Morning, y’all! And a very good morning to the guy I saw in a lawn chair in the grass next to I-85 yesterday flipping off drivers with a big smile on his face. I hope he was living his best life.
Let’s get to it.
MOISTURIZE ME
How dry is it in Georgia? Well, we haven’t seen this much of the state facing “severe” or worse drought conditions since 2007. The historic situation may lead state officials to activate Level 1 of the state’s drought response plan.
- That would mandate all public water systems to put out messaging encouraging people to conserve water. If it gets to a Level 2, mandatory water restrictions would come into play.
- Most of Georgia has gotten significantly less rain than usual since fall. Over the past six months, precipitation levels statewide have been 6-12 inches or more below normal.
Agriculture in danger
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a disaster declaration for 126 Georgia counties Wednesday as farmers contend with the driest season in decades.
- It’s not just about watering plants. Working very dry ground can damage costly farming equipment, and farmers have noted deep cracks forming in their soil.
- Plus, the war in Iran has already squeezed the agriculture industry with rising fuel prices.
When are we going to see rain? Depending on the forecast you use, we could get some this weekend. It will take more than a day of showers to end the dry spell, though.
🔎 READ MORE: ‘Pretty scared’: What Georgia farmers are doing to get by
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FIRST LIBERTY FOUNDER CHARGED
Brant Frost IV, the powerful Georgia Republican donor and founder of disgraced investment firm First Liberty Building & Loan, has been charged in an ongoing investigation into his firm’s alleged $140 million Ponzi scheme.
- This is the first criminal action tied to the collapse of the politically connected lender, who allegedly defrauded clients out of millions after appealing to their political and religious beliefs.
- Frost has pleaded not guilty to a single count of felony wire fraud, which carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years.
- An attorney for the case said the investigation is ongoing and there could be other charges. He also said Frost is likely to enter a guilty plea in early May, which invites fascinating questions about how this long saga will play out.
- Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has launched a separate investigation and has met with victims of the alleged scheme.
🔎 READ MORE: Events leading up to this watershed charge
WE FULL
Did you know Atlanta was the No. 3 region in the U.S. in terms of numeric population growth from 2024 to 2025? (The top-growing cities were Houston and Dallas, btw.)
AJC Opinions editor David Plazas takes a look at what implications that has for quality of life in our fair city. Residents’ main concerns? Housing affordability and traffic. Sounds about right.
🔎 READ MORE: How Atlanta is growing and what challenges that presents
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
📺 Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the $81 billion sale of the company to Paramount on Thursday. The megamerger still needs to pass regulatory review. Here’s how the union would dramatically change the media landscape.
🫏 Georgia Democrats pitched Atlanta to host the party’s 2028 national convention, highlighting the city’s national political importance and Georgia’s potential as a swing state. The city’s one of five finalists for the job.
WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS
Atlanta in 100 Objects
A cool new exhibit opens at the Atlanta History Center this Saturday, exploring the city’s history through a wide range of items. Wide is actually an understatement. Icons like the Zero Mile post that marked the origin of Atlanta are displayed alongside pages of Civil War diaries. It’s part of the AHC’s 100th anniversary celebration. More info here.
Browse, buy, read, relax
When I was very young, my grandmother would take me to the Borders at the now-dead White Flint Mall in Rockville, Maryland. It was a huge, multilevel affair; a book heaven. She would buy me the latest edition of whatever series I was reading (probably about horses) and then settle in with a coffee while I hid away among the stacks and read the entire thing before we even left the store. Bookstores really can be magical, and we’ve rounded up six new spots in the Atlanta area that seek to be those rare third spaces where you can feel completely at home. More info here.
NEWS BITES
The Hawks took Game 3 of the first round of the NBA playoffs at home
They’re in a best-of-seven struggle with the Knicks.
Kellogg is putting toys back into some cereal boxes as a ‘Toy Story 5’ tie-in
That is some weapons-grade nostalgia.
A massive kraken-like octopus may have prowled the seas during the age of dinosaurs
The terror of this notion is slightly reduced by the fact said leviathan appeared to have lil’ ears.
Speaking of, there’s a funny part in the Christian Bible’s Psalm 104 where the writer describes the leviathan (a catch-all term for big ol’ sea monsters in such times) as something God made “for the sport of it” or “to play” in the ocean, depending on the translation. That’s always amused me. I love the idea of a divine creator making something just because they were feeling goofy.
ON THIS DATE
April 24, 2001
Gas prices soar as summer vacation season approaches. Before you know it, everybody’s going to be driving smaller cars, riding MARTA or moving closer to work. At least that’s what you would think after hearing metro Atlanta motorists complain as they pumped gasoline that was costing them about 20 cents more per gallon than a month ago. Regular unleaded averaged almost $1.48 a gallon in Georgia, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report on Monday.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (*sob*)
ONE MORE THING
Oh, one more weekend highlight: The Georgia Swarm, our professional lacrosse team, is in the National Lacrosse League playoffs. They’ll face the Buffalo Bandits in the quarterfinals Saturday night at Gas South Arena. I’m going, so I’ll be sure to report back.
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.
