A.M. ATL: Blank spaces

Morning, y’all! Need to turn that frown upside down? I really love these tips for turning around a bad day from award-winning psychotherapist Barton Goldsmith. It can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths or searching for something lovely around you. Or, you could bring in the big guns, like “Pride and Prejudice” (2005) I mean, your personal emotional support movie.

Let’s get to it.

DEMS FEAR KEMP WILL TAKE HIS TIME

Gov. Brian Kemp speaks with reporters at the Georgia state Capitol in January. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

When U.S. Rep David Scott died last week, he left a vacancy in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. What happens next is up to Gov. Brian Kemp, and that’s making state Democrats nervous.

• Under state law, Kemp must call for a special election within 10 days of Scott’s death to fill the rest of Scott’s term. (Scott passed on April 22, so the clock is ticking.)
• However, the election itself has a more lax timeline, so Kemp could wait to schedule it until September or even November, leaving District 13 without leadership and mashing the special election up with the normal midterm election for Scott’s seat.

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey says he hopes Kemp remembers Georgians deserve representation.

“But I wasn’t born yesterday,” he said. “And I would imagine the orders from D.C. are: sit on it.”

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WILDFIRE UPDATE

A burned trailer sits near a destroyed home as the Brantley Highway 82 fire burns on Thursday, April 23, 2026, near Nahunta. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Meanwhile, Gov. Kemp toured wildfire-stricken areas of Georgia again on Tuesday and said that, while recent rains have helped, the region’s “not out of the woods” yet.

Southeast Georgia could get 1-3 inches of rain through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Unfortunately, even that may not extinguish the twin fires.

We now know how the fires started.

• The Pineland Road Fire began when a farmer was welding a gate. He called 911, Kemp said, but they couldn’t contain the blaze.
• The Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County began when a foil-like party balloon hit a power line and sparks ignited surrounding vegetation, authorities say.

Just more reminders of how unpredictable extremely dry, windy conditions can be — even small mistakes can have deadly consequences.

🔎 READ MORE: The latest on GA wildfires

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🚗 Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet would like a car and driver to transport her to a growing number of obligations she must attend in her official capacity. (Overstreet does not own a car and takes her bike or public transportation.) The request has set off conversations about city spending.

🗳️ Some local races may be all but decided in the May 19 primaries. There are a few reasons this could happen: The electorates lean heavily to one party or another, or one party’s nominee is running unopposed.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND RESTAURANT PARKING?

Metro Atlanta's diners are feeling the squeeze of paid parking outside popular restaurants. (Illustration: Broly Su/AJC)

Metro Atlanta residents are lamenting the rising cost of parking at restaurants across the region, from Midtown to Buckhead to the Old Fourth Ward. Even in the suburbs, diners say they’re feeling the strain of paying to park.

• During its March 9 City Council meeting, the city of Roswell approved a resolution to convert its downtown parking deck to paid parking. In an April 16 Facebook post, however, the city announced it is waiving parking fees during construction on Green Street.
• Those extra costs are pinching metro Atlanta residents who already feel squeezed, with few alternatives in a car‑dominant region. Between parking fees and the price of unleaded gas rising to $3.62 a gallon — up from $2.92 a year ago — patrons say they’ve spent the equivalent of a drink and an appetizer before ever setting foot in a restaurant.
• Atlanta’s population growth and rapid development are driving the shift from free to paid parking, according to Matt Wetli, a city planner and development advisor whose company, Development Strategies, has worked on projects across the country, including in metro Atlanta.
• To recoup the costs of increasingly expensive land, developers are charging more for its use. Paid parking garages and lots near some of Atlanta’s most in‑demand neighborhoods and restaurants are part of that strategy.

🔎 READ MORE: Check out our list of local restaurants that offer free nearby parking or ticket validation

NEWS BITES

Mini cans and more cherry flavors boost Coke’s sales

You heard it: We want things little and sweet.

Taylor Swift files new trademark applications. Expert says it’s to curb AI threats

Could Taylor Swift save us from AI? There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write.

McDonald’s will offer fancier, colorful drinks to lure the Starbucks, et al crowd

Correction: We want things little, sweet, colorful and fancy. Simple creatures, indeed.