A.M. ATL: 🤨 Avoiding ‘useless fights’

Morning, y’all! Temperatures are in the mid-40s this morning but should warm up to the low 60s.

News wise, we’ve got the Gridlock Guy’s take on parking enforcement and drunk driving, the skinny on high school football title games and an interview with Kerry Washington.

But first: local leaders brace for another Trump presidency.

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PLAYING NICE

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Democrats lead all of the key local governments at metro Atlanta’s core.

And while governing with members of the opposite party in higher office isn’t exactly new (see: the General Assembly and the governor’s office), the imminent arrival of a Trump administration has lots of folks girding for a grind.

These quotes, reported by my colleague Riley Bunch, sum things up pretty well:

President-elect Donald Trump’s first term brought plenty of sparring with more liberal local leaders, particularly over COVID-19 policies and immigration enforcement.

You can expect lots of the latter this time around, particularly with Trump proposing widespread deportations. Metro Atlanta’s a cradle for international communities, from Buford Highway and Clarkston to Gwinnett County — where about one-fourth of the population is foreign-born.

Then there’s the money.

Under President Joe Biden, the federal funding spigot became an easy one for local folks to tap. They got millions for vital water and sewer infrastructure projects, plus things like Beltline expansion and the Connector-capping Stitch development.

Some of that’s thanks to the influence of Georgia’s Democratic senators, but the White House wields plenty of influence, too.

We’ll see how that plays out with Trump 2.0.

Check out the full story for former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ thoughts on clashing with Trump the first time around. And keep scrolling for more news.

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THE WEEK AHEAD

Credit: Abbie Parr/AP

Credit: Abbie Parr/AP

🏈 Today: The Falcons take on the Raiders, former teammate Desmond Ridder and ex-UGA star Brock Bowers in Las Vegas (8:30 p.m. on ESPN). Can they snap that four-game losing streak?

🎶 Tuesday: “A John Legend Christmas” comes to the Fox Theatre.

🎄 Wednesday: One week ‘til Christmas (and the start of Hanukkah, too)! Celebrate with the Fox Theatre’s “Merry Mighty Mo and More,” a free annual event with Santa, sing-alongs and a screening of “Elf.”

🎤 Thursday: 96.1 the Beat’s annual Jingle Ball comes to State Farm Arena with T.I. Sexyy Red, T-Pain and Saweetie in tow.

🍎 Friday: The last day of the semester for most metro Atlanta school districts. Also the final day for Georgians to sign up for health insurance through the state’s Affordable Care Act website.

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NEW MATH

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Fresh analysis by the AJC found that about 340,000 Georgia students are likely eligible for a new state voucher program that helps pay for private school tuition if they leave a low-performing school.

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NEAR ESCAPE

Authorities say the suspect in Saturday’s fatal shooting at Fort Eisenhower in Augusta nearly made it across the state before being arrested.

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IMPAIRED JUDGMENT

Drunk driving is bad. And AJC “Gridlock Guy” Doug Turnbull wonders if some Atlanta-area parking enforcement — and the threat of a ticket — are helping tipsy motorists make bad decisions.

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TIME FOR A CHANGE

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

MARTA unveiled proposed changes to its bus operations. They include more frequent and consistent service but no “peak hour” changes, plus on-demand microtransit offerings.

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BALLIN’ AT THE BENZ

Today (yes, a Monday!) marks the start of state high school football championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Bowdon vs. Brooks County (Class A-Division II) kicks off at 4 p.m., followed by Marist vs. North Oconee (Class 4A) at 7 p.m. Games run through Wednesday so check out the full schedule.

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COMING TO NETFLIX

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

The AJC spoke with actress Kerry Washington about starring in the new Tyler Perry film “The Six Triple Eight,” which tackles the only Black female World War II battalion. It drops on Netflix on Dec. 20.

“Twice as good with half as much,” Washington said of the battalion. “They exceeded all expectations.”

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MERRIER MEALS?

Thinking about ditchin’ the kitchen and eating out on Christmas Day? Waffle House is always a lovely option — as are these other metro Atlanta eateries that plan to be open for the holiday.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

» DeKalb audit finds 38% of recycling materials contaminated

» 78-year-old woman killed in large northwest Atlanta house fire

» ’We are a bargain:’ Fulton’s chief magistrate judge pleads for more funding

» Koreans in metro Atlanta hail impeachment of South Korean president

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ON THIS DATE

Dec. 16, 1939

The Atlanta Journal offered breathless coverage of the “Gone With the Wind” movie premiere at Loew’s Grand Theatre downtown: “No one in Atlanta will or can forget it.”

The photo at the bottom of the page shows author Margaret Mitchell (center) with film stars Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.

Credit: File photo

Credit: File photo

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

AJC photographer Hyosub Shin caught members of Jackson State University’s “Sonic Boom of the South” performing during halftime of the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Their school topped South Carolina State for the HBCU national title..

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ONE MORE THING

Something all government leaders, local or otherwise, should agree on: Mayor Andre Dickens’ holiday playlist is pretty solid.

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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.