1. Trump to nominate retired Gen. James Mattis to lead Pentagon. President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate retired Gen. James Mattis to be his defense secretary. Mattis, 66, is a Marine Corps general who retired in 2013 after serving as the commander of the U.S. Central Command. Trump made the announcement Thursday night at a post-election victory rally in Cincinnati. [Read here] 

2. Shots fired in Buckhead road rage incident. No one was injured in the road rage incident, which occurred near the old toll plaza on southbound Ga. 400. However, one bullet pierced the back of the man's car, and another hit the side of the car. Police found a third bullet in the trunk. The man told investigators the shooter drove a silver 2012 Nissan Altima with two green tiger stickers on it. [Read here]

3. 25 years of SEC championships. The SEC Championship game will be played for the 25th time Saturday and the 23rd — and final — time in the Georgia Dome. The event began in 1992 at Legion Field in Birmingham and moved in 1994 to the Dome, where it has remained. Along the way, it has changed college football while elevating Atlanta's place in the game. [Read here]

4. Trump aides 'coalescing' around Ga. operative to lead RNC. Georgia Republican strategist Nick Ayers might be in poll position for one of the biggest GOP positions on the planet: The Republican National Committee chair. Multiple media outlets have reported he's considered a top contender to replace Reince Priebus, tapped by Donald Trump to be his chief of staff. [Read here] 

5. Chilly start in metro Atlanta. Metro Atlanta is off to a chilly start Friday. Temperatures were 39 degrees in Atlanta, 26 in Blairsville and 30 in Griffin. In Atlanta, that was about 3 degrees lower than temperatures at the same time Thursday. [Read here]

5 things to know today: Dec. 2

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On April 8, 1974, in Atlanta, Hank Aaron smashed baseball’s home run record. Our special coverage celebrating the 50th anniversary of this magical moment has begun online and in our print editions. There’s still more to come as Monday’s historic anniversary arrives.

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Rose Scott signals as Closer Look goes on air in the WABE studio. An Atlanta resident left WABE a $3 million donation, a boost after WABE lost $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. (Ben Gray / AJC file)

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