Morning, y’all! Happy Valentine’s Day. You deserve to be loved and treated well and told how awesome you are. If someone’s not around to do all of that, do it for yourself! You’re stuck with you for the rest of your life, after all. Might as well get cozy. (If all else fails, I think you’re awesome. How do I know? Because you’re reading this, obviously.)
... BUT I WON’T GO OTP
Credit: Christina Matacotta/AJC
Credit: Christina Matacotta/AJC
I have a single friend in town who lets me look over her shoulder as she goes through matches on Hinge. It’s unreasonably enjoyable, from the safe cocoon of marriage, to see the wild things people say on dating apps. However, there’s one universal, hard-stop dealbreaker: Distance.
Imagine, if you will: A perfectly fine guy, good credentials, not too young, actually smiling in his photos (this is important, men!) and then …
“Oh … Lawrenceville.”
Is it really worth it? If you’re in Lawrenceville, sure. She is not in Lawrenceville so, alas.
The AJC’s Taylor Croft explored our regional stubbornness to go the distance for love. From the bare data, we’re actually pretty forgiving:
🔥 42 miles: That’s how far, on average, metro area Tinder users will restrict their matches.
🐝 34 miles: That’s how far, on average, metro area Tinder users will restrict their matches in New York City, Miami and Chicago, a spokesperson said.
But then, you take into account things like rush hour traffic and less-than-ideal public transit options and you start to really feel every mile. The AJC talked to several area singles who said they’ve called off a connection because of the time it takes to actually, you know, connect.
What can you do? Some Atlanta-area groups are offering alternatives to the ol’ swipe and commute. Yes, in-person dating, what a concept!
Abby Larner, a co-founder of Green Flag Date, a service that hosts group activities in the city for people who want to meet others with similar interests, says connecting first makes the rest a little easier to bear.
“You get to know somebody, and then if you really like them, the distance matters less,” she said.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
MARTA COULD LOSE MILLIONS
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
MARTA is in danger of losing up to $280 million in federal grants if President Donald Trump’s administration continues with their large-scale grant-busting plan. A lot of that is on hold right now – Trump has rescinded some executive orders and the issues are still being litigated in court. But it’s putting MARTA in a tough spot when it comes to planning and funding projects.
Federal grants are helping pay for MARTA projects like:
- Transit centers in Clayton and DeKalb counties
- Renovations at Five Points and Buckhead stations
- Summerhill, Southlake and Campbellton rapid bus routes
- Train control system upgrades
Now, MARTA officials are trying to decide where money could be made up if the administration’s cuts do go into effect. Another option is to better align projects with the administration’s priorities in the hopes funding won’t get yanked.
So far, federal agencies have been told to remove focus on racial equity, climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion in favor of economic development, family and community benefits and cost/benefit analyses.
LATEST FROM LAKE OCONEE
The search is still on for Gary Jones, a track and field coach at the Westminster Schools and the brother of former University of Georgia and NFL star Sean Jones who went missing on Lake Oconee over the weekend.
Joycelyn Nicole Wilson, a Spelman mathematics professor, was found dead near a boat the two had reportedly been aboard.
- A pair of shoes belonging to Jones have been found in the water near where Wilson’s body was recovered.
- Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills told the AJC “this is no longer a simple drowning. This is a death investigation,” and declined to elaborate.
- Sills also told the AJC’s Joe Kovac “the complexion of the case has changed somewhat,” and that there were “many other factors at work that I can’t really elaborate on at this time.”
🔎 Here’s a timeline of events in this tragic and complex case.
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🏥 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed yesterday as Trump’s secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. The position puts him in charge of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, as well as vaccine recommendations and health insurance coverage for nearly half the country.
🖊️ Republican state lawmakers are pushing measures to punish local governments that try to protect immigrants with “sanctuary” policies. If passed, some areas could lose their right to “sovereign immunity.”
“Sovereign immunity” means governments can’t be sued for civil infractions committed by employees against its consent.
The thing is, local governments already are prohibited from enacting “sanctuary” policies. State Republicans say previous rules didn’t go far enough.
🚪 South Fulton’s City Council has temporarily barred Mayor khalid kamau from all city buildings and blocked him from the mayoral budget. The council claims kamau (he doesn’t capitalize his names) made unauthorized use of city resources and displayed “conduct unbecoming of a public official.” There’s apparently a pool table and expensive video equipment involved.
🐋 The Georgia Aquarium has named a new CEO. Travis Burke served as interim CEO after the death of former CEO Dr. Brian Davis, a personal and professional friend. Now he’ll take the role full-time.
“His extensive expertise and passion for marine life and education make him the ideal leader to guide Georgia Aquarium into its next chapter,” the aquarium’s board said in a press release.
NEWS BITES
Why people are naming bugs, rats and cats after their exes this Valentine’s Day
Watching an owl eat a rat named after a bad ex must be so therapeutic.
Joann moves to close 500 stores across the US amid bankruptcy
If the Joann up in Kennesaw closes, it will be a sad day indeed.
10 questions facing the Falcons this offseason
No, Kirk Cousins can’t be all of them.
Beltline raises nearly $2 million for park next to Westside Trail
🌳 🙌 🌳 🙌 🌳 🙌 🌳
ON THIS DATE
February 14, 1917
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
From the front page of the Atlanta Constitution: Mrs. Martha Atalanta Wilson Lumpkin-Compton, for whom the city of Atlanta was twice named, passed into the eternal sleep tonight.
This is one of those fun pieces of Atlanta lore. Mrs. Martha Atalanta Wilson Lumpkin-Compton (a name!) was the daughter of Georgia Governor Wilson Lumpkin, who served from 1831 to 1835. Around that time, Atlanta wasn’t called Atlanta; it was called Terminus. Then in 1842, the name was changed to Marthasville in honor of Lumpkin’s daughter. When the name was later changed to Atlanta, some people said it was because of her middle name, Atalanta, inspired by the heroine of Greek myth. However, it was more likely because of the Western and Atlantic Railroad, which had a major presence in the city.
ONE MORE THING
What are we all doing this weekend? I’m looking forward to catching the iconic, the peerless, the simply splendid Morehouse College Glee Club in concert this Sunday. If you’re doing something cool, let me know!
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at amatl@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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