Latest news with #WSBTonight
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Attorney holds town hall for neighbors near BioLab plant over class action suit against company
Neighbors of BioLab, Inc. in Conyers are taking part in a town hall meeting on Wednesday night to discuss ways they could hold the corporation accountable for last fall's fire. The plant, which stored chlorine chemicals, caught fire in September. A huge plume of orange and black smoke filled the air and shut down Interstate 20, which runs beside the plant. Firefighters ordered evacuations of thousands of people who live nearby. Shelter-in-place warnings were in effect for nearly a month. Now, people who live and work around the plant are meeting with attorneys to discuss class action lawsuit options. TRENDING STORIES: Gwinnett Co. elementary school bus comes across ICE enforcement operation at mobile home park Rapper Rod Wave arrested after shots fired at his metro Atlanta home Georgia Tech student 'targeted' in deadly shooting at off-campus apartment 'You really increase, exponentially, your bargaining power. Each person by themselves has a hard time going up against a big corporation. When you've got 10,000 of your best friends, all of a sudden joining together, you also are a big power to be dealt with,' attorney Alex Weatherby told Channel 2's Courtney Francisco. He said some people could possibly claim property damages and damages to their health. 'With the injuries, the one that comes to mind to me the most would likely be property. So, if you have a home that was near there, there may be some damage to the physical property itself or to the resale value,' Weatherby said. 'You could also have some individual personal injuries if somebody was exposed to the fire.' The town hall meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in Lithonia. Francisco will have an update from neighbors on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Group of Atlanta students were visiting FSU during campus shooting
A group of tenth graders from an Atlanta charter school was on Florida State University's campus when shots were fired on Thursday. Drew Charter School confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a group of students were on a college visit when the university activated its Active Shooter lockdown. The students sheltered in place. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The university has since lifted the shelter-in-place order. Everyone associated with Drew Charter School was accounted for and safe throughout the incident. The students, staff and chaperones will return to Atlanta on Thursday evening. "Let us remain Drew strong as we uplift those from our Drew community currently in Florida. We are keeping them at the center of our thoughts at this time. Our hearts also go out to all of those on FSU's campus impacted by this situation," the school wrote in a statement. Channel 2's Courtney Francisco will have more from Drew Charter School during Channel 2 Action News at 6 p.m. and WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. Georgia Tech's softball team was on the way to Tallahassee for a series against FSU. Officials with Georgia Tech confirmed the team was not on campus when shots were fired. Multiple people were hospitalized after the shooting. The extent of their injuries is unclear. Police have not commented on the suspected shooter. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
International college students here in GA file lawsuit after having visas revoked
International students from colleges across the country, including several here in Georgia, have filed a lawsuit against the government after learning that their visas were being terminated. The filing claims the government violated their Fifth Amendment rights to due process and asks the court for a temporary restraining order to reinstate their legal status. It names Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons as defendants in the case. A total of 17 students from across the country have joined as plaintiffs in the suit. Students involved in the suit here in Georgia attend Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, Emory, and Kennesaw State universities. With their visas now terminated, that means students can be detained by immigration authorities. The lawsuit complaint says visas were terminated without notice and without providing the students with an opportunity to respond. 'At the most elemental level, the United States Constitution requires notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard,' the complaint reads. TRENDING STORIES: Former Georgia Police Academy instructor charged with child molestation 1 dead, 4 in critical condition after crash at busy Atlanta intersection Attorneys reveal settlement amount between Marjorie Taylor Greene's ex-husband, 3 Muslim women As of Friday, more than 500 visas had been revoked nationwide for students at 88 colleges and universities as part of the Trump administration's efforts to carry out mass deportations. The U.S. State Department is manually terminating records in the Student and Exchange Visitor program. It has not informed most of the universities or students about their visa cancellations. Universities discovered the visa revocations by checking the system. Channel 2's Courtney Francisco reported on the visa terminations last week on WSB Tonight, where she spoke with Javeria Jamil, The Legal Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said some of those students impacted are undergraduate students, others are in their masters, Ph.D., or professional training programs. 'There's mostly a lot of fear right now, and there also a lot of uncertainty on what, if anything, they can do to protect themselves to make sure that they can continue their education,' Jamil said. She's been warning students this could happen as the Trump Administration condemned pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities nationwide. CAIR Georgia said some of the students they're working with were not involved in any protests. 'So, it was unclear why their visas are being revoked. Except for, perhaps, a minor traffic violation like speeding,' Jamil said. Francisco also spoke with The Chairman of the Georgia Association of College Republicans, Emanuel Hernaiz, who supports the visa revocations. 'It's a privilege to study in our grade schools, and, you know, many people fight for those student visas, and if you're going to use that privilege to go against the interest of America, well, we should give those opportunities to people who actually want to support the county,' Hernaiz said. 'Free speech is OK, but we shouldn't allow violence and terrorist supporters to have those student visas.' As for the lawsuit, a hearing over the temporary restraining order has been scheduled for Thursday morning.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mega Millions tickets rise to $5, but the lottery promises more giant jackpots
