Morning, y’all! Before we get to stories, there are a few things I need you to do. Because it is very possibly freezing outside where you are.
1. Find your dog/cat. Give them a kiss 2. Cover your plants 3. Open the cabinet beneath your sink 4. Start peeling and slicing onions to prep Virginia Willis’ basically-good-for-you French onion soup.
Now that that’s out of the way, settle in. We’ve got:
- Upbeat news — Jimmy Carter fulfilling his wish of living long enough to vote.
- Disturbing details about the 14-year-old accused of killing four people at Apalachee High School.
- Info on the Fulton DA seeking to reinstate criminal charges against Donald Trump in the Georgia election interference case.
We also have something kind of gross to discuss.
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TO EAT, OR NOT TO EAT
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
My wife is a scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also won’t eat deli meat.
This choice isn’t based on science. She just thinks it tastes slimy. I, of course, couldn’t disagree more.
But after two recalls this year of roughly 19 million pounds of deli and precooked meats, more shoppers are questioning the safety of a quickie sandwich, premade salads and wraps. And that ain’t necessarily great, says Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, a UGA professor who directs the university’s Center for Food Safety.
Diez-Gonzalez told the AJC’s Helena Oliviero that the response to these recalls has tarnished the strong track records of some reputable brands. This can “create some sort of hysteria,” he said. “I don’t think that is something we need right now.”
So, let’s take a little step back to consider what we know.
- What is listeria? A type of bacteria that can contaminate many different types of foods — such as vegetables, fruit, unpasteurized cheeses, fish and meat — and spreads easily on equipment used to slice meat and on surfaces. Listeriosis, the disease caused by the bacteria, can be serious and even deadly and is especially dangerous for the very young, those over age 65 and pregnant women or others with a weak immune system.
- Recent outbreaks: Federal officials are still investigating the Boar’s Head outbreak in May that resulted in 10 deaths and 59 hospitalizations in 19 states, including Georgia. On Oct. 9, nearly 12 million pounds of precooked chicken items made by BrucePac were recalled. While there are no illnesses associated with these products, the list ran to 342 pages and includes national retailers Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Target, Aldi and Trader Joe’s.
- Lingering issues: The bacteria are not killed and can even reproduce in cold or freezing temperatures. And when people ingest the bacteria, illness may not show up for days or even months.
- Zooming out: The CDC estimates 48 million people, or 1 in 6, will get sick annually in the U.S. from foodborne diseases — 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.
- If you are worried: Heat deli meat to 165-degrees or until steaming hot.
- Silver lining: Most people who ingest listeria bacteria don’t get very sick, if they get any symptoms at all. Typically, the issues are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain — otherwise known as a college student’s typical Saturday morning.
Lose your appetite? Get it back with the help of delicious recipes and restaurant reviews in our weekly food & dining newsletter.
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BLUEPRINTS TO VICTORY
After imploring Democrats to “do something,” Michelle Obama is headed to Atlanta, headlining an Oct. 29 rally for When We All Vote, a nonpartisan voter outreach initiative she founded in 2018 with the aim of turning out younger, more diverse voters.
Meanwhile, AJC’s Greg Bluestein dives into Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp’s mended — and deepening — relationship, and how it might help the former president recapture Georgia in the election.
- As for actually winning Georgia voters, some of the state’s most successful politicians weighed in with an AJC op-ed. (Hint: They say Peach State voters don’t fall for partisan gimmicks)
RELATED: Early voting in Georgia 2024: See how many ballots have been cast so far | Mike Luckovich’s latest cartoon
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MORE TOP STORIES
» Judge invalidates Georgia’s new election certification rules
» Murder suspect recaptured weeks after escape from Grady detention
» 3 convicted on gang charges in Douglasville Sweet 16 shooting
» Good Samaritans, first responders rescue man after car plunges into Coweta lake
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DEATH BEHIND BARS
Credit: Illustration by ArLuther Lee
Credit: Illustration by ArLuther Lee
The AJC’s latest investigation of Georgia’s prison system tells the disturbing story of a double murder in a women’s prison — an extraordinarily rare event nationally that suggests a complete breakdown in security and mental health safeguards. See details of the record-breaking number of homicides here. This is journalism that’s really worth your time.
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NO FLY ZONE
Delta Air Lines has further extended its suspension of flights to Israel, pausing its flights between New York and Tel Aviv through March 31, 2025, “due to ongoing conflict in the region.” This comes as The Associated Press reports that Israeli strikes have continued in the southern Gaza Strip and after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in a southern suburb of Beirut late last month.
» Opinion: If you stand with Israel, speak against its prisons
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SELLING OUT?
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Georgia Tech stands to make $10 million for moving its rivalry matchup against UGA next year less than two miles — to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That payday was the biggest driving force behind the unorthodox move, and AJC columnist Ken Sugiura has some ideas for the schools’ athletic directors if they’d like to further put money ahead of tradition. Clean Old-Fashioned Hanes, anyone?
- Hawks: Jalen Johnson scored 21 points in a loss to the Heat. Final exhibition game is today.
- Atlanta United: Jay Fortune is among a group of 26 players nominated for a community outreach award.
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DARE TO DANCE
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Need to expel a little nervous election energy? Perhaps you should head to Edgewood Avenue tomorrow for the opening of Atlanta DJ Ree de la Vega’s first lounge, Pisces, in the former Sound Table venue that has been closed since 2020 and later had an exterior wall collapse, leaving the building in shambles.
- “I want high energy dance music,” de la Vega said. “This is ‘let’s dance on the furniture.’”
Related: 15 things to do this weekend
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» How does Georgia stack up on healthy school meals? Pretty good
» Inside the fascinating world of ‘Stranger Things’ costume design
» Ticketmaster sued over data breach from earlier this year
» Opinion: Insurance companies are bleeding rural hospitals and communities dry
» Marching Panthers building culture, excitement at Clark Atlanta University
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ON THIS DATE
Oct. 17, 1982
The Atlanta papers publish their first excerpt from former President Jimmy Carter’s forthcoming memoir. The topic: the Iran Hostage Crisis.
“Although I was acting in an official capacity as president, I also had deep private feelings that were almost overwhelming,” Carter wrote. “The hostages sometimes seemed like part of my own family.”
Iran released the hostages, of course, shortly after Ronald Reagan was sworn in to replace Carter.
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
AJC photographer John Spink snapped 21-year-old Teddy Oldham, a third-year student at Georgia Tech, all wrapped up Wednesday morning as he rode through campus and paused at Fowler Street and Ferst Drive.
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ONE MORE THING
Georgia lost a hero over the weekend, when Walter Perkowski, who earned a Bronze Star and Silver Star in WWII, died following a fall in his Forest Park home. He was 100. Read about his life and courageous actions here. Then take a minute to mourn Liam Payne, former One Direction member, who was found dead Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
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You’ve made it to the end. Now, go warm up with your soup. And tonight, look up — it’s the last night of a supermoon. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at eric.mandel@ajc.com.
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