Groundhog Day
Feb. 2 — A week before his Super Bowl halftime show performance, Bad Bunny won Album of the Year at last night’s Grammy Awards, becoming the first Latin artist to do so. Kendrick Lamar also made history with five wins, including Record of the Year. Billie Eilish took home Song of the Year for “WILDFLOWER.” See the full list of winners here.
☀️ After another frigid morning, it will be a relatively balmy 47° and sunny today. Find out what Punxsutawney Phil says about the rest of winter here.
🚒 A fire at Dunwoody Village Apartments destroyed one building and displaced dozens of residents on Saturday night.
💧 The Fulton County Jail is mopping up after a failed pipe coupling sent 70,000 gallons of water into the facility on Saturday afternoon.
🗳️ Ballots are set for two Georgia special House elections, and candidates are still qualifying for a third Senate race ahead of the March 10 contests.
🚔 A suspect is now in custody after two Gwinnett County police officers were shot yesterday, killing one and leaving the other wounded during a fraud investigation in Stone Mountain.
🚨 As a part of its efforts to curb human trafficking, Sandy Springs police arrested eight men last week for soliciting prostitution.
📹 Teen rapper Aspen Easterling was arrested for alleged animal cruelty after videos circulated showing her abusing a puppy.🎭 The Regions Bank Broadway in Atlanta series announced its 2026–27 season at the Fox Theatre, including “Hamilton,” “Buena Vista Social Club,” and “Death Becomes Her.”
ELSEWHERE
🎒 Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were released from a Texas ICE detention center and returned home to Minneapolis following a judge’s sharply worded order.
🗳️ Democrats flipped a deep red Texas State Senate seat near Fort Worth and won a U.S. House seat in Houston in a special election on Saturday.
🏛️ The partial government shutdown may stretch into Tuesday after the House delayed a vote on a $1.2 trillion funding package.
⚡️ Almost 30,000 people remain without power in Nashville.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Dirty Water Bill
• ‘Journey of a Black Girl’
• Global Headlines
AND
• Black History Month @ 100
🏡 Located within the gated Hawks Ridge golf community, this nearly new custom estate sits on 2.5± acres and offers refined craftsmanship, soaring ceilings, a chef’s kitchen, resort-style outdoor amenities, and a finished terrace level. Offered at $4.95 million, the home is listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Legislative Notebook: Developers love that dirty water
ABOVE THE WATERLINE | SALLY BETHEA
🚰 Last spring, at the end of the legislative session, a bill was filed on behalf of various real estate interests, purporting to address housing affordability.
Currently under consideration during the 2026 session, HB 812 (Dirty Water Bill) would change (read: weaken) how cities and counties regulate land disturbance permits. The result would be relaxed erosion control that would pollute our waterways under the guise of affordability.
➳ Read Sally’s full column here.
Party like it’s 1985 at our 40th Artistic Affair!
SPONSORED BY SPRUILL CENTER FOR THE ARTS
✨ Dust off your cassettes and tease your hair, we’re having a FUNdraiser – so be there or be square!
Join us on March 28 as Spruill Center for the Arts kicks off the 40th year of Artistic Affair! Get ready for full-on 1980s fun, complete with an open bar, arcade games, costume contests, a live auction, and more.
🎟️ Tickets are on sale now – get yours today for an early bird discount (good for purchase through Feb. 15).
2. ‘Journey of a Black Girl’ opens at CBROOKS Gallery
VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY VISUAL ARTS NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE
🎨 For Courtney Brooks, “Journey of a Black Girl” was never just an exhibition. It was an idea shaped by public art ambitions, pandemic pivots, and professional growth.
On view now through March 27 at CBROOKS Gallery inside The Upton, the show may be Brooks’s most complete expression yet as both artist and curator.
“This has been six years in the making,” Brooks said during a preview walkthrough of the show hours before opening night. “I’ve always wanted to do a physical art exhibition on this theme, but there was never a space that aligned with it.”
➳ Read Sherri Daye Scott’s full story here.
3. Rafa border opens; Winter Olympics start Friday
🇵🇰 Pakistan’s military responded with deadly force to an unprecedented string of coordinated violent attacks by insurgents in Balochistan.
🇨🇳 China executed 11 people, whom it claims were the ringleaders of a multi-billion-dollar online fraud and gambling syndicate out of Myanmar.
🇬🇱 France is set to open a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, this week.
🇪🇬 As part of the second phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Gaza’s long-closed border crossing with Egypt is reopening, allowing humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians.
🇮🇱 Israel marked the return of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza by stopping the downtown Tel Aviv clock that had been counting the days of captivity.
🇺🇦🇷🇺 As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, Abu Dhabi will host another round of U.S.-brokered peace talks.
🇦🇺 For the second straight year, Australia’s “Bluey” was the most-streamed show in the U.S. Americans watched 45.2 billion minutes (about 86,000 years) in 2025.
🇮🇹 The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games begin Fri., Feb. 6 with an opening ceremony featuring Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey.
🇦🇺 Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, becoming the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam. Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina won the women’s title.
🗓️ This year, celebrate International Women’s Day with Georgia native and soccer icon, Kelley O’Hara – a two-time World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, television commentator, and podcast host. O’Hara joins the World Affairs Council of Atlanta on March 6 for a breakfast program dedicated to amplifying women’s achievement and leadership. Reserve your seat or table 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. Black History Month @ 100
The annual observance of Black History Month in February celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and we’ve rounded up some reads and listens to mark the occasion.
🎧 Explore theBlackHistory100.orgwebsite for a deep dive into the origins of the observance, recommended reading, history lessons, and much more.
🎙️NPR’s “Code Switch” podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor, exploring how race affects every part of society – from politics and pop culture to history and food.
🎙️“Sista Brunch,” hosted by director Anya Adams and playwright Fanshen Cox, shares first-person stories of Black women across media and entertainment.
🎧The “Black Lit Network” podcastfocuses on contemporary and classic authors, including Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, and Toni Cade Bambara.
🏡 Located within the gated Hawks Ridge golf community, this nearly new custom estate sits on 2.5± acres and offers refined craftsmanship, soaring ceilings, a chef’s kitchen, resort-style outdoor amenities, and a finished terrace level. Offered at $4.95 million, the home is listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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