AJC

Georgia is planning one of the largest cancellations of voter registrations in US history. Nearly half a million inactive voter registrations are set to be canceled this summer in an effort to have the "cleanest voter list possible," according to State Elections Director Blake Evans. Most of the registrations targeted for removal belong to people who have moved, changed their home address, or obtained a driver's license in another state. This cancellation will also include 100,000 voters who have not voted in at least nine years. 📷: AJC | Getty Images 🖋️: Mark Niesse / AJC

Hours before a grand opening party Thursday at Smiles by Mario Montoya, a cosmetic dentistry in Sandy Springs, rapper Rick Ross couldn’t hide his pearly whites. The entertainer and business owner, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts II, was in good spirits touring the offices prior to announcing his partnership in the cosmetic dentistry practice, which identifies him as a brand ambassador. The Atlanta office is Smiles by Mario Montoya’s first U.S. location. The original practice in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, has serviced high-profile entertainment clients like Nicki Minaj, T-Pain, French Montana and Ross. The announcement of Ross’ partnership with Montoya comes as Atlanta is having a moment with cosmetic dentistry. Demand appears to be rising, but the lucrative business is drawing attention as unlicensed “veneer techs” are performing procedures on customers who may not understand the long-term implications of the services and their risks. Read more at the link in @itsuatl’s bio. 🖋️: Mike Jordan 📷: Chris Thorkilsen

If it weren’t for Italian architect Renzo Piano’s 2005 expansion of the High Museum of Art, which more than doubled the institution’s square footage, the museum might have never undertaken one of its most innovative installations to date. March 7 marked the opening of what could be the museum’s most technically ambitious offering in its history, the first American exhibition of Japanese composer and multimedia artist Ryoji Ikeda’s monumental video work “data-verse.” The three-part installation of 15.5-foot-tall projections will be installed in the museum’s largest gallery on the second floor of the Wieland Pavilion. Read more at the link in our bio. 🖋️: Felicia Feaster – For the AJC 📷: David Stjernholm / High Museum of Art | ASANO Takeshi | Julien Gremaud

Get ready for a packed weekend, Atlanta! The NCAA South Regional brings March Madness to State Farm Arena, with Auburn, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Michigan State battling for a spot in the Elite Eight. Atlanta United faces New York City FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. And, Truist Park will host the sold-out Savannah Bananas games, bringing their viral baseball spectacle to town. With tens of thousands of fans expected, plan ahead for parking, MARTA routes, and security policies. Full details at the link in our bio. 🖋️ : Taylor Croft 📸 : Getty Images

A new rule to set a $5 cap on bank overdraft fees is slated to take effect in October. But the U.S. Senate is expected to vote as soon as Thursday morning to overturn it. Banking advocates laud the effort, saying it could keep some consumers from turning to payday lenders. But consumer groups and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who pushed hard for the fee cap, said the change could add financial hardship to Americans who are already dealing with economic uncertainty. “The Trump administration, they ran on this idea that they were going to stand up for ordinary families. We see who they are prioritizing. They’re prioritizing people who look like them, people who have more than enough,” he said. 🖋️: Mirtha Donastorg

Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Bryan Johnson has been on the job since last summer. Instead of delivering a standard State of the District address this year, Johnson released a video of himself and other officials talking about the status of APS and where the school system is headed. He talked about improving student performance, the recent special education audit and plans for $100,000 teacher salaries in an AJC interview. Read more at the link in our bio. 🖋️: Martha Dalton

The best oyster shucking advice is “take your time.” As for harvesting oysters in Georgia in the hot summer months, the guidance is the opposite: Hurry up. Proposed new rules would require farmers to refrigerate their oysters within as few as two hours after harvest and before 10 a.m. in the hottest weather. Hot temperatures can speed the spread of vibrio bacteria when oysters are not submerged in water. Vibrio lives on oysters in much the same way salmonella does chicken and can cause illness and death if oysters are consumed raw. “The success of these fisheries hinges on public health, above and beyond all other considerations, including economic,” said Dominic Guadagnoli, the program manager for shellfish and water quality at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division. “The growers would like the rules to be different but we have to balance what they want with the price the public could pay if we get it wrong.” Read more at the link in our bio. 🦪 🖋️ : Adam Van Brimmer 📸 : Miguel Martinez-Jimenez / AJC | Adriana Iris Boatwright / for the AJC

