Morning, y’all! Good news: Nine of the parks that were going to close around Lake Lanier because of staffing shortages will stay open! What a roller coaster. More info here.
The Georgia DOT will also suspend interstate lane closures starting today at noon through early Tuesday morning to release some holiday weekend traffic pressure. They’re still predicting very heavy traffic today, though. Pack an extra Slim Jim if you’re hitting the road, and have a great (and safe) weekend!
Let’s get to it.
P.S.: Important announcement at the end of the newsletter today!
WEEKEND PLANS
Not only is it Memorial Day weekend, it’s one of the most “Atlanta” weekends of the year. Iconic festivals and conventions, special events at favorite sites ... hopefully, some forecast rain on Saturday won’t dampen the fun.
🎷Atlanta Jazz Festival: Did you know the Jazz Festival was founded by former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson? It’s been a staple of early summer since 1978. Headliners for this year’s (free!) three-day event include Marsha Ambrosius, Derrick Hodge, Ravi Coltrane, Blackhawk Quartet, Dianne Reeves and the Joe Gransden Big Band.
👯♀️ MomoCon: It’s the Atlanta anime convention’s 20th anniversary, and the maids are here to celebrate. A Florida-based “maid cafe” called Mirai Maid Cafe is hosting several pop-up shows through the weekend. Maid cafes are popular in Japan and feature servers dressed up like, well, Western-style maids.
🇺🇸 Memorial Day at Stone Mountain: Stone Mountain’s Memorial Day festivities are billed as the city’s largest. They feature a little of everything: patriotic drone and light shows, fireworks, performances by the 116th U.S. Army Band and — take note — veterans and active duty military members can get in for free.
🦒 Brew at the Zoo: Beer, wine, live music and animals? Sounds like the perfect Saturday at the Atlanta Zoo.
Plenty more things to do, eat and explore around town. Find your perfect weekend plan here.
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NEW HURRICANE FORECAST IS OUT
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its 2025 hurricane season forecast, and it’s going to be dicey. Among their predictions:
- Major hurricanes (Category 3 or above): 3 to 5
- Hurricanes: 6 to 10
- Named storms (don’t necessarily turn into hurricanes): 13 to 19
If it plays out as predicted, the 2025 hurricane season would be worse than average. Hurricane season begins June 1 and hangs around until Nov. 30.
MERCEDES-BENZ IS EXPANDING IN ATL
Mercedes-Benz is expanding its U.S. headquarters in Sandy Springs to serve as its headquarters for all North American operations.
- The move will involve relocating up to 500 jobs to the metro Atlanta area
- The company also says it will build a new research and development hub nearby, bringing even more business (and jobs) to the area and boosting Georgia’s growing auto industry.
A lot of car companies have cozy digs around here: Porsche’s North American headquarters is near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Kia and Hyundai also have factories in Georgia.
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🐅 U.S. Senator and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville reportedly plans to run for governor of Alabama in 2026.
✂️ Cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency are petering out as Elon Musk distances himself from the White House. That’s causing confusion and anger among GOP leaders.
COUNT YOUR DAYS, PENNY
The U.S. Mint made its final order of penny blanks, marking the beginning of the end. Once those run out, the U.S. won’t produce any more one cent coins.
- Apparently, it’s really expensive to make pennies. The cost increased by 20% in 2024, according to the U.S. Treasury.
- By quitting penny production, the Treasury estimates an immediate annual savings of $56 million.
- Currently, there are about 114 billion pennies in circulation in the U.S.
🪙 Warning: Are you emotionally ready to learn how much it costs to make coins? I was not.
- It costs almost four cents to make a penny.
- That’s a bargain compared to the nickel, which costs 14 cents to make.
These extremely upsetting facts set up an interesting quandary: Pro-penny people say if they fall out of circulation, we’ll be more reliant on the even less cost-effective nickel.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW OPINION EDITOR!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a new Opinion editor, and he’s a real one. I chatted with David Plazas about his vision for the AJC’s Opinion section, and he quoted Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and delved into Latin etymology. I was impressed. I think you will be too.
Q: What do you want to bring to the AJC’s Opinion section?
A: My vision here, coming to Atlanta, is to create a place where voices of different kinds can feel a sense of community. As the opinion editor at The Tennessean in Nashville, I led an initiative called Civility Tennessee. My work took me across the state to help people engage each other on really tough issues, but in authentic ways where they could see each other and be present with each other.
Sometimes you do have to be a little bit confrontational, but you don’t have to be dehumanizing to anybody. Finding a way to be respectful takes patience and, I would say, takes courage.
Q: How has the role of the traditional newspaper Opinion section changed?
A: Historically, editorial pages were gatekeepers of opinion, and oftentimes they reflected the worldview of the publisher, or perhaps the editorial board members. The reality is, in order to be relevant, you have to be where people are. You need to be willing to amplify underrepresented viewpoints, and shift the paradigm from telling stories about different communities to telling stories with them, and by them.
Q: What are you excited about, coming to Atlanta?
A: I love the outdoors, and the last few days I’ve been talking walks in Piedmont Park. This is a gorgeous city. It’s also the center of the South. I’m excited about how Atlanta is working to manage its status as a global city, and at the same time dealing with its growing pains. That, to me, is incredibly exciting because it requires tough conversations.
🔎 READ MORE: David Plazas introduces his work, from Chicago to Florida to Tennessee to ATL
NEWS BITES
The Atlanta Dream lose to the Fever in home opener, but shut down Caitlin Clark
We won in their house earlier this week, now they won in ours. Truce.
Athens’ Creature Comforts takes first step into spirits-based drinks
It feels wrong to drink liquor-based stuff out of a can. I can’t explain why. Never tastes right. But if someone can make it more pleasant, it’s these guys.
Airbnb rolls out “anti-party technology” to crack down on disturbances in rentals
Describing how “anti-party technology” works is another good anti-party technology.
Some homeowners ditch manicured lawns and practice ‘No Mow May’ all year long
No lawn shaming, people! This is a newspaper, not an HOA.
ON THIS DATE
May 23, 1990
From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: Cost of the 1990 Georgia governor’s race is expected to exceed $12 million, most of which will be spent on television ads.
Oh, how times change. The cost of the 2022 Georgia governor’s race between Gov. Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams was more than $170 million.
ONE MORE THING
Introducing Sweet Tea!
If you read A.M. ATL and are like, “Wow, I wish I could have more of this, maybe on the weekends and with even more positive content,” you are in luck! Also, what a specific thought.
This Saturday we’re launching Sweet Tea by the AJC, a fresh weekly newsletter featuring fascinating, uplifting stories from around the South. It’s hosted by me!
I’m so excited about this. Positive storytelling has been my jam, both personally and professionally, for a very long time. We’ll feature lots of voices from outside the AJC, too, and I promise you’ll leave each edition refreshed and full of good vibes.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
