Small Business Admin. Atlanta 27,526 $634,642 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Duluth 8,574 $184,341 IRS National Macon 14,039 $241,967 OSHA Savannah 4,606 $97,739 Geological Survey Norcross 38,395 $559,009 National Resources Conservation Griffin 3,772 $30,810 Employment Standards Administration Savannah 1,848 $39,214 Government Accountability office Atlanta 22,296 $487,199 Office of the Secretary Atlanta 3,354 $77,081 Bureau of Prisons Atlanta 34,146 $863,726 Office of the Secretary Atlanta 25,422 $665,692 TOTAL $17,322,567 Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office that rebranded the U.S. Digital Service, an arm of the executive branch, into the Department of Government Efficiency. Officially, it's the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization. Musk was later made a "special government employee." Multiple Democratic state attorneys general sued, challenging Musk's authority and arguing his power to access data and make cuts to government funds violates the Constitution. The Appointments Clause says Congress must approve executive branch officers. Trump had previously referred to Musk as the leader of DOGE, but a key change to DOGE leadership was announced after a filing in the suit said the world's richest man isn't in charge or an employee of the department, instead serving as a senior advisor to the president. The judge declined to keep Musk from accessing sensitive records. Recently, Amy Gleason was named the acting DOGE administrator. As of Monday, March 3, the Wall of Receipts listed $105 billion in total savings that translates to $652.17 per taxpayer. Full fact checking of the March 2 update is not yet complete. So far, DOGE has announced massive cuts that haven't held up under review. Some later get rolled back. It's drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. 'DOGE has an unprecedented opportunity to cut waste and bloat,' Nat Malkus, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, wrote in a blog post. 'However, the sloppy work shown so far should give pause to even its most sympathetic defenders.' In mid-February, the agency touted $55 billion in savings to taxpayers. The largest error in accounting on the "Wall of Receipts" inflated $8 million to $8 billion. But canceled contracts, real estate leases and grants actually accounted for $16.5 billion. Musk also said they ended 89 research contracts at the Education Department costing $881 million. Later, DOGE adjusted that to $489 million. Analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank, analysis determined the total was closer to $278 million. Ryne Dennis is the Deep South Connect Team Editor for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X @RyneDennis and email at rdennis@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: How much does DOGE claim to have saved in terminated leases in GA?
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Like SweetWater Brewing? Its brewery tops Budweiser, Sierra Nevada for this fan favorite
Georgia has all kinds of tours, but how about one that pairs well with a beer? There are more than 150 breweries in the state, according to the Brewers Association. You can even tour some of them, and USA TODAY recently ranked one of these tours among the best. Here's what we know: On Wednesday, USAT's 10Best best brewery tours list came out: Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, PA Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta Anheuser-Busch Brewery Experiences in St. Louis Burial Beer Co. Forestry Camp in Asheville, NC Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. in Chippewa Falls, WI Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, CA and Mills River, NC Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR Bell's Brewery in Comstock, MI Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, ME 10Best asked a panel of beer experts to nominate their top brewery tours across the country. Then, readers voted to crown the winners. New at Taco Bell: What is a Queso Crisp Taco? Taco Bell announces new items and old favorites back on the menu SweetWater Brewery has a "Standard" 30-minute tour that highlights the brewing process, while "High Gravity" tours go behind the scenes and last 90 minutes. Both tours include beer samples. Standard tours are 5 and 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday while High Gravity tours are Saturday-Sunday at 12, 2, and 3 p.m. Standard tickets are about $10 while High Gravity tickets are $30. For more info, go to SweetWater Brewery in Atlanta features a taproom and kitchen. There are 16 different drinks on tap and the food menu is fairly full with appetizers, house-made pizzas, sandwiches, and desserts. It's open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 11:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@ This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Best brewery tour in Georgia: This was voted No. 3 in US by USA Today
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What is a Queso Crisp Taco? Taco Bell announces new items and old favorites back on the menu
Whether it's chicken nuggets or a box of tacos, the Taco Bell menu has a bit of everything and is soon getting more. On Tuesday, the company had its Live Más LIVE event, during which Taco Bell presented some of the new foods and drinks it has coming soon: For the cheese heads, there's the Toasted Cheddar Street Chalupa with a layer of crispy cheese on the outside and a new Chile Lime Crema Sauce on the inside. Want more? Try the Queso Crisp Taco with a shell made entirely of crispy cheese Guilty: 14 convicted in Georgia for 'large-scale' dog fighting event. What they're facing Devoted fans of the Beefy Crunch Burrito with Flamin' Hot Fritos were excited to hear it's coming back, and this time with "Flamin' Hot" seasoning in the rice. There was also good news for the Baja Blast devotees. A new flavor of the drink is coming out called Baja Blast Midnight highlighting a passion fruit burst. They are also looking at bringing back the Baja Blast Pie around Thanksgiving. Another spin on a favorite is the Chicken Nuggets which will come back twice this year and offer a new Mike's Hot Honey Diablo Sauce. Similarly, Taco Bell will start offering Chicken Strips. Then there's the Rolled Poblano Quesadilla with chicken, steak, and poblano peppers as well as the Grilled Cheese Burrito with Shredded Beef. Remember the Decades Menu? They are planning to bring that one back too, but focused on menu items from the early 2000's and 2010's: Chili Cheese Burrito Caramel Apple Empanada Doritos Locos Tacos Double Decker Seven Layer Burrito During the event, Taco Bell introduced "Fan Style," a new function of the Taco Bell app. The concept is, if you tend to order something custom, you can save your custom dish in the app, name it, and share that customizations with others. Users will also be rewarded for others ordering their customizations, but there are no details on how that will work. Currently, Taco Bell's drink menu is largely limited to soft drinks. But the company is looking to change that with Live Más Café, a new model of beverage-focused restaurants featuring 30 drink possibility from dirty sodas and specialty coffees to Agua Refrescas and "Churro Chillers." Currently there is only one in San Diego and the company did a pop-up during Live Más LIVE in New York. Taco Bell's Chief Food Innovation Officer, Liz Matthews, previewed multiple dishes the company is testing out and could roll out to menus in the future. Here were a few we are looking forward to: Brisket Taco: A taco featuring slow-roasted brisket, shredded cheese and purple cabbage. Mexican Pizza Empanada: The cult classic Mexican Pizza inside of a flakey crispy empanada. Mini Taco Salad: A bite-sized version of the classic taco salad. Poutine Fries: Seasoned fries topped with slow-roasted pork, gravy, and cheese curds. Salted Caramel & Toffee Cream Empanada Bite: A twist on the Caramel Apple Empanada with salted caramel and toffee cream. Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Taco Bell's new menu items 2025 following Live Más LIVE event
