See ya, March
March 31 — The NCAA Men’s Final Four is set: Duke will play Houston, and Florida will face Auburn on Sat., April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. It’s the first time since 2008 that all four top seeds have made the Final Four. The winners will play for the title on Mon., April 7.
🌩️ Thunderstorms and a high of 70° today.
🤧 Atlanta set two pollen count records over the weekend with 14,801 – the highest count ever – on Saturday and 11,159 on Sunday.
🏛️ A bill protecting IVF was passed by the Georgia General Assembly and sent to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. Also headed to Kemp’s desk is a bill stiffening penalties for trafficking in fentanyl in Georgia.
🏢 Developer Kolter Urban will build a luxury condo tower at 102 West Paces Ferry Rd. in Buckhead.
🏠 Tucker City Council is exploring more options to build affordable housing.
🚧 Trails and sidewalks in Atlanta Memorial Park will undergo three weeks of repairs starting today.
🏳️⚧️ To mark Transgender Day of Visibility, a summit with trans leaders, policymakers, organizers, and community members will be held today at Atlanta City Hall.
⚾ After dropping their first four games to the Padres, the Braves have the day off to catch their breath before they visit the Dodgers for a three-game series starting tomorrow.
ELSEWHERE
🦷 Utah became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water after its governor signed legislation prohibiting the mineral’s addition to water systems, effective May 7.
🎗️ Richard Chamberlain, the American actor who starred in “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds,” died Saturday in Hawaii at 90 from complications following a stroke.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Marathon runner
• Consumer confidence plummets
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
🏃 Join Move For Grady on April 26! With three cycling distances and two run/walk options, there’s something for everyone. Then celebrate your accomplishment – and support for Grady – with a fun finish line celebration at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Brookhaven resident gets ready for sixth major marathon
🏃🏼♀️ Brookhaven resident Daffany Fajardo Murphy doesn’t have an off switch. The corporate vice president, athlete, and mother of two adult children will compete in the Boston Marathon on April 21.
The VP of human resources for Enterprise has been competing in major marathons – including London, Chicago, and New York City – since 2016.
The daughter of a breast cancer survivor, Fajardo Murphy said she is running to honor the care provided to her mom, who was diagnosed at age 50. She has raised more than $15,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
➳ Read more about Fajardo Murphy’s journey here.
RELATED
🍑 If you’re not ready for 26.2 miles, registration for the 56th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race opens tomorrow.
Atlanta Symphony Concertmaster David Coucheron features in springtime concerts
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
🎶 David Coucheron has been the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster for 14 years, and this spring is a great time to see him shine in concerts where he steps into the spotlight.
First, he takes on the role of the storyteller in Scheherazade, which brings to life the many tales of 1,001 Arabian Nights. This symphonic poem features sensuous violin solos, conducted in concerts next week by Music Director Laureate Robert Spano. Watch Coucheron discuss it here.
🎻 Then, he joins his sister Julie Coucheron and fellow ASO musician Daniel Laufer as a trio featured in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in concerts conducted by Music Director Nathalie Stutzmann.
2. Why is consumer confidence tanking?
VIA NERDWALLET ON ROUGH DRAFT
😟 Consumer confidence in the economy has plummeted since the start of the year and that can be chalked up to uncertainty more than anything else.
“Fear is the mind-killer like uncertainty is the economy killer,” says Ryan Cummings, chief of staff for the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a former economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He says tariff policies, federal workforce cuts, and a reactive stock market are beginning to bleed through into the data, and consumers are picking up on it.
“They don’t like the feeling of ‘I really don’t know what’s going to happen, maybe the economy is going to continue trucking on, maybe it’s going to be in a recession,’” says Cummings.
📉 Read more from NerdWallet on our website.
3. Markets shudder as ‘Liberation Day’ looms; Greenland unites against US rhetoric
📉 Global markets fell today and U.S. stock futures are trending down as investors await “Liberation Day” on Wednesday, when President Donald Trump said new tariffs will take effect, including a 25% levy on foreign-made cars.
☎️ In a phone interview, Trump told NBC News he “couldn’t care less” if automakers raised prices due to his planned 25% tariff on foreign vehicles, insisting consumers would buy American-made cars instead.
🇬🇱 As the Trump administration continues to voice an interest in gaining control of Greenland, the Danish territory’s parliament signed a historic coalition agreement hours before U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived for a visit.
🇫🇷 A French court found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzling European funds and banned her from public office, potentially derailing her 2027 presidential ambitions.
🇹🇷 Pro-democracy demonstrators filled Istanbul’s streets to support jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested on disputed corruption charges. Protesters waved Turkish flags and chanted “Rights, law, justice!”
🇲🇲 The death toll has surpassed 1,600 in Myanmar after a massive earthquake flattened the country’s second-largest city. Despite desperate efforts to find survivors in the rubble, the ruling military junta that seized power four years ago continues to bomb pro-democracy groups.
🇹🇭 The earthquake also caused a high-rise in Thailand to collapse. Dramatic video shows construction workers fleeing the scene.
🇯🇵 Even as Japan’s suicide deaths fell to 20,320 in 2024, the second-lowest level since record-keeping began in 1978, suicides among school-age students reached a record high.If you or a loved one are dealing with thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
🇨🇿 Czech teenager Jakub Mensik stunned Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6 in the Miami Open final, denying the Serbian his 100th career title.
🗓️ U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy hosts a national town hall on foreign policy today from noon-1 p.m., addressing State Department changes and America’s global role. Register here.
🍸 Join us at Sip Brookhaven at Oglethorpe on April 12 to discover amazing restaurants and beverage brands right in your backyard. An afternoon of sipping, savoring, and socializing awaits! Get your tickets here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. National Poetry Month
April 1 is the first day of National Poetry Month. Here are some pods and reads to help connect you with poets who are redefining and renewing this both beloved and maligned literary art.
📚 The Atlantic just released its list of The Best American Poetry of the 21st Century (So Far), which includes Emory poet and professor Jericho Brown.
🎧 Poetry For All, hosted by Joanne Diaz and Abram Van Engen, is a podcast for poetry lovers and for those who know very little about poems. A poem is read, discussed, probed for meaning, and then read again.
🎙️ The New Yorker Poetry Podcast, hosted by the magazine’s editor Kevin Young, features readings and discussions with poets.
📧 Get a poem in your inbox every day from Poetry Daily, which showcases new work from just-released books, magazines, and journals.
🌼 Springtime in Atlanta means it’s time for the 89th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Held in Piedmont Park April 11-13, this three-day outdoor event has fine art, live music and entertainment, children’s activities, and more — and it’s free to attend!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
📧 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 premier undergraduate learning experience.
