A.M. ATL: Musically inclined

Morning, y’all! Experts are predicting a less active hurricane season this year. That’s good news on one obvious hand, but fewer storms also means less rain. Given that Georgia is in the middle of its worst drought in a decade, that’s … not such good news.

Let’s get to it.

KEEPING THE SOUND ALIVE

Grammy-award winning rap artist Ludacris (left) and legendary music producer Jermaine Dupri are among the dozens, if not hundreds, of household names in the music industry that call Georgia home. (Ryan Fleisher for the AJC 2025)

Georgia lawmakers have passed a bill establishing a statewide office to promote and support the Georgia music industry.

How exactly would the Georgia Music Office and Music Ready Communities Act work?

• The office would help attract music-related investment and workforce development opportunities to the state.
• It would also link music companies and governmental agencies and promote developments in the industry.
• The office will also certify cities and counties seeking to promote music-related economic development in their areas as “Music Friendly Georgia Certified Communities.”
• Several other Southern states, such as Texas and Tennessee, have music offices.

🔎 READ MORE: Why legislators say a music office is so important

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GEORGIA’S OWN ‘RESEARCH TRIANGLE’

A rendering shows what UCB's planned manufacturing facility in Gwinnett County will look like. (Courtesy of UCB)

North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park is quite the flex. The biotech and life sciences hub is positioned between the Tar Heel State’s top universities, creating an axis of high-tech companies and tens of thousands of well-paid employees.

Georgia wants one, too. Luckily, an attempt to re-create the concept in Gwinnett County is starting to pay off.

• The 2,000-acre tech site, called Rowen, is roughly equidistant from colleges in Atlanta, Athens and Gainesville.
• UCB Inc., a global biopharmaceutical giant, announced last month it will invest $2 billion to become Rowen’s first tenant.
• UCB also boosts Georgia’s biopharmaceutical bona fides, joining institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, life sciences manufacturer Meissner and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

🔎 READ MORE: Investing millions in hope of billions

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🍬 Edible Brands is selling edibles on the Beltline. Yes, the people who own Edible Arrangements now also do THC stuff. Nominative determinism at its best. Edible Brands is based in Sandy Springs, and this is their first foray into brick-and-mortar offerings.

🗣️ Communities around the country are responding to potential ICE warehouse deals with organized outcry and legal challenges. That includes two communities in Georgia who have voiced uncertainty at least — and outright defiance at most.

WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT: THE MASTERS

Rory McIlroy hits from the eighth tee during first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Day 1 of the 90th edition of the Masters Tournament is in the books, and talk of back‑to‑back green jackets for Rory McIlroy is already generating the biggest buzz.

• It’s been 60 years since Jack Nicklaus became the first golfer to win back-to-back Masters titles and 24 years since Tiger Woods became just the third.
• On Thursday, McIlroy opened with a 67 to grab a share of the first‑round lead, putting himself in position to chase that same rare feat.
• He heads into Friday tied with Sam Burns, with the pair holding a two‑stroke lead over Kurt Kitayama, Patrick Reed and Jason Day.

Augusta National played tough on Thursday. There were 10 scores in the 80s, the most 80s since 2007, when 12 players struggled under frigid, windy conditions.

World No. 1 and two‑time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler opened with a 70 and is tied for fifth with Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele and Justin Rose, who lost in a playoff at the 2025 Masters.

⛳ LOOKING AHEAD: Masters Friday’s groups to watch

Back to conditions at Augusta National: this year, the greens may be drier than they’ve been since Prohibition.

No significant rain has fallen for a week, and none is expected for the rest of the tournament. For those of us who aren’t pros, that could cause tee shots to run out more than usual and possibly wind up in the second cut. The greens may be harder to hold — forcing players to dial back the aggression.

That said, so far the dry conditions don’t seem to be impacting the fan experience — especially for those browsing Augusta’s Golf Shop, where merchandise can quickly rival a mortgage payment.

Photos from the course, meanwhile, still look as magical as those captured over the past nine decades. Speaking of photos, ahead of this year’s tournament, our good friend and The Win Column host Tyler Estep interviewed Jason Getz — a veteran of 11 Masters and part of this week’s illustrious AJC photo crew in Augusta.

NEWS BITES

How these Georgia restaurants capitalize on the viral soft serve margarita

Soft serve margarita. We love all those words.