A.M. ATL: Will he or won’t he?

Morning, y’all! It’s farmers market season, the only time of year you can say something like, “I need to get more bones from my bone guy,” without sounding totally creepy. It’s for bone broth, OK? The AJC has a comprehensive farmers market guide for your browsing pleasure, detailing more than 30 offerings in the metro Atlanta area. You’ll never want for bones again.

Let’s get to it.

AN AIRPORT FOOD COURT IS UNDERWATER (FIGURATIVELY)

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi/AJC

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi/AJC

The concessionaire who owns the food court at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Terminal C is a little behind on rent. As in, $4.6 million and more than five years behind.

The airport, which is run by the city, is trying to force Global Concessions Inc. out of the rest of its contract. But the concessionaire wants to convince the Atlanta City Council to let it sell off the rest of the contract to a competitor to cover the debts.

There’s a bigger question, though: How in the world did this happen?

Byron Amos, the chair of the City Council Transportation Committee, told the AJC the debt piled up “over multiple players, multiple mayors and multiple councils.” (Amos also said he only learned about it recently, to his frustration.)
“The entire system failed,” he added.
The numbers are actually worse than they appear: Estimates for Global Concessions’ debt run all the way up to $8 million. The debt also began longer than five years ago, before some restaurants were even built. In fact, Global Concessions won the contract all the way back in 2016.

Whatever the solution, Amos said there’s bound to be “bountiful conversation” about it.

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KEMP KEEPS COY ON SENATE SUGGESTIONS

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Could Gov. Brian Kemp run for Senate when his term is up in 2026? He’s not saying.

As lawmakers start grooming their feathers for the 2026 midterms, Kemp’s fellow GOPers are pressing for an answer. He’s deflected questions so far — understandable with a whole legislative session to preside over and legal overhaul to pass. But now that those things are over for the minute, the questions are getting louder.

“I don’t really have a time frame on that,” Kemp said recently of a possible Senate run. “But now that we are out of the legislative session, I’m going to give some thought to that.”

Here’s another wrinkle: If he did run, he could be challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who’s risen to be one of the Trump Administration’s most demonstrative critics in Congress. Ossoff pulled in $11 million in campaign contributions in the first quarter of 2025. Interestingly enough, out-of-state donors made up about 90% of his 33,000-plus donors list.

CHURCH TRAFFICKING CASE

Credit: Steve Schaefer/AJC

A woman is suing Atlanta Dream Center Church and Assemblies of God, alleging she was trafficked as a ministry student. Here are the details of her complaint:

Identified only as K.D. in the filing, the woman claimed the church housed vulnerable Pentecostal youth in deplorable conditions and profited off of their forced labor.
K.D. said she was tricked into participating in the church’s Atlanta School of Ministry program, thinking she would get experience learning to minister and do missionary work.
Instead, she said she was forced to work 12-16 hours a day in exchange for tuition and board, living and preparing food in filthy and dangerous conditions.
The woman said students would sometimes get sick from the spoiled and contaminated food they were forced to prepare and eat.

Kim Dougherty, an attorney for K.D., told the AJC she represents others who were allegedly caught in such religious trafficking schemes.

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

⚖️ A federal judge suggested she may offer legal relief for more than 100 international students and recent alumni, 27 of whom are from Georgia, who claim President Donald Trump’s administration terminated their immigration status without clear reasoning.

🚛 Georgia’s jobless rate remains lower than the national average, according to the latest data from the Georgia Department of Labor.

📚 The Trump administration is threatening to withdraw Harvard University’s tax-exempt status after the school refused to capitulate to White House demands regarding activism on campus, antisemitism and diversity.

⛪ Some immigrant congregations around Atlanta have seen numbers fall in the aftermath of an ICE arrest outside of a Tucker church earlier this year. Church leaders say the fear of being apprehended doesn’t just keep people away from church, which can be an important community resource. It also keeps them from spending extra time in public.

WEEKEND PLANS

Credit: Courtesy SweetWater Brewing Company

Doing anything fun this weekend? I’m not saying we should hang out, but if we did, these would be some super cool ideas:

🍻 SweetWater 420 Fest: The dankest Atlanta music festival is turning 20! This year, three “artists-at-large” will join other bands throughout the weekend for one-of-a-kind jam seshes. And, of course, good craft beer.

🐰 Art Hatch at Smith-Gilbert Gardens: A fun twist on an Easter egg hunt, families can search for large painted wooden eggs or participate in a scavenger hunt. There’s also interactive exhibits and nature-themed craft events.

🏮 Suwanee International Night Market and Glow-in-the-Park lantern parade: 85 vendors, a live K-pop performance and a mile-long fire-free lantern stroll. Need I say more?

🪦 Illumine: Are you afraid of the dark? You shouldn’t be! See Oakland Cemetery aglow with light and art installations, plus live entertainment and multiple bars. Just don’t disturb the residents.

🍅 ATL Vegan Food Festival: As someone who was vegan for a hot minute in college, let me tell you, a good cook can do WONDERS with vegan fare. See what speaks to your tastebuds. You may surprise yourself!

Get more info about the above activities, plus plenty more ideas right here

NEWS BITES

Scientists find possible chemical signs of life on a faraway planet

Leave that possible life alone! Whatever it is, it doesn’t want to be bothered by weird Earthlings.

It’s early, but already getting late for Braves to turn season around

Just enjoy some baseball, y’all. We have months of it left!

Distilling the truth about absinthe, the French spirit with an unshakeable mystique

The ultimate spirit for looking mysterious and unapproachable at a bar.

Endangered sea turtle populations show signs of recovery in more than half the world, survey finds

:) :) :) Turtles :) :) :)

ON THIS DATE

April 18, 1990

Credit: AJC

From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: “[Rev. Ralph David Abernathy’s] tombstone will have just two words: ‘I tried.’”

After Ralph David Abernathy’s death, his son said those simple words were a motto for the Civil Rights icon. “But in my eyes, he did more than try,” Ralph David Abernathy III said. “He made a difference.”