Search for CEO Killer Spreads to Atlanta

The manhunt for the UnitedHealthcare CEO gunman intensified in Georgia, with police investigating whether the shooter took a bus from New York to Atlanta.

New York Police Department officials confirmed that investigators are in Atlanta and working with local authorities on the murder case.

Previously, police announced the gunman was suspected of traveling to New York City on Nov. 24 on a bus from Atlanta but aren’t sure where along the route he may have boarded. 

The assassination-style shooting of health insurance executive Brian Thomson took place 10 days later. Police released more photos of the gunman this weekend.

  Trump Taps Another Georgian

A third Georgian will play a key role in the incoming Trump administration, with businessman and former U.S. senator David Perdue nominated as U.S. ambassador to China.

Perdue joins ex-congressman Doug Collins, nominated to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and business leader Kelly Loeffler, named to lead the Small Business Administration, as Trump selections.

Perdue, raised in Warner Robins, is a former CEO of Reebok and Dollar General, and served as an elected U.S. Senator from 2015-2021, where he was considered a China hawk.

Film Industry Leader Killed in Air Crash

Steve Mensch, a major advocate for Georgia’s film industry and head of Tyler Perry Studios, died Friday night when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

An investigation into the cause continued. Mensch was the sole occupant of the single-engine fixed-wing plane that crashed about 8 p.m. Friday on a road in Homosassa, Fla.

Mensch, 62, is survived by a wife and three children. He served as president of the Atlanta studio since 2016, with Tyler Perry among those paying tribute to him in social media posts.

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➤ Hall County: Sheriff’s deputies used a drone to find a 79-year-old and his dog who went missing Thanksgiving night, with the drone able to track a heat signature to lead officers’ to the pair. (More)

➤ Statewide: Two federal agencies renewed their pledge to provide $1 million a year for fish hatcheries that stock waters in Georgia and Tennessee with millions of trout. (More)

➤ Milton: Other Georgia cities and towns are joining with Milton in asking the state Supreme Court to reverse a 2023 ruling that faulted the city for a traffic hazard and awarded $35 million in a wrongful death suit. (More)

➤ Statewide: School leaders reacted to last week’s release of the list of the state’s lowest-performing schools, where students will now qualify for private school vouchers. (More)

➤ Statewide: A state Senate study committee recommended that Georgia regulate artificial intelligence with a focus on promoting advances while protecting privacy, fairness, and transparency. (More)

➤ Macon: A lawsuit revealed that a a former “Deputy of the Year” was fired in October, more than a year after the local district attorney questioned his claim that a jailer gave a rifle to a jail inmate. (More) 

➤ Georgia beat Texas 22-19 to win the SEC championship game on Saturday and secure a first-round bye in the college football playoff. The Bulldogs will face the winner of the Notre Dame vs. Indiana game. (Playoff Bracket)

➤ Georgia Tech will face Vanderbilt at the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 27, after falling just short against Georgia last weekend in eight overtimes. (Full Bowl Game Schedule)

➤ The Atlanta Falcons dropped their fourth straight game Sunday, losing to Minnesota 42-21. (Watch Highlights)

➤  Undefeated Valdosta State advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA DII football championship, topping Virginia Union 49-14. (More)

➤ Semifinal brackets are set for Georgia’s high school football championships. (See Details)

➤ Yesterday’s results: NFL | NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA

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➤ Jobless claims dropped slightly in Georgia last week, bucking the national trend of a rise in first-time unemployment filings. (Report)

➤ Employment in the seven-county Augusta metro area weathered Hurricane Helene, with job numbers rising to a record 238,000 in October, boosted by growing labor needs by hotels. (More)

➤ A government study found seven corporations own more than 50,000 metro Atlanta homes, with the largest concentration in Paulding, Douglas, Henry, and Gwinnett counties. (More)

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➤ Timothee Chalamet’s losing GameDay pick of Texas in the SEC title game didn’t go unanswered by U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, who quipped, “Never trust an actor on elections or football.” (See Post)

➤ Savannah Chrisley’s complaints about prison conditions for her Georgia reality TV star father, Todd, proved on the mark, with the Florida prison now set to close due to “significant disrepair.” (More)

➤ Country music star Luke Bryan has joined with fellow Georgia musicians Quavo and Teddy Swims on a tribute song to life growing up in their home state called Georgia Ways. (See Video: Language Warning)

Are you satisfied with the college football playoff committee’s picks?

1. Yes
2. No

Friday’s Results:

What mixer would you select for a ‘dirty soda’?

1. Plain, thanks: 30.0%
2. Flavored cream: 25.4%
3. Syrup: 22.8%
4. Juice: 21.8%

What major airline started in 1925 as a crop-dusting service in Georgia?

Show me the answer