Sunny Saturday
March 21 — The Hawks came back to earth last night, losing to the Rockets 117-95 in Houston, ending an 11-game winning streak. Atlanta hosts the Warriors tonight at 8 p.m. at State Farm Arena (92.9 FM).
☀️ It’ll be sunny throughout the weekend, with highs in the low 80s today and tomorrow.
MARKET UPDATE
📉 Stocks continued to fall on Friday as oil prices topped $112 a barrel. The Dow shed 443.96 points, or 0.96%, ending at 45,577.47. The S&P 500 fell 1.51%, and the Nasdaq lost 2.01%. Year-to-date, the Dow is down almost 6%.
Locally, Delta Air Lines was down 2.42%, Home Depot was down 2.27%, Coca-Cola was down 1.06%, and Equifax was down 1.86%.
LOCAL NEWS
⛽ Gov. Brian Kemp suspended the state gasoline tax as prices continue to surge due to the war in Iran. He also signed a bill giving Georgians a one-time tax rebate ranging from $250 to $500.
➡ A Kingsland, GA woman faces murder charges after police say she took misoprostol to induce an abortion at 22-24 weeks, violating a state law that bans most abortions after six weeks.
⚖️ Georgia’s Court of Appeals overturned a trial court’s ruling ordering the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to seat two conservative election activists on the county election board.
💰Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory resigned on March 6 so she could run for chair of the Fulton County Commission.
👮 The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new drone program that’s meant to assist with security and counter contraband issues at the beleaguered Rice Street jail.
🗣️ The Atlanta Press Club will host a debate for Congressional District 14 special election runoff candidates Clay Fuller (R) and Shawn Harris (D) tomorrow at 3 p.m. on GPB.org and on YouTube.
🦅 Emory plays Christopher Newport University today at 5:30 in the NCAA D3 Final Four (ESPN+).
🏀 The higher seeds all won on Day 1 of the women’s NCAA tournament. No. 7 Georgia tips off against No. 10 Virginia today at 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2). No. 1 Florida’s 59-point rout of Prairie View A&M headlined Day 2 for the men. Only six perfect brackets remain for the men’s tournament. How’s yours doing?
ELSEWHERE
📻 CBS News laid off roughly 6% of its staff on Friday and announced that CBS News Radio, a nearly 100-year-old service that once carried Edward R. Murrow’s World War II dispatches, will close in May.
🇺🇸🇮🇱🇮🇷 Here are some updates on the war in Iran:
- President Donald Trump said the U.S. is considering “winding down” operations in Iran and won’t police the Strait of Hormuz, even as Pentagon officials were quietly making detailed plans for a possible ground troop deployment.
- Lebanon’s president proposed direct ceasefire talks with Israel as Israeli ground operations expanded, killing more than 1,000 and displacing over 1 million people.
- Follow live updates here.
🎗️ Chuck Norris, the actor and martial artist famous for movies like “Code of Silence” and “The Delta Force,” died at the age of 86.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ATLANTA BELTLINE
💪 Free Fitness is back on the Atlanta Beltline! Join us for fun, high-energy workouts offered seven days a week at no cost. Classes fill up quickly, so be sure to sign up early. Check out upcoming classes HERE.
🛼 Atlanta Streets Alive returns tomorrow from 2-6 p.m., inviting attendees to walk, bike, skate, dance, and scoot along a brand-new route down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from the Beltline to Broad Street.
🎭 Avondale Estates kicks off its free Shakespeare series, “A Shakespeare Happening,” today with “Much Ado About Nothing.” Festivities start at 2 p.m.
🎬 The Atlanta Documentary Film Festival started on March 19 and runs through Sunday at Synchronicity Theater.
🍻 The 15th annual Suwanee Beer Fest – Gwinnett’s largest St. Patrick’s Day party – is today from 1-5 p.m. at Town Center Park.
🥅 Atlanta United takes on D.C. United tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
➡ Here are some concerts to check out:
🖤 Obscura @ The Masquerade (today)
🎵 Jonathan Richman @ Terminal West (today)
🟢 Mike Gordon @ Variety Playhouse (today)
🌙 Level Up x Zingara @ The Eastern (today)
🪄 Coven @ Aisle 5 (today)
👪 Family Concert: Mo Willems’ “Because” @ Atlanta Symphony Hall (tomorrow)
🎻 Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Crescendo Concert @ Atlanta Symphony Hall (tomorrow)
🌆 Denitia @ Center Stage (tomorrow)
🔉 Iyla @ Aisle 5 (tomorrow)IT’S TIME TO PLAY THE QUIZ
🧠 Click here to play, and please let us know how you do by replying to this email or sharing on Instagram, Facebook, or Bluesky @RoughDraftATL.
Enjoy your Saturday!
Support Georgia grievers at our Mourning Glory Gala
SPONSORED BY KATE’S CLUB
💛 Did you know that one in 10 kids in Georgia will be bereaved by the age of 18? And that number doubles by the time someone turns 25.
When we lose someone, we all just want someone on our team. You can be on the same team as Georgia’s grievers by attending the 2026 Mourning Glory Gala, which benefits the kids, families and young adults of Kate’s Club.
💙 Saturday, May 9. The Stave Room. Will you be there? Get your tickets now!
Top stories of the week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Veteran Atlanta chef Todd Richards opens Southern barbecue restaurant and grill room in McDonough
② MARTA’s new fare payment system to go live March 28
③ Jamestown files rezoning application in hopes of attracting an NHL team to Alpharetta
④ Emory defeats Yeshiva 101-80, ending tournament run that united Jewish communities (pictured)
⑤ Atlanta City Council approves alcohol open container district for South Downtown
🏌🏼 Celebrate one of the world’s biggest golf events by letting The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee be your premier destination. Culinary experiences, championship golf courses, and a newly transformed spa welcome you back after a visit to Augusta National. Find your reason to linger longer. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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