How do you deconstruct a Brutalist canopy hulking over MARTA's most important rail station? One piece at a time — slowly.Why it matters: This summer, construction firm Skanska is scheduled to begin the $47 million, 14-month process to take apart the concrete canopy atop downtown's Five Points station.State of play: MARTA is spending approximately $230 million in local, state and federal funding to give the dilapidated 45-year-old station — the one rail MARTA stop where all four lines meet — a makeover.Zoom in: Crews will start by installing structural supports in the plaza to shore up the structure, Keli Davis,...

The National Park Service is opening a lottery on Friday at 10am to give people an opportunity to immerse themselves in the glow of thousands of fireflies. Why it matters: For roughly two weeks each spring, visitors flock to. Elkmont Campground at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (about five hours...

The Michelin Guide just dropped a new ranking of the best hotels nationwide, and several Atlanta destinations made the list.Why it matters: Michelin provides coveted stars to restaurants, but this is the first time it is honoring hotels and resorts with high standards and unique qualities.Zoom in: Accolades for hotels range from one to three "Keys," with three being the best. Three Atlanta hotels received a One Key classification.Stonehurst Place Atlanta (Midtown)The Candler Hotel Atlanta (Downtown)Hotel Clermont (Poncey-Highland)The intrigue: Of the 11 hotels Michelin awarded the Three Key distinction, all are located in California or New York.What we're watching: How these new awards will affect booking prices.Go deeper: See the full listFive Atlanta restaurants receive Michelin stars

Twenty-eight activists were arrested on Thursday when dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police on Emory University's campus in Atlanta.Why it matters: The violent confrontation that erupted shortly after the protesters occupied the Emory quadrangle mirrors similar clashes that have shaken universities across the country.Between the lines: Reports of tear gas, rubber bullets and tasers being used by law enforcement, as well as police clashing with and detaining protesters, were posted on social media.The AJC reports protesters were also at Emory to demonstrate against Atlanta's public safety training center.What they're saying: At around 7:41am, a few dozen activists came onto...

A relatively small stretch of Ponce de Leon Avenue — yes, Ponce — has bumped Phipps as Atlanta's most expensive street for office space, per a new study by real estate group JLL.Why it matters: The draw of new office options outside Downtown's central business district is reshaping Atlanta's commercial real estate and prompting civic officials to rethink the future of vacant towers.Context: The Beltline's Eastside Trail and the mixed-use mania it sparked — 725 Ponce and Ponce City Market, specifically — have helped turn the famed nightlife corridor into the country's 15th most expensive commercial street.Of note: Those two...

Here are some weekend events happening around Atlanta to get you out of those workweek blues:. 🎥 The 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival, featuring a diverse lineup of feature-length movies and shorts, starts Thursday and runs through May 5. 😆 Tom Segura will bring his Come Together standup comedy...

Women-owned business openings in Atlanta increased 7% in 2023 compared to 2022, according to new Yelp data. By the numbers: 1,858 women-owned businesses opened up in Atlanta in 2023, compared to 1,743 in 2022. The big picture: Women-owned business openings rose 17% nationwide. Austin (34%), Miami (31%), Washington, D.C. (25%),...

Beltline bicyclists will be able to pedal from Piedmont Park all the way to Westside Park before the 2026 World Cup, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Wednesday.Why it matters: Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans will descend on Atlanta in the summer of 2026. Public, private and civic leaders are accelerating projects to meet the deadline and capitalize on the crowds.Zoom in: Work on the Southside Trail will be complete in the first quarter of 2026, Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs said during an Eastside Trail press conference Wednesday with the mayor and President Biden adviser Tom Perez.Once complete, the segments...

If you're counting on pollen season to end soon in Atlanta, then we have bad news for you.Why it matters: Atlanta recorded its third-highest pollen count this year ever Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, the area's largest allergy practice, began recording counts in 1991.And Atlanta Allergy & Asthma's Lily Hwang says "we're not in the clear" anytime soon: The tree pollen will persist through May, and grass pollen could last into June.State of play: Hwang says climate change is making pollen seasons start earlier and last longer, and more severe as well. Plus, rain and warm weather are essential for trees...

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a controversial school voucher bill into law on Tuesday that will allow some parents to use tax dollars to enroll their children in private schools.Zoom in: The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act provides a $6,500 voucher per year to parents to help cover the cost of enrolling their children in participating private schools.Students have to be enrolled for one year in schools ranked among the lowest performing in the state.A parent's income can't exceed 400% of the federal poverty level, or around $120,000 for a family of four.What they're saying: Kemp said the "best gift we...

The Atlanta Dream is sold out of season tickets, thanks to record high demand.Why it matters: The Dream is the second team in WNBA history to sell out their season ticket allotment after the defending champion Las Vegas Aces sold out last month.Driving the news: All eyes are on the Dream team after the team made the playoffs last season for the first time in five years. The upcoming season begins on May 14.The Dream team said on social media that they experienced "unprecedented demand" before the single game ticket presale went live on Sunday.State of play: The team said...

The world is watching frustrations rise among the key figures in Georgia's longest trial ever, centering on defendant and Grammy-winning Atlanta rapper Young Thug.Why it matters: The trial may reshape rap and racketeering cases as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis accuses Jeffery Williams (Young Thug) of using his Young Slime Life music group to conceal several crimes, including murder, robberies, assaults, and drug dealing.It's become a media circus fueled by inappropriate Zoom bombs, an alleged drug deal in court, an album drop amid the trial, and much more.Catch up quick: Williams and 27 others in 2022 were arrested in...

