A.M. ATL: Braves, legislature headline a busy week
Morning, y’all! Welcome back. We’re in the 40s this morning, but expect temperatures to reach the low 60s later on.
Today’s newsletter gets you ready for the week ahead: one that features the final days of the General Assembly, the return of Braves baseball, holidays and spring break preparations. Plus: We share exclusive news on the massive Gulch redevelopment project and the latest on Chick-fil-A backpedaling on antibiotics in its chicken.
Let’s get to it.
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BILLS, BRAVES AND BUNNIES
Sine Die soon: Thursday is the final day of the General Assembly’s current session. As my colleague James Salzer recently wrote: “In a body known for practiced procrastination, now is when it all gets interesting — and messy.”
- Some of the hottest-button issues will have their fate decided in the coming days, including a series of elections-related bills and “culture war” legislation fueled by the increasingly combative Senate. Does legislation protecting the Okefenokee Swamp from mining have a chance?
- Subscribe to “Politically Georgia” and follow our stellar reporting crew for all the latest as Sine Die approaches. A non-exhaustive list: @bluestein, @markniesse, @MayaTPrabhu, @mlbaruchman and @murphyAJC.
Play ball: The Braves finally return to real live baseball Thursday, when they take on those nasty Phillies up in Philadelphia (3:05 p.m. on Bally Sports South). Reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. expects to be ready to go, after tweaking his knee a few weeks back — and expectations are high for both him and the team.
- Reporter Gabriel Burns ranked the Braves No. 1 in the AJC’s inaugural MLB power rankings. Beat reporter Justin Toscano expects them to win 103 games.
- Braves players themselves came into spring training declaring the season World Series or bust. And the roster carries mostly familiar faces, plus a few key additions: starting pitcher Chris Sale and outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall.
Waiting to break: Spring break, which runs next week for major metro Atlanta school districts, is already on a lot of folks’ minds. Here are some quick getaway ideas, if you’re still planning.
- The week also offers a few religious holidays, including the colorful Hindu festival Holi. That kicks off today.
- Good Friday arrives later this week, and Sunday brings Easter. Here’s your guide to Atlanta-area events.
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.
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RISING UP
It’s finally happening: The folks leading the $5 billion redevelopment of “the Gulch” area expect to file for land disturbance permits today — and begin construction on six new buildings by the end of the year.
- Those buildings include a sprawling entertainment district opposite State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“A lot of developers right now are kind of hitting pause or slowing down,” Brian McGowan, the president and CEO of Centennial Yards, told the AJC in an exclusive interview. “Not us. We’re actually accelerating.”
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CHICKEN CHANGES
Chick-fil-A backtracked on a decade-old no-antibiotics-in-our-chicken pledge, which it made amid concerns about rampant drug use in livestock driving human resistance to antibiotics.
The Atlanta-based restaurant chain said it will still avoid purchasing chicken treated with “antibiotics important to human medicine.”
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BLOOD WORK
Paramedics from Grady Memorial Hospital can now provide trauma patients with whole blood transfusions while still en route to the hospital — a new initiative that leaders hope will help save many lives.
“A huge game changer,” one surgeon called it.
Weekend crime coverage:
- A 6-year-old boy dropped off at a southwest Atlanta fire station later died. Police charged a 24-year-old man with murder and cruelty to children.
- Police officers across the state shot three armed people in separate incidents, the GBI says.
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NATION AND WORLD
Former President Donald Trump could learn today how New York state aims to collect over $457 million he owes in his civil business fraud case.
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Russian authorities charged four men from Tajikistan in the recent concert hall attack that left more than 130 people dead.
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RUNNING BACK ARREST
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, police arrested UGA running back Trevor Etienne on charges including DUI, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane. Etienne, an offseason transfer from Florida, is the Bulldogs’ projected starter at running back.
» Georgia men’s basketball advances to NIT quarterfinals
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SWEET 16
Top-seeded Houston survived a scare against Texas A&M last Sunday to advance and round out the Sweet 16 of the men’s NCAA Tournament.
- All of the tournament’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds advanced.
- Only two of the SEC’s eight participating teams (Alabama and Tennessee) survived.
- Four ACC teams advanced.
The women’s tournament finishes its second round today. Caitlin Clark and top-seeded Iowa take on West Virginia at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
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DINING ‘MANIFESTO’
In case you missed it: An employee-written “manifesto” accuses Atlanta restaurateur Ford Fry and management at his Marcel restaurant of exploiting staff and perpetuating “a routine manipulation and discrimination of Black employees to keep them out of leadership positions.”
» Restaurant round-up: Rooftop bar, Korean-inspired eatery open in Duluth
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Kate and William ‘extremely moved’ by support since cancer revelation
» Gwinnett seeks to accelerate learning for students behind in math, reading
» Atlanta says farewell to soul singer Frankie Beverly
» John Oxendine pleads guilty in fraud case
» Evidence found in 2011 killing of East Coweta student, police say
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ON THIS DATE
March 25, 1943
With World War II raging on in Europe, Atlanta’s Asa Candler Jr. — the eccentric son of Coca-Cola’s co-founder — sent a 36-pound ham to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
It’s a bit of a convoluted story involving a chance encounter with a leader of the Royal Air Force. But Candler cured the ham himself and sent it to England via bomber.
“I hope he gives some of it to King George,” he quipped.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC photographer Hyosub Shin captured a young fan diving into home plate during pregame festivities as the Savannah Bananas visited Gwinnett County’s Coolray Field. More photos here.
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ONE MORE THING
Before we go: You’ve got one week to vote for this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race T-shirt design. Get to it!
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