Mega Millions players will get slightly better odds and should start seeing more billion-dollar jackpots, but at a cost — literally — with tickets for the multistate lottery jumping in price to $5. The price for playing Mega Millions more than doubled for drawings starting with Tuesday's, but lottery officials are betting that the swollen jackpots they're expecting will catch the public's attention and lead to an accompanying surge in sales 'People really want big jackpots,' said Joshua Johnston, the Washington state lottery director who heads the Mega Millions game. 'We expect to see a sales lift on this.' You can watch the Mega Millions drawing LIVE every Tuesday and Friday night on Channel 2 before WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. The biggest change is the ticket price hike from $2 to $5. Lottery officials expect that jump to increase revenue from the twice-weekly game, enabling them to improve the odds of winning the jackpot from 1 in 303 million to 1 in 290 million. The higher ticket price also means the jackpot can start at $50 million, rather than the previous $20 million, and that the grand prize is expected to grow more quickly. Each time there isn't a big winner, the jackpot will jump by a larger amount. Officials expect it will more frequently top the $1 billion threshold that draws extra attention — and bigger sales. Under the new rules, prizes for tickets not matching all six numbers also will increase, with non-jackpot winners now guaranteed at least $10. Each ticket also will include a randomly assigned multiplier that can increase the prize by up to 10 times, a previous add-on feature that cost an extra $1. The multiplier doesn't apply to a jackpot. The new rules have two main goals: to address what the industry calls 'jackpot fatigue' and to differentiate Mega Millions from Powerball, the other lottery draw game played across the country. Jackpot fatigue is the phenomenon under which prizes must grow to enormous amounts before most players will take note and buy a few tickets. These days, a $300 million prize that once drew lines at mini-marts barely registers. With the new rules, officials expect those average winning jackpots to climb from about $450 million to $800 million, Johnston said. And they believe that even lottery fatigue is no match for the more frequent billion-dollar prize. 'When you get to a billion people are like, 'Whoa, that's a whole lot of money,'' Johnston said. Lottery officials said there is a clear correlation between bigger jackpots and higher sales, but not everyone who plays is swayed by the bigger pots. Sandie Yeaman, of Omaha, Nebraska, expressed puzzlement at the connection. 'I'd be satisfied with $1 million, and so would others,' she said. 'One person winning $50 million is ridiculous.' RELATED STORIES Georgia Lottery Numbers and Results Mega Millions to launch new game with higher ticket price Photos: Largest Mega Millions jackpots Mega Millions will be the country's most expensive lottery draw game, where random numbers are selected to determine a winner. Still, that price is far less than scratch tickets offered by some states. In Texas, for example, some scratch tickets cost $100 each. Outside the U.S., the El Gordo Christmas lottery in Spain limits the number of tickets sold and charges 20 euros (nearly $22) for a partial ticket and 200 euros (nearly $220) for a full ticket. The higher Mega Millions price left Saeedith Williams, of East Point, Georgia, unsure if he'll keep buying several tickets per week. 'Maybe I'll buy one ticket a week now that it's $5 a ticket,' he said. After the new rules are implemented, the two lottery games that once were remarkably similar now will have some key differences. The biggest contrast will be the cost, as Powerball will stick with its $2 tickets — $3 in Idaho and Montana where they require a special prize bundle. With that smaller ticket price will come smaller minimal prizes, starting at $4, or less than half the lowest Mega Millions prize. But Powerball players will still be able to pay an extra dollar for 'Power Play,' a random multiplier that, as in Mega Millions, can increase all but the grand prize. Powerball drawings will continue to be three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights — while Mega Millions will hold drawings on Tuesday and Friday. The changes will bring the two games' jackpot odds a little closer, with Powerball jackpot odds of 1 in 292.2 million just a bit worse than the new Mega Millions odds. Remind me, what's the point of all this? For players, it's a chance to spend a little money on a dream of incredible riches while acknowledging the reality that it almost certainly won't happen. For the 45 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands where Mega Millions is played, the game raises money for a variety of services, such as education scholarships. Local lottery agencies run the game in each jurisdiction and decisions about how the profits are divvied up are written into state law. ___ Associated Press writer Margery A. Beck contributed from Omaha, Nebraska. TRENDING STORIES: STORY 1 STORY 2 STORY 3[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police investigating shooting near Rainbow Crosswalks in midtown Atlanta
Atlanta police are investigating a shooting that happened at a convenience store near the rainbow crosswalks in midtown. Police confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a man was shot just after 8 p.m. in the area of 230 10th Street. We are working to learn the condition of the person who was shot. Stay with and tune into WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. for the latest on this developing story. TREDNING STORIES: 2 dead after tree falls at Georgia golf course Mother, four young children killed in early morning wreck along Georgia coast Man killed, another airlifted after tree falls on campsite in remote part of Fannin County
