General Motors will shut down its Roswell Innovation Center in December, putting 900 Georgia GM employees out of work.
What’s Happening: The center handles software development, computer operations and connected vehicle technology. GM says the closure comes as the company deals with falling electric vehicle sales.
What’s Important: Senator Raphael Warnock says recent policy changes in Washington caused the closure. Recent reports show slowing electric vehicle sales will cost GM $1.6 billion.
Between the Lines: Two major policy shifts happened recently. Congress passed a bill that ended a $7,500 tax credit for American-made electric vehicles. The Trump administration also stopped releasing money to help states build electric vehicle charging stations.
The Big Picture: Georgia has attracted major electric vehicle manufacturing in recent years. Hyundai is building a large factory in South Georgia to make electric vehicles. Changes to federal support for electric vehicles could affect more companies beyond General Motors.
What They’re Saying: “Reckless Washington policies are hurting our state’s economy,” Warnock said. “The Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill and the President’s reckless tariffs are directly to blame for the termination of hundreds of Georgia jobs at the GM Innovation Center.”
The Sources: General Motors announcement, statement from U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
