Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Falcons bench Kirk Cousins, will go with Michael Penix ‘moving forward’
Eagles look like team to beat in NFC, Bills beat Lions in potential SB preview
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 15 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
There will be a new quarterback in Atlanta.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced rookie Michael Penix Jr. will be the starter for the team’s upcoming game against the New York Giants, with Kirk Cousins headed to the bench.
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said in a statement. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
The moves comes after a decline in Cousins’ play in recent weeks, particularly when it comes to turning the ball over. After Cousins guided Atlanta to a 6-3 start and an early lead in the NFC South, the Falcons dropped their next four games and lost control of the division. During the losing streak, Cousins threw eight interceptions and no touchdowns.
Cousins had a chance to change the narrative on Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, but the poor play continued. He finally threw a touchdown pass, but he only threw for 112 yards − just 28 in the second half − and an interception in a game where the offense looked largely problematic.
After the 15-9 win, Morris told reporters Cousins “got to play better.” When Morris spoke with the media on Tuesday, he was noncommittal on Cousins keeping the starting job before announcing the switch on Tuesday night.
“We just got back (from Las Vegas),” he said, per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “We still have to go through that process. All those things will happen over the course of the week. We didn’t play well enough at the quarterback position.”
The future now looks uncertain for the quarterback Atlanta signed this past offseason to a four-year, $180 million contract, which had a $50 million signing bonus and $100 million guaranteed. If Atlanta released Cousins, it would eat a dead cap hit of $65 million, per Over The Cap, and he’s also due a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 if he’s on roster through March 17. A trade would require another team willing to take on the contract, or Atlanta offering to pay for some of it.
Now, the quarterback drafted No. 8 overall in this year’s draft will get the chance to make his case to keep the job as Atlanta continues to challenge for the division title. The former Washington Huskies star that led the NCAA in passing yards in 2023 has played in just two games this season, in relief of Cousins in blowout losses. He is 3-for-5 with 38 yards.
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced that a major weekend construction project, set to fully shut down two miles of I-285, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Atlantans are relieved, with many looking forward to more freedom to travel this Mothers’ Day weekend. Kim Leoffler has the story.
ATLANTA – An Atlanta flight attendant and mother of eight is among 17,000 Spirit Airlines workers struggling to find a new “destination” after the carrier suddenly shut down.
Spirit Airlines Atlanta impact
What we know:
Spirit Airlines ended all operations on Saturday, grounding its entire fleet and ending employment for its 17,000-person workforce. Flight attendants and customers were stranded across the country, often forced to pay for their own travel home after the discount carrier ceased operations.
Kamille Carter, an Atlanta-based flight attendant of five years, said she received the termination email from the CEO at 3 a.m., despite earlier assurances from union representatives that the company was stable. The company immediately cut healthcare benefits and stopped payments for sick leave and vacation time for all staff members.
Unpaid wages and benefits
What we don’t know:
It is unclear if Carter and her fellow employees will ever receive their final paychecks or if there is any legal recourse for the lost benefits. The company has not specified if any transition assistance will be provided to workers, some of whom had been with the airline since it launched in 1994.
Employee reaction in Georgia
What they’re saying:
“This is a death because you have to mourn, you have to grieve, it’s a process,” Carter said of the sudden job loss. Despite the financial strain of supporting eight children, Carter is looking toward her passion for cooking as a potential new career. She noted that while being uncomfortable is difficult, it can “push you to your destiny.”
Finding help in Atlanta
What you can do:
Community members looking to support Carter and other local workers affected by the shutdown can find more information on the FOX 5 Atlanta website. The station is collecting resources for those navigating the sudden loss of income and healthcare.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview conducted by FOX 5 reporter Eric Perry, who spoke directly with former flight attendant Kamille Carter in Atlanta. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.
The search for missing 16-year-old Benjamin Braithwaite is over. Atlanta police announced just before midnight Thursday that he had been located, more than a week after he vanished from his Regency Trace home.
The department shared the update on social media but did not release additional details about where he was found or the circumstances surrounding his recovery.
Braithwaite had been missing since the night of April 27, when he was last seen around 9 p.m. at his home in Atlanta. His family said they had no contact with him during the entire time he was gone.
The disappearance of the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School sophomore and basketball team member had galvanized the Atlanta community. His family, teammates, Atlanta police officers and neighbors gathered at the school last week to raise awareness about his disappearance. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his mother works, joined the search effort — asking the public to watch for him at MARTA stops and fast food restaurants.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for credible information leading to his safe return.
“Even small details matter. Your awareness could make the difference,” the airport wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.
-
Movie Reviews11 minutes ago1986 Movie Reviews – Dangerously Close, Fire with Fire, Last Resort, and Short Circuit | The Nerdy
-
World23 minutes agoTop 50 English-language news sites in the world in April: Just three newsbrands grow traffic in past month
-
News29 minutes agoThe New Harvard Trend? Getting Punched in the Face.
-
Politics35 minutes agoWhich Trump Tariffs Are in Place, in the Works or Ruled Illegal
-
Business41 minutes agoChina’s Exports and Imports Set Records in April Amid High Energy Costs
-
Science47 minutes agoVideo: Pentagon Releases U.F.O. Files
-
Health53 minutes agoHantavirus Vaccines and Treatments Are in the Pipeline
-
Culture1 hour agoBook Review: ‘Selling Opportunity,’ by Mary Lisa Gavenas