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Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become the Atlantic season’s first hurricane before making landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday, and forecasters say Georgia will feel the effects mainly as heavy rain, gusty winds and a tornado risk.
As of a 1 p.m. CDT intermediate advisory Wednesday, Isaias was centered about 520 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and a central pressure of 997 millibars.
The storm was moving east-northeast at 8 mph. The National Hurricane Center said it should strengthen into a hurricane Thursday and approach the coast Friday.
How Will Tropical Storm Isaias Affect Georgia?
Hurricane and storm-surge watches are already in effect from the Mississippi coast through the Florida Panhandle. No tropical watches or warnings were in effect for Georgia Wednesday evening.
On the current forecast track, the center is expected to come ashore near the Alabama–Florida border region and then move north through Alabama. High pressure to the northeast should help keep the core west of Georgia, leaving the state on the eastern side of the circulation — the side that typically sees the heavier rain and the greater chance of spin-up tornadoes.
Rain is the main concern for the state. Showers are forecast to reach south and west Georgia Friday night and spread north, with the heaviest rain Saturday into early Sunday. The hurricane center is calling for 1 to 3 inches across much of the Southeast, with localized totals up to 5 inches.
The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City said there is roughly a 70 percent chance of at least an inch of rain over nearly all of north and central Georgia. Street and poor-drainage flooding is possible, especially in metro Atlanta and along western and northern slopes. A slower or farther-east track would raise the flash-flood and river-flood risk.
Winds are expected to build Friday night. Sustained winds of 10 to 20 mph are forecast Saturday, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph, strongest across north and west Georgia. Scattered tree and power-line damage is possible; widespread hurricane-force winds are not expected inland.
Tornadoes are a secondary threat in outer rainbands, highest late Saturday into early Sunday. Any tornadoes would tend to be brief and embedded in heavier rain.
Coastal southeast Georgia is well east of the expected landfall. Direct storm surge is not the primary issue there, but elevated tides and heavy rain could produce minor coastal and urban flooding around Savannah and the barrier islands, especially near the weekend high tides. Rip currents are expected to increase as swells arrive late in the week.
For north Georgia, impacts should begin Friday night, peak Saturday and ease by Sunday afternoon or evening. Middle and southwest Georgia would see rain and wind somewhat earlier.
Wednesday and Thursday are expected to stay dry and warm ahead of the storm, with highs in the low to mid-80s. Forecasters cautioned that the exact landfall location, the storm’s strength at the coast and its speed inland can still change over the next 48 hours. A shift east would increase wind and tornado risk in Georgia; a shift west would reduce it.
Travelers heading to Saturday’s Georgia–Alabama game in Tuscaloosa could also run into heavy rain and severe weather. University officials said they were monitoring the forecast and had no plans Wednesday to alter the game.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it is aware of and closely monitoring reports of a suspected case of pneumonic plague in Russia’s Irkutsk region that resulted in a death, while stressing that the circumstances remain unconfirmed and that there is no indication of a broader threat to the United States.
Atlanta-Based CDC Responds to Plague in Russia
In a statement, the Atlanta-based agency said it is working across the U.S. government to assess developments as additional information becomes available. “While the circumstances of this reported case remain unconfirmed, plague is a serious bacterial disease that is treatable with antibiotics, particularly when recognized and treated early,” the CDC said. It noted that pneumonic plague can spread person-to-person through respiratory droplets during close contact, making rapid identification, treatment of infected individuals, and monitoring of potentially exposed people important public health measures. “At this time, there is no indication of a broader threat to the United States, but CDC and our interagency partners are prepared and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
The statement follows the death last week of a 28-year-old laboratory worker at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, identified in Russian media as Darya Shipilova.
She was hospitalized in late September in the town of Shelekhov, near Irkutsk in southeastern Siberia, and died around October 1–2 after developing severe pneumonia. The institute studies dangerous pathogens, including the bacterium that causes plague, in a region where the disease occurs naturally in wild rodents.
