Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
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If you’re into scenic running with a little (lotta) art thrown in there, you’ll love the Runstreet Atlanta Shakeout Art Run with Clif Bar!
The event includes some incredible murals across a 4-mile span of intown Atlanta. Runers can participate at a relaxed (10-minute mile pace) Art Run in Little Five Points to get started.
“You won’t want to miss Atlanta’s best street art while getting in a chill workout before the Publix Georgia Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K organized by Atlanta Track Club,” the flyer says.
All levels of runners welcome! There will be a few stops for photos along the route. There will be pacers so no one gets left behind.
The run begins and ends at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, from the Clif Bar booth. There will be a bag drop available but runners are encouraged to keep their valuables with them on the run.
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Saturday, March 17 at 1 PM – 2:30 PM
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Hyatt Regency Atlanta265 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
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Marvel Entertainment, the comic book’s movie house, is having a moment. Actually that moment is more accurately about 17 years. That’s how long it’s been since the first “X-Men” movie debuted in theaters, sparking the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, it’s latest and greatest franchise, The Avengers is going to hit us with “Infinity War” this spring. Mind you, this is on the heels of the certified blockbuster “Black Panther,” which has probably guaranteed itself at least two sequels in the coming years.
This week, new images from “Infinity War” has got the internet all hyped up. We see a mesh of superheroes from all the big films, Iron Man, Captain America, T’Challa and some of Wakanda’s finest. And to think, it was mostly filmed and pre-produced right here in metro Atlanta.
In large part because of Marvel, but even before it hit its stride, Atlanta was becoming a movie and entertainment mecca. But with the Avengers, it has just recently been gilded as such.
With Avengers, Marvel has found a way to tap into our inner child. Even though the movies are coming out every year, they all seem fresh and new somehow. This time, the film’s writers have promised that their will be some on-screen deaths, the biggest hint yet that we will lose a superhero.
“It’s safe to say we will say farewell to people,” co-writer Steven McFeely confirmed to Entertainment Weekly.
Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios told EW that “Infinity War” and its follow-up film, which was shot at the same time, will end with a bang unlike anything in moviedom.
“The notion of an ending, the notion of a finale, became very intriguing to us, in large part because you don’t see it that often in this particular genre,” he was quoted as saying.
But still, don’t expect the films to stop coming. Disney has already scheduled at least 10 more films in the pike. And that means more production work in Atlanta.
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One week after Georgia lawmakers removed a crucial tax break for Delta Airlines, Facebook announced that it is coming to the Peach State. Wednesday’s announcement was confirmed by Gov. Nathan Deal.
Facebook will build a $750 million data center in Newton County, about 45 miles (east of downtown Atlanta. The Menlo Park, California-based company has been added to its data capabilities with a string of data centers around the nation.
The data center, which will be located in Stanton Springs, is expected to bring about 100 jobs to Newton by the time in opens in 2020. The company says the campus will be 100 percent renewable energy.
“Georgia’s business-friendly climate and world-class technological infrastructure continue to attract innovative companies like Facebook,” said Deal. “It is fitting that the No. 1 company in the world in terms of active users has chosen the No. 1 state for business for this project. We appreciate Facebook’s leadership for recognizing Georgia as a state that serves not only as a major hub for general business, but also as a place where tech firms can be successful in the future. This project represents a significant investment and will create meaningful opportunities for the surrounding community. We welcome Facebook to Georgia and look forward to the growth of this partnership.”
About $2.5 billion will be invested in infrastructure improvements and equipment through 2029, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, which first reported the story.
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CWL Atlanta was supposed to bring together the biggest and brightest stars to compete head to head in one of the most popular games out there.
But controversy has struck before the games have even begun.
Doug Censor Martin tweeted Wednesday night that he was no longer aligned with Blazt. it is unclear what the spat is about.
“I will NOT be attending CWL Atlanta,” Martin tweeted. “Blazt left our team last minute to join eRa which put us in a terrible position. I would personally like to thank Most Wanted for everything they’ve done for us. Moving forward I am a F/A for all events.”
I will NOT be attending CWL Atlanta.
Blazt left our team last minute to join eRa which put us in a terrible position.
I would personally like to thank Most Wanted for everything they've done for us.Moving forward I am a F/A for all events.
— Doug Censor Martin (@FaZe_Censor) March 8, 2018
CWL Atlanta is March 9 -11, 2018. More than 160 teams are headed to Atlanta to play “Call of Duty” over the the $200,000 prize pool.
GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER, HALL B5
285 ANDREW YOUNG INTERNATIONAL BLVD NW, ATLANTA, GA 30313
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Atlanta has been chosen as one of two launch cities for a new barbershop media network.
Now, you may be wondering what is a barbershop media network? Well, the company, which is run by CEO Euan Davis, believes that much of a community’s events and entertainment comes from or through the barbershop.
