Morning, y’all! I have discovered a game-changer for my occasional morning bowl of grits. After they’re almost cooked (in milk, of course), I whisk in an egg. It gives them an incredibly creamy texture, plus protein! So good. Does everyone know about this and I’m just late to the game?
Let’s get to it.
HOT SPOTS
You know how people in the Southwest say their heat is bearable because it’s a “dry heat”? That doesn’t fly in the South, but maybe we can start saying it’s a “complex heat,” instead.
- A new Emory University study zooms in on what, exactly, it means to be hot in Atlanta. That means taking into account humidity, air pollution and even the block-by-block differences in temperature.
- The project started last year, and so far, 61 households are enrolled. The school wants to expand that to 120. Researchers equip enrolled homes with sensors, and volunteers even wear portable sensors that capture environmental and GPS data.
- The study even includes data like what kind of stove a household uses and what the environment around the home is like.
- The research can help scientists better understand temperature patterns. It can also be useful for people with asthma and other conditions who are especially vulnerable to heat and pollution.
🔎 READ MORE: Are you in Atlanta? You can get involved
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
At the Athens-Clarke County Jail in Athens, women can learn construction skills to prepare them for a good life on the outside. It’s a promising program, but relevant jobs aren’t always plentiful.
- Future Foundations helps women learn carpentry and building skills, giving them confidence and a worthy way to pass the time.
- More than 50 women have spent time in the program, and the benefits within jail walls are obvious.
- Outside, it’s a different story. The women, many of whom come from precarious situations or have a history of substance issues, must still face background checks, probation restrictions, housing shortages and unreliable transportation.
- Staff cuts at the jail have also threatened the program, but jail staff and program members are still committed to building something better.
🔎 READ MORE: The program’s success stories share their wisdom
A TIMELY CIVIL RIGHTS EXPANSION
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta is nearing the end of a $60 million expansion, and advocates say its reopening couldn’t come at a more critical time.
- The NCCHR is privately funded, meaning it’s past the reach of the Trump administration’s recent efforts to alter museum exhibits at places like the Smithsonian.
- Upgrades include six new galleries, classrooms and interactive experiences that encourage participants to take an active role in racial justice issues.
- The Center will reopen Nov. 8, but has been active in the meantime with classes, programs and even human rights training courses for local law enforcement.
🔎 READ MORE: The museum’s leaders want it to be a place of hope
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
💉 Gov. Brian Kemp is feeling pressure over upcoming COVID-19 vaccine guidelines as the CDC nears a high-stakes vaccine meeting in Atlanta next week. Medical experts are wondering how Kemp will react if the guidelines are far outside the bounds of common public health knowledge.
📱Some Georgia teachers were placed on leave for posts about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death. It’s not clear how many teachers were disciplined or what the posts said.
💬 Fox News Channel host Brian Kilmeade apologized for saying on air that mentally ill and homeless people should be executed. “Just kill ‘em,” he said.
♪ U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said negotiations with China have resulted in a deal to bring TikTok under U.S. control. Details are few for now.
THIS ONE’S FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FANS
The AJC is the place for Georgia high school football, and we’re kicking off a really special series featuring the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL.
- The High School Coach of the Week Program spotlights one outstanding coach every week, picked from three nominated by their communities.
- The eight winning coaches each get a $1K grant and will be honored at an end-of-season banquet for their hard work and commitment to the success of student-athletes on and off the field.
- Oh, and they’ll also get recognition from the Falcons. It’s a pretty sweet deal.
- Now, we need you to VOTE. Voting is open noon Monday through noon Wednesday for the eight weeks of the program. Check out our inaugural slate and send it to the high school football fans in your life.
NEWS BITES
What movies and TV shows are filming in Georgia this month
There’s going to be a “Scary Movie 6″? Frightening indeed.
Spencer Strider is the Braves’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award
It’s basically the “all-around good guy” award of baseball, and Strider fits the bill. The pitcher and his wife, Maggie, host a program that gives foster families VIP game experiences.
Six ways to declutter and start fall fresh
“Create a cozy station.” Tell me more, I’m listening.
Five reasons to start reading for fun again
As someone who hasn’t stopped reading for fun since they were about five, I can’t imagine an alternative. You stare at symbols on a page and create entire worlds in your mind — it’s literally magic! Think of it this way: Every time you read for fun, an AI demon gets a tummy ache.
ON THIS DATE
Sept. 16, 1931
From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: Blimp successfully moored atop Empire State Building 1,000 ft. over Fifth Avenue. This tiny dirigible made a successful mooring to the mast of the Empire State Building, 1,000 feet above Fifth Avenue, Tuesday. The photograph shows the dirigible very close to the mooring mast and a short time before she dropped ropes which were seized by the mooring crew on a little balcony at the base of the mast.
Hey, who are you callin’ a tiny dirigible?
ONE MORE THING
I asked people what I should crochet over the weekend, and I am a woman of my word. Thanks to JoAnn, who suggested an emotional support chicken. I think she’ll live in the AJC offices (the chicken, not JoAnn).
Thanks also to the few lovelies who suggested making hats for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and babies at other hospitals. That’s up next!
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.
