A.M. ATL: No snooping

Morning, y’all! It’s World Cup Wednesday. Morocco and Haiti will face off downtown at 6 p.m. tonight. That’s a shift from the noon games we’ve seen so far, so let’s see if our general good traffic vibes can withstand an evening crowd. I go further into today’s match here.

Let’s get to it.

MORE DEPUTIES ACCUSED OF MISUSING LICENSE PLATE DATABASE

Several Georgia law enforcement officers have been fired recently for allegedly misusing controversial software. (AJC file photo)

The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office fired two more deputies for allegedly misusing a license plate database for non-law enforcement purposes.

• That’s three deputies fired from the department and charged with similar violations in the last few weeks.
• License plate readers have attracted controversy and mistrust due to privacy implications and large-scale surveillance concerns.
• Georgia law restricts what can be done with the information they collect and how long that data can be stored if it isn’t being used for “law enforcement purposes.”
• The alleged Cherokee violations were found during an audit of the license plate reading program.

This is a recurring problem with frightening applications. Last November, a police chief in Braselton resigned after authorities accused him of misusing automated license plate recognition systems to harass and stalk people.

🔎 READ MORE: Sheriff’s office had strong words for latest violations

Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.

THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS OVER

After five days of frustration, the Georgia General Assembly’s special legislative session to address redistricting and vote-counting methods is over.

What was accomplished:

• The legislature passed a bill that extends the use of the touchscreen voting system for the midterm elections.
• The current system was on the road to becoming illegal in July, thanks to legislation passed by the body two years ago.

What wasn’t:

• Lawmakers didn’t touch the redistricting issue.
• State GOP leaders really wanted to take advantage of a Supreme Court decision nullifying Civil Rights-era congressional districting policies. However, significant public pushback combined with the results of last week’s GOP primary runoffs convinced lawmakers the issue was too politically risky to tackle before the midterms.

🔎 READ MORE: ‘Prayer and protest are not separate forces.’ Sen. Jaha Howard describes the spirit of Atlanta’s rally against redistricting

What happens next:

• Ultimately, neither issue is fully resolved.
• The new deadline for a different voting system is January 2028, and Democrats aren’t happy with the current bill, which also requires hand counting for major midterm elections in the state.
• While the issue is politically toxic now, Democratic leaders also warn that the redistricting threat could rear its head again.

🔎 READ MORE: A recap of the session no one was super enthusiastic about

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🎤 Keisha Lance Bottoms called for three televised debates against Rick Jackson during their race for Georgia governor. Jackson notably skipped a head-to-head debate with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones during the Republican runoff campaign — not that it mattered in the end.

📱 Curious about what led to Gov. Brian Kemp’s 11th-hour endorsement of Jones before the fateful runoff? AJC chief political reporter Greg Bluestein talked to several key players about how the decision went down. It’s a compelling read.

🏠 A grungy tire recycling facility near the Beltline could become new apartments. The developer in charge says it needs a $3.9 million tax break to make it happen.

ATLANTA DREAM FANS PUT TO THE TEST

Atlanta Dream fans are adding fuel to the team's big ambitions. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Fact: Atlanta Dream games these days are lit. There’s no other word for it. The energy is insane, the players are cool as ice, and it feels like a real see-and-be-seen event. More people should go, right? The Dream agrees, and they’re out to prove it.

• Usually, the Dream play at Gateway Center Arena in College Park. However, the massive popularity of WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark has led the Dream (and other WNBA franchises) to move games against Clark’s Indiana Fever to larger venues to accommodate demand.
• In Atlanta’s case, it’s State Farm Arena.
• However, the Dream are good, and their games are fun, so the franchise is playing with the notion of scheduling more non-Fever games in the larger arena.
• So far, it’s going really well.
• Nearly 10,000 fans packed into State Farm Arena for the Dream’s victory over the Toronto Tempo.
• A little math to make the picture clearer: The arena has a capacity of around 17,000. Gateway Center only holds about 4,000, the smallest venue in the league. Take into account a Monday night game, on the same day as a World Cup match, and 10,000 looks really, really promising.
• The Dream recently announced they’re also moving a Barbie-themed promo night in August to State Farm Arena due to overwhelming demand.

🏀 READ MORE: Sports columnist Ken Sugiura looks at the Dream’s fan strategy and the team’s ultimate goal

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER!

A concerned baby interfaces with a butterfly at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. (Steve Schaefer/AJC)

When the Chattahoochee Nature Center first opened in 1976, some dear, confused community members thought it was a nudist colony. Seriously! Hopefully, they weren’t disappointed.

• The CNC is now a beloved mainstay, celebrating its 50th birthday.
• What better birthday present than a pile of much-needed money? The nonprofit recently wrapped a nearly $10 million capital campaign that will allow it to modernize multiple buildings and add indoor capacity to provide more services.

It’s for the birds (and snakes and opossums)

In addition to environmental education and advocacy, the center’s mission includes propagating rare and endangered native plants and rehabilitating birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians. The CNC receives more than 800 injured animals a year and keeps about 100 on site that cannot return to the wild, including bald eagles, beavers, opossums and corn snakes.