The BarberTime Media Network, Inc (BarberTime) aims to be a dynamic new digital advertising and streaming media tool as well. Every participating barbershop or beauty salon gets their own network channel, widening their reach in the online community.
“The barbershop is the original soclal media,” Davis said in a presentation posted online.
Companies that participate can expect to be branded via advertising and informational content through the city’s networks of barbershops and beauty salons, via online and in-shop, touch screen monitors.
Along with Atlanta, the Washington, D.C. area has been chosen as a launch city as well. The network has partnered with Microsoft to help ensure its success.
The network looks to leverage local businesses with ad partners, discounted deals and other forms of income to create monetary benefits for the barbershop and salon owners.
Eliza Mulcahy, Community Development Specialist for Microsoft, was quoted as saying, “This sector’s strength is attributed to the fact that most people come together where there is a purpose, and they feel their voice is heard. In the hair and beauty industries across the country, these businesses are thriving and working on behalf of their communities to make things better.”
“We believe our media platform will change how business is done. The BarberTime Media Network merges information, commerce, and entertainment — everything on a touch-screen streaming live right in your shop,” said Davis.
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“Stranger Things” was renewed for a third season by Netflix in December and since then producers have been scouting locations for pre-production. Expect some casting calls to pop up in the coming weeks as the hit show’s third season begins shooting.
The fantasy thriller will begin filming around the city in April and conclude in September, according to news reports. Some new faces are also joining the fold.
Maya Thurman-Hawke, the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, will make her debut in season 3. Also, Atlanta actress Priah Ferguson will play a bigger role as Erica, Lucas’ little sister.
Maya’s character will be “equal parts sharp and playful. Bored with her mundane day job, she just wants a little excitement in her life,” according to Deadline.
The show is about the search for a missing boy, but also takes some terrifying, supernatural and other-worldly turns.
“Stranger Things” is a nostalgic look at a small town called Hawkins, Indiana. The time is 1983. As townspeople search for a missing boy, they are drawn “into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl,” the series promotional summary says.
Stay with AtlantaFi for more news on all things “Stranger Things.”
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On the heels of a report that said Atlanta’s traffic congestion was the 8th-worst on the planet, a group of state leaders have devised a radical plan to solve much of the traffic woes in the city and suburban areas.
Georgia transportation officials are floating a plan to build a nearly 40-mile truck-only highway from Macon to Atlanta. The proposal would cost $1.8 billion and meet a number of the region’s development linchpins such as easing commuter traffic and improving safety.
The plan, reported by NPR, is not a new idea: Several states have dedicated highways and lanes to trucks, but the Georgia one would be the largest.
Georgia and metro Atlanta officials are also in talks to bring a light-rail system to the region. The success of light rail in some international cities has piqued the interest of transportation officials, especially those in Atlanta.
The truck-only highway is not without its scrutiny though. There are those that oppose any such plans on its face.
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Atlanta has made another top 10 list, but this time it’s a dubious one. The city has the eighth-worst traffic in the world, according to a recent study.
The findings, published in February by Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, show that that ATL commute is just as bad as you thought it was.
The rankings have some economic ramifications as well: Because of the congestion, the city lost $7.1 billion or an average of $2,212 per motorist.
If there’s any consolation, it’s that ATL is only the fourth worse in the United States. Gridlock in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco was rated worse.
So why is ATL traffic so bad? There are many reasons, but one of them is that some say the city is in a virtual no-man’s land with no natural way out.
Tom Weyandt, ex-Mayor Kasim Reed’s former transportation adviser, told WABE this:
“There’s no mountain chain; there’s no desert; there’s no water – we’re here because of the railroads. The railroads came together right in downtown. The zero mile post is in Underground Atlanta. And the city grew out along the railroads. That’s why we have these eccentric five-point intersections in many different places in the downtown area.”
Another reason is urban sprawl, which Atlanta has become a poster child case. And it has been called “a strip mall in a forest,” which means that it has long catered to parking rather than getting around.
Why do YOU think traffic is so bad in Atlanta? Let us know in the comments.
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If it’s one thing we’ve learned here in Atlanta, it’s that Adult Swim knows how to throw a party. That being said, it’s with particular delight that their newest bash is for metal heads.
“Adult Swim Presents: M r. Pickles Thrash-tacular Metal Tour” is heading our way. It features two of the best indie metal groups around, Exodus Attack and Municipal Waste.
Here are some of the deets, according to a Facebook post from Municipal Waste:
Adult Swim is moshing its way around the country with an immersive, fan-centric 13-city metal “thrash-tastic” tour featuring Exodus and Municipal Waste in support of the new season of its animated series Mr. Pickles. Along with enjoying face melting guitar riffs, fans attending the Thrash-tacular Metal Tour can take photos in the Mr. Pickles hellacious dog house, purchase exclusive Mr. Pickles merchandise and receive free Adult Swim swag. The new music tour continues Adult Swim’s commitment to bringing vibrant and impactful experiences directly to its fans. The onslaught of sound begins Thursday, February 22nd in Seattle, Washington.
