Good news: The air we breathe every day is a bit cleaner than it was a few years ago, according to an Axios analysis of EPA data.

Why it matters: Long-term exposure to poor air quality is harmful to your health.

• A growing body of research shows that polluted air is connected to poor reproductive outcomes, increased dementia risk, and more asthma attacks and other respiratory health effects.

By the numbers: The average percentage of fine particle pollution in metro Atlanta decreased 2.3% from 2021-23, compared to 2014-16.

Reality check: Tracking fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a helpful indicator of air pollution and a major factor in air quality index scores, but it doesn't account for all variables.

• So air pollution can be worse than it appears on your weather app.

Zoom in: A significant amount of metro Atlanta's air pollution stems from the interstate system and the surrounding roadways, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Flashback: In the 1990s and early 2000s, rapid population growth famously caused metro Atlanta's air quality to plummet to crisis levels.

• Then-Gov. Roy Barnes and regional leaders overhauled road and transit plans and increased air quality monitoring to avoid losing federal transportation funding.

Stunning stat: Statewide, power plants are the largest source of air pollution, contributing roughly 43 million metric tons of carbon emissions, according to 2023 EPA data.

Zoom out: Nationally, 62% of metro areas improved their air quality, as measured by fine particle pollution, according to the federal data.

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The "Real Housewives of Atlanta," everyone's favorite guilty pleasure and hot mess to watch, will premiere with a new season next month featuring familiar faces and new cast members.

Why it matters: Don't act like y'all don't watch — or aren't at least curious about — the show that's become an Atlanta cultural phenomenon.

Driving the news: The 16th season of the show premieres at 8pm March 9, and a trailer featuring snippets from the new episodes dropped last week.

Zoom in: Porsha Williams, who in 2021 announced her departure, returns as a full-time cast member.

• Her ongoing divorce from Simon Guobadia will be documented throughout the season.

Yes, and: Longtime fans are closely watching to see how Phaedra Parks' highly anticipated return will affect the group's dynamics.

• Parks, a lawyer and a licensed mortician who first joined Real Housewives in Season 3, left the show amid a rift with fellow cast member Kandi Burruss.
• Cynthia Bailey, who also left the show in 2021, is back for the latest season as a "friend."

Catch up quick: Kenya Moore will not be returning for season 16. She was booted from the show last year after sharing sexually explicit photos of new cast member Brittany Eady, according to the AJC.

• However, the trailer for the new season shows Moore in some of the episodes, and touches on the controversy and the subsequent fallout.

The fine print: Other cast members include Eady, Drew Sidora, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Kelli Ferrell and Angela Oakley.

What we're watching: We're just here for the tea and the drama.

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Georgia residents are leveraging TikTok, the app President Trump vowed to save because it's been friendly to him, to alert people of ICE agent sightings.

Why it matters: The goal is to undermine immigration enforcement's aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants by using TikTok's algorithm, which is known for its ability to rapidly share information in real time.

The big picture: The videos, which largely started after the Trump administration announced the start of mass deportations last month, are being posted in states nationwide, including Virginia, Maryland, California, North Carolina and Michigan.

• In some cases, TikTokkers are using code words like "cute winter boots," which they say is a censorship-evading technique, to boost their reach.
• They'll also comment on where they've "found a sale," say "it's getting slippery" in a certain location and that "ICE cream trucks" have been spotted.
• Others have used it to share what people's rights are if ICE comes knocking and the link to a U.S. map of unconfirmed immigration agent sightings with photos called "People Over Papers."

Zoom in: Daniel Morales, a history professor who specializes in immigration at Virginia Commonwealth University, told Axios we're seeing the latest evolution of decades-worth of community warnings regarding immigration raids.

• In the 1930s-1950s, Morales said newspapers reported Mexican Americans and children keeping a lookout and sometimes confronting authorities to stop them.

Yes, but: Morales notes it's a tricky balance between communicating information and contributing to the fear-mongering that, in the past, has made some immigrants "terrified to go outside" and afraid to go to school.

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On Saturday, about 1,000 people marched along Buford Highway in Chamblee to protest last week's arrests made by immigration authorities.

• Read about it at the AJC.

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🚰 DeKalb County wants a 10% water and sewer rate increase to pay for billions of dollars in repairs. (Decaturish)

🏳️‍⚧️ A bill that would prohibit Georgia students from competing on athletic teams that don't match the gender on their birth certificate advanced in the state Senate. (Capitol Beat)

🥚 The high price of eggs is hitting metro Atlanta diners and bakeries' bottom lines. (WABE)

Gwinnett County school board members voted to terminate the contract of Superintendent Calvin Watts. (WSB)

Yesterday was Groundhog Day and unfortunately Georgia's own General Beauregard Lee saw his shadow, meaning we're in for six more weeks of winter, 11 Alive reports.