Morning, y’all! “It’s cold now. Cold for real.” That’s what I wrote in my journal a few days ago, but as usual, the fickle mistress of Georgia weather has proven us all wrong. From now until Friday, temperatures could reach into the 70s, possibly setting records for this time of year. I am begging said weather mistress to make up her mind.
Let’s get to it.
HYUNDAI PLANT WILL ALSO BUILD BIG SCARY HUMANOID ROBOTS
Hyundai Motor Group’s massive Georgia electric vehicle plant will build AI-powered humanoid robots to assist on assembly lines. Don’t be afraid — they may be able to smell fear.
- The company plans to manufacture 30,000 Atlas robots a year at its so-called Metaplant near Savannah, starting in 2028. That’s in addition to electric vehicles and EV batteries.
- The Atlas robot is a humanoid AI-powered machine designed to help with repetitive tasks like parts sequencing in Hyundai’s factories and warehouses.
- The famous robotics company Boston Dynamics is a Hyundai subsidiary, which ties this concept together.
- The Hyundai plant is supposed to be a big economic boon for Georgia, eventually offering 8,100 promised jobs for humans.
- Boston Dynamics leaders said the Atlas robots don’t have enough dexterity to threaten many human jobs. Very reassuring on several levels.
🔎 READ MORE: Robots are latest in long line of Hyundai promises for GA
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GA SENATE REPUBLICANS WANT TO END INCOME TAX BY 2032
A tax policy committee formed by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has a bold proposal for Georgia: Eliminate state income taxes for most Georgia workers beginning in 2027, sharply reduce taxes for everyone else and get rid of income tax entirely by 2032.
Senate Appropriations Chair Blake Tillery outlined details of the plan to the AJC:
- The first $50,000 of income for individual filers would be tax-free.
- Married couples filing jointly would pay no state income tax on their first $100,000.
- The plan would not raise the state sales tax, create a statewide property tax or mandate deep cuts to state services.
Republicans backing the effort say economic growth and conservative fiscal adjustments can sustain the cuts.
Democrats don’t agree, pointing to other states where lowered income tax, typically being a state’s biggest source of revenue, meant higher property and sales taxes. Republican leaders in the Georgia House also back deeper property tax cuts over income tax cuts.
🔎 READ MORE: How lawmakers think this would affect Georgia’s bottom line
THE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ERA IS OVER. WHAT’S NEXT?
Gov. Brian Kemp has set a date of March 10 for a special election to succeed U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th District. The Rome Republican’s resignation from the House took effect this year.
About two dozen (!) candidates have filed paperwork to run for her seat. The race to fill the seat could add up to five different elections:
- With no party primary to select nominees, all of the contenders will appear on the same ballot in March.
- If no candidate wins a majority, the top two will advance to an April 7 runoff.
- Then, since this is a special election and not an election for a full House term, most of the same candidates will compete in a May primary.
- That will likely lead to a primary runoff.
- Then, the November general election for a full two-year term.
🔎 READ MORE: Making sense of the special election gauntlet
Plus, while Greene may be out of the House, she’s not necessarily out of the spotlight — and certainly hasn’t stopped her criticisms of President Donald Trump. The “Politically Georgia” podcast discusses Greene’s future.
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
⚡ It’s a new era for the Georgia Public Service Commission. Tuesday’s PSC meeting was the first featuring the group’s two newly elected Democratic members. The AJC’s Drew Kann reported from the meeting, where a notable figure was in attendance: former commissioner David Burgess, who in 2000 became the commission’s first Black member since its inception in 1879.
⚖️ The House Ethics Committee is investigating U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, over claims he misused official government funds. A report from the Office of Congressional Conduct concluded Collins may have improperly paid his former chief of staff and the chief of staff’s girlfriend.
A LITTLE HELP WITH YOUR DIGITAL TRANSITION
We’ve been getting a lot of emails from people asking about the AJC’s ePaper, which is alive and well in this post-print age. Fear not!
📰 Here’s help on how to access the ePaper from your account.
While they don’t look the same as before, the ePaper’s main page also has a section for daily puzzles and games.
📰 Want to buy a final print edition? The AJC’s online store has commemorative editions for sale!
No, they are not for sale at the AJC offices. It’s just a bunch of boring people doing journalism in there.
If you have any other questions or want to sound off on your experience with the print transition, email our Customer Care line at customercare@ajc.com.
NEWS BITES
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are divorced after 19 years of marriage
Cue up your saddest country breakup songs playlist.
NASCAR commissioner resigns after inflammatory texts revealed
Generally an unwise idea to call a major franchise figure a “stupid redneck.”
Do NOT let this trick you into thinking you have a shot at the Mega Millions. Just enjoy your non-millionaire life.
Opinion: Falcons have best open head coach job in NFL
Hear that, potential coaches? Yoo-hoo! 💋 (In fairness, this was written before the Ravens sacked John Harbaugh.)
ON THIS DATE
Jan. 7, 1997
A knuckleball in the Hall. Like his famous pitch that took forever to make it to the plate, Phil Niekro finally reached baseball’s Hall of Fame on Monday. … The knuckleball pitcher was elected in his fifth year of eligibility for enshrinement. “I’ve had my day of nightmares,” said Niekro, referring to his previous four attempts to make it. “It’s a day of a dream.”
Next up, hopefully: Andruw Jones.
ONE MORE THING
In a vortex of meta-irony, I sometimes think of Keith Urban’s 2003 song “You’ll Think of Me,” where he sings with pained conviction, “Take your cat and leave my sweater/ ‘cause we have nothing left to weather.”
Even when I was a teen first hearing it, I thought, “That’s either a terrible cat or an amazing sweater.” Regardless, his priorities are very clear. He never wants to see that cat again.
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.