Russian health authorities have not confirmed plague as the cause of death. Rospotrebnadzor, the country’s consumer and health watchdog, has described the illness as pneumonia of unknown etiology and said extensive testing found no microorganisms linked to the worker’s professional duties in her samples.
Officials have also denied reports of a laboratory accident involving pathogenic material and said no infectious diseases of concern had been reported among institute staff in the days surrounding the death. Contacts—reported in some accounts to number around 200—were placed under medical observation or quarantine as a precaution; local officials later said a substantial share had been released after testing and monitoring showed no signs of related illness.
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that Russian authorities told it no case of plague had been recorded in the city of Irkutsk, that contacts had been identified, and that tests for dangerous pathogens among them were negative. A WHO spokesperson assessed the risk as moderate to low for Irkutsk, low for Russia overall, and very low for the WHO European region, adding that none of the monitored contacts had shown symptoms of illness.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Iceland, urged Russia to share more information so that other countries could respond appropriately, while noting that speculation would be premature given limited details. President Donald Trump has also publicly offered U.S. assistance.
Unconfirmed accounts circulating in Russian media and on social media have suggested possible explanations ranging from a broken test tube containing live bacteria to recent travel, but authorities and independent reporting have not substantiated those claims.
Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, remains endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, including the western United States, where a small number of human cases occur each year, mostly bubonic and linked to rodent fleas. The pneumonic form is less common but more readily transmissible between people in close contact; early antibiotic treatment sharply reduces the risk of death.
U.S. officials have said they continue to track the situation through the CDC and other agencies. As of Tuesday, neither Russian authorities nor the WHO had reported additional confirmed cases or evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission.
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LOS ANGELES — Michael Harris II turned a bullpen game into a series-altering night, and the Atlanta Braves left Dodger Stadium with the split they came for.
Harris tripled and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, then added an insurance RBI double, as Atlanta beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Sunday night to even the National League Division Series at one game apiece. The Dodgers had taken Game 1, 5-3, and were chasing a third straight World Series title. Instead they head to Truist Park with the series tied.
Braves Even Dodgers Series 1-1
“Getting the split in this place against these guys, yeah, it’s awesome,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said.
Both teams combined for only six hits. The difference was how Atlanta manufactured its three runs and how its patchwork staff kept Shohei Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers lineup from doing more.
Early lead, early trouble for Snell
The Braves struck in the first against Blake Snell. Ronald Acuña Jr. singled with one out, stole second, and eventually scored when Mauricio Dubón beat out a two-out, bases-loaded infield single. Mookie Betts made a diving stop, but his throw was wide and Acuña came home. Atlanta left the bases loaded, but the early run was enough to chase the left-hander from a clean start.
Snell lasted only 3⅔ innings — his shortest postseason outing since 2022 with San Diego — allowing one run on three hits, walking five, and striking out five while throwing 90 pitches.
Freeman ties it, Harris takes it back
Freddie Freeman, facing his former club in the postseason for the first time, tied the game with a solo home run to right in the fourth off Grant Holmes. It was Freeman’s seventh homer against Atlanta since he left after the 2021 season.
Atlanta answered immediately. With two outs in the fifth, Harris lined a triple into the left-field corner past Teoscar Hernández — his first triple in the postseason — off reliever Kris Bubic. Bubic then uncorked a wild pitch that got past Will Smith, and Harris scored standing up to make it 2-1.
Harris made it 3-1 in the seventh with a two-out RBI double to right against Edgardo Henriquez, scoring Matt Olson. He finished 3-for-5, a single short of the cycle, with a run and an RBI.
A bullpen plan that held
Atlanta opened with Ray Kerr, who was working on short rest after 47 pitches as the opener in the Wild Card Series clincher against the Phillies. Kerr threw 2⅔ scoreless innings and retired Ohtani twice. Holmes, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, Didier Fuentes, and Raisel Iglesias followed.
