Morning, y’all!
Caught my 6-year-old’s school play, “The Little Red Hen,” last night. Still processing thoughts.
Check out AJC.com next week for my 4,000-word review.
POTENTIAL POCKETBOOK PROBLEMS
Are your personal finances the most important aspect of a war?
Nope.
But they are important — and the AJC business squad has you covered on the real and potential impacts of the ongoing fight with Iran.
⛽ Gas: Fueling up in metro Atlanta is already significantly more expensive than it was last week. By lunchtime Wednesday, last week’s average of about $2.69 per gallon had climbed to nearly $3.13.
With the conflict continuing to disrupt oil production and shipping, expect prices to keep spiking.
- Ga. Republicans say Trump’s Iran strikes are still ‘America first’
- Senate GOP votes down effort to halt Iran war
📦 Shipping: War in the Middle East means many ocean carriers are taking longer routes, adding delays, increased freight costs and, potentially, emergency surcharges.
Those could be passed along to consumers.
- “From importers here in Georgia and clients here in Georgia, I don’t know yet to what degree it will impact them, but yes, the dominoes are beginning to fall,” Christian Halpaus, CEO of Atlanta-based International Freight Forwarders, told the AJC’s Mirtha Donastorg.
Continued shipping hikes could, of course, affect … pretty much everything in your life.
⚡ Utilities: Lots of folks use natural gas to heat their homes (and water). The U.S. is pretty good at producing that, but as Drew Kann explains, utilities like Georgia Power have steadily increased their reliance on natural gas over the last two decades.
Price spikes already seen in parts of Europe and Asia haven’t reached us yet. A Georgia Power spokesperson said the utility has “not seen any meaningful impact to natural gas prices and our fuel procurement efforts.”
That could change if the war proves protracted.
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‘I THINK IT WAS AN INSIDE JOB’
There’s no drama like local government drama — and there’s plenty afoot in Fulton County.
That’s where Commissioner Mo Ivory says someone stole confidential strategy-type papers from her office.
- Ivory said the theft, which happened over the holidays, would’ve required use of an access code.
- She also said the Fulton County police chief told her someone manually turned off surveillance cameras.
- Police investigated but closed the case without identifying a suspect.
So, uh, why would this happen? Ivory suspects someone’s skulking around because she’s seeking higher office this fall.
“This has never happened until the climate became heightened, when people began to realize that I was going to run for chair,” she told the AJC.
🔎 MORE FULTON COVERAGE: After intense debate, commission approves plan to lower jail population
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🫰 Rick Jackson says he’ll ‘unwind’ his company from the state if elected. State agencies have paid the GOP candidate for governor’s company, Jackson Healthcare, more than $1 billion over the years.
⁉️ U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath grilled HHS Secretary Kristi Noem about a double amputee in ICE custody. The AJC also spoke to the wife of Rodney Taylor, a 46-year-old Liberian-born man from Georgia.
⚖️ The tale of Sid Dorsey: A political trailblazer and murderous sheriff. In the wake of Dorsey’s death, columnist Bill Torpy revisits one of DeKalb County’s darkest days.
📉 Atlanta’s data center rush hits new peak, but growth has started to slow. How terrible.
😳 Planetarium-like sports and entertainment venue sets opening date. Cosm is a 70,000-square-foot dome coming to downtown megaproject Centennial Yards in June.
GET EXCITED, EASTSIDERS
Meanwhile, on the retail rejuvenation front: We’ve got news on the latest metro Atlanta mall getting a facelift.
Or, in this case, reconstructive surgery.
The latest patient is Lulah Hills, née North DeKalb Mall. And developers just announced a big slate of tenants inked to occupy the 78-acre property that’s currently … dirt and enormous piles of gravelly stuff.
A sampling:
- Anthropologie, a trendy home decor and women’s clothing store (and a choice that may enable my wife to bankrupt our family).
- Refuge Coffee, a very cool nonprofit java shop.
- Honeysuckle Gelato.
- and Firepit Pizza, also seen in Grant Park.
That’s in addition to fancy furniture stores, a workout studio, a nail bar, a new Publix and a whole lot of apartments.
🔎 READ MORE: Anthropologie, Refuge Coffee planned for redo at former DeKalb mall site
TACKLING ‘TEEN TAKEOVERS’
“Teen takeovers” are, well, taking over.
Young organizers use social media to put out the call, and their cohorts respond, gathering by the hundreds at the chosen location. The Beltline. The Battery. Malls and such.
Things often get chaotic. They often lead to arrests — plus condemnation and curfews.
🗣️ But columnist Nedra Rhone suggests there’s something more at play: “The takeovers, some have suggested, are the result of teens not having safe, structured places to hang out,” she writes. “But the gatherings are also an example of what happens when bored, lonely kids respond to a culture in which high visibility makes them feel relevant and the attention they get online is social currency.”
Sounds about right. And rather unfortunate.
🔎 READ MORE: Teen takeovers signal the need for deeper, more meaningful connection
NEWS BITES
This one thing may leave you feeling more fulfilled in relationships
Meet Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, the AJC’s new wellness contributor!
These Georgia colleges and universities are waiving application fees in March
Get on it, y’all!
The Braves are cursed. So I hired some Etsy witches.
Point of personal privilege: Had some extra fun in my sports newsletter, The Win Column, this week.
Plaza Theatre spotlights Georgia film history, showing ‘Deliverance’ and more
These are from the pretax credit era, when Peach State productions were … weirder.
ON THIS DATE
March 5, 1981
Fans vote for boycott. Braves not surprised by poll, but doubt the fans will strike: Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Boggs did not need a poll to tell him baseball fans are fed up with the endless bickering between players and owners. … in the dispute that could lead to a May 29 strike. “Fans aren’t the most informed people, and that’s not their fault. They can’t sit in on the meetings. I might vote the same way if I didn’t know the issues,” (said Braves) third baseman Bob Horner.
That’s one heckuva quote from Mr. Horner — and the situation, which involved fighting over free agent compensation, led to a midseason strike.
Unfortunately, we may be looking at another labor stoppage after the forthcoming MLB season.
ONE MORE THING
Our friend AJ returns tomorrow. Don’t forget about the Mickey ears.
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
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
