Monday touchdown
Feb. 9 — In a game defined by defense, the Seahawks, coached by Centennial High School and UGA grad Mike Macdonald, beat the Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX last night. It’s Seattle’s second NFL title. Bad Bunny’s halftime performance featured surprise guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
☀️ Sunny with a high of 64° today.
⚖️ A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to produce the affidavit justifying the recent FBI seizure of Fulton County’s 2020 election ballots.
🚨 Two Atlanta police officers were injured Saturday during an incident where a gunman barricaded himself inside a Cheshire Bridge Road apartment building.
🔎 A 10-year-old boy is in stable condition after being wounded in what police are calling a “targeted shooting” in Southeast Atlanta yesterday morning.
🏈 Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. was arrested Saturday in Miami after an alleged domestic dispute with WNBA forward Rickea Jackson.
🚦Sandy Springs is launching its 2026 Transportation Master Plan process and inviting the community to give feedback later this month.
🚍 MARTA changed course and will allow Breeze Card balance transfers as it switches to a new payment system.
🩰 Dance company Moving in the Spirit took full ownership of its facility at the Candler Park MARTA station.
AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS
⛷️ Skier Breezy Johnson won Team USA’s first gold medal, but her race was overshadowed by teammate Lindsey Vonn’s crash, which resulted in her being airlifted from the mountain with a fractured leg.
⛸️ Ilia Malinin landed five quad jumps and his signature backflip to lead Team USA to the gold medal in the figure skating team event.
- Italy – 9
- Norway – 6
- Japan – 4
- Austria and Germany (tie) – 3
- U.S. – 2
ELSEWHERE
🗣️ President Donald Trump said, “I didn’t make a mistake,” as he refused to apologize for a racist social media post disparaging former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
🔎 Authorities say they have no suspects as the search for NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother entered its second week, with the family saying it would pay for her safe return.
📰 Washington Post publisher and CEO Will Lewis abruptly resigned days after the newspaper laid off one-third of its staff.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Spruill Studios opening
• Theatre Review: ‘Bleeding Hearts’
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
🚈 MARTA tap to pay! MARTA’s Breeze fare payment system is improving. Starting March 28, tap to pay with a bank card or digital wallet for faster, easier entry at new, more secure faregates. Discover a better way to pay. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Former Chamblee City Hall will become Spruill Studios in June
🎨 The Spruill Center for the Arts plans to open Spruill Studios, a new studio facility in the former Chamblee City Hall, to provide affordable creative space for artists in Metro Atlanta.
“With so much upheaval in funding and an increasingly challenging environment for artists, we’re fortunate to be able to offer this subsidized creative space, especially for artists in the North Metro area who hadn’t previously had an opportunity to participate in this type of local hub,” Spruill CEO Alan Mothner told Rough Draft.
According to a press release, renovations are set to begin in March and open in June. Spruill officials will start accepting applications from artists interested in studio spots on March 9.
➳ Read more in Cathy Cobbs’ report here.
Endless summer fun starts at MJCCA Day Camps
SPONSORED BY MARCUS JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF ATLANTA
☀️ At MJCCA Day Camps, campers make lifelong friendships, try new activities, and have the best summer ever!
The possibilities for an amazing summer are endless with theme, sports, performing arts, teen, and traditional camps for kids in rising Pre-K through 9th grade. Exciting outdoor adventures happen every day at Camp Isidore Alterman, MJCCA’s traditional camp.
In addition to daily swims in our gorgeous aquatic center, campers take aim on the archery range, climb to the top of the rock wall, fly on the exhilarating high-ropes course, and canoe on the lake or zip line across it. MJCCA Day Camps also offer a multi-week discount, before-camp and after-camp care, and bus transportation.
➞ Learn more and register at mjccadaycamps.org!
2. Theatre Review: ‘Bleeding Hearts’ will take you on a wild, funny ride
🎭 Our theatre critic, Manning Harris, says Steve Yockey’s new comedy looks at the dissolution of the middle class in America.
When a man brings home a catatonic grifter who sits holding a knife, he sets in motion a “bloody” and farcical chain of events involving his wife, brother-in-law, a thieving neighbor, and the spectre of financial trouble.
“Bleeding Hearts” is on stage through Feb. 22, so don’t miss the chance to grab a ticket.
➳ Read Manning’s full review here.
3. Nikkei soars to record; UK PM aide resigns
🇹🇭 Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai Party won a decisive election victory, securing roughly 192 seats and marking the first win this century for a party aligned with the royalist establishment.
🇯🇵 Japan’s Nikkei surged to a record high after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling coalition secured a decisive victory in snap elections, signaling continued monetary stimulus.
🇬🇧 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff resigned over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador despite his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
🇳🇴 Norway’s royal family is embroiled in scandal as Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologized for her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, while her son from a previous relationship faces trial for rape.
🇨🇳 Tibetans living across the globe have begun the first round of voting to choose the next leaders of their government‑in‑exile, the Central Tibetan Administration.
🇻🇪 Armed men seized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa hours after his release from eight months in jail.
🇧🇷 A quarter of Brazilian medical students – about 13,000 – failed to pass the exam that tests for the minimum required knowledge to practice.
🍫 As global cocoa prices tumble, Côte d’Ivoire – the world’s largest producer – is moving to shore up the market by launching a buy‑back program.
🇯🇵 The world’s first permanent amusement park devoted to Pokémon is now open on the outskirts of Tokyo.
🇮🇹 Rome instituted an additional two-euro fee for tourists who follow the tradition of tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain.
🗓️ Applications are now open for the World Affairs Council of Atlanta’s 2027 cohort of Global Leadership Fellows. This selective fellowship is for emerging leaders seeking a deeper understanding of global systems and how to lead within them. If this resonates with you — or with someone in your network — we encourage you to apply.
🚈 MARTA tap to pay! MARTA’s Breeze fare payment system is improving. Starting March 28, tap to pay with a bank card or digital wallet for faster, easier entry at new, more secure faregates. Discover a better way to pay. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Sundance wrap-up
VIA SCENE, A WEEKLY FILM & TELEVISION NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE
Scene newsletter curator Sammie Purcell and contributor Jim Farmer wrap up their coverage of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival as it prepares to depart from Park City, UT to Boulder, CO next year.
📺 Sammie watched as many movies as possible over five days via virtual media screenings. She’s compileda list of her five favorites, including the 90s music documentary “The Best Summer.”
🎞️ Rough Draft contributor Jim Farmer was also watching from Atlanta and has his list ofthe best LGBTQ+ films from Sundance, including Gregg Araki’s comeback “I Want Your Sex.”
🎙️ Is Dumpuary dead? Maybe not, but January certainly provided a better slate than usual, with movies like “Send Help” and “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.” On a recent episode of “The Big Picture,” hosts Amanda and Sean talk about their favorite movies from January, including a stop at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
🚈 MARTA tap to pay! MARTA’s Breeze fare payment system is improving. Starting March 28, tap to pay with a bank card or digital wallet for faster, easier entry at new, more secure faregates. Discover a better way to pay.
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