A new AJC podcast probes the origins and 2022 destruction of the Georgia Guidestones, reviving questions about one of the state's most enigmatic landmarks.

Why it matters: Before their mysterious destruction in 2022, the Georgia Guidestones were simultaneously a roadside attraction and magnet for conspiracy theories, from New World Order fears to claims it was satanic.

• In "Who Blew Up the Guidestones?," journalist Tyler McBrien investigates who may be behind the monument's creation and 2022 bombing — and why we care so much about the mini-Stonehenge to this day.

Catch up quick: In 1979, a mystery man going by the name of R.C. Christian hired a granite firm to build a cluster of 19-foot-tall columns in an Elbert County cow pasture roughly two hours east of Atlanta.

• Inscribed on the columns were 10 guidelines for a post-catastrophe world. The rules ranged from obvious ("leave room for nature") to curmudgeonly ("avoid petty laws and useless officials") and ominous ("guide reproduction wisely").

Zoom in: Over six episodes, McBrien interviews local guidestones aficionados and braves a minefield of research and reporting to explore eugenics, conspiracy culture, extremism and small-town mysteries.

• McBrien, who grew up in Marietta and learned about the guidestones in high school, told Axios he was fascinated by how people projected their political and ideological anxieties onto the monuments.

What they're saying: "There was surveillance footage," McBrien said about the monument's destruction. "There's a getaway car in one of the clips. There's a person you can see in one of the clips walking up to the guidestones."

• "It just seemed like there was enough information out there to catch the person. I think what surprised people most is that it's still an unsolved mystery."

State of play: Episodes 1 and 2 are now live on Apple or Spotify.

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Billionaire Rick Jackson filed to run for Georgia governor at the last minute even though another Republican had been endorsed by President Trump.

• But Jackson made a move that helped put him in contention: He gave $1 million to Trump's political operation.

Why it matters: Now Jackson, a political neophyte, is atop GOP polls and the latest wealthy individual to endear themself to Trump by funneling massive sums to the president's pet causes.

GOP operatives tracking the Georgia race tell Axios they suspect Jackson — who's planning to spend $50 million for the May 19 primary — made the donation partly with an eye toward swaying Trump.

• That could mean hoping that Trump tamps down some of his praise of the Republican he's endorsed in the race — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a longtime ally who helped Trump's unsuccessful effort to overturn the president's 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

The backstory: Jackson, an Atlanta health care executive, sent his $1 million donation to the pro-Trump MAGA Inc. super PAC on Dec. 10, eight weeks before launching his campaign.

Jackson has cited his December donation to Trump's team in courting the president's supporters. In his campaign announcement video, he declares: "I donated a million bucks to Trump, because Trump's success inspired me" to run.

By the numbers: Jackson catapulted 15 points ahead of Jones in one recent poll — largely owing to his support from the MAGA base.

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Plans have been unveiled to construct 120 affordable housing units in Atlanta's English Avenue neighborhood.

Why it matters: The project would help ensure lower-income residents can stay in the neighborhood they've called home for decades amid rising housing costs.

Driving the news: North+Oliver is the largest new residential development in English Avenue in a generation, according to the Westside Future Fund, a community revitalization nonprofit.

• The site at Oliver Street north of North Avenue, which spans more than four acres, was previously home to a blighted apartment complex that WFF demolished last year.

Zoom in: According to WFF, the units will be reserved for households that make 30% to 70% of the area median income.

• For a four-person household, the income range would be $34,260 to $79,940.
• Twenty-five units will be set aside for people who are supported by Atlanta Housing's HomeFlex subsidy program.

What's next: Construction is expected to begin later this year and wrap up in 2028.

3,053

Total number of canceled and delayed flights flying in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport since Monday morning, according to Flight Aware.

Zoom in: Awful weather, a security checkpoint closure and TSA staffing shortages related to the partial government shutdown have slowed the world's busiest airport to a crawl.

Of note: On Tuesday, airport officials asked domestic travelers to use the domestic terminals.

• Word has apparently gotten out about Hartsfield-Jackson's best kept secret: passing through TSA in the international terminal and riding the Plane Train is a great way to skip gridlock in the domestic terminal.

State of play: Airline CEOs including Delta Air Lines' Ed Bastain have called on Congress to end the shutdown.

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🚰 Social Circle's city manager said water access has been restricted at the controversial ICE detention facility until it can determine how to serve the compound without exceeding its limits. (11Alive)

🍻 Atlanta's South Downtown has become the first neighborhood that will allow open alcohol containers for residents and visitors. (AJC)

City Springs Theater Company has apologized after an actor's biography included the phrase "from the river to the sea" on a playbill. (Saporta Report)

📈The Atlanta City Council approved raising the cost of on-street parking from $2 to $3.50 an hour. (AJC)