Atlanta news, Georgia news, Breaking news from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Fani Willis says Trump attorney fee requests would eat entire budget

Fulton County DA Fani Willis says she shouldn't have to pay nearly $17 million in legal fees to President Trump and his allies after her prosecution against them fell flat.

2h ago

Downtown Athens gateway breaks ground, opening timed for UGA football season

Work is underway across from the University of Georgia’s famous arch to build a fresh gateway to downtown Athens bars, restaurants and shops.

First Liberty investigation leads to probe into another Georgia firm

The Georgia Secretary of State's office investigation into First Liberty Building & Loan appears to have grown.

Driver in DeKalb teen’s death sentenced as passenger’s parents fight charges

County prosecutors have charged Sumanth and Anindita Rao with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and maintaining a disorderly house.

Focus on Fani Willis

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AJC EDITORIAL BOARD

Trump’s baseless claims about election fraud undermine faith in Ga. elections

Voters deserve to go to the polls confident that their votes will count and that results will be accurate.

ANDREW MORSE

Ignore FBI raid noise and focus on the real story: Free and fair elections

Trump can't get over his 2020 loss and jokes about canceling elections. Citizens should not laugh about their rights being trampled on by the federal government.

More rumors than details emerge about FBI seizure of troves of 2020 records

Stretching into the third day since the FBI raided Fulton County for troves of 2020 election records, more speculation than concrete details arises.

A timeline of how we got here

Trump vs. Fulton County: Events leading up to the FBI raid seeking 2020 ballots.

Georgia and Metro News

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MARTA: Derailment, ‘significant damage’ after heavy winds toppled tree

A southbound train derailed Dec. 29 after a tree fell on the tracks, according to a MARTA police report.

Cobb officers arrested protester over ideology, not behavior, suit says

A protester says he was unfairly targeted by Cobb County police officers who arrested him nearly two years ago while breaking up an early-morning demonstration in Vinings.

DoorDash driver killed in ‘domestic’ shooting outside Palmetto Elementary

Students and staff are safe after the Tuesday incident, according to Fulton County Schools. The school reopened Wednesday.

PopUp Bagels, FOMO and the viral restaurant hype cycle

Long line at a New York-based bagel shop on the Beltline sparks debate about supporting local.

AJC Sports

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KEN SUGIURA

James Pearce Jr.’s legal status leaves Falcons with a mess

James Pearce Jr.'s weekend arrest in Florida creates several unknowns for the Atlanta Falcons.

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OWLS

In debut season of $12.3M facility, KSU baseball has high expectations

The Owls will christen Mickey Dunn Stadium on Friday against Evansville.

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

NFL

Take 5: Five quick takeaways from the Falcons coordinators’ media availability

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is continuing his rehabilitation from a knee injury but it's unclear whether Penix will be fully healthy and ready to start the regular season.

Credit: AP

MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM

Braves should sign Chris Bassitt to fill hole left by Schwellenbach injury

The Braves desperately need a pitcher like Chris Bassitt. He’s good, he’s durable and he’s still on the free-agent market as spring training begins.

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AJC VARSITY

Mill Creek’s Mills brothers out to cap careers with state championships

The two seniors from Mill Creek High School are favored to win their respective weight classifications at the state championships Saturday.

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MLB

Braves’ Grant Holmes reports no setbacks after 2025 elbow injury

Braves pitcher Grant Holmes took a calculated risk in 2025 by not having surgery on a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. Now he says he's "feeling really good."

2h ago

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

NFL

Falcons’ coordinators excited about potential

Tommy Rees, Jeff Ulbrich look forward to working with talent on both sides of the ball.

Today's Videos

Now Playing

The verdict is in: Is Atlanta really the Black mecca?

McBath invokes son while grilling Bondi over Minnesota ICE shootings

'I want my vote back': GOP Georgia town pushes back on ICE detention center

Credit: Northeast Georgia Health System

What would you do if you recognized opportunities in your nursing unit?

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Northside Hospital and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution know how much nurses need some relaxation. To help, we’re...

Credit: Wellstar Health System

More than two decades into her career at Wellstar Health System, Deidre Jenkins wasn’t ready to retire — she was ready...

The Roots and two other Grammy winners will headline Atlanta Jazz Festival

Kamasi Washington, The Roots and PJ Morton will headline this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival to be held May 23-25 at Piedmont Park.

Credit: Courtesy of the Wills family

Carolyn Wills, Atlanta arts scene patron and community activist, dies at 89

She was known for her work rescuing the Fox Theatre and championing Atlanta arts as part of a lifetime of civic leadership.

Credit: 11ALIVE

Wes Sarginson, former anchor and reporter for WSB and WXIA, dies at 82

The former WSB-TV and 11Alive journalist was known for his cowboy boots, hard work, generosity and inspirational storytelling.

