Morning, y’all! Temperatures should creep back in the low 80s today.
Gov. Brian Kemp suspended the gas tax, as Georgians struggle with Helene’s aftermath. Vice presidential candidates debated the state’s abortion law, as local clinics prepare for more procedures.
Per reports, rapper Rich Homie Quan died of an accidental overdose. And the chemical cloud may loom over Conyers for a few more days.
But let’s start with something a tad less intense.
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SEARCHING FOR A WAY
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
The Braves lost 4-0 last night, dropping their postseason debut against the San Diego Padres. A similar result tonight would send ‘em packing.
Already.
Generally speaking, moral victories are for suckers — but before anything else happens, it’s worth revisiting (and appreciating) how we got here.
Consider, if you will, a baseball team that loses its best young pitcher (Spencer Strider) a few days into the season. Then loses the reigning National League MVP (Ronald Acuña Jr.) several weeks later.
- Rough stuff already — but then a full two-thirds of the starting lineup (including stars like Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II and Austin Riley) misses significant time down the stretch.
The pitching, largely powered by a pair of reclamation projects and a rookie, helps carry them along. Literal castoffs from other teams help too, so much so that manager Brian Snitker jokes about “running out of rejects to play.”
Yet they somehow make it to the postseason. Wild, right?
- “You can’t just drag your blanket around and feel sorry for yourself, you gotta find a way to move on and get a win,” first baseman Matt Olson told the AJC.
Monday’s regular season finale was another example of finding a way.
Last night was a failed attempt.
Youngster AJ Smith-Shawver took the mound in place of ace Chris Sale (healthy all season, not healthy now, naturally). It didn’t go great, but the bullpen responded admirably.
- It was a flailing, 15-strikeout offense that doomed the Braves.
Could they be done after tonight’s Game 2? Possibly. Maybe even probably.
But Max Fried will take the mound, so don’t count ‘em out just yet. Crazier things have happened, all year long.
Follow @JustinCToscano, @GabeBurnsAJC and @MCunninghamAJC for the latest from San Diego. Sign up for the Braves Report newsletter, too.
And tune in to Game 2 at 8:38 p.m. on ESPN2!
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DISASTER ZONE
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
The public messaging surrounding the BioLab fire is all over the place. But at least 334 people have called Georgia Poison Control reporting related symptoms, as local families continued to fear the health impacts.
Rockdale County leaders said the issue may stick around through the end of the week — and urged residents to stay inside between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Lawsuits against BioLab and parent company KIK Consumer Products, meanwhile, are already mounting.
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DISASTER ZONE, PART II
The Biden administration’s Hurricane Helene disaster declaration, which allows for increased relief funds, now covers 41 Georgia counties. Gov. Kemp’s storm-inspired decision to suspend the gas tax should cut per-gallon prices by about 32 cents.
And Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit the Augusta area to survey damage today.
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CERTIFICATION REQUIRED
In court Tuesday, a Fulton County judge appeared unlikely to toss the State Election Board’s new rule requiring county officials to investigate election results. But he reiterated that state law mandates they certify such results within a week of Election Day.
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‘COMPLETE INDIFFERENCE’
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
The U.S. Department of Justice released the results of its three-year investigation into Georgia prisons, reporting widespread violence and “long-standing systemic violations stemming from complete indifference” to the safety of incarcerated people.
In response, a prisons spokesperson said the system “operates in a manner exceeding the requirements of the United States Constitution.”
- The findings mirror years of AJC reporting on corrupt and woefully understaffed facilities.
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A NEW ERA?
The city of Atlanta announced Tuesday that developers bought the historic Mall West End property. The plan? Turning it into a mixed income, mixed-use affordable housing hub.
- Mayor Andre Dickens called the $450 million redevelopment project “fulfilling a commitment to a community.”
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CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC
Down in Plains, festivities marking former President Jimmy Carter’s big birthday included an F-18 flyover, a concert (he called in!) and a naturalization ceremony for, you guessed it, 100 new U.S. citizens.
“For you, our newest American citizens, President Carter is our model of what it is to be a citizen,” the official conducting the ceremony said. “What it is to give back to your country. What it is to advocate for freedom. What it is to advocate for human rights, decency and democracy.”
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KNOW YOUR STUFF
With the election approaching, we asked readers like you to submit questions about hot button issues. And now we’re answering them.
- First up: Reporter Lautaro Grinspan explains the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Rhone: Americans ready to flee? We should be concerned.
» CNN starting a limited paywall on its website
» Gwinnett man wrongly convicted in infant son’s death, lawyer says
» Boil water advisory lifted in southern Fulton County
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ON THIS DATE
Oct. 2, 1982
While America (rightfully!) flipped out about tainted Tylenol and the Braves played (ahem) the Padres, Disney opened a new $1 billion theme park: Epcot.
Which apparently stands for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” and not just “the one where you can enjoy an adult beverage.”
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
AJC contributor Katelyn Myrick captured union dockworkers on strike Tuesday at the Georgia Ports Authority in Garden City. What does the strike mean for you? Savannah bureau chief Adam Van Brimmer (@VanBrimmerAJC) has the answers.
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ONE MORE THING
Phew. That was a lot of news, right?
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Thanks for reading to the very end of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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