Atlanta, GA
Atlanta’s driverless future is already here—and some riders prefer it
Courtesy Of Waymo and Uber
Because she’s legally blind and doesn’t drive, Lee Rogers has always used rideshare to navigate the city. A Candler Park resident, Rogers has been enjoying a new experience: being alone in the car, ferried to her destination by a driverless Waymo. The autonomous vehicles, which have been available through the Uber app since June 2025, cover about 65 square miles of intown Atlanta. Rogers has come to prefer Waymo to traditional rideshare options, citing benefits such as safety, cleaner cars, no small talk with a driver, and no tipping. She appreciates the solo ride—a first for her.
“I think a lot of people who drive are afraid of self-driving cars because they don’t have control,” Rogers says. “But I’ve never had control because I’m blind.”
Atlanta is among the first cities in the country to offer Waymo, along with San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix. Though the software company has its own app in certain markets, it’s been using Uber as a platform to introduce Atlantans to Waymo; an option in the app’s settings allows users to opt for the autonomous ride. Waymo’s Atlanta fleet consists of about 100 vehicles, and the company plans to add more over the next few years.
Courtesy Of Waymo and Uber
“Waymo chose Atlanta almost two years ago because of the rideshare demand,” says Ethan Teicher, a spokesperson for Waymo. Teicher says Miami is the company’s next target market, with launches in other major cities soon to follow.
Midtown resident Cator Sparks chose the Waymo option on Uber out of sheer curiosity. He’d been seeing the cars around town and was happy to discover they were clean and quiet. “I thought the Waymo was easy to operate,” he says. “I touched my phone to the door to unlock it and picked 1940s jazz out of the music options.”
Still, some experiences with autonomous vehicles have resulted in frustration, and Rogers and Sparks say there’s room for improvement. “Waymo didn’t register that it had new passengers,” Sparks says of one recent ride. “We had to call for support, step out of the car, and give it a minute. Meanwhile, it blocked other cars from entering the parking lot.”
Nationwide, Waymo cars and other autonomous vehicles have come under scrutiny for failing to adhere to road safety laws such as stopping for school buses; some state legislatures have considered tougher restrictions on driverless cars.
Rogers acknowledges that the driverless ride still isn’t perfect. “But if I have a choice between an Uber and a Waymo,” she says, “I’m taking a Waymo.”
This article appears in our February 2026 issue.
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Atlanta, GA
Firefighters battle blaze at Roswell apartment complex
ROSWELL, Ga. – Roswell firefighters and police officers responded to a massive apartment fire that broke out Thursday evening on Greenhouse Drive.
What we know:
According to the Roswell Fire Department, emergency crews responded to the blaze at the Enclave Apartments.
Officials say no one was injured.
Crews worked into the night to make sure all the hot spots were doused.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters are working with community partners to assist everyone affected by the blaze.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire to start. It is also unclear exactly how many residents have been displaced or how many units within the building were damaged by the flames.
What they’re saying:
Adnan, a resident at the complex, said he heard a “bang noise” around 6:45 p.m. “Around that time, I heard a bang noise. It was pretty loud. I didn’t I didn’t think it would be something like this. Maybe I felt like something actually blew up or something that really paid that much attention,” Adnan said.
He described the scene as he escaped his room: “Next thing I turn around, there’s a huge, huge fire on the roof. It started from the back side, and then it just spread so quick.” Adnan added that it looked like a “huge explosion” and praised the first responders, saying, “I just think that the firefighters did a great job putting it down. So I appreciate them”.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Roswell Fire Department, the Roswell Police Department, and an interview conducted by FOX 5 with a resident at the scene.
Atlanta, GA
Braves bring back powder blue with new Nike City Connect jerseys
The Atlanta Braves debuted their 2026 Nike City Connect jerseys Thursday during a launch party at Truist Park.
nspired by the 6 states of the South that make up the Braves fan base, the vibrant powder blue color and bold typography with retro script make these jerseys look incredible
Inspired by the six states of the South that make up the Braves fan base, the powder blue uniforms pay homage to the team’s 1980s SuperStation era while updating the look for today’s fans with bold typography with retro script.
“The fans’ reaction has been great,” said Insung Kim, VP creative director for the Braves. “When we first revealed the jerseys, the sentiment on social media has been like, ‘oh, finally, the Braves are bringing back the powder blue jersey. Those are my favorite jerseyes that I saw growing up,’ so we just love hearing that.”
The jersey features a brighter powder blue, red piping, an updated “Atlanta” script logo, a new “ATL” block letter sleeve patch, and a 3D “ATLANTA BRAVES” wordmark near the jocktag. Players helped select a v-neck style for comfort and performance. A matching powder blue cap completes the uniform.
The team will wear the special jerseys when they face the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park Friday, throughout the series and then every Saturday home game for the rest of the season.
Fans can purchase the entire City Connect collection, which includes jerseys, hats, jackets, and t-shirts, at the Braves Clubhouse Store, MLBShop.com, Nike.com, and other retail locations.
The Braves are also bringing City Connect to fans across the Southeast with the Out of the Park mobile shop, visiting Kroger and Harris Teeter locations in Georgia and South Carolina.
Atlanta, GA
Reynaldo Lopez’s Suspension Reduced By MLB After Angels-Braves Brawl with Jorge Soler on Video
Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López reached a settlement with Major League Baseball to have his seven-game suspension reduced to five games upon appeal, according to Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
López and Los Angeles Angeles outfielder Jorge Soler were initially given identical seven-game suspensions after fighting during Tuesday’s 7-2 Atlanta win.
Soler also appealed his suspension and appeared in Wednesday’s matchup between the teams, homering for a second straight game.
The outfielder felt it was “intentional” when López threw up and in during Soler’s fifth-inning at-bat. He had homered off López in his first at-bat and was hit by a pitch in his second time at the dish. Soler has also raked against López during his career, going 14-for-23 with five homers and three doubles in those matchups.
“Obviously, I have good numbers against him,” he told reporters. “After the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can’t miss like that.”
López denied trying to hit him.
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” he told reporters. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So again, it’s just a shame.”
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss backed up López’s remarks.
“I know it didn’t look good because of Soler’s numbers against Lopey, and he hit a homer, he hit him. It didn’t look good,” he said. “Lopey’s not throwing at him. I don’t allow our pitchers to throw at people just because they can’t get ’em out. Our job is to get ’em out. But I understand why Soler got angry. And he’s a really mild-mannered guy. So I think the switch flipped for him. … There was no intent there. I just think that Lopey’s just overthrowing, because he’s had a hard time getting him out. But he’s certainly not trying to hit him.”
L.A. manager Kurt Suzuki, meanwhile, backed up his player.
“I don’t blame Jorge one bit,” he said. “You get thrown at your head, you have a family, a career. It’s dangerous. I know it happens. But if you ask any hitter and a ball gets thrown near their head, especially after hitting a homer, it’s not good.”
It remains to be seen whether Soler will have his suspension reduced on appeal. As for López, he’ll be eligible to make his next start on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
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