Morning, y’all! I’m not a golfer. Too big of a course with too little of a hole. I see the appeal, though. Being outdoors and scooting around in a golf cart is the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Anyway, Happy Masters Day!
Let’s get to it.
ICE’S ‘WORST OF WORST’ LIST ISN’T WHAT IT SEEMS
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement maintains a list called “The Worst of the Worst,” allegedly detailing hard criminals apprehended by ICE since President Donald Trump took office for the second time last year.
An AJC analysis shows the list is inaccurate and misleading.
- As of February, the database included the names of 193 people allegedly apprehended by ICE in Atlanta.
- Of those, the AJC identified 56 federal prisoners who were already in custody when Trump was inaugurated in January 2025.
- Those offenders weren’t even arrested in Georgia. Their main connection to Atlanta was likely that they were held in a federal penitentiary here.
- The analysis revealed other issues: Many of the immigrants allegedly apprehended by ICE in Atlanta were listed with misdemeanors like marijuana possession, missed court dates, forgery and trespassing. Not good, but not “Worst of the Worst.”
- Experts told the AJC the list isn’t only inaccurate and politicized — it could inject unnecessary fear into communities because it paints an outsized portrait of crime.
🔎 READ MORE: The AJC hunted down details of some immigrant arrest cases that go back to the Biden administration
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BYONCE!?!
Whoever came up with the acronym for “Bring Your Own New Clean Energy” was probably so proud of themselves, and they should be.
The concept could reduce the need for massive power plant expansions and, in turn, reduce energy costs for everyone.
- Renewable energy advocates and Georgia Power brokered a BYONCE deal where commercial and industrial companies can bypass working with Georgia Power by paying a tariff in exchange for a renewable energy credit.
- Then, they’d work with renewable energy developers to deliver clean energy to the entire power grid.
- The Public Service Commission just signed off on the deal. It’s not a cure-all solution, but energy leaders say it can help mitigate Georgia Power’s race to add power however they can.
🔎 READ MORE: A closer look at the idea
TYBEE ISLAND’S SAND FALLS THROUGH THE HOURGLASS
Tybee Island’s beaches, like many popular coastal destinations, need an occasional dredging and fill-in to stave off erosion. This isn’t a cosmetic process; it’s necessary to maintain the structure of the beach and the surrounding environment.
- Unfortunately, the island’s periodic beach renourishment project has been cut from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2026 work plan due to budget cuts.
- Instead, the remaining beach renourishment dollars are going to ... ugh, New Jersey*.
- A little silver lining: The federal agency pledged to prioritize Tybee’s beach needs in 2027.
🔎 READ MORE: How the process works and why it’s so important
*I do mean that personally, New Jersey. You know what you did.
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
💬 Republican Clay Fuller’s victory in Tuesday’s special election for GA’s 14th Congressional District isn’t the end of the road, as expected. His margin of victory was narrower than his party would have liked, and immediately inspired action from possible GOP midterm challengers. A text sent to voters on election night asked if they’d be willing to support a “REAL true conservative like Colton Moore” in May’s primary.
✈️ Now Southwest is hiking fees due to high jet fuel prices, right after Delta announced similar measures. Delta estimates more than $2 billion in extra fuel costs due to the Iran war. Which doesn’t seem like the consumers’ fault, but oh well.
📺 Paramount President Jeff Shell is leaving the company in the middle of its ongoing battle to poach Warner Bros. Discovery. Shell is facing his own legal battles related to allegations of fraud and sharing company secrets.
⚡ Coweta County’s Board of Commissioners voted to rezone more than 800 acres for a $17 billion data center campus by Fortune 500 industrial giant Prologis. This is the development at the center of the controversial “Project Sail” that first made headlines in late 2024.
MASTERS
The 90th edition of the Masters Tournament starts in earnest today with Round 1. Die-hard golf fans have likely been watching the practice rounds and other pageantry already, but today is when the rest of us lock in.
- Who to watch, who you won’t see: Defending champion Rory McIlroy and two-time champion Scottie Scheffler are probably the biggest names to watch. Five UGA grads are in the 91-person field. Tiger Woods isn’t playing, given his recent legal woes. In fact, this is the first Masters in 32 years that hasn’t included Woods or golf great Phil Mickelson.
⛳ READ MORE: What to expect from Round 1
- Could we get a champion from Georgia this year? The last Georgia boy to earn a green jacket was Larry Mize in 1987. There are a few promising players who could change that this year.
⛳ READ MORE: Follow our live updates here
If you’re more of a “enjoying the spirit of the Masters through food and drink” person, here’s how to make a Masters-style pimiento cheese. Pair it with a Masters-inspired azalea cocktail, and you’re good to go.
GET YOUR PEACHTREE ROAD RACE VOTES IN! (AND REGISTER TO RUN)
We’re in the last days of voting for the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race shirt design contest. The designs are very cool this year, so don’t miss a chance to pick the coolest.
Voting ends this Friday, 4/10.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to register! It’s gonna be a real party this year. (That means the AJC newsletter crew will be running.)
NEWS BITES
Artemis II astronauts follow Apollo tradition of naming lunar features after loved ones
The mission’s commander named one after his late wife. ❤️
DoorDash launches drone delivery in Atlanta
DoorDrone? We’ll workshop it.
You aren’t the only one who sits in the car before or after a long day
Apparently, this little ritual can be good for your mental health. Meditative, even. It’s definitely not because we’re avoiding the world outside our stagnant metal cocoon.
ON THIS DATE
April 9, 1974
It’s over: Hammerin’ Hank stands all alone at 715. And then there was one. After 2,966 other games, after 11,294 other times at bat and, yes, 714 other home runs, Hank Aaron stands alone and not even the mighty, legendary Ruth can touch him. Aaron hit home run No. 715 in the fourth inning Monday night in Atlanta Stadium off a fast ball by lefthander Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers and there can be no doubters. … “It was only right to hit it here,” (Aaron) said. “I wanted to hit it here. I’m very happy I did.”
If baseball had a bible, this would be in the Book of Hank.
ONE MORE THING
Every time I think of golf, I think of a fun linguistic aberration called a “mondegreen.” It’s when you mishear something, and it changes the meaning. For instance, Taylor Swift fans will recognize “lonely Starbucks lovers” as a mishearing of the line “long list of ex-lovers” from the song “Blank Space.”
It’s called a “mondegreen” because the original misapplication was from a poem that read, “laid him on the green.” The coiner of the phrase heard it as “Lady Mondegreen.” That would be an excellent golf nickname.
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.