Starting Monday, 24-7 access to the world's busiest airport will be restricted to passengers, workers and other people conducting official business.Why it matters: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is owned and operated by the City of Atlanta and can serve up to 80,000 people every day.Airport officials say the new policies are aimed at increasing "safety and security" after complaints of unauthorized taxi or ride-share service solicitations and baggage theft, the AJC reported in February.How it works: Beginning April 22, airport officials said in a statement, Hartsfield-Jackson access will be limited to "ticketed passengers, personnel, individuals meeting or greeting passengers, those performing...

Data: Chain Store Guide; Note: Stores under the same brand name have been combined, e.g. Walmart and Walmart Supercenter. Chart: Axios VisualsKroger remains the top store where we like to get our groceries, according to data released by Chain Store Guide.By the numbers: Kroger clocks in with more than a quarter of the market share last year at 26%. It's followed by Publix at 22.5% and Walmart at 19.2%.Kroger appears to have widened its gap as the leading chain. In 2022, the store's market share was 23.7%. Publix and Walmart's share remained relatively the same.The intrigue: Costco stayed in fourth...

The city of Kennesaw has ordered the owner of a popular treehouse vacation rental to demolish the structure because the required permits were not issued to operate the facility.The latest: Ryan McGovern, owner of Treasure Hunt Treehouse, told the Cobb County Courier he operated the structure for five years until an anonymous complaint was filed last month with the city.Axios reached out to McGovern for comment, but did not hear back.A city spokesperson told Axios that Kennesaw officials received a complaint on March 17 of an unpermitted structure on Galt Place NW.The city said it determined that the electrical, plumbing...

A group of corporate leaders and stakeholders is coming together with a plan to build a new science museum in downtown Atlanta.Why it matters: This week's unveiling of plans for FutureVerse: America's Future Museum is the first announcement of a major attraction opening in Atlanta in nearly 20 years, according to its press release.By the numbers: The project is estimated to cost $100 million, and the nonprofit museum "will transform learning and showcase Georgia's and America's most advanced technologies which will protect our planet and benefit mankind," FutureVerse says.A feasibility study on the project shows it could attract 1.2 million...

Vinyl fans in metro Atlanta and worldwide will band together on April 20 to celebrate Record Store Day.Why it matters: The annual holiday supports local independent record shops, which use the occasion to release reissued, remastered and deep-cut albums.Details: Stores open early. The lines to get first dibs will start even earlier. Visit a store's website or social media for exact hours.Here's a sample of local record stores' plans:Criminal Records in Little Five Points is hosting raffles with prizes from R.E.M., Widespread Panic, Third Man Records and more.Fantasyland Records in Buckhead is giving away freebies and selling limited edition vinyl releases, as well as The Beatles 3" Mini Turntable.DBS Sounds in Riverdale is hosting a Caribbean cookout, pizza party, contests and DJ performances. Doors open at 10am.Worthy of your time: Find out if your favorite musician has a special release for RSD​.And stop by a record store near you.

Data: Bureau of Transportation Statistics; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios86% of flights out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport departed on time in December 2023, according to the latest U.S. Department of Transportation data.Why it matters: That's a marked improvement from 74% of flights that left ATL on time in December 2022, when Southwest Airlines' epic meltdown caused a ripple effect across the entire industry.Zoom out: More than 83% of domestic U.S. flights departed on time in December 2023, compared to 70% that month the previous year.Zoom in: Florida's Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (89.5%), Salt Lake City International Airport (89.2%) and Hawai'i's Lihue Airport (88.8%) had the best on-time departure performance in December 2023 among airports serving more than 1 million passengers annually.Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (67.2%), Baltimore/Washington International (69.5%) and Orlando International (76.1%) had the worst on-time performance — not counting Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marín International (75.8%).The bottom line: 83% is pretty solid nationwide performance — especially during a month when winter storms can really mess with the entire air travel system.Share this story

Data: ATTOM; Note: A flip is defined as any transaction between an unrelated buyer and seller within 12 months of a previous transaction; Chart: Axios VisualsThe past year saw fewer dumpsters in driveways in metro Atlanta neighborhoods as house flipping decreased, mirroring a national trend.Why it matters: Flipped houses made up 14% of the home sales in metro Atlanta last year, which, like many Sun Belt cities, is a hotbed for investors looking to profit off the high demand of housing.The renovated homes can help stabilize neighborhoods but can also help fuel resident displacement.Zoom in: Metro Atlanta investors flipped 13,365...

Data: Spotrac; Chart: Axios VisualsSports has a gender pay gap, like most industries, and Atlanta is no exception.By the numbers: Axios used Spotrac, which tracks professional sports contracts, to review the average annual salaries of Atlanta's top-paid players from four teams from the recent year.Atlanta Dream forward Cheyenne Parker makes $190,550. Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young makes $43 million.Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley makes $21.2 million. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins makes $45 million.Driving the news: Caitlin Clark was the No. 1 pick at Monday's WNBA draft. Her record-breaking NCAA performance created more interest in women's basketball.But Clark's base...