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Atlanta rideshare drivers push back against robotaxis

Drivers say robotaxis mean fewer fares and want Atlanta leaders to address automation's impact.

News

Atlanta rideshare drivers are urging city and state lawmakers to curb the expansion of Waymo and other robotaxis and consider the technology&#x27;s long-term economic impact.Why it matters: A group of independent contractors who helped disrupt the taxicab business model is now organizing to push back against automation.

Georgia paid over $20B in Trump tariffs, report estimates

The state's tariff tab equals about $4,771 per household, with cars and trucks taking the biggest hit.

Georgia businesses have paid some of the nation&#x27;s highest tariff costs under President <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Trump&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" data-vars-content-id="1b1025ba-1d61-4056-a18a-7cd11dabefed" data-vars-headline="Georgia paid over $20B in Trump tariffs, report estimates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_self">Trump&#x27;s</a> trade actions since the start of 2025.Why it matters: Local industries dictate how heavily communities have been hit, from Georgia&#x27;s auto manufacturing industry to Virginia&#x27;s aerospace sector.

Peachtree Circle historic district hits roadblock

Atlanta City Council member Alex Wan wants two-thirds of residents to support the proposed historic district before he backs the request.

Development

A campaign to create the Peachtree Circle historic district in the Ansley Park neighborhood hit a wall this week when the proposal stalled in committee.Why it matters: Many Atlanta neighborhoods are experiencing tear-down-and-rebuild projects that replace older and (sometimes) smaller homes with postmodern and (often) much larger living quarters that clash with the community aesthetic.

Dine out and pay what you can at these Atlanta restaurants

Three Atlanta-area restaurants are participating in the Pay What You Can campaign.

Culture

Can you spend $20 or $200 on a Michelin-starred meal? On Wednesday, it won&#x27;t matter because some of the world&#x27;s best restaurants will let diners pay what they can.Why it matters: What began as a community-minded experiment among Mexico City chefs is going global this year — and three Atlanta-area restaurants are joining in.

Flock's license plate readers fuel privacy concerns

Citizens in metro Atlanta and across the country are pushing back on ALPRs.

Politics

Concerns over the use of automated license plate readers (ALPR) persist across metro Atlanta, as questions mount over what information the technology captures and whether guardrails are needed to protect one&#x27;s privacy.Why it matters: Citizens in metro Atlanta <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="and beyond" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/huntsville/2026/08/28/huntsville-flock-cameras-police-alabama" data-vars-content-id="45909369-7581-4341-aaf9-8a976910df32" data-vars-headline="Flock&#x27;s license plate readers fuel privacy concerns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/huntsville/2026/08/28/huntsville-flock-cameras-police-alabama" target="_self">and beyond</a> are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pushing back" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/flock-camera-local-opposition-surveillance" data-vars-content-id="45909369-7581-4341-aaf9-8a976910df32" data-vars-headline="Flock&#x27;s license plate readers fuel privacy concerns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/flock-camera-local-opposition-surveillance" target="_self">pushing back</a> against ALPRs, which they see as a government surveillance tool that potentially infringes on civil liberties.

Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit

Eric André and Clayton English sued Clayton County police officers in 2022, alleging the department's Airport Interdiction Unit compelled passengers to consent to searches.

The Clayton County Police Department has agreed to disband one of its units at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport nearly four years after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="two comedians" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/10/13/eric-andre-sues-cops-over-racial-profiling-at-atlanta-airport" data-vars-content-id="1564fab9-2839-4f59-b5ab-3e2b65914a97" data-vars-headline="Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/10/13/eric-andre-sues-cops-over-racial-profiling-at-atlanta-airport" target="_self">two comedians</a> alleged the unit coerced passengers to undergo unconstitutional searches.The latest: Clayton County has settled <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the lawsuit" data-vars-click-url="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/63459147ec332f2e79d80282/1665503559954/Andre+English+-+Complaint.pdf" data-vars-content-id="1564fab9-2839-4f59-b5ab-3e2b65914a97" data-vars-headline="Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/63459147ec332f2e79d80282/1665503559954/Andre+English+-+Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">the lawsuit</a> brought by Eric André and Clayton English, who in 2022 accused officers of using the department&#x27;s Airport Interdiction Unit to compel passengers — most of whom were people of color — to consent to searches between fall 2020 and spring 2021, lawyers for the two men said Tuesday.

Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison

The judge said Colin Gray ignored warning signs that his son was obsessed with mass shooters.

