Wake up, Wednesday
Jan. 21 — The James Beard Foundation will announce the semifinalists for its restaurant and chef awards today. Look for a story from Beth McKibben this afternoon.
☁️ Cloudy with a high of 55° today. Forecasters predict ice and snow this weekend, so stock up on that milk and bread.
🚋 According to an exclusive report by the AJC, Atlanta, MARTA, and Beltline officials voted months ago to halt the Beltline light rail project, a decision kept from the public.
🪧 Around 300 Georgia Tech students joined schools and universities nationwide for a walkout yesterday to protest the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
🗣️ Recently terminated Morris Brown College President Kevin James has been reinstated.
🚨 Atlanta Police apprehended a gunman who shot a woman at Summit Cafeteria near the Georgia State University campus.
💸 The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the City of Dunwoody $200,000 in funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program.
⚾️ Braves legend Andruw Jones was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first player from Curacao to be inducted.
🏈 Indiana backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza, younger brother of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, said he is transferring to Georgia Tech.
ELSEWHERE
🌎 As his proposal for a Board of Peace and additional tariffs tied to a U.S. acquisition of Greenland unsettle world leaders, President Donald Trump will address the World Economic Forum in Davos this morning at 8:30 a.m. Stream it here.
📉 U.S. stock futures are up this morning after macroeconomic uncertainty led markets to fall sharply yesterday.
📜 Several Democratic officials in Minnesota received grand jury subpoenas and are under investigation for obstructing federal law enforcement.
⚖️ The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on the White House bid to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
PICTURE THIS: Roswell Restaurant Weeks kicks off tomorrow and runs through Feb. 7, showcasing the city’s eclectic dining scene. There are special prix fixe menus and other offerings (including Crazy Love Coffee House pictured above) at more than 50 restaurants for the 10th anniversary event.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Data center pushback• Wyld Bird x Home Grown
• Wellness Wednesday
AND
• Concert Picks
🏫 Ben Franklin Academy is a learning community that activates mastery. How? By offering 47 AP and honors-level courses, individualized instruction, and demonstrated proficiency with subject matter before moving on. At Ben Franklin Academy, the learning is built to last. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Outrage over surge of data centers in Georgia inspires wave of bipartisan bills
🖥️ A surge in data center development has turned Georgia into a national hotspot while raising fresh concerns about the state’s energy landscape and natural resources.
After a massive request from Georgia Power to expand its energy capacity by about 10,000 megawatts due to unprecedented growth driven largely by a rise in data centers and a recent focus on energy affordability – particularly after Democratic successes campaigning on the issue in 2025 – lawmakers seem likely to consider legislation that could help regulate the massive, power-hungry facilities.
🔋 Read the full story from the Georgia Recorder here.
Fashion meets art at the High Museum!
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
👗 Experience Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Statements – a bold, breathtaking exhibition celebrating avant-garde fashion visionaries who blurred the line between haute couture and art. Only at the High, the exhibition’s sole U.S. stop.
2. Pollo asado restaurant launching for dinner inside Home Grown in Reynoldstown
🏡 Dinner begins at Home Grown in Reynoldstown next month.
Wyld Bird, a restaurant-within-a-restaurant owned by Brad Syfan and Chef Tony Seichrist of Wyld Dock Bar in Savannah, will open for dinner inside the Memorial Drive diner in mid-February.
Home Grown co-owner Kevin Clark hinted at adding dinner service to the lineup last August when he and business partner Lisa Spooner purchased the restaurant’s property. While Home Grown will operate as usual, serving breakfast and lunch daily, Wyld Bird will take over for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, serving what Syfan describes as “Miami-inspired” chicken.
🍗 More on this story from Beth McKibben here.
3. Wellness Wednesday
🧘 Regain your center by exploring meditation and nature at Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw (pictured) on Saturday at 10 a.m. Look forward to learning various meditation techniques by walking, sitting, and being present in garden spaces.
📖 Feeling the pressure of a new year? Gather at the Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville Hooper Renwick branch, on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for an evening of scrapbooking, journaling, and creating moodboards to set intentions for the year.
🎨 Immerse yourself in community and arts experiences at NiteOwl Kitchen & Cocktails in Avondale Estates on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Hosted by The Greenhouse Project, Poetry & Live Art Night combines spoken word poetry, a live painter, and wellness vendors.
🏥 Look up, Atlanta! At 6:30 p.m. tonight, more than 35 buildings across the city will light the sky green with Emory Healthcare. A citywide celebration begins because what’s next in medicine is here at Emory. The frontline of care. The forefront of discovery. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
Wed., Jan. 21
🎤 Jessie J @ Center Stage
Thurs., Jan. 22
🖤 Don Broco @ The Masquerade
🎶 Who’s Bad @ Buckhead Theatre
Fri., Jan. 23
🚦 Stop Light Observations @ Terminal West
🍂 Carbon Leaf @ The Loft
🎧 Akeem Ali @ Center Stage
Sat., Jan. 24
🥁 Blue Man Group @ Fox Theatre (also Sunday)
🎸 ZOSO @ Tabernacle
👃 Smells Like Nirvana @ The Loft
🐶 The Sundogs @ Variety Playhouse
Sun., Jan. 25
🎨 KOKOROKO (pictured) @ Buckhead Theatre
📱 PlaqueBoyMax @ The Loft
🤵♂️ The Black Jacket Symphony @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
Tues., Jan. 27
🌳 Gavn! @ Vinyl
☀️ City of the Sun @ Aisle 5
💿 Motion City Soundtrack @ Tabernacle
Wed., Jan. 28
📯 Maanu @ Aisle 5
💫 Atlanta, the sky is the limit tonight! At 6:30 p.m., over 35 buildings across the city will light up green with Emory Healthcare, kicking off a celebration of innovation. What’s next in medicine is here, and Emory is leading the way. The frontline of care. The forefront of discovery. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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