See ya, January
Jan. 31 — Atlanta Watershed crews continue to work to repair a massive water main break that shut down Peachtree Road just north of Piedmont Hospital. Click here for updates on water service in the area.
☔ Rainy and 64° today.
?️ Two people with Georgia ties were among the 67 who died in Wednesday’s military helicopter and commercial plane crash in Washington, DC. The victims also include several members of the tight-knit figure skating community.
?️ Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled comprehensive tort reform legislation Thursday aimed at reining in huge jury verdicts.
? UPS shares plunged 14% after the Sandy Springs-based shipping giant announced plans to slash Amazon deliveries by more than half and projected weaker revenue for 2025.
? More of Georgia’s college and technical students may soon be eligible for grant money after a mathematical oversight made it impossible for many to qualify.
✏️ Scores on a biennial federal test for Georgia fourth and eighth graders show that students are not progressing enough to regain academic losses sustained during the pandemic.
?️ Today is Bill Nigut’s last day as co-host of the AJC’s “Politically Georgia.” The journalist is retiring after more than four decades of covering Georgia politics on radio and TV.
? Christian radio station 104.7 FM “The Fish” also signs off today.
ELSEWHERE
➡ Three Israelis and five Thai nationals were released by Hamas in Gaza yesterday amid chaotic scenes, while Israel freed 110 Palestinian prisoners. American Keith Seigel, 65, is expected to be among the three hostages released tomorrow.
? Anderson .Paak, Billie Eilish, Joni Mitchell, Dr. Dre, and dozens of other stars performed at FireAid, a five-hour benefit concert to support recovery efforts from January’s Los Angeles wildfires. You can stream it on most major platforms.
?Iconic British singer/songwriter Marianne Faithfull – known for hits like “As Tears Go By” and “Broken English” – died yesterday at age 78.
? Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• MARTA’s new trains
• Film Review: ‘Riefenstahl’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
Have a good weekend,
Collin & Sammie
? Join You+2 on Feb. 6 at AA Synagogue for “Israel and Antisemitism: Facts, Lies & Myths in Media” with Anat Sultan-Dadon, Dov Wilker, and Josh Levs. Moderated by Lisa Cohen. Bring two friends of any faith. Free, but registration is required. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. New MARTA railcars unveiled
? Attendees at the annual State of MARTA event on Thursday got a sneak peek at the brand-new railcars set to join the transit system’s fleet.
MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood provided a glimpse into the future of rail service in Atlanta with the unveiling of the first CQ400 train. With Greenwood onboard, the new railcars entered Lindbergh Station to music and fanfare.
“When I stepped onto that new train this morning, it felt like stepping into the future,” Greenwood said. “These new railcars are an inspiration to everyone at MARTA and to our customers who will get to experience a cleaner and safer ride – and hopefully one that shows them how transit can make their lives easier and their trip more enjoyable. The future of transit begins now at MARTA, and the State of MARTA is strong.”
➳ Read more about MARTA’s future here.
ARTBEAT… where kids sing, dance, create, and imagine!
SPONSORED BY SANDY SPRINGS ARTS FOUNDATION
? ARTBEAT, presented by the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation, is an event you won’t want to miss! Local Sandy Springs public school students showcase their talents in the performing and visual arts, in an afternoon shared with the community.
On Sat., Feb. 8 at the Byers Theatre at 2:30 p.m. Free, no registration required. Donations of boxes of crayons or colored pencils are appreciated.
2. New restaurant round-up: Pizza Jeans, The Sparrow, Ashland’s Kitchen, Avize, and more2. ‘Riefenstahl’ and the legacy of the most famous propagandist of the 20th century
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
? Early on in Andres Veiel’s documentary “Riefenstahl,” Leni Riefenstahl says that she believes the opposite of politics is art.
“If you feel things intensely as an artist … you live your life so ardently, so intensely, so passionately, that there’s no room for interest in real-world issues,” she says. The interviewer, to his credit, pushes back on this notion, asking her if – after everything – she still believes that art and politics have no effect on each other.
We never see the answer to this question, but Riefenstahl’s work is answer enough. Riefenstahl is a filmmaker best known for making multiple Nazi propaganda films in the 1930s, exalting supposed Aryan physical beauty and superiority. This new documentary, which will play at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, is a treasure trove of effects from Riefenstahl’s estate, things like archival footage, letters, documents, drafts of her memoirs, recordings, photographs, and so much more – all carefully maintained in order to paint a picture of the woman she wanted to be remembered as. Veiel’s documentary does not necessarily try to understand Riefenstahl the woman, but rather tries to understand the creation of her public persona, particularly as it relates to how the message of her work and life lives on today.
➡️ Read Sammie’s full review here.
? Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. Miggy’s back; Dream to sign Griner
BY: JIM BASS
♂️ The Sports Section is Sponsored by Gameday Men’s Health Buckhead, offering testosterone, weight loss, peptide, and ED therapies so you can get back in the game. Learn more today!
?WNBA star Brittney Griner will officially sign a one-year contract with the Atlanta Dream tomorrow. Griner has spent all 11 years of her career playing for the Phoenix Mercury and has been named to the All-Star team 10 times.
? The Hawks have lost seven games in a row. To make matters worse,forward Jalen Johnson will have season-ending surgery after injuring his shoulder on Jan. 23. Trae Young was left off the All-Star Game roster.
⚽ Miguel Almirón will return to Atlanta United after a five-year stint at Newcastle United. After helping the Five Stripes claim their first MLS Cup in 2018, Almirón and the club aim to do the same as the season begins on Feb. 22.
?️The 2025 NASCAR season starts Sunday at 8 p.m. with “The Clash,” an exhibition race that will be held for the first time at the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC (FOX).
? The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 in New Orleans. The game is a rematch of two years ago when the Chiefs won.
??Georgia’s and Emory’s swimming and diving teams face off tomorrow in Athens starting at 11 a.m. (SEC Network+).
⚖️ Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs kicks off the Feb. 21 Georgia Bar, Media & Judiciary Conference with a conversation about public confidence and the courts, launching a day of discussions on the First Amendment, journalism, and the law. Register here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Your DeKalb Farmers Market has been a go-to since 1977
② ICE makes arrests on Buford Highway and near Tucker
③ Organizations react to ICE raids in DeKalb, Brookhaven
④ Seven Cross Keys students admitted to Georgia Tech in early action (pictured)
⑤ MJQ Concourse opens at Underground Atlanta
? Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
? Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
? Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premiere undergraduate learning experience.
