A.M. ATL: He’s not running

Morning, y’all! FYI for commuters and people who are nosy about filming schedules: “Cape Fear,” a new Apple TV+ limited series, is shooting in Midtown this week near the High Museum of Art. That’s also very close to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution headquarters. Hope they get our good side.

Let’s get to it.

KEMP WON‘T RUN FOR SENATE

Credit: Samuel Corum/AFP

Credit: Samuel Corum/AFP

Gov. Brian Kemp announced he will not run for U.S. Senate after his governorship is up in 2026, putting a huge twist in fellow Republicans’ plans to mount a strong challenge to U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat. What happens next, and why is it so important?

🗳️ Kemp was the GOP’s best bet to unseat a GA Dem: Kemp is one of the most popular Republican governors in the country, and a recent AJC poll predicted a close race if he were to run against Ossoff in 2026. A victory would have secured an all-important extra vote for Senate Republicans.

🗳️ The race is on for the GOP: Now that Kemp isn‘t running, expect a rush of possible Republican Senate candidates in the next few weeks. Some options include U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

🗳️ A reminder about Senate seats: Senators serve six-year terms in three “classes,” or waves, which is why only some Senate seats are up for grabs every two years. (Retirements or departures also require special elections, complicating the timeline.) So Ossoff’s seat is up for reelection in 2026, but not fellow Sen. Raphael Warnock‘s, who will face reelection in 2028.

🗳️ What Kemp will do next: Some politics insiders think Kemp may be preparing for a presidential run in 2028. It’s an interesting notion. Kemp is very popular among his party, but his relationship with President Donald Trump has frayed at times. At this point, it’s hard to imagine a Republican successor who didn‘t have Trump’s unequivocal endorsement.

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IF A KID HITS A TEACHER, PARENTS COULD PAY

Credit: Cassidy Alexander/AJC

A Georgia teachers union is fighting back against what it says is a growing issue of assaults against educators.

Under the Georgia Parent Accountability Act put forth by the Georgia Federation of Teachers, parents could face fines, community service or even jail time if their child commits violence against a teacher.

Violence against teachers rose sharply during the 2023-2024 school year. State data shows 755 reported instances of Georgia public school students being disciplined for acting violently toward a teacher. During the 2019-2020 school year, there were 390 reported incidents.
It’s not just punishment, though. The plan they put forth to lawmakers also includes mental health screening, de-escalation classes, mentorship opportunities and other options to help keep the peace.

A SAVANNAISSANCE

River Street, Savannah’s prime waterfront tourist area, will get a $60 million facelift over the next five years. The city plans to spend big to improve the streetscape, remake parks and green spaces and add new amenities to public spaces.

The efforts builds on a multimillion-dollar initiative from the 1970s known as the Riverfront Urban Renewal Project. Now, the city’s leaders want to level up the area again so it better resembles tony European riverside cities like Copenhagen.

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

⚕️ Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration‘s cuts to U.S. Health and Human Services. They said the cuts have destroyed lifesaving programs and are already causing health crises that will tax state budgets.

🎤 President Donald Trump says he’ll pay immigrants living in the U.S. illegally $1,000 to self-deport. He also wrote in a weekend social media post that he wants the U.S. to reopen and expand the island prison of Alcatraz.

WEIRD TIMES IN HOLLYWOOD

Credit: Kent Johnson/AJC

President Donald Trump unleashed a lengthy screed about the U.S. film industry over the weekend and said he would institute a 100% tariff on foreign-made films. It’s not clear how such a tariff would work. The White House walked back some of his statement.

Meanwhile, Hollywood has seemingly stayed silent on Georgia’s controversial “religious liberty” bill that was signed into law last month.

This is notable because when then-Gov. Nathan Deal tried to pass a similar bill in 2016, major entertainment companies threatened to pull projects out of Georgia, and Deal vetoed the measure. Why the change? It’s money, baby.

In 2016, TV production was much more robust. Studios had bigger budgets, and the industry was flush with new projects. Influential companies could afford to be choosy about where they took their business.
Fast forward almost a decade, and things have changed. Studios are hamstrung, several writers strikes stalled production and companies are probably more reliant on Georgia’s generous film tax breaks.

NEWS BITES

Photos from last night’s Met Gala, themed to Black Dandyism

Observe the most beautiful, best-dressed people you’ve ever seen from the comfort of your couch and yesterday’s t-shirt.

Gang of goats returned to home after 14-mile wander through North Georgia

They knew exactly what they were doing. Goats always know.

David Harbour lookalikes (he’s the guy from ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Thunderbolts’) competed in Cabbagetown Park

Mustaches and tight Hawaiian-style shirts everywhere!

A New York zoo is hand feeding a baby vulture with a realistic bird puppet to ensure its survival

Sometimes humans are really cool.

ON THIS DATE

May 6, 1936

Credit: File photo

From the front page of the Atlanta Journal: Huge Nazi Zep is Poised for U.S. Hop. The GRAF Hindenburg, largest zeppelin ever constructed ... ready to take off on schedule on her inaugural flight over the North Atlantic to the United States.

It’s so weird looking back at stories you know are going to end in disaster. In this case, the Hindenburg floated back and forth across the Atlantic several more times between May 6, 1936, and this exact date a year later, when it famously exploded in a ball of fire over New Jersey.

ONE MORE THING

Am I the only one who has no use for AI chatbots? They’re computers and codes and data. We’re living, breathing human beings who age and die and suffer and feel joy and make fart jokes from time to time. The chatbots may try, but they could never speak our holy tongue. After all, do they fart? No. The wonders of our physical existence are beyond their ken.

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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