Suarez escaped a fifth-inning jam by retiring the heart of the Dodgers order with two on and nobody out. Fuentes, the 21-year-old, worked deep into the night and was one out from finishing the game when Max Muncy homered to right-center on a 3-2 fastball in the ninth, cutting the lead to 3-2. Weiss went to Iglesias for the final out. The closer got pinch-hitter Josue De Paula to foul out to third for his second save of the postseason.
The six Atlanta arms combined to allow two runs on six hits, with three walks and nine strikeouts. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pointed to chase swings outside the zone as a reason the lineup never fully squared the ball up.
What comes next
The series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Tuesday at Truist Park, with Chris Sale lined up after being held back on Sunday. Tyler Mahle is expected to start Game 4 on Wednesday. A decisive Game 5, if necessary, would return to Dodger Stadium on Friday.
For one night in Los Angeles, the lower-seeded Braves matched the Dodgers pitch for pitch, and Harris made the plays that sent the series home even.
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Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation is asking neighbors to come back to the table. In a recent Instagram post, the department announced a public meeting on Thursday, October 15, at the Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center to revisit ideas, thoughts, and visions for the Grant Park Food & Beverage space.
“They need to do something,” said Emma Payne, a longtime Grant Park resident, who rents a home on Boulevard.
The space in question is the striking, roughly 7,000-square-foot Grant Park Gateway building at the edge of the city’s oldest park, next to Zoo Atlanta. Finished around the start of the pandemic and officially opened in January 2021 as part of a $48 million project that replaced a parking lot with a park-topped garage, the building has sat empty for about six years.
Atlanta Parks and Rec invites residents to shape the future of Grant Park’s long-empty Gateway food-and-beverage space
Previous tenant efforts—including a 2024 selection of Savi Provisions that later fell through—have not produced an operator. City procurement recently began another push under the name “Grant Park Gateway Rooftop Food and Beverage Commercial Enterprise.”
A Grant Park Neighborhood Association survey earlier this year collected hundreds of responses. Popular concepts included an all-day café, a family bistro with lawn access, and a micro food hall with shared seating. Residents also repeatedly asked for clean public restrooms and programmed uses such as events and wellness gatherings.
Comments on the Parks and Rec post echoed that mix: some called for a skate-friendly plaza that reflects local roller-skating culture, others suggested seasonal drinks like shaved ice, and several expressed frustration that the building has remained vacant for so long. One commenter wrote that the city should “get it together” after years of planning conversations without an occupant.
The October 15 session is framed as a chance to revisit those earlier ideas rather than start from scratch. Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center has hosted other community conversations about southeast Atlanta issues, making it a familiar venue for neighbors who want the Gateway to finally serve residents, zoo visitors, and people using the adjacent greenspace.
The Gateway’s location is both an asset and a source of pressure. It sits at a high-visibility entrance to Grant Park with downtown views from its patio, and the surrounding lawn already draws picnickers, skaters, and families heading to the zoo. Filling the building with a food-and-beverage use that also functions as a community “third space” has been a consistent neighborhood request. Whether that takes the form of a café, food hall, market, or some hybrid remains the question the city is putting back to the public.
Residents who want a say can attend the October 15 meeting at Georgia Hill Neighborhood Center. The department has not published a start time in the Instagram announcement; checking the official Parks and Rec channels closer to the date is advisable. After years of empty storefronts and stalled RFPs, the next chapter of the Gateway will depend in part on how clearly Atlanta answers the invitation: What should this space actually be?
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and his wife, Olivia Penix, have shared that they are expecting their first child.
On October 3, 2026, Olivia posted an Instagram Reel to her account with the caption “upgraded to mom and dad.” The short video shows the couple in a bright home interior.
Fans of the couple were stoked. “Wow, to announce this right before the Saints game, this is big,” John Coleman said. “They’re going robe playing for something too now.”
