A Trump administration proposal to eliminate a federal requirement giving the public notice and an opportunity to comment about air-pollution permits could reduce the scrutiny of diesel generators backing up data centers, advocates warn.

Why it matters: Data centers are big business in Georgia, and the obscure "minor-source" permitting process can be one of the few chances for the public to scrutinize a project's pollution plans.

Catch up quick: In July, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials proposed eliminating minimum federal public-participation requirements for "minor-source" air permits.

• The agency said states would instead decide "whether, when and for how long" the public can comment on those permits, which can cover everything from factories to the generators used by data centers.

Between the lines: Though some data centers are building their own on-site power plants to meet their energy needs, most of the developments tie into the electric grid.

• When the power goes out, the generators come on. Large campuses can propose dozens or hundreds of diesel generators — the emissions from which, when combined, can require a state air permit.

By the numbers: A Columbus Ledger-Enquirer review of Georgia Environmental Protection Division records found 20 minor-source permits for diesel generators at data centers were approved since January 2025, compared with 17 from 2014 to 2024.

What they're saying: "The issue is whether air-pollution permits that sources have to get before they're constructed or modified ... can be issued in secret, or if they have to go out for public notice and comment," Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Keri Powell told Axios.

Zoom out: Powell says those same reviews have helped environmental groups challenge permits for wood-pellet plants and scrutinize a Newton County "pop-up power plant" that the Georgia EPD later ordered to halt construction.

The other side: The EPA says eliminating the federal mandate would reduce what it says are administrative burdens and let state and local regulators decide which minor-source permits warrant public participation.

• The agency says the proposal would not change emissions standards.

Reality check: Georgia could keep its existing requirements. To make changes, the state would need to undergo a public review and receive EPA approval.

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A decommissioned MARTA railcar dumped in the name of science off the coast of Savannah is now on the lookout for sharks.

Zoom in: This summer, Georgia Aquarium researchers installed an acoustic receiver on the railcar that will listen for tagged sharks.

Catch up quick: MARTA donated retired railcars to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in 2023 to help create an artificial reef habitat.

Under the sea: One of the railcars has been reduced to rubble, the aquarium said in an announcement.

• The other has become "covered with sponges, algae and other marine growth, with at least 11 fish species observed around the structure."

Violent crime kept falling across many of the nation's largest cities through June, with homicides down 17.2% from the first half of 2025, according to preliminary data reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: The decline now spans two presidencies — it began falling under President Biden after the pandemic-era surge, and has kept dropping under President Trump.

• Trump came into office casting America as being overrun by crime at a time when the numbers were already declining dramatically.
• As that decline has continued during his watch he's taken credit for it, often linking it to his deployment of the National Guard in cities such as Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn., to reduced violent crime rates there.

By the numbers: An Axios analysis of the Major Cities Chiefs Association's (MCCA) survey of 66 large U.S. communities found drops in violent crime in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

• Homicides fell 17.2%.
• Robberies dropped 16.6%.
• Rapes declined 6.2%.
• Aggravated assaults fell 5.7%.
• Taken together, the four categories were down about 8.3%, for roughly 14,200 fewer reported violent crimes, according to the Axios review.

Zoom in: Homicides in Atlanta dropped from 50 during the first half of 2025 to 42 between January and June this year, according to the survey.

• Rapes are down 54 to 49 and robberies have dropped 353 to 283.

Yes, but: Aggravated assaults in Atlanta rose from 1,424 to 1,770.

Zoom out: Another major crime tracker is seeing similar trends in declining violent crime.

• A Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) analysis found homicides down 18% among 30 reporting cities in the first half of 2026. The group says the decline began in the second half of 2022.

See crime rates for other cities

⚖️ The city of Stockbridge will hold a hearing next week that could result in Jayden Williams, the youngest person to serve as mayor in the city's history, being removed from office. (AJC)

• Williams is accused of misusing his city-issued purchasing card to make donations and transactions at restaurants and stores.

😢 Ben Jones, best known as mechanic Cooter Davenport in "The Dukes of Hazzard" television series and who served two terms in Congress, died Sunday at the age of 84. (AJC)

🗳️ Mathewos Samson, who is running for the Georgia House District 58 seat against Republican Torrey Balam, could become the first Black Democratic Socialists of America member elected to the General Assembly. (Capital B)

• Gabriel Sanchez became the first DSA member elected to the legislative body in 2024.

🚜 It's been nearly two years since Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia's agriculture industry, and dozens of farmers say they still haven't received insurance payouts. (Georgia Recorder)