UATL

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FROM UATL

When Georgia tried to silence Julian Bond

Julian Bond's fight to be seated in the Georgia Legislature led to a landmark Supreme Court case on free speech.

FROM UATL

At 100, Mozel Spriggs’ life tells the story of Black dance in Atlanta

The creator of Spelman College's dance department celebrates her centennial birthday and contributions to Atlanta's arts community.

FROM UATL

Annual Black dance fest and conference sways into ATL

The International Association of Blacks in Dance hosts its 36th annual conference and festival in Atlanta Feb. 4-8.

FROM UATL

From Auburn Avenue to the world: 100 moments in Black Atlanta history

Black history is living, shaped continuously by the places where Black people have built power, culture and community. Few cities embody that truth more clearly than Atlanta.

Your Wellness

Credit: Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash.

Dermatologists recommend this one home upgrade for dry winter skin

Dermatologists explain why winter air dries out skin and how humidifiers, smarter moisturizing and gentler routines can help.

10 tips to find happiness again

If joy feels distant, you're not alone. These 10 tips offer realistic ways to invite happiness back into everyday life.

Music therapy helps a young Georgia patient find her voice

Myliyah “Grace” Leitzsey, 7, copes with months of hospitalization through songwriting while waiting for a heart transplant.

Is there a ‘super flu?’ Everything to know about the strain taking over Georgia

Learn how Subclade K, a variant of the influenza A virus, is affecting immune responses and contributing to this year’s intense flu season.

Latest Headlines

2h ago

Food and Dining

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

Miami-based Ghee Indian Kitchen finds warm welcome in Atlanta

The restaurant is attractive and warm with a buzzing atmosphere and irresistible aromas.

RECIPE

Roast salmon stars in quick, elevated twist on trout almondine

This delicate French dish is adapted to modern family life by swapping in hearty, nutritious salmon.

RECIPE

C. Ellet’s Steakhouse Riverboat Flip brings classic style to the present

This old-school cocktail features a whole egg in the classic style of a flip, but the recipe makes a delicious beverage even without the egg.

These are the metro Atlanta restaurants we’re excited to see open in 2026

Nearly 20 new restaurants, from food hall stalls to ambitious tasting menu concepts, to put on your list to visit in 2026.

Opinion and Voices

OPINION

Mike Luckovich: Bad hombre

Mike Luckovich is the award-winning editorial cartoonist for the AJC.

GUEST COLUMN

Eliminating state income tax puts families first and keeps Georgia competitive

Georgia Senate Republicans unanimously support legislation to eliminate the state income tax for Peach State residents.

AJC CONTRIBUTOR

Trump’s economy is hopping, but messy ICE operations could tank his success

President Donald Trump is presiding over a successful record-breaking economy, but his ICE operations in big American cities could overshadow any of his achievements.

PATRICIA MURPHY

Quarter-zips for Ossoff

A recent rally for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff included a group any Democrat needs to win Georgia in November-- middle-aged white men fed up with President Donald Trump.

AJC EDITORIAL BOARD

NW Georgia has long lived with forever chemicals. Now comes the reckoning.

State leaders must take a proactive role in creating a remedy for residents and opposing efforts to shield companies from accountability for PFAS.

Mike Luckovich

Credit: Mike Luckovich

OPINION

Mike Luckovich: Justice gone

Credit: Mike Luckovich

OPINION

Mike Luckovich: Bad hombre

Credit: Mike Luckovich

OPINION

Mike Luckovich: NW Georgia under attack

Latest news

Politics

Credit: AJC file photo

Middle Georgia voters return to polls for state Senate runoff

Democrat LeMario Brown and Republican Steven McNeel are competing for an open Middle Georgia Senate seat.

Fulton County election raid: A timeline of how we got here

Trump vs. Fulton County: Events leading up to the FBI raid seeking 2020 ballots.

Unsealed documents in Fulton raid show FBI relied on election skeptics

Documents reveal how the FBI justified their seizure of troves of Fulton County's 2020 election records.

Metro Atlanta

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Fani Willis says Trump attorney fee requests would eat entire budget

Fulton County DA Fani Willis says she shouldn't have to pay nearly $17 million in legal fees to President Trump and his allies after her prosecution against them fell flat.

2h ago

DoorDash driver killed in ‘domestic’ shooting outside Palmetto Elementary

Students and staff are safe after the Tuesday incident, according to Fulton County Schools. The school reopened Wednesday.

Driver in DeKalb teen’s death sentenced as passenger’s parents fight charges

County prosecutors have charged Sumanth and Anindita Rao with involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct and maintaining a disorderly house.