Public Safety

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="father of" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" target="_self">father of</a> a Georgia teen who killed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="four people and wounded nine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">four people and wounded nine</a> others in a 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School will spend 15 years in prison in connection with his child&#x27;s crimes.The latest: Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm on Thursday sentenced Colin Gray, 55, several months after a trial jury <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="convicted" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" target="_self">convicted</a> him on more than two dozen charges including second-degree murder. <ul><li>Prosecutors had asked the judge to give Gray an 80-year prison term.</li><li>The sentence came two days after Gray&#x27;s 16-year-old son, Colt, was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ordered" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/28/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooter-sentenced-life-in-prison" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/28/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooter-sentenced-life-in-prison" target="_self">ordered</a> by Primm to serve life in prison without parole. </li></ul>Catch up quick: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Colt Gray used an AR-style weapon in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school in Winder.<ul><li>The victims were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: Primm said Colin Gray was criminally negligent because he saw the warning signs that his son was obsessed with mass shooters.<ul><li>He also said Gray &quot;failed as a parent&quot; because he did not enroll his son in school during his eighth-grade year, which allowed him to stay home where he &quot;fell deeper and deeper into his obsession.&quot;</li><li>Gray also did not seek mental help for his son, get him involved in age-appropriate activities or monitor his computer use, according to Primm, nor did he secure the guns or remove them from his home.</li><li>&quot;You were convicted because the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter, and you didn&#x27;t get him help, and you didn&#x27;t remove his access to the guns,&quot; Primm said.</li></ul>Ismael &quot;Junior&quot; Angulo, the older brother of Christian Angulo, said Gray chose to &quot;ignore every red flag.&quot;<ul><li>&quot;And because of his choices, my little brother Christian and three others, Mason, Coach Aspinwall, and Miss [Christina] Irimie are gone, and so many others will carry permanent scars,&quot; he said.</li></ul>The other side: Gray&#x27;s defense team asked the court to sentence his client to a total of 20 years, 10 of which he would serve behind bars and the rest on probation. <ul><li>&quot;Ten years in a Georgia prison for a man who never intended to harm a single human being is among the most severe sentences ever imposed on a parent in American history for the act of a child,&quot; Gray&#x27;s attorney said.</li></ul>The big picture: Gray&#x27;s conviction and sentence is the first known case in Georgia, and second in the country, where a parent has been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.<ul><li>Michigan couple <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James and Jennifer Crumbley" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/michigan-school-shooter-parents-sentenced" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/michigan-school-shooter-parents-sentenced" target="_self">James and Jennifer Crumbley</a> became the first when they were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after their son <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="killed four students" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/30/michigan-high-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/30/michigan-high-school-shooting" target="_self">killed four students</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="wounded seven others" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/24/ethan-crumbley-plea-oxford-shooting-michigan" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/24/ethan-crumbley-plea-oxford-shooting-michigan" target="_self">wounded seven others</a> in a 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Oakland County.</li><li>They were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.</li></ul>What we&#x27;re watching: Friday is the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first day of school" data-vars-click-url="https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/event_view?event_id=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;calIDref=142769&amp;feedID=5399&amp;uid=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;did=a8417fad7c07fb1ad4774873e9c17f4dde31cd21&amp;eventDate=2026-07-31&amp;feed_type=ics" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/event_view?event_id=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;calIDref=142769&amp;feedID=5399&amp;uid=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;did=a8417fad7c07fb1ad4774873e9c17f4dde31cd21&amp;eventDate=2026-07-31&amp;feed_type=ics" target="_blank">first day of school</a> for students in Barrow County, and the Apalachee community is focused on healing.<ul><li>&quot;As our community enters a new school year, our hearts remain entirely with the families of Mason, Christian, Coach Aspinwall, and Mrs. Irimie,&quot; Change for Chee, the student-led organization that formed after the shooting, wrote Thursday on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Instagram" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbas-qWhzxL/" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbas-qWhzxL/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. &quot;Their strength inspires us, and their legacies will never be forgotten.&quot;</li></ul>

Apalachee High School mass shooter gets life without parole

Colt Gray, 16, will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing four people and injuring nine others in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County.

A Georgia judge has sentenced the teenager who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pleaded guilty" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/24/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray-pleads-guilty" data-vars-content-id="938496c5-aaa1-4d9b-9c8a-824ab5344fa3" data-vars-headline="Apalachee High School mass shooter gets life without parole" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/24/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray-pleads-guilty" target="_self">pleaded guilty</a> to murder in the 2024 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mass shooting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="938496c5-aaa1-4d9b-9c8a-824ab5344fa3" data-vars-headline="Apalachee High School mass shooter gets life without parole" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">mass shooting</a> at Apalachee High School to life in prison without parole.The latest: Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm handed down the sentence less than a week after 16-year-old Colt Gray entered guilty pleas to all 55 charges against him.