Blabbermouth.net (Official) pre-sale tickets are now available for purchase from now until 10pm (local time) tonight, January 11th, using the code: Pickles666
General admission tickets will be available for purchase starting Friday, January 12th at 10am (local time). For more information on the tour, how to get tickets and schedule, please visit www.adultswimpresents.com.
Confirmed dates for Mr. Pickles Thrash-tacular featuring Exodus and Municipal Waste are:
2/22/2018 Neumos – Seattle, WA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesNeumos2/23/2018 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesHawthorne2/25/2018 The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesRegency2/26/2018 House of Blues Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesHOBAnaheim2/27/2018 House of Blues San Diego – San Diego, CA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesHOBSanDiego3/01/2018 Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesMetroMH3/02/2018 The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesSummitMH3/04/2018 Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesBottomLounge3/06/2018 Rock & Roll Hotel DC – Washington, D.C.
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesRockandRollHotel3/07/2018 Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesIrvingPlaza3/08/2018 Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesTLA3/09/2018 The National – Richmond, VA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesTheNational3/10/2018 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesMasqueradeExodus’ Gary Holt states, “Super excited to hit the road again with our good bros in Municipal Waste for the Adult Swim’s Mr. Pickles Thrash-tacular tour! This will be a thrash extravaganza at its finest!!!! Can’t wait!”
The original architects of the thrash metal scene, Exodus has battled every kind of adversity over the past 30 years and used it all as fuel to stoke their ever-raging fire. With “Blood In Blood Out”, Exodus’ tenth full-length studio album of new material prove they still have the fortitude, chops, and talent to deliver top-notch, ballad-free tunes that stand out without straying from the band’s core aesthetic. Watch the music video for “Blood In Blood Out” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c69S3pD8qI
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The future is bright for Janelle Monae, the Kansas City-born part cyborg, part human siren of a woman.
After three studio albums and a handful of EPs, some big screen praise and newfound Hollywood clout at her command, the 31-year-old is on the cusp of being a megastar. It comes just in time too. Monae’s new musical project, Dirty Computer. Is about to change the game.
The album’s first two singles, “Django Jane” and “Make Me Feel,” have fans in a frenzy for the full project, which is set to be released on April 27, 2018. For those of us who’ve been checking for Monae for minute, her first EP, “Metropolis: A Suite (The Chase),” showed that she has long been married to afrofuturism.
But the record-buying public, especially her audience, was not ready. Even with 2010’s “The ArchAndroid,” there was the sense that the imagination of music lovers hadn’t quite evolved for what Monae was doing.
But with “Electric Lady” in 2015, her vision — along with the audience’s resistance — began to meld. So here we are in 2018, about to enjoy some legendary joints.
She recently hosted a fierce power brunch for her grassroots organization Fem the Future, which featured a who’s who from the entertainment industry. Stars like “Black Panther’s” Danai Gurira and Tessa Thompson served looks and drank mimosas.
https://twitter.com/tessthompsonorg/status/969716507973488640
For those not invited to the VIP soiree, Monae streamed part of it on Instagram Live, giving her fans a dose of hopeful wokeness in these troubling times.
Monae’s unique brand of afrofuturism, R&B and pop interwoven with social commentary puts her on the vanguard not only in music, but in entertainment as a whole.
Afrofuturism has come a long way since being popularized by author Octavia E. Butler. widely regarded as the fairy godmother of sci-fi literature. But in music, acts like Sun Ra and George Clinton infused funk and Africa’s tribal beats to pop culture.
Still, none of them had the technology to see their visions come to fruition — but Monae is living it.
After starturns in Oscar-winning films like “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures,” the sky seems like the limit for Monae. She is, by every definition, winning.
As for the music, Monae is now more confident in her sonic space than ever before, in large part to her fallen mentor, Prince.
“It’s difficult for me to even speak about this because Prince was helping me with the album, before he passed on to another frequency,” she told The Guardian in February.
She said that the Purple One helped her to shed any inhibitions that crimped her creativity — and for that, she is forever grateful. “I wouldn’t be as comfortable with who I am if it had not been for Prince. I mean, my label Wondaland would not exist without Paisley Park coming before us.”
The city of Atlanta figures prominently in Monae’s life, especially in developing her into the woman she is.
“Atlanta is home to me,” she told Atlanta Magazine last year. “I’m originally from Kansas, and I like to say that Kansas raised me but Atlanta turned me into a young woman. This is where I started my career. This is where my roots are as an artist.”
And this is also where her future — an afrofuture — is as well.
Listen to #DjangoJane & #MakeMeFeel on @applemusic! #WondalandRecordshttps://JanelleMonae.lnk.to/dirtycomputer/applemusic