Michael Penix Jr., Wife Olivia Expecting Child
Olivia, visibly pregnant, wears a flowing white off-the-shoulder dress. Penix stands behind her in a white T-shirt, arms wrapped around her as both rest their hands on her belly. The setting features arched glass doors, light walls, and wood floors. Comments under the post are filled with congratulations and well-wishes.
The announcement arrives only months after the couple’s wedding. They married on May 2, 2026, at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort outside Atlanta in a ceremony attended by several Falcons teammates, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. Olivia shared wedding photos and video in the following weeks, captioning one post “till death do us part.”
Olivia (née Carter) grew up in Kent, Washington, and played Division I soccer at the University of Nevada. She and Penix met while he was the quarterback at the University of Washington; their relationship became public in late 2023. They announced their engagement on December 29, 2024. Penix, selected eighth overall by the Falcons in the 2024 NFL Draft, spent much of the 2025 season recovering from an ACL injury before returning to the field in 2026.
The Reel marks the latest public milestone for the couple, who have documented their engagement, wedding, and now the start of parenthood largely through Olivia’s social media. No due date or further details have been shared.
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On Saturday, October 3, 2026, runners and walkers gathered at the Impact Event Center in East Point for the ninth edition of The Race Half Marathon & 5K, a weekend built around Black excellence, culture, and community.
”This race is for a good cause,” said Anthony Mack, a neighbor on Sylvan Road who observed the race early Saturday. “I don’t mind when they make a lot of noise, for something like this.”
The half marathon started at 7:00 a.m. EDT and the 5K at 7:15 a.m. EDT from Impact Church / Impact Event Center at 2323 Sylvan Rd, Atlanta, GA 30344. Organizers describe the event as one of the largest half-marathon weekends supported by Black runners and walkers.
The Race Half Marathon & 5K: What To KnowThis year’s theme, “ROOTED,” centers the weekend on community, culture, and purpose after a foundation built since the inaugural race in 2018.
A race created for the culture
The Race was founded by Atlanta race director Tes Sobomehin Marshall after a 2017 appearance on the Real Runners of Atlanta podcast raised the idea of an event designed with Black runners in mind. Marshall, who launched Running Nerds in 2012 and had already directed other local races, organized the first edition in October 2018 with support from a Kickstarter that raised more than $73,000 and backing from groups such as Black Girls Run, Black Men Run, and South Fulton Running Partners.
The result is a “for us, by us” weekend that still welcomes participants of all backgrounds and paces. Registration includes a participant shirt, medallion, commemorative bib, and patch, plus a contribution to The Race Charitable Impact Fund, which supports partners focused on health, wellness, and access in Black and underserved communities. Virtual half-marathon and 5K options let people complete the distance on their own between October 2 and 31.
Course through south and west Atlanta neighborhoods
Unlike many Atlanta races that stay downtown, in Midtown, or in Buckhead, The Race routes runners through predominantly Black south and west side neighborhoods. The half-marathon course, which is USATF-certified and an AJC Peachtree Road Race qualifier, passes through East Point, Sylvan Hills, Adair Park, Castleberry Hill, the Atlanta University Center, West End, Westview, Oakland City, and Capitol View.
Start waves are self-seeded by estimated finish time. For the half marathon: Red Wave (under 2:15) at 7:00 a.m., Black Wave (2:15–2:45) at 7:03 a.m., and Green Wave (2:45–3:30) at 7:06 a.m. The 5K follows at 7:15 a.m. (under 25 minutes), 7:18 a.m. (25–40 minutes), and 7:21 a.m. (40–60+ minutes, walkers, and strollers), with the start line closing at 7:25 a.m. The 5K course remains open for 1.5 hours.
Full weekend around the Saturday start
The 2026 schedule stretches across four days at and around the Impact Event Center:
- Thursday, October 1: Welcome Day & Night
- Friday, October 2: Expo, packet pickup, meet-and-greet, and speaker series (11 a.m.–7 p.m.)