Apalachee High School has hired Kevin Saunders as its new head football coach. Saunders, known for turning struggling programs around, takes over a team on a 29-game losing streak and a school community still healing from last fall’s tragic shooting. With a career record of 191-113-2 and success at multiple programs, Saunders sees potential at Apalachee and is ready to rebuild. Read more about his vision for the program at the link in our bio. 🖋️ : Todd Holcomb 📸 : Kevin Saunders

Meet “The Library Dads,” an Atlanta-based group rewriting the narrative on fatherhood — one book at a time. A few times a month, these dedicated dads bring their kids to local libraries to bond over reading and play. But it’s more than just story time — it’s about building a strong community of fathers who support each other through dad-only events and shared experiences. AJC’s Najja Parker shows how the impact is real: Studies show that kids who are close to their fathers are twice as likely to go to college or secure a steady job. And for these dads, it’s not just about literacy — it’s about legacy. Read the full story from UATL contributor Maurice Garland at the link in @itsuatl’s bio. 🎥: AJC | Scholastics | The Fatherhood Project | The Guardian

Easter is quickly approaching, and it is certainly on the egg market’s mind. 🐣🐰 From painting to hunting, the holiday is full of egg-related traditions that briefly drive increased demand for America’s favorite shelled snack. According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, despite recently cooling wholesale prices, the egg market might not be ready in time for the big celebration. The USDA predicted record egg prices could rise even higher this year. Simply put, in 2025, eggs are pricey and harder to come by. But, over the last few weeks, wholesale prices have gradually declined. Will it be enough? Georgia is not in the clear just yet. Read more at the link in our bio. 🥚🍳 🖋️ : Hunter Boyce and Olivia Wakim 📸 : Nam Y. Huh, David Zalubowski / AP

OPINION from the AJC’s Nedra Rhone: My experience with Delta has been a tale of highs and lows. In January 2019, I booked a last-minute flight from Atlanta to Chicago for a funeral. It happened to be during the two-day Polar Vortex snap in the Windy City, the coldest recorded temperature Chicago had seen in 34 years. The wind chill was below zero, temperatures were minus 23 degrees, then it snowed. Flights were canceled as fast as the temperature was dropping but somehow, Delta defied the odds and got me to Chicago. I was the only out-of-town guest. I have exclusively flown Delta since 2014 — mostly out of convenience — but after that experience, my loyalty was driven by respect. That feeling lasted until 2023 when I was preparing to board a flight to Tampa, Florida, and was summoned by a gate agent, not once but twice. The first time, she asked me to give up my seat and move to a row in the back of the plane. When I declined, she called me again. “I need your seat,” she said. Why had she first presented it as a question? I filed a complaint and got 4,000 bonus rewards but my respect for Delta had been tarnished. I fly less than I did years ago and I wonder if infrequent flyers like myself could ever feel like they’re winning — or at least feel like they’re not at the mercy of whatever experience the airline throws at us. Read more at the link in our bio. 🖋️: Nedra Rhone 📷: Miguel Martinez, Jenni Girtman, John Spink / AJC | National Transportation Safety Board / AP

Greenwood, a financial technology startup founded by prominent Atlantans, is moving its headquarters from Atlanta to Tulsa, Oklahoma, as part of a strategic shift under its new CEO. The company’s founders include activist and rapper Michael “Killer Mike” Render, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, entrepreneur Paul Judge and former Bounce TV executive Ryan Glover, who previously served as Greenwood’s CEO. Now led by Seattle-based tech veteran Dave Cotter, who took over as CEO in July, Greenwood sees Tulsa as a natural fit. Cotter called the move a “no-brainer.” Founded in 2020 as a digital banking platform, Greenwood was centered on closing the racial wealth gap in the U.S. and providing services to Black and Latino consumers. The company is named after the prosperous Black Tulsa community, once known as the Black Wall Street, before it was destroyed by a white mob in 1921. Read more at the link in our bio. 🖋️: Mirtha Donastorg / AJC 📸 : Greenwood