A.M. ATL: Potential Peach State appointments
Morning, y’all! No more rain in the forecast today, with high temperatures in the mid-70s.
News wise, we’ve got the latest on potential pay raises for Atlanta’s City Council and mayor, a sad update on a missing Marietta woman and new details about a foliage-draped development pitched for West Midtown. Plus the results from yesterday’s poll on self-driving rideshares!
But first: Which Georgia movers and shakers might find their way into the second Trump administration?
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THE BEST PEOPLE
It’s been a week since Donald Trump became president-elect, and he’s already tapped a new chief of staff, a “border czar” and more.
- We here at A.M. ATL, however, strive to be a Georgia-centric production — and figured you’d want to know which Peach State politicos could ultimately join the second Trump administration.
Good thing we’ve got reporters Tia Mitchell and Greg Bluestein on our side! Lots more details and insight in their full story, but here’s a quick rundown of the possibilities.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: If there’s one true manifestation of MAGA in Georgia, it’s the congresswoman from Rome. She’s previously suggested she’d love to serve as Trump’s secretary of homeland security.
Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler: Already set to serve as cochair of Trump’s inaugural committee, Loeffler’s also very wealthy … which has its way of producing coveted ambassadorships.
Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon: The former state senator (credited, among other things, with smoothing things over between Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp) may be in line for a high-profile gig at the Republican National Committee.
State Sen. Brandon Beach: A fixture at Trump campaign rallies, the Alpharetta Republican is “not seen as a pick for the Cabinet or another high-level position.” But he could emerge at a federal agency.
Nick Ayers: Might the former aide to Vice President Mike Pence ditch his conservative diaper company (really!) for a return to the White House?
Tia and Greg promise they’ll update their list of potential appointments as things progress, so stay tuned to AJC.com and Politically Georgia. And find more politics coverage below!
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NOT DONE YET
The “big” election may be over, but Atlanta residents still have something to vote for: a citywide council seat. Former educator and business owner Nicole Evans Jones and school board member Eshé Collins square off in the Dec. 3 runoff.
- Whoever wins could join the rest of the City Council in getting a $49,000 pay bump. And the mayor might get an even bigger raise!
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TRAGIC DISCOVERY
Police found 89-year-old Patricia Miele dead in a Marietta lake Monday. Her disappearance from a nearby memory care facility had triggered days of community-wide searches.
“In Mrs. Miele, we saw our own mothers and grandmothers and we wanted nothing more than to find her safely and return her to you,” Marietta police Chief David Beam said.
“While that wasn’t the outcome, know that our efforts were genuine, thorough and led by a servant’s heart.”
- Police charge 2 more in Newnan 14-year-old’s shooting death
- Driver dead after rear-ending MARTA bus in Atlanta, police say
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GROWING GREEN
The Star Metals District on Atlanta’s Westside may be growing again — this time with a proposal that includes buildings covered by plants and what would be the area’s tallest tower.
In all, we’re talking about 800 residential units, 200 hotel rooms and 100,000 square feet of retail.
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THE QUARRY QUERY
Meanwhile, in Bartow County: Conservation efforts continue for the 14,000-acre property formerly known as the Pine Log Wildlife Management Area.
- But a new proposal would also bring a granite quarry to the area — and mark the first step in developing portions of the land once open to hunters, hikers and nature enthusiasts.
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LUSTY LINKS
Couldn’t resist this national tidbit: Toymaker Mattel apologized after the packaging for a line of dolls promoting the forthcoming “Wicked” movie included a hyperlink … to an adult website.
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FAILURE AND FALLOUT
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said he’s “absolutely not” considering benching quarterback Carson Beck — and deemed safety Jake Pope “an idiot” for seemingly celebrating with family friends wearing Ole Miss jerseys following Saturday’s loss in Oxford.
Oh, the SEC also fined Ole Miss $350,000 for its fans storming the field. UGA gets the cash.
- Braves: Pitcher Chris Sale is officially a Cy Young finalist. He’s expected to win the award next week.
- Jackets: Take a look at where Tech football might land, bowl-wise.
- United: How are the Five Stripes pulling off their unlikely run into and through the MLS playoffs? Good old-fashioned Ted Lasso-style optimism.
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‘CALL ME TED’
A new six-part docuseries on the life of Ted Turner (CNN founder, environmentalist and Atlanta sports team owner) drops tomorrow on Max.
The AJC’s Rodney Ho shares the skinny on “Call Me Ted” and the inspiration for highlighting his often outlandish life.
- “His life is one big drama — cliff-hangers, life and death situations, poignant heartbreak,” one of the series’ producers told him.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Berry College selects new president
» Vietnamese-American veterans honored in Norcross
» Georgia high court rules DAs must comply with Open Records Act
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ON THIS DATE
Nov. 12, 1954
Grady High School (now Midtown High) beat O’Keefe High School (now a building Georgia Tech uses for other purposes) on the gridiron. Then a “free-for-all fight involving spectators and girl students as well as boys” erupted.
Police said at least 500(!) people got involved. One had a railroad spike. Another wielded a box filled with cement. Someone hit a Grady player over the head with a chair!
Check out this year’s high school football playoff brackets here!
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC contributor Robb Cohen captured Cyndi Lauper and special guest Chaka Khan during Lauper’s recent farewell tour stop at State Farm Arena.
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