- Saturday, October 3: Half marathon and 5K (roughly 7 a.m.–11 a.m.)
- Sunday, October 4: Community Impact Service Day projects plus The Race Day Party
Parking is available in the Impact Event Center lot with overflow nearby; organizers strongly encourage carpooling and rideshares, and note that drop-offs become difficult after 6:00 a.m. (suggested rideshare address: 2330 Sylvan Rd, East Point).
By race morning, the in-person fields were essentially full, continuing the event’s growth from its early years into a multi-day gathering that pairs timed road racing with expo energy, neighborhood visibility, and direct community service. More details remain at theraceuc.com.
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Haitian-American actor Da’Vinchi is drawing criticism for characterizing Americans as lazy and incompetent. The conversation appeared in the Atlanta studios of 4th&1, a podcast from former NFL great Cam Newton.
Online reactions have linked the remarks to reasons why there’s steady growth of Foundational Black American (FBA) identity online.
”Da’Vinchi needs to chill,” said fan Tyrone wells, who we interviewed outside a barbershop downtown. “If he’s claiming to be Haitian and saying this, it’s problematic.”
Da’Vinchi (born Abraham D. Juste in Brooklyn) is known for playing Darnell Hayes on The CW’s All American and Terry Flenory on the Starz series BMF.
In footage shared this week—appearing alongside discussion of the cancellation of BMF and drawn from a conversation involving Newton—he described Americans as remaining dependent far longer than people elsewhere. He said he could fully take care of himself by age eight, while “in America, no shade to you guys, you’re just incompetent for a really long time,” and tied the pattern to an efficiency culture that leaves people unable to handle basic tasks.
Separate circulating clips and commentary attributed to him claims that Black Americans lack a distinct culture and that actors from overseas are often more focused on the work than on celebrity.
The fact that Da’Vinchi is a Haitian-American actor is leading many online to comment that Black Americans are routinely stereotyped by others in the diaspora while being criticized for pushing back, and noted that BMF casting had drawn on the real-life son of a convicted drug trafficker rather than a seasoned actor.
Other users labeled Da’Vinchi a “tether” (a term some FBA accounts use for non-U.S.-lineage Black people) and told him to direct his energy toward Haiti.
FBA, short for Foundational Black Americans, is an online identity claimed by some descendants of U.S. chattel slavery. Advocates emphasize lineage-specific claims around culture, reparations, and political priority, and they frequently distinguish themselves from more recent African and Caribbean immigrants.
Critics inside and outside Black online spaces call the posture divisive or exclusionary. The Da’Vinchi clips were treated by some posters as fresh evidence for the former view: remarks from a Haitian-American performer whose prominent roles have involved portraying Black American characters.
The exchange sits inside a recurring pattern. Comments that generalize about Black American work ethic, family structure, or culture—often from first- or second-generation immigrants—regularly produce spikes in FBA-aligned posting.
Da’Vinchi has not publicly replied in the posts reviewed; the clips continue to circulate under captions that frame them as explanation for why lineage-based distinctions keep gaining traction online.
Newton’s “4th&1” (also styled 4th & 1) podcast is primarily filmed at his production studio in South Fulton, Georgia, in the metro Atlanta area.
The roughly 27,000-square-foot space, on about an acre and formerly a recording studio, houses his companies under one roof, including production outfit Iconic Saga. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting from May 2025 says the weekly sports show “4th&1 with Cam Newton” and his other filmed podcast, “Funky Friday,” are both produced there, along with content for his youth sports organization C1N.
Read more AtlantaFi.com stories:
All the wonderful things to do in Midtown Atlanta
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Netflix has renewed A Different World for a second season, sending the sequel series back to Hillman College less than two weeks after its debut.
The streamer announced the pickup on October 2, 2026.
”This is my favorite show,” Spelman College freshman Kim Jones says, who we interviewed near the campus. “You can feel the Span vibes in the series: which I love.”
Season 1 of the sequel series launched on September 24 and quickly reached Netflix’s English-language TV Top 10 worldwide, a result the producers credited to fans who watched, rewatched, posted, and hosted viewing events.
Netflix Renews A Different World for Season 2
The series is a sequel, not a straight reboot, of the NBC sitcom that ran from 1987 to 1993. It follows a new class of students at the fictional HBCU Hillman College, centered on Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the youngest child of original characters Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy return as Dwayne and Whitley, with Debbie Allen back as an executive producer and director after producing and directing large stretches of the original run. Felicia Pride created the sequel and serves as showrunner and executive producer.
The core student cast also includes Alijah Kai as Rashida Duvall, Cornell Young IV as Shaquille Johnson, Jordan Aaron Hall as Amir Rodale, Kennedi Reece as Hazel Henry, and Chibuikem Uche as Kojo Achebe. Returning original-series faces have included Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, Ajai Sanders, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Netflix’s official Season 2 logline sets the action after summer break: “After transformative summers, Deborah and her Hillman classmates return to campus for sophomore year with a ‘New Year, New Me’ attitude, only to find themselves faced with past decisions, uncertain futures, new loves and friendships, and deeper questions of purpose… all while, of course, getting themselves into a whole lot of new mess.”
Pride told Netflix’s Tudum that the writers will have to address Season 1’s cliffhangers, and she promised “more Hillman, more college life, more friendship, more romance, more Black joy, and more HBCU greatness.” In a statement reported by Variety, she said, “It’s so validating to be bolstered by our amazing audience. We are beyond excited to return to Hillman and continue to tell meaningful and heartfelt stories that resonate across generations.”
Allen’s reaction was characteristically direct: “YAY! HALLELUJAH! The people and Netflix have spoken. ‘A Different World’ brought something everybody needed: joy, romance, relevance, authenticity and HEART! Thank you for getting us into the Top 10 worldwide! And now, gear up! We’re coming back at you with Season 2!!”
Tracey Pakosta, Netflix’s vice president of comedy series, said the company believed in the team “from day one” and looked forward to “what unfolds next year at Hillman College,” according to TVLine. No release date has been set.
The original A Different World became one of the defining campus comedies of its era, often credited with raising the profile of historically Black colleges. The Netflix sequel has tried to keep that setting and the original’s mix of romance, friendship, and topical campus life while shifting the focus onto a younger generation whose parents include those earlier Hillman alumni. Variety’s review of Season 1 called the series “timely and fresh,” noting that it distinguished itself from the original while still paying homage to what made the earlier show iconic.
For now, sophomore year is ordered. Classes have not yet been scheduled.
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Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was named the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the league’s top individual defensive award.
Reese took 46 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams finished second with 20 votes.
Angel Reese named 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
Three-time winner A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces placed third with four, followed by Washington’s Shakira Austin (two) and one vote each for Golden State’s Veronica Burton and Dream teammate Rhyne Howard.
The honor arrived in her first season in Atlanta and her third in the league, one day after the Dream completed a first-round sweep of the Washington Mystics—their first playoff series win in eight years. Atlanta finished 30-14, tied the franchise record for wins, claimed the best record in the Eastern Conference, and earned the No. 4 seed. The Dream host the New York Liberty in the semifinals on Sunday.
Reese had telegraphed the award months earlier. “I told my coaches earlier in the season I am going to be the Defensive Player of the Year,” she told ESPN. “I don’t know if it’s going to be this year, I don’t know if it’s going to be next year, but I’m challenging myself, and I want you guys to challenge me every day to be that. And here it is.” In the team’s announcement she shared the credit: “I have the trophy, but I definitely want Jordin and Rhyne to sign it because I think they deserve it just as much as I do. I’m grateful for Atlanta, I’m grateful for my teammates and my coaches and all the supporting staff that supports us. This is just the beginning.”
