Braves Open Playoffs Today

The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series at 2 p.m. today at Truist Park.

Ace pitcher Chris Sale will start for Atlanta, while Philadelphia’s pitching plans were unsettled after claiming the final wild card spot Sunday.

The series will continue with Game 2 at 2 p.m. Wednesday and, if necessary, Game 3 at 2 p.m. or 8 p.m. Thursday.

The Braves finished 94-68 and won their seventh NL East title in nine seasons, while Philadelphia went 88-74.

  Uninspected Meat Recalled

More than 167,000 pounds of raw pork, beef, and goat meat shipped through a Georgia distributor are being recalled nationwide over allegedly falsified USDA inspection labels.

The USDA says items bearing establishment number EST. 1363 were never federally inspected and should be thrown away or returned. No illnesses have been confirmed.

North Carolina-based Star Meat Delivery Inc. sent the products to Duluth-based A&D Foods, which distributed them to retail and restaurant locations across the country.

Star Meat disputes that the labels were fake, saying the number was reserved during its USDA application. Inspectors found the problem during routine checks.

Statewide Ballot Measures Await Voters

Georgia voters will decide three state constitutional amendments on Nov. 3, alongside races for governor, U.S. Senate, and other statewide offices.

One of the three ballot measures would double the acreage cap for conservation-use property tax breaks, allowing farm and timberland owners to enroll up to 4,000 acres.

Another would make probate judge elections nonpartisan, a change endorsed by nearly 70 leaders, including former Govs. Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal.

The third lets lawmakers dedicate money to a Next Generation 911 fund to modernize emergency systems so dispatchers can receive texts, photos, and video from callers.

A Note from Cole, CEO of The Flyover

Dear Reader,

Buried in the official editorial guidelines of one of the world’s largest news organizations—on the books for decades, published for anyone to read—is a remarkable sentence. It says the word terrorist “can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding.”

The written policy is that the plainest true word for an act of terror gets in the way of understanding it.

That’s not one outlet’s quirk. It’s mainstream media doctrine. And last month, you got to see where doctrine like that leads. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of September 11, reporters at another major news organization, a national public broadcaster, received a memo from the standards office: “Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks.”

The approved language for the deadliest terrorist attack in American history, in which nearly 3,000 people were murdered, was “hijackings that led to plane crashes.”

The memo leaked. Two days of daylight later, the broadcaster backed down. Sort of. They carved out an exception for 9/11, and only 9/11. The rule stands.

And their defense was telling. They didn’t argue that the rule is right. They argued that it’s the industry standard and that newsrooms everywhere follow the same practice.

The worst part is, they’re right. It is the standard. That’s the problem.

You know why we exist. The truth isn’t a barrier to understanding. It’s the only road there. The facts arrive the way we found them, in plain words, and you decide what they mean. That’s your job, and we’d never dream of doing it for you.

We call things what they are.

We keep the spin out and trust you with the facts.

And The Flyover stays free.

A terrorist attack is a terrorist attack. We’d print that sentence any day of the week. No memo required.

So today I’m asking: if news that calls things what they are is something you want to see thrive, will you stand behind it?

Support the news in plain words. Free, every morning.

Make a generous donation to support The Georgia Flyover.

Give $10
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Our promise: we answer to you.

Help us keep it.

— Cole
 CEO, The Flyover

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statewide: Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Georgia’s 33.3-cent gas tax again, this time through Oct. 29 as the statewide average price hit $4.19 per gallon. (More)

➤ Athens: A University of Georgia student was seriously injured Saturday night after falling from an eighth-floor window at the Rambler Athens apartment complex near campus, authorities said. (More)

➤ Chatham County: A sedan driver was hospitalized with potentially life-threatening injuries after colliding with a school bus carrying seven students Monday morning. Two students and a bus monitor were taken to the hospital for evaluation. (More)

➤ Houston County: Commissioners approved an agreement for a new $3 million park along Echeconnee Creek with trails and canoe and kayak access. (More)

➤ Augusta: A mobile artificial intelligence studio will bring hands-on robotics and advanced manufacturing for free public demonstrations on Oct. 8 at the Georgia Cyber Center. (More)

➤ Jekyll Island: A small plane crashed into the marsh off the island’s coast Sunday. The pilot survived and was checked out by paramedics at a nearby marina. (More)

➤ Macon: An investigation continued into a weekend shootout between two groups of young people that left a dozen teenagers wounded, five of whom remained hospitalized Monday. (More)

Enjoy reading The Georgia Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.✈️

➤ The Atlanta Falcons named Michael Penix Jr. the starting quarterback for next Monday night’s game at New Orleans after he returned from injury and helped deliver Atlanta’s first win last week, which also snapped Green Bay’s 13-game home-opener streak. (More)

➤ Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton leads the nation’s top-scoring offense as the Bulldogs are among five remaining unbeaten SEC teams alongside Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Mississippi State. (More)

➤ Seventy blind or visually impaired middle and high school athletes competed in Savannah this past weekend at the Georgia Blind Sports Association’s fourth annual goalball invitational. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | Soccer

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➤ Wayne County’s economy keeps growing on generations-old strengths, including abundant timber, a skilled manufacturing workforce, and strategic transportation connections. (More)

➤ Laredo Western Wear owner and founder Rosi Ramos says boots are her life as the Chamblee store celebrates 30 years of blending Mexican culture with cowboy apparel. (More)

➤ Metro Atlanta gas averaged $4.21 a gallon on Monday, up nearly 20 cents in a week. (More)

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➤ More than 200 patients received free dental care this past weekend at a Georgia Dental Association Mission of Mercy event held at Columbus Technical College. (More)

➤ A new scholarship at Georgia College & State University honors Harmony and Derrick Taylor, two Washington County children killed by Hurricane Helene. (More)

➤ The iconic Oktoberfest celebration in Helen will offer nighttime events from Thursday through Nov. 1 at the riverside Festhalle. (More)

➤ New video shows the journey of giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to Zoo Atlanta, where the pair begin about a month of quarantine before their public debut. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ Scientists ranked the seven pets linked to longer lives, and No. 1 isn’t a golden retriever. (Hear List)

➤ Every household in a Pennsylvania town was offered $10,000 by a data center developer, but residents are pushing back. (Hear Details)

➤ Experts say Spirit Halloween’s real estate strategy quietly signals something about the shopping centers it moves into. (Listen Now)

How familiar are you with what’s on the November ballot?

1. Very familiar
2. Somewhat
3. Not familiar

Yesterday’s Results:

How far will the Atlanta Braves go this postseason?

1. World Series: 37%
2. A round or two: 33%
3. Just happy they made it: 30%

What north Georgia lumber mill town gave itself a Bavarian Alpine makeover in 1969 and launched one of the nation’s longest-running Oktoberfests the following year?

Show me the answer