Teen suspect in Apalachee High School mass shooting pleads guilty

Colt Gray was 14 when authorities say he used an AR-style firearm to kill four people and injure nine others in a Sept. 4, 2024, shooting in Barrow County, Georgia.

The teenager accused of carrying out the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2024 mass shooting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="449e431d-0b8d-48cd-9e3b-064146f4fc9c" data-vars-headline="Teen suspect in Apalachee High School mass shooting pleads guilty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">2024 mass shooting</a> at a Georgia high school pleaded guilty Friday to murder and dozens of other charges.The latest: Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the Apalachee High School shooting, entered guilty pleas to all 55 counts handed down in a grand jury indictment, the Barrow County District Attorney&#x27;s Office tells Axios.

Starting a police department is easier said than done, local leaders say

The city of Mableton hopes to establish its own police force by 2027.

The city of Mableton wants to split from Cobb County and start its own <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="police department" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/15/mableton-new-police-department-cobb-county" data-vars-content-id="89e28fad-c6a0-4ad1-b6ed-b28d0a4d85f4" data-vars-headline="Starting a police department is easier said than done, local leaders say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/15/mableton-new-police-department-cobb-county" target="_self">police department</a>, and while Mableton&#x27;s leaders are optimistic, they should prepare for a few bumps along the way, those with experience told Axios.Why it matters: Hurdles will likely be easier to clear if the city prioritizes hiring sworn officers, civilians and a command staff who can set aside personal agendas and serve Mableton first, said Maj. Mike Lindstrom of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sandy Springs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/02/17/sandy-springs-20th-anniversary-georgia" data-vars-content-id="89e28fad-c6a0-4ad1-b6ed-b28d0a4d85f4" data-vars-headline="Starting a police department is easier said than done, local leaders say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/02/17/sandy-springs-20th-anniversary-georgia" target="_self">Sandy Springs</a> Police Department.

Mableton moves forward with police department despite criticism

The City Council approved a new tax that would generate the roughly $21 million needed to create the city's own police department.

Despite opposition and lingering questions from residents, Mableton leaders are moving ahead with standing up the city&#x27;s own police department. Why it matters: Mableton&#x27;s elected officials say breaking up with Cobb County will allow it to have better control over how police services are allocated in the city.

Atlanta officer won't be charged in fatal shooting outside bar

APD officer Melvin Potter shot and killed Devon Anderson while off duty outside a bar in the city of South Fulton.

An Atlanta police officer won&#x27;t face criminal charges for fatally shooting Devon Anderson while off duty outside a bar in South Fulton.The latest: The Fulton County District Attorney&#x27;s office ended its investigation without charging Melvin Potter in the Aug. 5, 2024, shooting. The decision became public during the City Council&#x27;s Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee meeting on June 22.

Atlanta ramps up police presence as World Cup crowds arrive

APD says all 1,800 sworn officers will be working alongside an additional 170 officers from across Georgia.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gears up in Atlanta, law enforcement from around the state will be on hand to help the Atlanta Police Department ensure people&#x27;s safety.Why it matters: On top of managing hundreds of thousands of visitors expected for the tournament, Atlanta police will have to maintain the same level of service the agency provides to the city&#x27;s 245 neighborhoods.

PAD halts operations at Diversion Center amid city contract dispute

The Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative, known as PAD, told Axios proposed contract changes by the city would make it harder to serve clients.

The city of Atlanta and the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative" data-vars-click-url="https://www.atlantapad.org/" data-vars-content-id="55a20336-cdcf-4565-8b3c-d19e63251665" data-vars-headline="PAD halts operations at Diversion Center amid city contract dispute" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.atlantapad.org/" target="_blank">Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative</a> are again at odds over changes to their contract that the latter contends will affect how they serve clients.Why it matters: The dispute over the contract, which expired at the end of December, means PAD has not been able to accept new clients who are referred to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Center for Diversion Services" data-vars-click-url="https://www.atlantapad.org/diversion-center" data-vars-content-id="55a20336-cdcf-4565-8b3c-d19e63251665" data-vars-headline="PAD halts operations at Diversion Center amid city contract dispute" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.atlantapad.org/diversion-center" target="_blank">Center for Diversion Services</a>.