The numbers backed the claim. Reese led the WNBA in defensive win shares (3.39) and ranked fourth in defensive rating (100.0). Atlanta allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with her on the floor than off it, the largest defensive on/off differential among Dream rotation players. The Dream ranked third in the league in defensive rating (103.5) and held opponents to a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.
She ranked third in steals per game (1.8) and total steals (77), both career highs, trailing only teammates Rhyne Howard (2.3) and Jordin Canada (1.9). She also finished third in defensive rebounds (315) and fourth in defensive rebounds per game (7.3). Dream coach Karl Smesko said Reese “can guard any position” and “relishes these opportunities.”
The defensive case was inseparable from a historic rebounding year. Reese became the first player in WNBA history to reach 500 rebounds in a season, finishing with single-season records of 521 total rebounds and 206 offensive rebounds. She also set the single-game record with 26 rebounds in a road win over the Los Angeles Sparks on August 24 and the single-season double-double record with 32. She led the league at 12.1 rebounds per game, averaged a career-high 16.4 points, and was one of only two players to average a double-double. She earned Peak Performer honors as the league’s leading rebounder, made her third consecutive All-Star team, and closed the regular season with three straight Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards—the first Dream player to do so.
It is also the first Defensive Player of the Year award for an Eastern Conference player since Sylvia Fowles with Chicago in 2013. Reese, 24, had never previously been named to an All-Defensive team or received a DPOY vote. The award carries a $30,000 prize and a commemorative trophy.
For Atlanta, the selection closes a first year that already rewrote franchise and league records. For Reese, it is the defensive recognition that her rebounding dominance had not yet produced—and, in her words, only the beginning.
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Rapper Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday and charged with felony battery by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence, according to police and court records.
Ross, 50, whose legal name is William Leonard Roberts, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in west Miami-Dade on Thursday morning. Jail records cited by local outlets put the booking at about 6:10 a.m.
Rick Ross Arrested on Domestic Violence
He appeared in Miami-Dade court later that morning with his attorney, who entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Bond was set at $6,000 total — $5,000 on the strangulation charge and $1,000 on the domestic-violence charge. An arraignment has been reported for Oct. 22.
Police said the alleged incident occurred on Aug. 28 at a home on Star Island, an exclusive Miami Beach neighborhood, and was reported to authorities days later. Ross turned himself in to Miami Beach police, according to multiple reports.
According to the arrest report as described by local media, the complainant told officers that Ross became enraged over an Instagram photo in which she was tagged. She said he slapped her in the face each time she denied wrongdoing, hit her, and struck her in the chest several times until she could not breathe. She also told police he grabbed her ponytail and slammed her head into the ground.
Other local reporting added further allegations from the police account: that Ross twisted the collar of her hoodie and restricted her breathing, slammed her against a wall, and left her with a busted lip. The Sun Sentinel reported that she was identified to police as his live-in girlfriend of more than a year, that she gave a sworn statement and showed photos of injuries, and that investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the residence. Authorities have not publicly released the complainant’s name in the primary arrest accounts.
In court, Ross’s attorney asked that his release be expedited, noting that he is a celebrity and was being held in a red jumpsuit for his safety. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer replied that she did not know who he was beyond the case before her and that he would be treated fairly, like everyone else.
The arrest came days after model and influencer Jazzma Kendrick, described in entertainment coverage as Ross’s former girlfriend, posted on Instagram that he had hit her and “busted” her lip, and that she had left him. Some outlets have noted the timing; police reports summarized so far do not publicly confirm that she is the complainant in the criminal case.
Ross rose to national prominence in 2006 with Port of Miami and the single “Hustlin’,” and is widely credited with helping put Miami back at the center of mainstream rap. Through his Maybach Music Group label he helped launch the careers of Meek Mill and Wale. He is a multiple Grammy nominee. His representatives had not issued a detailed public response in the earliest reports on the arrest.
The charges are allegations. Ross has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.
