Morning, y’all! Happy opening day to all who celebrate! The Braves start the 2025 MLB season with a West Coast trip and will face the San Diego Padres today at 4:10 p.m. Here’s their full schedule so you can plan any Truist Park trips. Don’t forget parking arrangements, too! I lose a few minutes of my life to stress whenever I see groups of people dashing across several lanes of traffic after a game like it’s Cobb Parkway Frogger.
Let’s get to it.
BIG LABOR TRAFFICKING BUST LEADS TO ARREST
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
A labor trafficking raid at Wellmade Industries in Cartersville has resulted in the arrest of the company’s owner and allegations of exploitation. It also scared Chinese workers at the factory, who thought it was an immigration raid.
- The raid involved special agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office.
- Agents executed federal search warrants at the Bartow County factory and some nearby residences.
- An ICE spokesperson said Wellmade, which specializes in flooring manufacturing, is facing “serious allegations of labor trafficking involving foreign nationals and financial crimes tied to the employer’s practices.
- Labor exploitation, especially of immigrants, is becoming more and more a visible problem. You may remember a story earlier this year of a group of trained engineers from Mexico who allege they were tricked into underpaid manual labor jobs at a building materials plant in Calhoun.
- Also earlier this year, a group of Chinese workers were awarded $580,000 after claiming more than a month had passed before they received pay for their work at a Savannah warehouse.
Nobody should be forced to do labor. The FBI is committed to doing what's right and to keeping people safe.
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DOLLAR STORE SHAKE-UP
Credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP
Credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP
Ten years ago, Dollar Tree acquired the Family Dollar chain with hopes of folding it into the brand. Now, it just off-loaded it to two private equity firms for a cool $1 billion — not that much, when you consider they initially paid $8 billion for the chain.
When it bought Family Dollar, Dollar Tree was confronted with supply chain issues and difficult store locations. Last year, it said it was closing 7,000 Family Dollar locations.
A market research expert told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that, in some neighborhoods, losing stores like Family Dollar limits access to affordable necessities.
💸 It’s been a tough era for dollar stores during a time when people need them more than ever. On one hand, as we all know, things at the dollar store definitely cost more than a dollar, and chains want to keep raising prices. But Americans have tightened their purse strings too, creating a spending stalemate.
TRUMP VOTING ORDER LOOKS FAMILIAR IN GA
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday attempting to overhaul national voting laws, and some of the changes mirror what’s already happening here in Georgia.
Proof of citizenship:
- The executive order requires documented proof of citizenship.
- Georgia law already requires this. Voters have to prove citizenship before submitting registration applications by furnishing a birth certificate, driver’s license number, U.S. Passport or other document.
QR codes and other technology:
- The executive order asks the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to issue guidelines that prevent ballots from using barcodes or QR codes.
- Georgia’s lawmakers already voted last year to remove QR codes from ballots by 2026. A new push in the state Legislature would bring back paper ballots.
Absentee ballots
- The executive order would require absentee ballots to be returned by Election Day.
- That’s already the case in Georgia, with exceptions for military and overseas voters.
Trump’s order also allows Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to review each state’s voter registration list, giving the agency subpoena power. The move has raised red flags with voting rights groups and legal scholars, especially since the U.S. Constitution gives most authority over elections to the states. The order will likely face court challenges before anything becomes concrete.
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🚪 The city of Atlanta is slowing hiring as officials face a looming deficit. Departments looking to fill vacant positions must now get special approval from Mayor Andre Dickens’ office.
🛐 Georgia Republicans have pushed through a controversial so-called “religious liberty” bill that would limit the government’s ability to pass or enforce laws that conflict with religious beliefs. Critics say it’s a thinly veiled way to allow discrimination against LGBTQ+ Georgians. The measure’s sponsors haven’t been able to cite a specific example where such a measure would be necessary.
🧬 Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is encouraging Georgia residents to delete any 23andMe data or accounts after the genetic research company filed for bankruptcy this week.
✍️ A Georgia House panel is considering a total abortion ban that would also allow prosecutors to charge women who receive the procedure with homicide. Dozens of reproductive rights advocates and medical experts showed up to give testimony against the ban yesterday.
📱 The White House is downplaying the Signal text scandal after The Atlantic published more details of a chat involving top officials discussing a military strike in Yemen. Intelligence officials are facing tough questions about the lapse on Capitol Hill.
FUN FACTS ABOUT BIOSOLIDS
Credit: Joshua A. Bickel/AP
Credit: Joshua A. Bickel/AP
On farms across the country, crops are often fertilized with biosolids — a very nice way of describing what is largely fermented, ground up human feces.
It’s great for the soil, advocates say. But since biosolids are processed from wastewater, they can also include harmful chemicals from, say, household cleaners, as well as other substances known as forever chemicals.
That can present some nasty risks for people who live around places where biosolids are used. A recent study released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests human health risks associated with toxic “forever chemicals” were elevated in some places where sludge was applied to farm fields.
💩 Read more about how biosolids are made here. It’s fascinating. NOT at breakfast, though.
NEWS BITES
Numbers to know about the 16 remaining teams in March Madness
The most important number: How many teams like that are still in it.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra releases its 2025-2026 season performances
Like a Coachella or Shaky Knees lineup, but for music nerds.
Masters betting odds: Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy lead the field
Just don’t cut your hand making ravioli again, Scottie.
Frito-Lay recalls Tostitos chips in 13 states because they may contain undeclared milk
“Undeclared Milk” would be a great name for a rock band.
ON THIS DATE
March 27, 1914
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
From the front page of the Atlanta Journal: Man Fined for Giving Cigarette and Match to Monkey in Zoo. ... Horace Melee, an Italian, was fined $5.75 by Recorder Broyles Friday for “teaching monkeys bad habits and giving tobacco to minors.”
At 3 years old the monkey was, indeed, not old enough to smoke.
ONE MORE THING
By the way, the Braves home opener at Truist Park isn’t until Friday, April 4. Or, as I like to call it, opening day: observed.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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