In session Monday
Jan. 12 — At last night’s Golden Globes, “One Battle After Another,” “Hamnet,” “The Pitt,” “Adolescence,” and “The Studio” each won multiple awards. “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” picked up the first-ever award for best podcast. See the full list of winners here.☁️ Cloudy with a high of 47° today.
✊ Demonstrators filled Atlanta streets to protest the ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, with rallies from Midtown to East Cobb.
🚧 Watch for detours today in Midtown as a portion of 10th Street between Piedmont and Juniper will be closed for four weeks during a major sewer repair.
✋ Anne Lerner will be sworn in as Tucker’s second-ever mayor at a special meeting tonight at 6 p.m. She recently spoke with Rough Draft about her priorities for the city’s tenth anniversary.
📍 Nearly a dozen mayors from across Metro Atlanta gathered last week for a dialogue on ways to fight antisemitism.
💻 The DeKalb County Commission is considering a resolution to allocate 50% of tax revenue generated by data centers to support resident equity and environmental restorations.
💵 The Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved more than $640,000 in opioid settlement funds for five organizations that provide treatment and recovery services.
🎬 The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival kicks off festival season tonight at 7 p.m. with its 2026 Insider Preview, unveiling the 26th edition lineup with exclusive clips.
ELSEWHERE
🏛️ Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he is under criminal investigation, calling it political intimidation after the Fed resisted White House pressure to lower interest rates.
🚒 A suspect is in custody and expected to face arson charges after a fire heavily damaged Mississippi’s largest synagogue, the same congregation that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967.
🎗️ Bob Weir, the Grateful Dead co-founder and rhythm guitarist who helped define the band’s sound and culture, died at 78. His family cited underlying lung issues as the cause.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Legislature begins
• Falcons rebuild with Ryan
• How restaurants adapt
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
👪 There are so many new opportunities for young families at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Plus, your first year of membership is free! Come check out an upcoming event or join us for Tot Shabbat. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Under the Gold Dome: Legislative session starts today
🏛️ Georgia’s 40-day legislative session opens at 10 a.m. this morning and is scheduled to end on April 2. Because of special elections, there are several new faces under the Gold Dome.
Republicans are lining up behind a push to eliminate the state income tax for the first $100,000 of income. Other bills that promise to shape policy across education, property taxes, high school cell phone policies, and public safety are all on the 2026 agenda.
Republicans plan to continue a push for election reform, including a return to hand-marked paper ballots, while gaming industry supporters are optimistic that the legislature may finally approve sports betting in the state.
➡️ Read more about the key issues facing lawmakers here.
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2. Falcons hire Ryan to rebuild organization
🏈 The Atlanta Falcons have named franchise icon Matt Ryan as their new President of Football as they try to rebuild after eight consecutive losing seasons.
Ryan will begin immediately and oversee all aspects of Falcons football operations, reporting directly to team owner Arthur Blank. The former quarterback will collaborate with Falcons President and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure alignment between business and football operations.
The appointment comes as Atlanta searches for both a new head coach and general manager following the dismissals of Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris after an 8-9 season.📣 Read more on the changes here.
RELATED
➡ In this weekend’s NFL Playoff Wild Card round, the Rams, 49ers, Bears, Patriots, and Bills advanced. Pittsburgh hosts Houston in the last Wild Card game tonight at 8:15 p.m. (ESPN/ABC).
3. The key to success for Atlanta restaurants may lie in adaptability
🍽️Breaker Breaker on the Eastside Beltline Trail is among a growing group of Atlanta restaurants adjusting operations and menus to meet diners where they are, especially as people scale back on eating out due to economic uncertainties.
Rather than suffer through the colder months with a menu and theme that doesn’t really fit the weather, owners Alex Brounstein and Johnny Farrow, along with Chef Maximilian Hines, temporarily transitioned Breaker Breaker to a winter-themed restaurant called Long Haul Lounge.
❄️Read more about how restaurants are adapting here.
4. Protests rock Iran; Australian heat wave
🇮🇷 Protests across Iran reached the two-week mark as authorities escalated a violent crackdown, cut internet access, and threatened death penalty charges, while deaths and mass detentions continue to mount.
🇸🇾 American warplanes struck ISIS militants in Syria in response to the December killing of two Iowa National Guard members and an American interpreter.
🇦🇺 A severe heatwave has fueled multiple wildfires across Victoria in southeastern Australia, destroying 300 homes and businesses and leaving at least one person dead.
🇨🇭 Swiss prosecutors detained the co‑owner of a Crans‑Montana ski resort bar as grieving families and national leaders mourned the 40 people – many of them teenagers – killed in a New Year’s fire now under criminal investigation for suspected negligence.
🇻🇪 Venezuela’s government has released hundreds of political prisoners who were detained under President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, marking a significant moment in the country’s ongoing political turmoil.
🇰🇷 South Korea’s disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol will face his final court hearing in Seoul this week, as he fights charges accusing him of undermining the Constitution and unlawfully imposing martial law.
🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking nation in Africa, has officially moved its capital to Ciudad de la Paz, ending Malabo’s role as the seat of government since independence from Spain in 1968.
🇫🇷 In a landmark ruling on online harassment and conspiracy theories, a Paris court has convicted ten individuals of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France.
🗓️ Individual tickets are now on sale for The World Cup in Atlanta: Unlocking Economic Opportunity in 2026 and Beyond on Jan. 27. Katie Kirkpatrick, CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, will share how Atlanta can seize this once-in-a-generation moment. Secure your seat today.
👪 There are so many new opportunities for young families at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Plus, your first year of membership is free! Come check out an upcoming event or join us for Tot Shabbat. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Legislative listens
Here’s a roundup of essential podcasts that will keep you up to speed on all the action under the Gold Dome.
🎙️ Host Donna Lowry interviews lawmakers, public officials, and community leaders on the top issues coming from under the Gold Dome on GPB’s“Lawmakers: Spotlight.”
🎧 Host Lisa Rayam, GOP strategist Brian Robinson, and Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson talk local and national politics every Tuesday and Thursday on WABE’s“Political Breakfast.” WABE also has a daily rundown of legislative news on“The Brief.”
🎙️ The“Politically Georgia” podcast from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution with Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, and Tia Mitchell offers in-depth reporting and analysis from around the state.
🎧 AARP Georgia’s“On the Beat” podcast focuses on the 50+ set with legislative news and updates.
👪 There are so many new opportunities for young families at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Plus, your first year of membership is free! Come check out an upcoming event or join us for Tot Shabbat. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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