MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1977, Georgia native Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th President of the United States. See a photo of the event.

For Georgians, the busy day includes President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, and Atlanta's hosting of the college football championship. Below, check out our poll results on what Georgians will be watching.

We're flying today with Energous, be sure to check them out in today's edition.

Laken Riley Act Set to Pass Today

The U.S. Senate plans to pass the Laken Riley Act today, teeing up a top Republican agenda item for quick approval once Donald Trump is sworn in as president.

Georgia House members led the push for the law, drafted after a Georgia nursing student was killed by an illegal immigrant who had been released after a theft arrest.

Senators plan to amend the bill to expand the types of crimes covered, after which the U.S. House is expected to vote its support of the change and send the bill to Trump.

Cold Cancels Inauguration Plans for Georgians

Freezing temperatures in Washington, D.C., put a big chill on plans to attend President-elect Donald Trump's public activities in Washington, D.C.

"We are heartbroken," the Lowndes High School Georgia Bridgemen Band said in a statement following the cancelation of the inauguration parade. Covington's Diamond D Cowgirls horse drill team was also scheduled to perform.

Public celebrations were expected to draw a big delegation from Georgia, a state key to Trump's victory, and subsequently rewarded with several nominations to White House posts.

An invitation-only event that went on as scheduled was Saturday's Peachtree Ball, hosted by the Georgia State Society and sponsored by several of the state's largest companies.

Savannah May See Snow Midweek

Parts of central and south Georgia may get ice and snow starting Tuesday night as a winter storm crosses the southern U.S., with snow possible in Savannah for the first time since 2018.

Storm preparations are underway with the highway department rolling out salt and brine trucks to pre-treat Interstate 95, schools on alert, and stores busy.

This week's wintry weather is expected to continue through at least Friday. Savannah's last snow came on Jan. 3, 2018, measuring 1.2 inches and covering the beach on nearby Tybee Island.

Flying together with our sponsor

Say Goodbye to the Power Cord

Nikola Tesla said powering the world without wires was of "all-surpassing importance." This technology wasn't possible in Tesla's time, but one company is helping to make it a reality today—and you can invest for a limited time.

Their patented technology is like Wi-Fi for power. It transmits power to devices through the air, eliminating the need for cables and batteries and providing a constant, reliable energy source for IoT devices that track and deliver data in real-time.

It's such a powerful innovation, that it earned "IoT Innovation of the Year" honors.

Data is the oil that keeps retail, manufacturing, and logistics operations running smoothly. And thanks to these wireless power network transmitters, all of these industries could get a 24/7 flow of data without depending on batteries or cords—it's potentially a combined $650B market opportunity.

That's why this company has already landed a contract to supply wireless power network solutions to a Fortune 10 multinational retailer, opening them up to 4,700 retail locations across the U.S.

You now have a unique opportunity to invest in Energous by purchasing investment units that include 1 convertible preferred share (convertible into 2 common shares on Nasdaq: WATT) and 3 warrants to purchase additional common shares at a fixed price.

Sounds like it's time to cut the cord and become an Energous shareholder as they work to scale nationwide.

➤ Statewide: Georgia health officials suspended poultry sales after confirming a case of bird flu in a commercial flock, threatening one of the state’s prime industries. (More)

➤ Atlanta: A state appeals court upheld the dismissal of a criminal charge related to a post-2020 election phone call between Donald Trump and Georgia’s secretary of state. (More)

➤ Newington: State House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, reversed a ban on arrested state Sen. Colton Moore after getting backlash from fellow GOP members. (More)

➤ Savannah: A 51-year-old Southwest Airlines pilot has been suspended following his arrest on suspicion of DUI moments before piloting a flight to Chicago. (More)

➤ Fulton County: Rudy Giuliani settled with two election workers who sued him for defamation, keeping his homes and belongings as part of the deal. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons hired former New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich as the team’s next defensive coordinator. (More)

➤ The Atlanta Hawks posted their second straight win over the NBA champion Boston Celtics on Saturday night. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Simone Biles was all smiles after receiving a Georgia football jersey during her visit to the school. (See Photo)

➤ A.J. Minter signed a two-year $22 million contract with the New York Mets, yet another key Braves piece to leave this offseason. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Keep your private information secure. Omni DataSafe is a revolutionary new encrypted USB drive that uses unbreakable AES-256 military-grade encryption and a physical keypad to keep your sensitive data 100% safe and secure. Now, anyone can protect their data & identity from hackers, thieves, and snoops! (See It Here)

➤ A business advisor from Harlem, a town of 4,000 west of Augusta, testified before a U.S. House subcommittee in support of extending a small business tax break. (More)

➤ Georgia's ports are adjusting plans in anticipation that President-elect Donald Trump will follow through on his pledge of higher tariffs. (More)

➤ Incoming administrator Kelly Loeffler's staff at the U.S. Small Business Administration will likely include another Georgian: the state's emergency management boss. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

Charge Up Your Portfolio with This Tech Investment

What if our technologies could charge IoT devices wirelessly, just like we connect devices to Wi-Fi? One company is helping make this a reality for enterprises as we speak. Their patented wireless power network technology eliminates cables and battery replacements by sending energy through the air.

Between retail, manufacturing, and logistics industries, this company is looking at $650 billion in market potential. But what they've created could also revolutionize fields like health care, transportation, and the food industry — anywhere using trackers or sensors to collect data for the Internet of Things.

They've already been recognized as the "IoT Innovation of the Year" and landed a contract with a Fortune 10, multinational retailer, opening them up to 4,700 U.S. retail locations. Learn how to become an Energous shareholder today.

This is a paid advertisement for Energous' Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energous.com for additional information on the company and the risks factors to the offering.

➤ Those clouds with holes above Georgia a week ago are fascinating formations caused by airplanes, weather experts say. (See photo and video)

➤ Atlanta bars and restaurants can serve alcohol until 2:30 a.m., instead of the usual midnight cutoff, after tonight's college football title game. (More)

➤ NBC's "Dateline" on Friday aired a story on the 2018 murder of an Atlanta attorney whose remains were found on his family's estate in Alpharetta. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor