Former President Jimmy Carter's body was brought to the District of Columbia on Tuesday afternoon and will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol before a state funeral set for Thursday across town at the Washington National Cathedral.

Carter died Sunday, Dec. 29, at 100 years old. His death came just over a year after the death of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. 

Carter’s ceremonial arrival at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda came after the start of six days of funeral ceremonies that began Saturday morning in the 39th president's hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Carter's casket was greeted at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C., on Tuesday by the U.S. Air Force Band playing "Abide with Me." From Andrews, a hearse took Carter's casket to the U.S. Navy Memorial for a brief ceremony. Carter, a Naval Academy alumnus, served as a submarine officer before leaving the Navy to take over his family's farm.

At the Navy Memorial, the casket was transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for a procession up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol.

Vice President Harris delivered a eulogy at the Capitol's lying-in-state ceremony and was joined by second gentleman Doug Emhoff in presenting a memorial wreath on behalf of the executive branch of the government.

The U.S. Capitol ceremony on Tuesday featured remarks from both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., representing their respective houses of Congress.

THE PRESIDENT WHO COULDN'T QUIT: JIMMY CARTER'S FOREIGN POLICY LEGACY GOES BEYOND WHITE HOUSE

Johnson praised Carter in his speech as an "extraordinary man" and applauded both his service in the military and his work for charitable causes such as Habitat for Humanity and The Carter Center, the latter founded in 1982 by the former first couple.

"I'm reminded of his admonition to quote, 'Live our lives as though Christ were coming this afternoon,'" Johnson remarked on Tuesday. "And of his amazing personal reflection, 'If I have one life and one chance to make it count for something.'"

"We all agree that he certainly did," he concluded. "So today, in these hallowed halls of our republic, we honor President Carter, his family and his enduring legacy that he leaves not only upon this nation but upon the world."

JIMMY CARTER, PIONEER OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT

Johnson announced last month that Carter would lie in state in a letter to Carter's second-eldest son, James Carter III.

"In recognition of President Carter’s long and distinguished service to the nation, it is our intention to ask the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to permit his remains lie in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol," the leaders wrote.

Besides Carter, just 12 presidents have lain in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, the use of which requires approval by both the House and Senate. The last president to lie in state was George H.W. Bush in December 2018. Since 1865, nearly all services held in the Capitol Rotunda have used the catafalque that was constructed in 1865 for displaying President Lincoln's casket.

Members of the public can view Carter’s casket from early Wednesday through early Thursday, when his official state funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral. 

The former president will be honored and remembered through several days of funeral services before returning to his hometown for private funeral and interment ceremonies. He will be laid to rest by his wife.

On Tuesday, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s cloud computing division, said that it plans to invest “at least” $11 billion in Georgia to expand its infrastructure to support various cloud computing and AI technologies. AWS estimates that its investment will create roughly 550 jobs in the state. “AWS is proud to expand our operations in […]

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The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party, pointing to his alleged efforts to undermine Republican candidates.

The decision, approved unanimously, was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty.

The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain.

In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party's time.

JIMMY CARTER'S FUNERAL SERVICES BEGIN WITH TREK TO CHILDHOOD HOME, ATLANTA

"Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon," he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair.

According to the resolution, Duncan is "banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party."

The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged.

The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates.

The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an "expelled Republican" in future references.

The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker. 

It also notes Duncan's public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP.

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Georgia Republican Party chair Josh McKoon previously demanded that Duncan stop using his Republican credentials in public and media appearances.

The resolution also claims Duncan engaged in a "pattern of false and exaggerated claims" about his education and career.

The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to "attack the Republican Party."

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans are preparing to take up several measures in the new year that were denied votes by Democrats in the last Congress. The first of these is the Laken Riley Act, being reintroduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and teed up for a vote by the end of the week. 

The measure was named for the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia's campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty. 

He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. 

The bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. Additionally, states would have standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration law. 

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"It’s impossible to fully describe what was taken from Laken and from our family on February 22, 2024. Laken’s life was abundantly and exceptionally full of promise. She was a beautiful, shining beacon in the life of everyone who knew her. Not only did the people who knew and loved Laken lose a beautiful soul, but so did our world. Laken shared her love for Jesus with everyone she encountered. Laken's passion for sharing her faith through acts of kindness were felt by everyone she met. Laken was selfless, hardworking and made those around her feel special. Laken did not just talk about her faith, she led by example," said Allyson and John Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother and stepfather, in a statement. 

"The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going through the kind of heartbreak we’ve experienced. Laken would have been 23 on January 10th.  There is no greater gift that could be given to her and our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely commonsense bill that will make our country and communities safer. We thank Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and Senator Ted Budd for continuing to work to honor Laken’s legacy and get this legislation enacted into law."

It was first introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in March and in the Senate by Britt. 

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However, the bill never received a Senate floor vote relating to the standalone legislation. 

Republicans have an incoming trifecta in the federal government, unified in its prioritization of the southern border and tackling illegal immigration, and GOP lawmakers see a big opportunity to push through key legislation. 

"Last year, Laken Riley was stolen from this earth—from her family and friends and from achieving her dreams—by a brutal, heartless killer. Make no mistake—he never should have been in the United States, much less allowed to freely roam American streets after being charged with multiple crimes. Laken’s murder was the direct consequence of willful open border policies," Britt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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"The American people did not just deliver a mandate on November 5, they delivered a verdict. They made it clear they want to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect American families. We will soon know whether Democrats hear, respect, and obey that verdict. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to families in every corner of our country to do everything in our power to help prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again. That’s why it’s imperative we pass the commonsense Laken Riley Act with all due haste. No other American family needs to feel the pain Laken’s family still feels 320 days after losing her," she added. 

Collins said in his own statement, "An illegal criminal came into my district and killed Laken Riley because our local law enforcement did not have the tools to stop him. Laken fought until her last breath, and so will I until this bill crosses the finish line and lands on the President’s desk."

The measure was co-led in the Senate by Sen. Tedd Budd, R-N.C., who said in a statement, "What happened to Laken Riley should never happen to any American citizen. As we turn the page from the disastrous open-border policies of Joe Biden, the Laken Riley Act will empower the Trump administration to enforce our laws, keep our nation secure, and prevent tragedies. I thank Senator Britt for her partnership and her leadership in this bipartisan effort."

Now that Republicans control the Senate, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., at the helm, a vote is expected on the bill, and in short measure. 

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A source familiar shared with Fox News Digital that a vote in the upper chamber is likely to take place on Friday, and Democrats will be forced to go on the record. 

If the measure is only backed by Republicans, it will fail to overcome the legislative filibuster, which requires that bills garner 60 votes in order to end debate and proceed. Notably, new Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., voted in favor of the bill in the House last year. 

The vote will put a spotlight on the Georgia Senate delegation, as Riley was a constituent of theirs. In particular, all eyes will be on Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who is up for re-election in 2026 in the state that President-elect Donald Trump won. 

The week-long state funeral services honoring former President Jimmy Carter, who died at 100 last week, began Saturday morning. The ceremonies will honor Carter’s journey from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to his esteemed role on the global humanitarian stage and as the 39th American president.

On Saturday morning, individuals gathered in downtown Plains to place flowers at the base of Carter's monument. The tribute also featured Habitat for Humanity hardhats adorned with handwritten messages, including one that read, "God bless you, Mr. President," USA Today first reported. 

Carter was the oldest living president, and President Biden has now taken that mantle at the age of 82 years, 2 months.

Carter's specific cause of death on Dec. 29 was unclear. Carter's death followed the passing of his wife Rosalynn on Nov. 19, 2023. She died at the age of 96 with her family by her side at the Carter home in Plains, just days after she had been admitted to hospice care. 

Carter's motorcade arrived at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta just before 4 p.m. ET. As his casket was unloaded, a military band played "Hail to the Chief."

During the private memorial service, Carter was eulogized and stories from his life were shared.

His son, James Earl Carter III, spoke of a kind but firm parent who spent time with his Boy Scouts of America troop and took the family on vacations.

"Chip" Carter said that once, while working on the hiking merit badge, their troop hiked six miles to the family farm.

While roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on the fire, President Carter told ghost stories. Some of the tales appeared to spook the scouts to the point that they began employing the "buddy system" when they left the relative security of the fire to use the latrine and so on.

When Chip was in eighth grade, he recalled, he brought home an "F" on a Latin exam just before Christmas break.

"I didn't see any reason to learn Latin, no one spoke it very much," he quipped. "But my father was not pleased."

During their vacation, President Carter would take Chip's Latin textbook, study it, and return to teach Chip what he had learned himself each day.

When Chip returned to school in January, he asked his teacher to retake the exam. When she assented, he returned home with a 100% score.

The Morehouse College Glee Club provided musical accompaniment during the service, including the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Carter's body will lie in repose at his presidential center overnight, and the public can pay its respects during that time.

Next, Carter's casket will be on its way to the District of Columbia, where the 39th president will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol until his Thursday morning funeral in Northwest D.C. President Biden is expected to eulogize his fellow Democrat, and all other living presidents – Clinton, G.W. Bush, Obama and Trump – have received invitations.

Late Saturday morning, Carter's motorcade departed his hometown of Plains, a small farming community just below Fort Benning (now Fort Moore) and two hours above Tallahassee, Florida.

Carter's funeral detail arrived in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon. He will lie in repose at the Carter Center. On its way there, the motorcade passed by the girlhood home of Rosalynn Carter. The couple had been married for 77 years when Mrs. Carter died.

JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100

The convoy also rolled by Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign headquarters and a gas station that had been owned by his brother, Billy Carter, according to the AP.

The motorcade also passed through the small community of Archery, Georgia – just outside Plains.

It was in Archery where Carter grew up on the family’s peanut farm owned by James Earl Carter Sr. The farm’s bell was rung 39 times on Saturday to honor the 39th president.

Carter’s mother, Lillian, was a nurse, who ironically delivered the then-Rosalynn Smith, who would go on to marry her son.

Carter’s body arrived in Atlanta around 3 p.m. ET, and stopped outside the Georgia State Capitol from where he once governed.

A moment of silence was led by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens.

Here is the order of funeral events:

•10:15 a.m.: The Carter family will arrive at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia. Nine current and former Secret Service agents of Carter's administration will serve as pallbearers, escorting his remains to the hearse.

•10:50 a.m.: The motorcade will travel through Plains, pausing briefly at Carter’s boyhood home in Archery. During this pause, the National Park Service will ring the historic farm bell 39 times, symbolizing Carter’s tenure as the 39th President.

•10:55 a.m.: The journey to Atlanta begins.

FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER TO SPEND 'REMAINING TIME' AT HOME RECEIVING HOSPICE CARE

•3 p.m.: Upon arrival in Atlanta, the motorcade will stop at the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence led by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and members of the Georgia General Assembly.

Georgia State Patrol troopers, both current and retired, will assemble on the Capitol steps, with those who served on Carter’s security detail during his governorship taking a place of distinction.

•3:45 p.m.: An arrival ceremony will take place at the Carter Presidential Center.

•4 p.m.: A private service will be conducted in the lobby of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

•7 p.m.: President Carter will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center, allowing the public to pay their respects until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

•Jan. 7: Carter’s remains will be transported to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol for national homage.

•Jan. 9: A national funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral, with President Biden expected to deliver the eulogy. Biden has declared Thursday as a National Day of Mourning. 

JIMMY CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN ROTUNDA AHEAD OF STATE FUNERAL SCHEDULED BY BIDEN

Following the Washington service, Carter’s remains will return to Georgia for a private funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. 

He will then be laid to rest next to his late wife, Rosalynn, at their residence.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Magolis and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Former President Jimmy Carter, the first U.S. commander-in-chief to reach the age of 100, was fondly remembered by state leaders across the political spectrum after his passing.

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that he, first lady Marty Kemp and their children "join all Georgians and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter."

"As the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office," Kemp said.

Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a top potential contender to replace the term-limited Kemp in 2026, added in his own tribute that Georgia, the nation and world "lost a man who exemplified what it means to be a public servant and to put the needs of others before your own."

JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100

Jones said he once met the Carters and described them as kind and accepting.

Georgia State Senate Leader John F. Kennedy, R-Fort Valley, said Carter’s life was "largely defined by his servant’s heart" and "steadfast commitment to our country and state."

"The lord has called home his good and faithful servant," added Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Effingham.

To the White House, he brought "pragmatic wisdom of a peanut farmer, work ethic of a homebuilder and unyielding faith of a Sunday School teacher," he added.

Former two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams said Carter "lived a life of courage, fortitude, kindness and grace."

"He was a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself. Whether at a Boys & Girls Club banquet or when he sponsored a medical clinic for the uninsured in his corner of rural Georgia, he lived James 2:17 each day," said Abrams.

Outside the late Democrat’s home state, tributes poured in from all 49 others.

In neighboring North Carolina, Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein called the late president a "principled man" who "represented the best of America: guided by faith and service and dedicated to our nation's promise."

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey noted that Carter grew up not far from the Yellowhammer State line, and praised the Democrat for his Navy service and work in taking over his family’s peanut farm after his father, James Sr., died.

"Jimmy Carter not only lived the longest of any former U.S. President, but his life also brought greater dignity to the presidency," Ivey said in a statement.

"President Carter lived a great life marked by service to his country. Volunteering his time to build homes for those in need well into his 90s," said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican.

CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN CAPITOL ROTUNDA

West Virginia’s Democratic Party chairman, state Del. Mike Pushkin added that Carter’s legacy is one of "humility, integrity and relentless service."

"He taught us that true leadership is not about power, but about lifting others up and making the world a better place. His work continues to inspire generations of Americans to engage in public service and to strive for a more just and equitable society," said Pushkin, D-Kanawha.

Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement that America lost a "great man, compassionate leader and true humanitarian."

"In everything he did, President Carter put service above self. He believed fiercely in lifting up others and lending a hand to those in need – an example for all of us to follow," McKee said. "We thank President Carter for his service to our nation and dedicating his life to making the world a better place."

One rising star in Carter’s party ordered flags across his state at half-staff Monday.

"President Jimmy Carter was a humble, generous, and admirable public servant — both as our president and in his years after as a citizen in service," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

In the current president's home state, outgoing Delaware Gov. John Carney called Carter a "champion for peace and human rights."

Delaware Gov.-elect Matt Meyer wrote on X that Carter’s life "left an indelible mark on the world."

"[W]hat made him truly extraordinary was his humility and compassion," Meyer said.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called Carter "a truly moral man."

"His innate humanity, his humility, his devotion to serving his community and his country, and his belief that the world could live in peace is the remarkable legacy he leaves behind."

In California, potential 2028 presidential candidate Gov. Gavin Newsom also paid his respects.

"Jennifer and I join the country and the world in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a tireless champion for human rights and democracy whose unparalleled life of service made the world a better place," he said.

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Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that Carter proved "good people, wanting nothing more than to do good – can excel in politics and life."

Thousands of miles to the west, Hawaii Democratic Gov. Josh Green said the people of his state "send our Aloha and heartfelt condolences to the Carter ‘ohana during this difficult time."

"President Jimmy Carter truly exemplified what it meant to live a life full of service," added Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another likely 2028 Democratic hopeful.

"His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered," the Hyatt Hotels heir added.

• Former President Jimmy Carter's grandson credited his longevity to exercise.
• Carter died at 100 on Sunday and was the longest-living president in US history.
• But Jason Carter told Time before his grandfather died that he would have attributed his longevity to his marriage.

The grandson of late President Jimmy Carter said that his grandfather's exercise habits may have contributed to his longevity. 

Carter died on Sunday at 100, making him the longest-living commander-in-chief in US history.

He was treated for brain and liver cancer in 2015, and had been in hospice care since February 2023.

Jason Carter, a former Georgia Democratic state senator and the party's 2014 gubernatorial nominee, told Time in 2023 that his grandfather consistently made an effort to find places to jog during his many travels, and later switched to biking as he grew older. 

He said: "If he got to a new city that he had never been to before, whether there was Secret Service or not, he would say, 'Hey, is there a bike?'"

The former president also previously played tennis daily. 

However, Jason Carter said that his grandfather would likely have credited his longevity to his 77-year marriage with his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died in 2023.

"The best thing I ever did was marry Rosalynn," the former president said during a 2015 interview at the Carter Center in Atlanta. "That's the pinnacle of my life."

Jimmy Carter served as a Georgia state senator from 1963 to 1967 before his stint as governor from 1971 to 1975.

Running for the White House in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, he won the 1976 presidential election, defeating then-President Gerald Ford, but lost his reelection bid to former California Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1980.

After leaving Washington, the Carters returned to their native Georgia. The former president received widespread recognition across the globe for his early efforts to combat climate change and his decades-long humanitarian work.

Jason Carter told Time that his grandfather's tenure in the Oval Office was very much a "millennial presidency," noting that many of the policy items that younger Americans currently want to see addressed were things that the former president foresaw in the 1970s and 1980s.

"If we had listened to his presidency when they started talking about climate change, when they started talking about changing the way that we consume energy, solar and alternative sources — we would be far, far ahead of where we are now," he said.

Jason Carter told the Journal-Constitution in August that his grandfather was "more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza," and was trying to "make it" to November 2024 to vote for Kamala Harris in the US presidential election.

Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States.

Known for his Christian faith, Carter lived a life of service that left a forever mark on United States history.

Jimmy Carter, the nation’s 39th president, has died at the age of 100. He served a single term as president, but he also will be remembered for his decades of humanitarian work. 

Those who knew him – opponents and supporters alike – described him as a man of integrity, whatever flaws he may have had as president. 

"When we look at the whole thrust of Jimmy Carter’s life, it’s an amazing American story," Douglas Brinkley, author of The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter’s Journey Beyond the White House, told Fox News Digital. 

"He grew up with no electricity, went to work in the… Navy. He became President of the United States at the height of the Cold War and won the Nobel Prize for his post-presidency," Brinkley said. "All the time, his ambitious humanity was aimed at trying to make sure that everybody he came in contact with, had a better, fair shake at life." 

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A peanut farmer and former one-term governor of Georgia, Carter beat the odds and was elected president in 1977. 

"Nobody thought Carter could procure the Democratic nomination. But Carter had a unique amount of bulldog tenacity [and] gumshoe perseverance," Brinkley said. 

His campaign befuddled Democrats, as Carter was deeply religious and ran to the right of his Republican opponent, Gerald Ford, on some social issues. As a Washington outsider, Carter’s agricultural background and accent endeared him to the deep south. 

He took office at a time when Watergate, the Vietnam War, and stagflation had left the country in a sour mood. In Washington, his populist campaign inevitably collided with establishment Democrats who never fully accepted Carter. 

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"He never had a full grip on his own Democratic Party. Ted Kennedy liberals didn’t like Carter, and the Scoop Jackson Cold War hawks didn’t like him," Brinkley said. "So, he was kind of an island unto himself as president." 

Carter’s foreign policy wins included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for nearly two weeks in 1978. At home, Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad, and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy and the Federal Emergency Manager Agency. 

Carter designated millions of acres in Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges and he appointed a then-record number of women and non-whites to federal posts. He also built on Nixon’s opening with China and pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. 

Yet, his president was also marked by double-digit inflation, long gasoline lines, and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat. 

Carter was also crippled by his – as Brinkley put it – "lack of communication chops." Oratory, Brinkley said, was not his strong suit. 

In 1979, Carter delivered his famous "Crisis of Confidence" speech in which he lamented that the United States, once a nation "proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God" had descended into "self-indulgence and consumption."

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"Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we’ve discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning," Carter said. "We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose." 

Craig Shirley, a Reagan biographer and historian, recalled watching the speech while working for a senator on Capitol Hill. 

"I remember watching it that Sunday night and feeling for the first time in my life, I felt scared as an American. The speech was such a downer. It was so depressing," Shirley said. "A president is supposed to tell the truth to the American people, but also appeal to the American people’s hopes and aspirations and not their worst feelings or desires." 

Carter ultimately served a single, tumultuous term and was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. 

But whatever flaws his presidency may have had, Carter will perhaps be most fondly remembered for the decades he spent post-presidency advocating for democracy, public health, and human rights via The Carter Center. 

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The Center, which Carter opened with his wife, Rosalynn, in 1982, has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring at least 113 elections in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989. In perhaps its most widely hailed public health effort, the organization recently announced that only 14 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in all of 2021, the result of years of public health campaigns to improve access to safe drinking water in Africa. Carter's work with the Center garnered a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. 

For his humanitarian work, Shirley argued, Carter will be remembered as "one of the best ex-presidents of the 20th century." 

"Carter really wasn’t for PR stunts. He really threw himself into his charitable works and did so for many years," Shirley said. 

"We’re going to remember him kindly. He was a terrific former president with what he did with the Carter Center and the various initiatives around the country. His book writing stands out [as does] his charitable works. So, he goes down in his history as an extraordinarily good, former president."  

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and a former peanut farmer whose vision of a "competent and compassionate" government propelled him into the White House, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday, the Carter Center confirmed. He was 100.

The news was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, shortly before the Carter Center, the late president's nonprofit organization, made an announcement on X. "Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia," the organization's post read.

His specific cause of death was unclear. Carter's death followed the passing of his wife Rosalynn on Nov. 19, 2023. She died at the age of 96 with her family by her side at the Carter home in Plains, just days after she had been admitted to hospice care. 

FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER TO SPEND 'REMAINING TIME' AT HOME RECEIVING HOSPICE CARE

The late former president himself had entered hospice care in February 2023. Carter survived for years after he had a "small mass" removed from his liver in early August 2015 and later that month announced he had liver cancer that had spread throughout his body. 

The Carter family had a history of cancer and the former president lost his father, brother, and two sisters to pancreatic cancer. His mother had breast cancer, which later spread to her pancreas.

Jason Carter, Carter's grandson, had announced in May that he believed the former president was "coming to the end" of his life's journey. But the former president hung on much longer.

Funeral details were still being planned, but the Carter Center announced he would be buried in Plains following public observances in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. The family encouraged donations to the Carter Center in lieu of flowers.

The soft-spoken leader with a signature Georgia drawl saw his single term in the Oval Office clouded by an economic downturn at home and a hostage crisis abroad.

His post-presidency life was marked by a very visible dedication to service, but also a series of sometimes controversial moves as he continued to wade into foreign affairs, particularly as it related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Carter met with the leadership of terrorist group and Palestinian representative Hamas in 2009 and 2015. He reprimanded Israel for its operations against Hamas in 2014, saying there was "no justification in the world for what Israel is doing."

James Earl Carter Jr. was born in 1924 in Plains, a farming town. Carter’s father was a farmer, a background that helped instill in him a love of the land – and the working and lower class people who tilled it – that would follow him throughout his personal and professional life.

But Carter initially sought a path outside the dirt of Plains and, after attending the U.S. Naval Academy, he served as a submariner in the post-World War II navy, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant.

Carter married Rosalynn Smith, a fellow native of Plains, in 1946, the same year he graduated from the Academy.

After Carter’s father died in 1953, Carter resigned his naval commission and returned to his and Rosalynn’s roots in Plains. The young man took the lead at the family farm while Rosalynn operated a farm supply company in their small Georgia town.

It wasn’t long, however, before Carter again left the farm fields behind, this time beginning a career in politics that would land him the nation’s highest office in just 14 years.

Carter won election to the Georgia Senate in 1962 and, following a failed gubernatorial bid in 1966, he became the state’s governor in 1971.

JIMMY CARTER CELEBRATES 98TH BIRTHDAY WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, BASEBALL

Carter grew into a national Democratic Party leader and won the 1976 presidential election against President Gerald Ford, riding a wave of popular discontent with former President Richard Nixon – and the pardon that Ford had extended to Nixon.

While in the White House, Carter established full diplomatic relations with China and led the negotiation of a nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union. Domestically, he led several conservation efforts, showing the same love of nature as president as he did as a young farmer in Plains.

He has cited the Panama Canal treaties and the Camp David accords that brought peace between Egypt and Israel as among his greatest personal accomplishments.

"We focused on peace," he told The Washington Post in 2014. "We never shot a bullet or dropped a bomb on anyone."

But peace wasn’t always easily maintained, and a perceived lack of strength in dealing with bad actors likely contributed to his lopsided 1980 defeat by Ronald Reagan.

The final 14 months of his presidency were dominated by the Iran hostage crisis. Following the country’s revolution, the new government took 52 American hostages. Carter was never able to retrieve the detained Americans or negotiate for their release. In an obvious snub, Iran finally released the 52 after they had been held for 444 days — on the same day Carter left office.

And though Carter started the Department of Education and the Department of Energy, two government bureaucracies that have since become popular targets for Republicans, a nationwide energy crunch also served to hurt his tenure. Footage of gas lines and high gas prices is a seminal feature of nearly any late 1970s documentary or discussion.

The domestic and foreign issues led Sen. Ted Kennedy to take the rare step of challenging Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination. Though Carter survived that battle, though barely, he wasn’t as fortunate in November 1980, when Reagan won 44 states and the presidency.

JIMMY CARTER, WIFE ROSALYNN CELEBRATE 75 YEARS OF MARRIAGE

Upon leaving the White House, Carter, who authored 28 books, was named a distinguished professor at Emory University in Atlanta and founded The Carter Center, which focuses on national and international public policy. Carter told The Associated Press that he had the "best times" of his life after establishing the organization in 1982.

"This beautiful place on Earth that has set moral and ethical standards that exemplify what a superpower like America ought to be," Carter said of the center in October.

Recalling the manual labor of his youth in Plains, Carter was often seen volunteering and fundraising for Habitat for Humanity, helping to build homes for the needy.

Carter was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Additionally, he served as a member of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders no longer in politics whose ranks also included South African President Nelson Mandela, Irish President Mary Robinson and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In his spare time, Carter, a deeply religious man who served as a deacon in the Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains, enjoyed fishing, running and woodworking. 

Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

• One Georgia high school has gone all-in on artificial intelligence.
• Students at Seckinger High School learn math, science, English, and history through an AI lens.
• Teachers say students are more engaged and better prepared for the jobs of the future.

Prior to joining the faculty at Seckinger High School, art teacher Megan Fowler's only experience with anything even resembling artificial intelligence was a single graphic design class in college.

But as her teaching career progressed, "I just felt like what I was teaching was not necessarily applicable to students' future careers," she told Business Insider.

Now, Fowler, who is in her 13th year of teaching, uses AI every day. Whether she's teaching students how to use large language models like ChatGPT as an artistic thought partner, introducing kids to the ethical considerations of generative art, or spearheading AI-centered professional development content for fellow teachers, Fowler has fully submitted to the power of machine learning.

Seckinger High School, located in Gwinnett County, Georgia, opened its doors in August 2022, right as AI went big. The public school, with an enrollment of about 2,000 students, operates like any other public school in Georgia's largest school district, with one critical distinction: Students at Seckinger learn all the standard fare — math, science, English, and social studies — via an AI-embedded educational experience.

With outside help from tech partners and community collaborators, including Google and Microsoft, as well as higher ed experts and school district leaders, Gwinnett County Public Schools created an "AI-ready" framework for Seckinger students, replete with six components ranging from technical proficiency to ethics, said Sallie Holloway, director of artificial intelligence and computer science at the district.

"Our students are making connections to their future that is not as common in other schools," Holloway said.

Teachers and administrators at the school see it as their responsibility to prepare students for the jobs of the future, many of which will require advanced knowledge of AI, four Seckinger educators told BI.

And it's an approach that is likely to pay off, according to education experts.

Bree Dusseault, managing director at the Center for Reinventing Education, cited an Institute for the Future statistic that approximately 85% of the jobs that will be available in 2030 don't yet exist.

"So, how do we build a school system that is helping prepare our students for this new future?"

How it works

Seckinger staff members explain the school's AI approach using a water-based metaphor. Students can choose to swim, snorkel, or scuba dive in the oceans of AI.

"We like to say that all of our kids are swimming in AI," said teacher Jason Hurd, who heads the AI career and technical education pathway at Seckinger. "They are exposed to it, have access to it, see it integrated into their lessons across all content areas at school."

Next are the snorkelers, students who want to dive a bit deeper into the tech. They might take an AI elective class or join the robotics team.

Scuba divers, meanwhile, are the students who opt to enroll in the school's AI pathway, which immerses students to the nuanced mechanics of AI via three advanced courses. These students finish high school prepared to go into a specific field involving AI, Hurd said.

AI integration at Seckinger looks very different depending on the class, subject, and teacher.

For example, Scott Gaffney, a social studies teacher, uses AI to teach students historical problem-solving. In one instance, Gaffney presented students with an outbreak of cholera in 1854 London and asked them to use AI to map the spread via dot distribution. The students then used AI to analyze the data and pinpoint the nexus of the outbreak to a specific street, he told BI.

"Gen Z processes information way faster than previous generations," Gaffney said. "It's fun to present them with a challenge and task them to use AI to get the solution."

Hurd's AI pathway course covers everything from programming to applied reasoning to ethics.

"I tell students that some days it will feel like a math class, some days it will like a philosophy class, some days it will feel like a history class," Hurd said.

How it's working so far

The school, which is currently in its third year of operations, is still in pilot mode as the district waits to see what aspects of Seckinger's AI approach are ready to scale and share across the rest of the 142-school system, Holloway said.

But the anecdotal results thus far have been overwhelmingly positive, educators said.

"Kids aren't skipping class as much and there's a genuine interest in how teachers are teaching this content," Holloway said. "It's not a magic bullet, but they really are seeing an increase in engagement."

It helps that students at Seckinger generally feel like they know why they're learning something and how it might help them down the line, teachers said.

While there was some early community skepticism around Seckinger's AI concept, educators said that parent attitudes have done a 180 in the last three years.

"Parents want their kids to go here, and kids want to be here," Fowler said.

Still in its infancy, the school has yet to graduate a cohort that spent a full four years at Seckinger. Hurd, who runs the AI pathway, said he's gotten great feedback from former students who have gone on to enroll at Georgia Tech. Similarly, Fowler said she's seen some students go on to study digital art or user experience after graduating from Seckinger.

Looking to the future

Part of the fun — and challenge — for Seckinger teachers is staying up-to-date with the rapidly evolving technology. When the district first began discussing the idea behind Seckinger in 2019, ChatGPT had yet to be released. Today, it has over 180 million users.

"Algebra has always been algebra and will be forever," Hurd said. "But the field of AI is constantly changing.

While some schools and districts are taking a hard-line approach to dealing with AI in education — banning tools like ChatGPT or Gemini from school servers — Seckinger staff are excited to see how their students can use AI to one day change the world.

"There were once things called Google and Wikipedia that people thought would ruin education," Gaffney said. "They haven't. They've actually sharpened our future leaders."

A Georgia judge has ruled that state lawmakers can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of an inquiry into whether she engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump.

In his Dec. 23 order, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram gave Willis until Jan. 13 to file a list of claimed privileges and objections to anything that has been subpoenaed.

Willis plans to appeal the decision. 

"We believe the ruling is wrong and will appeal," former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, who is representing Willis in the case, wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

GEORGIA APPEALS COURT DISQUALIFIES DA FANI WILLIS AND HER TEAM FROM TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

Earlier this month, an appeals court removed Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Trump and others, citing an "appearance of impropriety." The panel also cited the romantic relationship between Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

"This is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings," the court said. 

At the time, Trump called the case a "disgrace to justice."

"It was started by the Biden DOJ as an attack on his political opponent, Donald Trump," he said, "They used anyone and anybody, and she has been disqualified, and her boyfriend has been disqualified, and they stole funds and went on trips." 

In August, the Republican-led Senate committee sent subpoenas to Willis seeking to compel her to testify in September. She skipped a hearing that month when lawmakers hoped to question her. 

The committee was formed to examine misconduct allegations against Willis during her prosecution of Trump over efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss in Georgia.

FANI WILLIS WAS 'TERRIFIED' BECAUSE HER CASE AGAINST TRUMP WAS 'WEAK,' ATTORNEY SAYS

Barnes, Willis’ attorney, argued the subpoenas were overly broad and not related to a legitimate legislative need and that the Senate committee didn't have the power to subpoena her in the first place. 

One issue raised is that the Georgia legislative term will end when lawmakers are sworn in for their new term on Jan. 13. Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal said last week that he plans to file legislation to re-establish the committee at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session.

"The law is clear, and the ruling confirms what we knew all along," Dolezal wrote in a text Friday. "Judge Ingram rejected every argument made by Willis in her attempt to dodge providing testimony to the committee under oath. I look forward to D.A. Willis honoring the subpoena and providing documents and testimony to our committee."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Georgia court of appeals disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her team from prosecuting President-elect Donald Trump in his election interference case on Thursday.

The court did not toss Trump's indictment entirely, but Willis and the assistant DAs working in her office now have "no authority to proceed."

"After carefully considering the trial court’s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office," the filing states. "The remedy crafted by the trial court to prevent an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at times when DA Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion about who to prosecute and what charges to bring." 

The court said while it recognizes that "an appearance of impropriety generally is not enough to support disqualification, this is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings." 

"Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s denial of the appellants’ motion to disqualify DA Willis and her office," the filing states. "As we conclude that the elected district attorney is wholly disqualified from this case, ‘the assistant district attorneys — whose only power to prosecute a case is derived from the constitutional authority of the district attorney who appointed them — have no authority to proceed,'" the filing states. 

READ THE APPEALS COURT RULING – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said the "whole case has been a disgrace to justice." 

"It was started by the Biden DOJ as an attack on his political opponent, Donald Trump," he said, "They used anyone and anybody and she has been disqualified and her boyfriend has been disqualified and they stole funds and went on trips." 

Trump told Fox News Digital that the case "should not be allowed to go any further." 

"There is no way such corrupt people can lead a case and then it gets taken over by somebody else," Trump told Fox News Digital. "It was a corrupt case, so how could it be taken over by someone else?" 

 "The case has to be thrown out because it was started corruptly by an incompetent prosecutor who received millions of dollars through her boyfriend—who received it from her—and then they went on cruises all the time," Trump said, referring to Willis' relationship with a former prosecutor on her team, Nathan Wade. 

"Therefore, the case is entirely dead," Trump said. "Everybody should receive an apology, including those wonderful patriots who have been caught up in this for years." 

This is a breaking story. Check back soon for updates.

President-elect Donald Trump has a new game plan for Herschel Walker, his longtime friend, ally and former football star.

Three years after Trump handpicked Walker to run for the Senate in his home state of Georgia in a crucial, combative, expensive and high-profile Senate race, the president-elect is now selecting his friend to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Caribbean nation of the Bahamas.

"Herschel has spent decades serving as an ambassador to our nation’s youth, our men and women in the military, and athletes at home and abroad," Trump said in a statement Tuesday night on social media, as he pointed to Walker's resume, which includes serving as co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition during Trump's first term in the White House.

HERSCHEL WALKER PROVES THAT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

Walker is a former professional and college football star running back who won a Heisman Trophy and helped propel the University of Georgia to a national championship.

His friendship with the former and future president goes back to his days playing for the Trump-owned New Jersey Generals USFL football team in the 1980s. Walker also was a major Trump supporter and surrogate in the 2020 presidential election.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION

In August 2021, Walker launched a Republican Senate campaign in Georgia after months of support and encouragement from Trump to run for office.

Walker, a first-time politician, was dogged during his Senate run by controversial statements and damaging revelations about his personal life and business career.

The race between Walker and Democratic incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock ended up being one of the most closely watched Senate battles in the 2022 midterms. The contest went into overtime, with Walker ending up narrowly losing to Warnock in a runoff election in December of that year.

MEET TRUMP'S CABINET AND OTHER TOP ADMINISTRATION PICKS

This year, Walker joined Trump on the campaign trail in Georgia days before Election Day, as the former president carried the key southeastern battleground state after narrowly losing it to President Biden four years ago.

Walker becomes the third Republican who lost a recent Senate race in Georgia to be nominated by Trump for a post in his second administration.

Former Sen. David Perdue, who lost his seat to Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff in the 2020 cycle, was selected by Trump to serve as ambassador to China, and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who lost to Warnock in the 2020 cycle, was picked by Trump to run the Small Business Administration.

Trump's naming of Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas is the second time this month the former football star made headlines.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This past weekend, Walker graduated from the University of Georgia, 42 years after he last attended the school.

EXCLUSIVE – Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia will make her first visit to Capitol Hill since President-elect Trump nominated her to steer the Small Business Administration (SBA) in his second term in the White House.

Fox News has learned that Loeffler will meet on Tuesday with roughly a dozen Republican senators. Among those she'll huddle with are Sen. John Barasso of Wyoming, who ranks third in GOP Senate leadership and is the incoming Majority Whip, and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the incoming chair of the Senate Small Business Committee.

Loeffler, who hails from a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs, was raised working on the family farm in Illinois. After becoming the first in her family to graduate college, she spent nearly three decades working her way up in the private sector.  

Along with her husband Jeff, Loeffler built a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company from 100 employees to 15,000. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION

Loeffler later launched another company, named Bakkt, as its founding CEO and first employee. She was also a part owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.

HEAD HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF WHOM TRUMP'S PICKED TO TOP ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS

"As an entrepreneur and business leader who founded startups and helped build a Fortune 500 company, Senator Loeffler looks forward to meeting with her former colleagues this week to discuss empowering America’s job creators," Loeffler spokesperson Caitlin O'Dea told Fox News in a statement. "She is honored to be President Trump’s choice to lead the SBA, and, if confirmed, looks forward to advancing his agenda to make the small business economy great again."

Loeffler and her husband have long been major donors to Republican causes and and candidates, including Trump. Loeffler serves as co-chair of the president-elect's inaugural committee.

Trump called Loeffler, a longtime ally, "tremendous fighter" as he announced her nomination as SBA administrator.

And Ernst, in a statement, said that "as a successful business owner, Kelly knows what it takes to innovate and create jobs that support American families, and I am confident that she will fight to get Washington bureaucrats off the backs of our nation's small businesses."

While successful in the business world, Loeffler was not well known until becoming a politician.

After GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson resigned from the Senate at the end of 2019 due to his deteriorating health, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia appointed Loeffler to fill Isakson's unexpired term until the next regular election.

Loeffler narrowly lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a runoff election in January 2021, after no candidate topped 50% of the vote in a crowded field of contenders in the November 2020 Senate election.

• I spent almost $150 to try a range of dishes at Cuts steakhouse in Atlanta while dining alone.
• I loved my steak, rolls, and appetizer, but some of the side dishes were underwhelming.
• The excellent service was a highlight of the visit, and I wish I had a Cuts location back home.

While in Atlanta for a conference, I knew I wanted to check out a Southern-style steakhouse.

I was visiting from New York City and love a good steak, so I was hoping to find something I couldn't get back home.

Eventually, I settled on Cuts, a steakhouse and bar known for pairing "fine dining with authentic Southern flavor." OpenTable even has it listed as the best steakhouse in Atlanta, based on its user-submitted reviews.

Cuts has two locations in Georgia and I visited the one in downtown Atlanta. I had no trouble getting a last-minute reservation for one on a Saturday evening.

Here's what my dining experience at Cuts was like.

Cuts felt dim and romantic.

As soon as I entered, I liked that Cuts felt dim and romantic but well-lit enough that I didn't have to squint at the menu.

On its website, Cuts notes it's business casual with a dress code it will "strictly enforce." I wore a dress and cardigan with white platform sneakers, the only shoes I'd packed, and had no issue getting inside.

Although the restaurant was empty when I arrived, I soon found myself seated near two businessmen asking for wine recommendations and a group of older women talking about raises.

By 6:30 p.m., it wasn't crowded but felt comfortably full. Soft jazz covers of Beyoncé and The Beatles played over the speakers throughout the evening.

The decor and layout felt like an upscale airport lounge mixed with a nice bachelor pad.

With its wooden walls, animal-shaped wall busts, and dark fabrics, Cuts felt like a bachelor pad in the best way.

It had multiple areas with different types of seating — from leather chairs to curved booths — that reminded me of an upscale airport lounge.

I especially loved the dining area, which had steps leading down to it like a cozy sunken living room. The various nooks seemed laid out and designed to give all diners a bit of privacy.

Within seconds, I had a bread basket on my table.

Servers in white coats seemed to float around Cuts like they were performing and hitting every cue.

Within minutes of sitting down, I had a bread basket and a full glass of water that stayed refilled the whole night. I'm never one to complain about free bread at restaurants, and the rolls were warm and fluffy.

The butter was so herby and flavorful that I would've eaten it by itself. I also liked that it was soft enough to easily spread onto the roll.

The service was impressive from the start.

My server seemed incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, and I watched as he presented a plastic-wrapped board of aged steaks to the businessmen nearby.

He explained each cut in detail to them, then to me. I settled on the petit filet ($54) with blue-cheese crust ($8). He showed me the steak I picked out, adding it was "the leanest" with the least amount of fat, "which gives it flavor."

Deciding what else to order was difficult since the menu had a unique lineup of tasty-sounding appetizers and specials. I was especially tempted by the creamy cheddar grits, bourbon-glazed bacon, and sesame seared tuna.

I eventually settled on the goat-cheese risotto fritters ($18) to start and truffle asparagus ($10), pimento mac and cheese ($9), and roasted-garlic mashed potatoes ($9) as my sides. I ordered more than I normally would so I could try a few things.

I was really impressed by the goat-cheese risotto fritters.

Although the menu listed these as fritters plural, it seemed like it was actually just a large one cut in half.

Still, the portion felt generous enough for an appetizer. The risotto balls tasted like arancini my Italian grandma would make, and the tangy goat cheese paired nicely with the crispy breading.

The fritters were also paired with what tasted like a briny olive tapenade that kept the appetizer feeling fresh and surprisingly light, given it was mostly carbs.

The chefs at Cuts seriously know how to prepare a steak.

After the appetizer course, my table was reset with a darker cloth napkin and fresh silverware, including a special Cuts steak knife.

Soon after, my filet was brought out on a warm plate. As I'd requested, the meat had a tender pink center. The tangy blue cheese had created a crisp, flavorful crust with a smoky taste.

I savored every single bite of steak, which was cooked perfectly and seemed melt-in-your-mouth buttery. Even the garnish — half a shallot cooked until tender — was delicious paired with the meat.

Although I love a Texas Roadhouse steak, this felt eons better than any chain-restaurant sirloin I've ever had.

In terms of sides, the mashed potatoes were good but not amazing.

The roasted-garlic mashed potatoes were tasty and had a nice flavor.

I liked that they were smooth and without chunks — my preference — but they felt underwhelming after the delicious risotto balls.

Overall, they were on par with the mashed potatoes I usually make at home.

The pimento mac and cheese was full of flavor.

Pimento cheese is a Southern staple, especially in Georgia, so I was excited to see it added to this classic side.

The mac and cheese was creamy and had the distinct sweet and slightly tangy pimento flavor I enjoy. I also appreciated the crisp breadcrumbs on top.

The truffle asparagus was the most disappointing part of my meal.

Asparagus is one of my preferred vegetables and truffle is one of my favorite flavors, but this dish really let me down.

The sad-looking stalks had a random-looking handful of what might've been peppers tossed on top of them.

It didn't taste much better than it looked. I couldn't detect the umami truffle flavor — or much of anything. I wasn't a fan of the crunchy but kind of limp texture of the asparagus, either.

Simply put, it didn't look or taste very good.

The meal was pricey, but I was mostly impressed.

I'm not used to spending over $50 for a steak, but I did feel like I got my money's worth. The filet was the best thing I ate by a landslide.

The $18 price tag on the goat-cheese fritters (which, again, seemed to be one fritter cut in half) seemed high, but I enjoyed the dish, so I wasn't too bothered.

None of the sides blew me away, so I'd skip them and just order another appetizer next time. The starter menu had a lot more interesting options.

If the northeast had Cuts locations, I'd go here with my fiancé every anniversary.

Toward the end of my meal, I asked if I could take my two leftover rolls to go because I loved them so much.

In minutes, my server returned with a bag containing an entire fresh batch of rolls and herb butter — all at no extra charge. The kind gesture made my night and felt symbolic of the top-tier service I'd experienced all night long.

I didn't feel rushed or forgotten at all, even as a solo diner.

By the time I got my check, I'd finished the book I'd brought and was shocked I'd been at Cuts for over 90 minutes. None of the diners around me had left, either. Some had fresh rounds of drinks or were conversing over their since-paid checks.

Maybe it's the South's famously slow-paced attitude or the coziness that makes people want to linger at Cuts.

As a self-proclaimed yapper with the impatient I-got-somewhere-to-be attitude of a native New Yorker, I couldn't believe I'd sat for a meal that long alone and thoroughly enjoyed it so much.

Cuts hasn't left Georgia, but I'm still crossing my fingers that the chain will head north so I can treat myself to its steak at every anniversary.

The Fulton County District Attorney's Office declined this week to turn over any new communications between District Attorney Fani Willis and outgoing special counsel Jack Smith, asserting in a new court filing that the documents either do not exist or are exempt from disclosure under Georgia law.

The update was shared Tuesday by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group that sued Willis in March after her office denied having any records of communication between Willis and Smith or between Willis and the House January 6th Committee.

HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATING WHETHER FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ‘COORDINATED’ WITH JAN 6 COMMITTEE

Both Smith and the House Select Committee had been investigating alleged efforts by President-elect Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election—putting their investigations directly in the crosshairs of Judicial Watch and other conservative activists. 

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered Willis last Monday to produce any records of communication with either Smith or the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 within five business days, siding with Judicial Watch in determining that Willis had indeed violated the state’s open records act by failing to respond to the lawsuit. 

Willis, for her part, claims she was not properly served by the group.

The Fulton County Open Records Department appears to disagree. In a new court filing this week, they said that their staff conducted a "diligent search" but had not uncovered any records of documents or communications between Willis and Smith, the special counsel tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to oversee two investigations into the alleged actions of former President Donald Trump.

Additionally, staff for the Open Records Department asserted any records or documents between Willis and the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 are still "legally exempt" or "exempted from disclosure" to Judicial Watch under the Georgia Open Records Law, which itself protects against the release of documents or records that arose from an investigation, subsequent indictment, or prosecution in the ongoing case against Trump and his allies. 

The filing comes as Willis's actions have come under scrutiny by Republican lawmakers and conservative nonprofit groups. 

Members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee have said Willis asked the House Select Committee on January 6th to share information with her office, prompting additional scrutiny into those communications.

TRUMP BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL AFTER CHARGES STEMMING FROM 2020 ELECTION PROBE

Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in Fulton County last year to all charges stemming from a sweeping racketeering indictment brought by the DA's office, which accused them of attempting to overturn the results of the presidential election. 

The charges against Trump in Georgia had been on hold after his attorneys filed an appeal to have Willis disqualified from the case, citing alleged conflicts of interest.

Importantly, the charges against Trump in the state have not yet been officially dropped, despite his status as president-elect. 

The case's status comes as Smith has wound down all federal court proceedings against Trump following his victory in the 2024 election and longstanding Justice Department policy that prevents U.S. prosecutors from bringing federal criminal charges against a sitting president. 

Fox News Digital’s Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

An apparent swatting call at the north Georgia home of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., left a woman dead following a car accident involving local police.

Greene took to social media on Monday to report that she was the subject of a bomb threat directed at her home. The congresswoman said the Rome Police Department’s assistant chief received the threat via email, prompting a bomb squad to be dispatched to her home.

Greene says that this is not the first time she has been the subject of a swatting call since being elected to Congress, noting that she has been "swatted at least nine times." 

A swatting call involves alerting 911 of a false threat to a specific location or person, which invokes a police response and can divert resources from real crimes or threats.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE WAS 'SWATTED' FOR 8TH TIME: 'IT WAS TERRIFYING'

Greene said the email was traced back to a Russian IP address and her office will be working with local and federal law enforcement, including the FBI, to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Rome police reported that during the attempt to respond to Greene's home, a deadly traffic incident took place involving one of their officers.

"On Monday December 9, a Rome Police Department officer was traveling in a personal vehicle en route to take his place with the Bomb Squad on a call.  This officer was involved in a traffic accident on Redmond Rd near Walmart which has created significant travel delays around the Norfolk Southern Railroad Tracks."

MTG TO INTRODUCE BILL AIMED AT 'SWATTERS' AS RICK SCOTT BECOMES LATEST TARGET

Greene said she was "heartsick" over the deadly accident, which she said claimed the life of a woman and injured a police officer.

"I’m heartsick right now. I was just informed that an innocent woman died today in an auto accident involving a member of the Rome Police bomb squad who was responding to the threat at my home," she wrote. 

"These violent political threats have fatal consequences. It’s an undue strain on our law enforcement who must treat them seriously. The officer was responding to protect my life. And now, a woman has lost her life because of this despicable act," the post said. "My prayers are with Tammie Pickelsimer, her family, the officer who was injured, and the entire Rome Police Department."

Greene was noticeably outraged throughout her updates, accusing the perpetrator of the call of committing murder.

"I’m sick to my stomach, but I’m also angry. This should have never happened and I pray it never happens again," she said.

She went on to thank Rome PD for protecting the city and putting their lives at stake.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Rome police for comment.

A Georgia judge ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Williams to hand over records related to her communications with special counsel Jack Smith and the U.S. House January 6 Committee after failing to comply with a request under the Open Records Act (ORA).

The nonprofit group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against Willis in March after her office claimed it did not have any documents and communications on file between Willis and Smith or Willis and the January 6th Committee.

But it turned out her office did have communications, and on Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered Willis to produce them within five business days. McBurney also determined in his ruling that Willis violated Georgia’s open records act by failing to respond to Judicial Watch’s lawsuit.

McBurney granted judgment by default after the DA did not make any ‘meritorious defense.’ Instead, Willis claimed she was not served properly.

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"Plaintiff is thus entitled to judgment by default as if every item and paragraph of the complaint were supported by proper and sufficient evidence," McBurney wrote in his decision, while also ordering her to pay Judicial Watch’s attorney’s fees. "Here, this means Plaintiff has established that Defendant violated the ORA by failing to either turn over responsive records or else notify Plaintiff of her decision to withhold some or all such records."

A hearing on the attorney’s fees and costs is set to take place on Dec. 20, 2024 at 10 a.m.

"Fani Willis is something else. We’ve been doing this work for 30 years, and this is the first time in our experience a government official has been found in default for not showing up in court to answer an open records lawsuit," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. "Judicial Watch looks forward to getting any documents from the Fani Willis operation about collusion with the Biden administration and Nancy Pelosi’s Congress on her unprecedented and compromised ‘get-Trump’ prosecution."

The documents Judicial Watch sought to obtain stemmed from an investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into whether Willis coordinated with the House Jan. 6 Committee in their investigations.

HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATING WHETHER FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ‘COORDINATED’ WITH JAN 6 COMMITTEE

U.S. lawmakers had said Willis asked the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 to share evidence with her office.

Last year, President-elect Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty to all charges in connection to a racketeering indictment for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Specifically, Willis charged Trump with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements.

TRUMP BOOKED AT FULTON COUNTY JAIL AFTER CHARGES STEMMING FROM 2020 ELECTION PROBE

Four of the defendants who were charged alongside Trump took plea deals in exchange for testifying against the other defendants.

Trump's team and other defendants had previously asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments to determine whether Willis could continue to prosecute the case.

The charges against Trump have not officially been dropped, though the case is on pause as Trump and his co-defendants appeal a Fulton County judge's decision to not disqualify Willis from prosecuting the case.

The Court of Appeals canceled the arguments in November, which were initially scheduled for early December. 

Fox News Digital’s Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.