Georgia

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

First Liberty investigation leads to probe into another Georgia firm

The Georgia Secretary of State's office investigation into First Liberty Building & Loan appears to have grown.

Nickel is gold to EV makers. Why a coastal Georgia city opposes a refinery.

An effort to build a refinery to process nickel for the electric vehicle sector has stalled amid concerns about health, the environment and the company's track record.

Bid to secure Georgia’s first World Heritage site enters the home stretch

World Heritage status is an honor reserved for the planet’s most iconic natural and cultural treasures — places like the Great Barrier Reef and Yellowstone National Park.

Opinion

Credit: Mike Luckovich

OPINION

Mike Luckovich: Justice gone

OPINION

Readers debate FBI Fulton County ballots seizure: Good perception or abuse?

Letters writers discuss whether the operation was a best practice or if the organization under Kash Patel’s leadership can be trusted anymore

Readers write

AJC readers write about voting methods and work ethic.

Falcons

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Falcons’ coordinators excited about potential

Tommy Rees, Jeff Ulbrich look forward to working with talent on both sides of the ball.

OPINION

James Pearce Jr.’s legal status leaves Falcons with a mess

James Pearce Jr.'s weekend arrest in Florida creates several unknowns for the Atlanta Falcons.

Take 5: Five quick takeaways from the Falcons coordinators’ media availability

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is continuing his rehabilitation from a knee injury but it's unclear whether Penix will be fully healthy and ready to start the regular season.

Bulldogs

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN/AJC

Details of Mike White’s contract extension confirmed, include escalator clause

Georgia basketball coach Mike White will make $3.9 million this season, an increase of $210,000 over what his original contract called for him to make.

UGA target DB on viral Kirby Smart photo with baby brother

“He was a little cautious. He didn’t want to mess up little bro,” says Aparicio-Bailey, referring to Smart holding his 2-month-old baby brother in a photo that went viral.

The end of the 2025 Georgia season shows just how important Drew Bobo will be for 2026

A late-season injury sidelined Drew Bobo last year but coach Kirby Smart knows just how important Bob is on the field.

Georgia Tech

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Projected first round draft pick is a ‘magnet’ for Georgia Tech baseball

Drew Burress is currently considered a top-5 option for the 2026 MLB Draft.

Georgia Tech struggles in second half of loss to Stanford

Ebuka Okorie scores a career-high 40 points, leading Stanford to a 95-72 victory over Georgia Tech. The game ends Stanford's five-game losing streak

Season tickets surge for loaded Georgia Tech baseball

With a week to go before college baseball begins, Georgia Tech — the preseason ACC favorite — has sold the most season tickets in program history.

Hawks

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

NBA fines Hawks’ Gueye $35K for fracas with Reid in Minnesota

With recent moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline, including trading Trae Young, the Hawks have a new roster and a new push forward.

Turnovers burn Hawks, who lose to Timberwolves in Alexander-Walker’s return

The Hawks struggle without Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, committing costly turnovers in a 138-116 loss to the Timberwolves on Monday.

Hawks’ Johnson earns second Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor

Atlanta’s recently named All-Star averaged a triple-double over three games last week.

Braves

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Braves’ Grant Holmes reports no setbacks after 2025 elbow injury

Braves pitcher Grant Holmes took a calculated risk in 2025 by not having surgery on a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. Now he says he's "feeling really good."

2h ago

Postcards from Florida: Follow Chad Bishop’s first Braves spring training

SPRING TRAINING

Live updates: New reliever Suarez reports to camp

Keep up with all the Braves news, big and small, in updates from new beat writer Chad Bishop and some of our other sports writers.

United

Credit: Mitch Martin/Atlanta United

Atlanta United unveils ‘Spirit of ’96’ kit

The “Spirit of ’96″ kit, designed to honor Atlanta’s past as host of the 1996 Summer Games and its present as host of eight World Cup matches, was unveiled on Tuesday.

Atlanta United’s Dominik Chong Qui out several weeks

Five Stripes are scheduled to open its 10th MLS season Feb. 21 at Cincinnati.

Atlanta United, Botafogo reach settlement on Thiago Almada

Atlanta United has reached a settlement with Botafogo on Thiago Almada after nearly two years and will get the money it is owed.

High Schools

Credit: Byron Hendrix

Mill Creek’s Mills brothers out to cap careers with state championships

The two seniors from Mill Creek High School are favored to win their respective weight classifications at the state championships Saturday.

Lovejoy goes with familiar name as next football coach

Lovejoy has hired a familiar face to take over for longtime coach Edgar Carson, who led the team for 12 seasons and stepped down from his position in January.

Lumpkin County wrestler in line to make history at state championships

Senior Greta Garbuzovas has lost just one match in a career that started with a recreation department flyer at age 7.

More Sports

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Atlanta TV sports listings

A look at the TV listings for major sporting events for Atlanta today and this week.

In debut season of $12.3M facility, KSU baseball has high expectations

The Owls will christen Mickey Dunn Stadium on Friday against Evansville.

The Win Column: More mediocrity, please

Food & Dining

Credit: Courtesy of Andrew Thomas Lee

No reservations? These 15 easy Valentine’s Day recipes save the day

This collection brings 15 of Atlanta’s most iconic restaurant dishes into your kitchen, turning dinner at home into something closer to a chef’s-table experience.

PopUp Bagels, FOMO and the viral restaurant hype cycle

Long line at a New York-based bagel shop on the Beltline sparks debate about supporting local.

This cafe and skate shop was born from a devastating diagnosis

Schāf Shop opens in Midtown this spring with coffee, mocktails and skateboards.

UATL

Credit: AP

FROM UATL

When Georgia tried to silence Julian Bond

Julian Bond's fight to be seated in the Georgia Legislature led to a landmark Supreme Court case on free speech.

FROM UATL

At 100, Mozel Spriggs’ life tells the story of Black dance in Atlanta

The creator of Spelman College's dance department celebrates her centennial birthday and contributions to Atlanta's arts community.

FROM UATL

Annual Black dance fest and conference sways into ATL

The International Association of Blacks in Dance hosts its 36th annual conference and festival in Atlanta Feb. 4-8.

Things to Do

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Love bonds happen for animals, too: Tales behind Atlanta’s cutest pairs

Animals love each other, too. Here are the tales behind some of Atlanta’s cutest bonded animal pairs, from adoptable dogs and cats to exotic animals.

Rough Draft Atlanta to consolidate local newspapers under one brand

The consolidation will save the company roughly the same amount of money as a salaried reporter position, which will be reinvested back into its reporting.

Tango dancing, truffle rolling and more Valentine’s Day events in metro Atlanta

Check out more than 25 Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day menus and events happening in Atlanta.

Lifestyle

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Northside Hospital named as new title sponsor of Peachtree Road Race

After almost a half-century, the annual Peachtree Road Race is getting a new title sponsor and new name: the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race.

Nashville lawyer goes bold in her new-build Bordeaux home

Cynthia Lee’s embrace of color, art and personal touches transformed a blank space into a maximalist vision.

Valentine’s Day gifts that feel thoughtful, cool and actually useful

From cozy comforts to creative experiences, these Valentine’s Day gifts make shopping easy, with thoughtful picks for everyone on your list.

Entertainment

Credit: FELIX &

Get sent into space via Atlanta’s newest VR immersive experience

The latest immersive VR experience in Atlanta replicates what it's like to be on the International Space Station.

Wes Sarginson, former anchor and reporter for WSB and WXIA, dies at 82

The former WSB-TV and 11Alive reporter and anchor was known for his cowboy boots, hard work, generosity and inspirational storytelling.

TLC’s Chilli returns to a dating show — but this time as a host

Atlanta’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Matthew Lawrence co-host “Second Chance Love” on Hallmark+, helping five former couples decide whether to rekindle romance or move on.

Travel

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Delta’s latest elite frequent flyer changes reflect broader strategy

The airline is reducing its AmEx credit card statement benefit, but boosting miles and status gifting ability.

Delta ‘prioritizing’ upgrades to Atlanta Sky Clubs. Here’s what that means.

“We’re prioritizing Atlanta as a critical next step for our lounge network,” after customer feedback, Delta executive Dwight James told the AJC.

Revival as a way of life in Charlotte

From intimate gatherings over soul food or cockails to block parties, the city renews itself daily through the simple act of coming together.

Wellness

Credit: Jamie Street

Don’t fight it. A midday snooze is actually good for your brain.

Want to give your brain a boost? It might be time for a "synaptic reset." New research suggests that a short midday nap can do more than help you feel rested.

Georgia’s strongest couples share this trait, UGA study finds

According to University of Georgia researcher and relationship expert Evin Richardson, mindfulness can level up your relationship.

Valentine’s Day gifts that feel thoughtful, cool and actually useful

From cozy comforts to creative experiences, these Valentine’s Day gifts make shopping easy, with thoughtful picks for everyone on your list.

Special Features

Credit: Grace Dickinson

Southern Classics — Reimagined

Aging in Atlanta

AJC Pulse Magazine

Photos

Credit: Natrice Miller

AJC photos of the month -- January 2026

January brought ice and ICE protests, the start of the legislature with the youngest lawmaker, an FBI raid, the departure of Trae Young, a less than sweet Sugar Bowl and many ...

32m ago

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

PHOTOS: Braves settle into day 2 of spring training

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

PHOTOS: Braves arrive for spring training

The Atlanta Braves report for spring training in Florida.