Monday off
Jan. 26 — Schools, colleges, and state offices are all closed today as Winter Storm Fern continues. We’ve got some photos from around Metro Atlanta here, plus a weather summary below.
☀️ After a frigid night, it will be sunny and 35° today. Temperatures will drop back into the teens again overnight.
⚖️ Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed an appeal challenging the dismissal of racketeering charges against 61 Stop Cop City protestors.
💰 The Fulton County Commission passed this year’s $1.041 billion operating budget, keeping the assumed property tax rate flat at 8.87 mills.
🚧 The City of Sandy Springs is moving forward with a redesign of the Roswell Road corridor before the Chattahoochee River with the help of $5 million in federal funds.
🌳 Sandy Springs leaders cut the ribbon at Burdett Park, a small pocket park that connects several neighborhoods around Abernathy, Johnson Ferry, and Brandon Mill roads.
🥩 Steak and Grace, which opened less than a year ago in Dunwoody Village, abruptly closed its doors.
🏀 The winter storm forced the NBA to move today’s Hawks vs. Pacers game to 1:30 p.m. (FanDuel Sports; 92.9 FM).
🎗️ Michael Adams, who led the University of Georgia from 1997 to 2013, died yesterday at 77.
ELSEWHERE
➡ The latest from Minnesota:
- Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at a VA hospital, was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer on Saturday.
- Minneapolis residents say “anxiety, exhaustion, and deepening fear” are gripping the city, and Sen. Tina Smith said the city feels “like a war zone.”
- On Capitol Hill, bipartisan calls for an independent investigation into the killing of Pretti are threatening a funding standoff over ICE.
- The NRA joined other pro-gun groups in calling for a full investigation into Pretti’s killing, after video undercut Trump administration claims he posed an imminent threat.
🏈 The Seahawks and the Patriots advanced to Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, CA.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Winter weather update
• Indie film production
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
🎨 Join the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation for ARTBEAT, Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Byers Theatre! Celebrate student talent in the arts. Bring crayons or colored pencils to donate to local elementary schools! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Winter Storm Fern updates
🧊 Metro Atlanta is waking up to more icy conditions with temperatures in the 20s, which are expected to last through the morning.
💻 Almost all schools and colleges are closed or have moved to remote learning today, while many city and state offices are also shuttered due to the ongoing effects of Winter Storm Fern.
🔦 Georgia Power and Georgia EMC were dealing with 100,000 outages at one point on Sunday afternoon, but that number has dropped to just over 37,000 as of 6:50 a.m.
🚗 The Georgia Department of Emergency Management urged motorists to stay off the roads and interstates as brine and salt treatments continue.
🚇 MARTA said it will continue to operate on a reduced schedule today, with trains running every 20 minutes. All bus routes will remain suspended, except for lifeline routes 6, 8, 19, 40, 107, 110, 111, 123, 185, and 196, which provide direct service to major medical facilities and emergency rooms.
✈️ According to an AJC report, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport already canceled more than 190 flights into and out of Atlanta for today. ➳ Follow our website for ongoing weather updates.
NATIONWIDE
❄️ Fern dumped 10.6 inches of snow in Central Park, the biggest winter storm to hit New York in five years, forcing DoorDash to suspend deliveries on Sunday.
🛑 Flight tracking site FlightAware reported more than 11,500 cancellations yesterday, the highest numbers since the first days of the pandemic.
🪫 Nashville officials called Fern the worst storm in 30 years, with more than 173,000 customers without power this morning.
ARTBEAT … Where kids sing, dance, create, and imagine!
SPONSORED BY SANDY SPRINGS ARTS FOUNDATION
🎨 ARTBEAT, presented by the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation, is an amazing event you won’t want to miss! Local Sandy Springs public school students will showcase their talents in the performing and visual arts in an afternoon shared with the community on Sat., Feb. 7, at the Byers Theatre at 2:30 p.m.
This event is free; no registration required. Donations of boxes of crayons or colored pencils are appreciated.
2. Local production companies partner with Assembly Studios to boost independent film production
VIA SCENE, A WEEKLY FILM NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE
🎥 Two local film production companies have partnered with Assembly Studios and are planning to produce their next slate of films using the studio’s resources.
Autumn Bailey Entertainment (ABE) and Braveheart Entertainment announced the partnership with Assembly in December of last year. The duo’s goal is to “build a sustainable model for high-quality, character-driven storytelling that blends artistry, efficiency, and innovation.”
Autumn Bailey, founder of Autumn Bailey Entertainment, said that she first began considering the possibility of a partnership while chatting with a group of film producers at a mixer hosted by Assembly Studios last September.
3. Honnold scales Taipei 101; Louvre ticket prices rise
🇮🇱🇵🇸 An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed three journalists, including a longtime cameraman for CBS News, who had been documenting humanitarian aid efforts after the ceasefire.
🇹🇼 Alex Honnold, the 40-year-old American free climber who was the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, scaled Taiwan’s 101-story Taipei 101 in a live Netflix special, saying “sick” and taking a selfie when he reached the top.
🇨🇦 President Donald Trump warned Canada he would impose 100% tariffs if it pursued a trade deal with China.
🇵🇰 More than 70 people are confirmed dead in a two-day blaze that destroyed the Gul Plaza mall in Karachi, Pakistan.
🇨🇦 After years of evading authorities, a former Olympic snowboarder from Canada was arrested on charges of cocaine smuggling, murder, and links to the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia postponed its highly anticipated role as host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games, citing delays in completing its ambitious Neom mountain resort mega project.
🇹🇷 Authorities in Turkey say they recovered the body of a Russian swimmer who disappeared in August 2025 while competing in an Asia‑to‑Europe open water race.
🇯🇵 A 45-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for assassinating former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 as he campaigned for re-election.
🇫🇷 France moved to increase revenue from tourism by raising adult ticket prices at Paris’s Louvre to $37 for international visitors—about 45% higher than what European visitors are charged.
🇮🇩 Prehistoric paintings created 67,800 years ago in Indonesia have been confirmed as the world’s oldest rock art.
🗓️ As Atlanta prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, join the World Affairs Council of Atlanta for an International Women’s Day celebration on March 6, featuring Georgia-native soccer icon Kelley O’Hara. This dynamic fireside chat with O’Hara will explore leadership, equity, and the global impact of women’s sports. Secure your seats today.
🎨 Join the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation for ARTBEAT, Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Byers Theatre! Celebrate student talent in the arts. Bring crayons or colored pencils to donate to local elementary schools! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Oscar season
If you’re anticipating this year’s Academy Awards ceremony on March 15, we’ve got some podcasts to help with this year’s nominations, including the record-breaking 16 nods for “Sinners.”
🎙️ The“Critical Darlings” podcast recaps the nominations, with extra thoughts on Brad Pitt’s “F1” getting a surprise best picture nod, plus snubs and favorites.
🎧 The InSession podcast has a special“Chasing the Gold” episode discussing the Oscar nomination surprises.
🎙️ NPR’s“Pop Culture Happy Hour” breaks down the nominations with heavy favorites, left-field surprises, and the dreaded snubs.
🎧“The Big Picture” shares insight on major takeaways, including “F1” sneaking into Best Picture and “Sinners” shattering the all-time nominations record.
🎨 Join the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation for ARTBEAT, Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Byers Theatre! Celebrate student talent in the arts. Bring crayons or colored pencils to donate to local elementary schools! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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