A.M. ATL: Seriously, what’s Delta’s deal?
Morning, y’all! Happy Olivia Rodrigo at State Farm Arena Day to all the teens and tweens out there. Expect high temperatures around 87 degrees and the occasional rain shower.
News-wise, we’ve got Black voters weighing in on Kamala Harris’ candidacy, Six Flags’ updated safety protocols and a bonkers new tenant for downtown’s Centennial Yards development.
- And new from overnight: Georgia’s school czar declined to fund Advanced Placement African American Studies classes. More on that momentarily.
But first: What’s behind a horrible few days (and counting) at Hartsfield-Jackson?
***
DELTA DOWN BAD
While the Microsoft-related tech outage that hit late last week impacted businesses worldwide, most recovered fairly quickly.
One notable exception: Delta Air Lines.
As of 6 a.m. today, the favorite carrier of ATL (city and airport) canceled nearly 400 more flights. That makes well over 5,000 since Friday — not including nixed trips on regional airlines flying under the larger Delta banner.
Hundreds more flights are seeing hourslong delays. Travelers are sleeping at Hartsfield-Jackson. And tracking down their bags is … an experience. Visual proof here.
- “It’s just shocking that something can disable an entire system like this,” stranded traveler Carol Barton said.
So what’s the deal? What system are we talking about? Why is Delta, specifically, down so bad?
Airline CEO Ed Bastian offered an explanation mundane enough to be infuriating.
- The Microsoft-based programs impacted by last week’s faulty update include “crew tracking-related tools.” That “deeply complex” system is, unfortunately, the one requiring the most time and effort to restore.
An inability to get crews to the right place at the right time = a canceled flight doom spiral, essentially.
A silver(ish) lining? U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg put the pressure on Delta to do right by its customers, including offering full refunds. In a Monday message to employees, Bastian said they’re doing that — and things are slowly improving.
- “Today will be a better day than yesterday,” he said Monday, “and hopefully Tuesday and Wednesday will be that much better again, and get ready for a real good weekend coming up.”
So that’s … something?
“I don’t think we know when it will resolve,” AJC reporter Kelly Yamanouchi told me. “Delta has been trying to dig out of this meltdown each day since the outage, but ends up canceling more and more flights throughout the day.”
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.
***
HISTORY, CANCELED
Republican state schools superintendent Richard Woods opted not to approve funding for a permanent AP African American Studies course to be offered in Georgia classrooms. The decision surprised students and educators who previously enjoyed the pilot program.
- “This is crazy,” said Rashad Brown, who taught the program at Atlanta’s Maynard Jackson High. “As an educator of the course and an advocate for student rights, African American history is American history.”
The move also comes against a backdrop of conservative leaders seeking to remove discussions of race and other sensitive topics from classrooms. That includes Georgia’s “divisive concepts” law.
» More education news: Henry County taps sole superintendent finalist
***
ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED
Starting Friday afternoon, kids 15 and under must have a chaperone with them at Six Flags Over Georgia. The new rule will remain in place after 4 p.m. every day.
- The decision comes a few months after an exchange of gunshots outside the amusement park left a 15-year-old wounded.
» Related coverage: 14-year-old boy among at least 7 teens recently shot in metro Atlanta
***
VOTERS WEIGH IN
What do Georgia’s Black voters think about Kamala Harris, who seemingly has enough delegate support locked up to become the Democratic nominee for president? There’s plenty of excitement but some mixed feelings, too.
“I guess what’s most disappointing to me … is I know we’re going to have to push through people on both parties who are going to question her ability to get elected,” Hampton resident Kimberly Alexander said.
More AJC coverage:
- Warnock on Harris: ‘She will win’
- Harris moves quickly to lock up Georgia support
- Thousands of Black men rally, raise money on Zoom call
***
RECKLESS ON THE ROAD
In his latest investigation into Georgia football players behind the wheel, the AJC’s Dylan Jackson unearths this startling statistic:
- In the 18 months since the January 2023 crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer, UGA football players and employees have been involved in at least 24 incidents related to speeding, reckless driving and DUI.
That’s one more than the 18-month period preceding the fatal crash.
***
51 WEEKS AND COUNTING
The Braves held a pregame parade and unveiled the 2025 All-Star game logo seen above — and then lost to the Reds, 4-1. Top prospect Nacho Alvarez went hitless in his big league debut.
More sports highlights:
- Jackets: Georgia Tech coach Brent Key and crew helped kick off ACC Media Days on Monday in Charlotte. And they’re rarin’ to hit the field.
- Atlanta United: The Five Stripes completed Caleb Wiley’s transfer to Chelsea.
***
A NEW DOWNTOWN ‘DOME’
Centennial Yards, the massive redevelopment project in downtown Atlanta’s Gulch area, signed its first tenant. And it’s a wild one.
- The Los Angeles-based firm Cosm will anchor a 70,000-square-foot venue that includes three floors of “immersive technology-based entertainment featuring shared reality experiences” — plus an 87-foot, 12K-resolution LED dome.
***
MORE TO EXPLORE
» Athens courthouse shut down with bedbug infestation
» TNT matches package to keep airing NBA games
» New Vogtle reactor back online after outage caused by valve issue
» Blue Bird making a huge investment in electric school buses
***
ON THIS DATE
July 23, 1950
A Virginia couple passing through on the train decided to up and get hitched right at Atlanta’s Union Station. They solicited a ticket clerk who just so happened to be an ordained minister to marry them, and a pair of lingering police officers served as witnesses.
The couple, Roland Hardin and Ruth Rhodes, “left on the northbound train shortly after the late afternoon ceremony.”
***
PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC photographer Miguel Martinez captured Fulton County resident Elizabeth Bustamante inside her apartment.
Bustamante says she’s at risk of eviction because of the Fulton County Housing Authority, which is under federal scrutiny for mishandling Section 8 vouchers.
***
ONE MORE THING
Georgian Mary Charles Howard is beginning an audacious quest to build the longest paved trail in the U.S. — with a 1.5-mile dirt path near Sandersville.
“If we are ever going to get this dang thing open, why not now, instead of trying to get everything perfect?” she told the AJC.
***
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.
More Stories
The Latest
