Friday Facts: August 28, 2026

In case you’ve wondered why Georgia’s flags are at half-staff, they’re in honor of Dolly Parton. 

In the days since her death, people across the country have shared what her Imagination Library meant to them — the program has mailed free books to children from birth to age five since 1995. 

We look at her Georgia connection and the literacy fight she leaves behind in this week’s commentary.

– Kyle Wingfield

Friday’s Freshest 🗞️

Arkansas billed its Medicaid expansion as the conservative alternative, using federal dollars to buy private insurance for able-bodied adults instead of enrolling them in traditional Medicaid. But the experiment produced steep cost overruns and no improvement in the state’s health outcomes.

Much of the data center pushback focuses on water consumption, but this is overblown. But a closer look at these concerns shows that some of the loudest objections do not survive contact with the numbers.

Most people are probably aware that where they receive their healthcare affects the price. But perhaps less intuitive is that the payment can change depending on who owns the healthcare facility.

In 1955, Milton Friedman drew a distinction that might sound obvious today but was radical then: A government’s role in financing education does not require a government monopoly on running schools. Society benefits when every child is educated — but while that may justify public funding, it does not justify limiting a child’s educational options to the nearest public school.

Peach Picks 🍑

Georgia Power announced that its contract to serve OpenAI’s new project in Effingham County has been approved. With the projects announced to date and projected future growth in the state, Georgia Power customers are expected to see savings of at least $15 per month beginning in 2029 for the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month.

Gov. Kemp announced that Walmart, Inc. plans to build a high-tech, next-generation fulfillment center in Carnesville, creating 1,000 new jobs and bringing $1.3 billion in investment to Franklin County. Walmart’s presence in Georgia includes 209 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs, as well as 11 supply chain facilities, employing more than 65,300 associates across the state.

Georgia will receive between $100 million and $135 million from a $17.1 billion settlement with Meta Platforms, Attorney General Chris Carr said. Forty-seven states, Washington, D.C., and three territories were involved in various levels of litigation against the tech platform over claims that the company designed Instagram with features that were addictive to children.

Some of Georgia’s biggest companies are collectively reporting more than $1.5 billion in tariff refunds after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down certain import taxes. Home Depot and UPS account for the bulk of that total.

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is pushing back on concerns about data centers. The organization is highlighting the jobs and property tax revenue that data centers provide while asserting that their effects on water and energy use are not as significant as many believe.

In the Media 📺

Foundation President Kyle Wingfield spoke with The Telegraph about why Bibb County has become one of Georgia’s top three counties for the Promise Scholarship. Wingfield pointed to a high concentration of students zoned to low-performing schools as one of several factors making the program especially attractive in Macon.

Featured Report 📊

Georgia has funded its public schools with the same formula since 1985 — here’s how Quality Basic Education works, and why four decades of reform attempts have gone nowhere.

Quote of the Week 🌟

Frederick Douglass understood that progress rarely happens on its own. His words remain a reminder that those who hold power have little incentive to limit themselves without pressure from the people they serve.

That principle applies far beyond Douglass’s own time. Whether the issue is taxation, regulation, government spending or individual liberty, meaningful reform often begins when citizens insist on accountability. A healthy system of self-government depends on people who are willing to question authority, challenge bad policy and demand that government remains responsive to the public.