As states across the U.S. implement stricter stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of COVID-19, Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp re-opened the state's beaches, despite having issued a statewide shelter-in-place executive order.
Tybee Island, one of Georgia's most popular beaches, voted to close its shores on March 20. The city's Mayor Shirley Sessions, who called the governor's decision "reckless," told Cheddar Monday.
The beaches, according to the order, remain open for exercise purposes only, banning objects like beach towels, coolers, and beach chairs, with violators subject to a fine.
"I felt like it was not the right decision for our community in helping to keep our residents, our city staff, our visitors safe," Sessions said, describing the congestion the municipality's 2.5 miles worth of shoreline faced. The mayor noted that if people were able to keep six feet of social distancing or their groups down to 10 or fewer people, "then that sounds like a great concept, but unfortunately that is not reality."
Governor Kemp's executive order also supersedes local rules regarding the coronavirus including the Tybee Island city's council's decision to ban vacation rental check-ins during the month of April to prevent travelers from staying in the city.
Sessions said locals have noticed more visitors arriving from locations undergoing heavy rates of infection. "We are now seeing more out-of-state tags coming from those hot spot areas, and that is very concerning to our residents," she said.
Despite some of Kemp's exemptions to his stay-at-home order, Sessions revealed that some local businesses were sticking with the city's previous measures. "We are also hearing from our business community who are saying that they too are listening to what our directives were, which formerly we said all nonessential businesses will close. And they adhere to that, and they're staying true to that."
For his part, Gov. Kemp defended his beach exemption on Twitter on Sunday, posting a video that purports to show a largely empty Tybee Island beach.
In a TV interview Sunday, Yellen didn't rule out President Joe Biden acting on his own to try to avert a first-ever federal default.
North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday approved and sent to the governor a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20 weeks, in response to last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas joins other members of the Supreme Court as they pose for a new group portrait, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. A Republican megadonor paid two years of private school tuition for a child raised by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who did not disclose the payments, a lawyer who has represented Thomas and his wife acknowledged Thursday. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and three other members of the far-right extremist group were convicted Thursday of a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol.
Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don't correspond to someone's sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
New York state is banning natural gas stoves and furnaces in most new buildings in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Authorities in the U.S. and Europe arrested nearly 300 people, confiscated over $53 million, and seized a dark web marketplace as part of an international crackdown on drug trafficking that officials say was the largest operation of its kind.
Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan has stepped down shortly after apologizing for accepting a payment of $10,000 per month from a consultancy firm for a marijuana company.
U.S. and Mexican officials have agreed on new immigration policies meant to deter illegal border crossings.
Newly opened records that belonged to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens give the public a behind-the-scenes glimpse at his decades on the court, including the tense struggle over the 2000 presidential election and major cases on affirmative action and abortion.
