Up, up & away
Tuesday, April 13 — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained its title as the world’s busiest airport for passenger traffic in 2025, handling 106.3 million passengers, ahead of Dubai, Tokyo Haneda, and Dallas Fort Worth. Chicago O’Hare and Denver International were also in the top 10.
🌞 Sunny and 88º today.
🗣️ Vice President JD Vance and Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk will visit the University of Georgia in Athens today as part of a nationwide tour.
🚨 The Atlanta Police Department made arrests in two unrelated fatal shootings that took the lives of a three-year-old and a 12-year-old.
👮 Brookhaven Police arrested a suspect in connection with an early-morning shooting at the Cherokee Plaza Kroger, the second shooting at that location in less than a month.
🗳️ LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Georgia Equality endorsed Democrat Jason Esteves for governor.
🏀 The Atlanta Dream selected center Madina Okot from South Carolina with the 13th pick in last night’s WNBA Draft.
✡️ Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, began at sundown last night, honoring the six million Jews and millions of others killed by Nazi Germany.
ELSEWHERE
🇮🇱🇺🇸🇮🇷 Here are some updates from the war in Iran:
- All three major stock indexes rose yesterday, with the S&P 500 closing up 1.02%, recovering all losses since the start of the war.
- Hezbollah’s leader urged Lebanon’s government to cancel direct talks with Israel set for today in Washington.
- The U.S. began enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
- Follow live updates here.
🔔 Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) both announced plans to leave Congress, Swalwell amid sexual assault allegations and Gonzales following reports of an affair with a staffer.
⚖️ A judge dismissed President Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal.
🏳️🌈 A federal court ordered the Pride flag permanently restored at New York’s Stonewall National Monument.
📱 President Trump removed a social media image depicting him as a Christ-like figure, saying, “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor.”
🎸 The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2026 class, led by Phil Collins, Oasis, Billy Idol, Wu-Tang Clan, Luther Vandross, Sade, Joy Division/New Order, and Iron Maiden.
🎗️ Sid Krofft, co-creator of “Land of the Lost,” “H.R. Pufnstuf,” and a short-lived indoor amusement park in Atlanta, has died at 96.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Author Pamela Norsworthy
• TrustDALE
• Food pantry woes
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
📍 More walkable. More to do. More coming. Find out what’s next for Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Brookhaven on Tues., May 5 at Envision Perimeter, the only event that brings it all into focus. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Take 5 with author Pamela Norsworthy on her new book ‘The Florentine Entanglement’
🛩️ Sandy Springs author Pamela Norsworthy’s first historical fiction novel, “War Bonds,” earned her a Georgia Author of the Year Award nomination for its saga of a British nurse and her complicated relationship with an American pilot.
Her latest book, “The Florentine Entanglement,” weaves the gripping story of a teetering marriage into the infamous failure of the U-2 spy plane mission over Russia that redefined the stakes of the Cold War.
For her Take 5 column, Teri Elam asked Norsworthy about her inspiration for the novels and her writing process.
🔎 Check out their conversation here.
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2. Thinking about a new fence? Start this spring
TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE
🧰 Winter doesn’t usually leave a fence untouched. Even when the damage looks minor at first glance, months of cold, moisture, wind, and shifting ground can loosen boards, tilt posts, and shorten the life of the entire structure.
By the time spring arrives, what seemed like a small issue can start looking a lot more serious. TrustDALE helps you learn why spring is the right time to inspect your fence, how to handle repairs, and how to move forward with a new installation.
🪵Learn more from the experts here.
3. Neighborhood pantries are slowing down food distributions as demand outpaces supply
🥦 Georgia’s major food banks say they’re being stretched thin by demand that is outpacing supply.
That’s trickling down to the local food pantries – run out of churches and community centers – that can be lifelines for people experiencing food insecurity.
Counties below Georgia’s fall line have levels of food insecurity above national averages. Now, for area food banks, it’s about being cautious with supplies to make sure everyone who needs help can get it.
➡Read more in this story from GPB.
🌳 Announcing the Trees Atlanta 2026 Tree Champions. Connecting people to trees: Kevin Burke, Maxine Watkins, Piedmont Park Conservancy, Norfolk Southern, & Peoplestown. Celebrate at Root Ball on Thurs., May 14. Get your tickets today. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🥫 Power Atlanta Inc. is looking for volunteers to help in their food pantry on Thursday afternoon in Atlanta. Expect to manage inventory, assist with distribution, and engage with the community.
🪴 The City of Atlanta Department of City Planning, Office of Housing and Community Development, and AgLanta are seeking volunteers for a workday at the Whitehall Terrace Community Garden (pictured) on Saturday morning in Atlanta. Volunteers will plant, water, harvest, and weed.
🗑️ Park Pride needs volunteers on Saturday morning in Atlanta to restore Herbert Greene Nature Preserve. Plan to clean up litter and work on other beautification projects.
🏎️ Join the Sandy Springs Police Foundation on Sun., April 19 for the Sandy Springs Invitational Car Show! See a stunning collection of over 100 unique cars, from classic beauties to exotic wonders, all while supporting a great cause. Get tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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