Morning, y’all! Do you remember the Georgia Guidestones? America’s kitschy Stonehenge — six, 19-foot tall slabs of granite in a cow pasture in Elbert County once thought to be harmless, but transformed into a magnet for conspiracy theories and political extremism. Then they exploded.
Well, from the ashes comes a new six-part podcast via the AJC: “Who Blew Up the Guidestones?”
The trailer has officially dropped. (You can follow and download on Apple here and Spotify here.) And if you know something, there is a tip line for that. (912-302-BOOM. Yes, seriously.)
Let’s get to it.
SPLOST fatigue?
The dream of expanding public transit options in Cobb and Gwinnett counties might soon be pushed out of reach beyond this decade.
- Republican state Rep. John Carson of Marietta sponsored legislation to prohibit the pursuit of countywide transit referendums until at least 2032.
- Why? Carson says voters have “SPLOST fatigue,” and are resentful of county officials putting referendums on the ballot a second or third time after an initial measure’s failure.
- Referendums on the 2024 ballots would have built rapid bus lines, expanded microtransit and enhanced local bus services and transit facilities.
- For Cobb, it was the first time such a measure had been put to voters since 1965. In Gwinnett, it was the third time since 2019.
- The most recent ballot measures failed resoundingly in both counties.
- Cobb and Gwinnett officials could theoretically still mount a campaign within the next eight years to join the MARTA system.
🔍 Read more: What Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other local leaders hope happens next
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.
Pump it up
Today is probably a good day to fill up your tank.
Gas prices in Atlanta are responding to strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, a key oil and gas-producing region, and could jump this week.
Matt McClain, an analyst with Gas Buddy, told the AJC he expects prices could jump 10 to 30 cents over the next few days from Monday’s average $2.83 per gallon in the metro area.
⛽ Keep in mind, prices are lower than they were this time last year, when the average per gallon was $2.96, McClain said. Crude oil prices declined in 2025 because of slowing economic activity and increases in production from OPEC countries, according to the EIA.
🔍 Read more: Why the U.S. won’t face a gas shortage — but your wallet might still feel the impact
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
💥 Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital with a drone early Tuesday as it kept hitting targets around the region, while Israel and the U.S. pounded Iran with airstrikes in a campaign that President Donald Trump said would likely take several weeks.
✈️ Delta Air Lines and other carriers have been forced to pull back on travel to the Middle East once again, as the fallout of the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran continues. Delta canceled flights from New York to Tel Aviv, Israel, through March 9.
🏌️PGA Tour Superstore is returning this weekend to Atlanta proper after its past attempt landed in the rough amid the Great Recession. But a switch to ownership with strong Atlanta ties and the city’s growing status as a sports hub has leaders confident in its upcoming grand opening.
⚽ The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee, which is comprised of Georgia and Atlanta elected officials and business leaders, rang the New York Stock Exchange’s opening bell Monday to celebrate the World Cup’s arrival in 100 days.
💵 The hits keep coming for Pinky Cole, founder of vegan burger chain Slutty Vegan, who has filed for bankruptcy protection.
Mini Med School
Scooch over, Ms. Rachel. “Nurse Dolly” is now on call for your kids.
Emari Etta-Tawo, an Emory Healthcare nurse and mother of two toddlers, created the smiling and singing social media persona as an educational web series.
- It all started in 2025, while watching YouTube videos with her sons. Noticing a gap in educational content for children, Etta-Tawo decided to start her own content channel.
- Her “Mini Med School” videos have drawn nearly 300,000 views on the platform.
- Nurse Dolly teaches kids about feelings and healthy habits like washing hands, and uses stuffed animals and toy cars to act out doctor visits — from checkups to X-rays — so they understand what’s happening and feel less afraid.
🗣️ Etta-Tawo: “When children see someone who looks like them teaching confidently, professionally and positively about health and wellness, it expands what they believe is possible for themselves. That is powerful, especially when we consider that women of color remain underrepresented in many areas of health care.”
🔍 Read more: Georgia mom, nurse launches YouTube series to teach kids everyday wellness
NEWS BITES
Atlanta experts don’t shred ‘bodice-ripping’ version of ‘Wuthering Heights’
I am so sorry this published while AJ was on vacation. I bet she’s got an opinion or two on the “Brontë Barbie” debate.
A chocolate-glazed porcini mushroom rising from chocolate soil dappled with pieces of caramelized mushrooms. Surrounded by edible sorrel flowers. Hmmm.
Most students use AI. Schools, colleges don’t know what to do about it.
Idea: Everyone gets an A! In my favorite and most instructive college class, creative writing, our professor told us on Day 1 it’s the grade we’d get if we just tried. Quite liberating.
ON THIS DATE
March 3, 1972
The Atlanta Journal — Pioneer flies beyond the moon. America’s Pioneer 10, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, sped beyond the moon in record time today and streaked on toward the planet Jupiter and an eternal journey through interstellar space. Flying with the spacecraft was a message for alien civilizations which might exist beyond our solar system. … If all goes as planned, the interplanetary explorer will be the first to fly through the asteroid belt, the first to explore the solar system’s largest planet and the first to escape the solar system to wander forever through other galaxies.
The plan was a 21-month mission. Instead, the Pioneer 10 project lasted until March 31, 1997. The spacecraft traveled about six billion miles.
ONE MORE THING
David Harbour and Jason Bateman were back in Atlanta for HBO Max’s seven-episode limited series “DTF St. Louis.” I am buying the quirky vibes. But the bigger question: You’re stranded on a desert island and can only watch “Stranger Things” or “Ozark” for the rest of your life. Which do you choose?
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
Eric Mandel is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native and University of Iowa alumnus. The award-winning journalist moved from Seattle in 2017 to Atlanta, working as a writer and editor for American City Business Journals. He joined the AJC in June 2024.
