Thousands of football fans with Super Bowl tickets are converging on Atlanta, where two families are mourning young black men who were killed in separate police shootings this month, both believed to be unarmed, NBC News reported. Jimmy Atchison, a 21-year-old father of two, was shot last week after leading police and federal agents executing a warrant on a foot chase. His aunt, Tammie Featherstone, said police put the case “on the back burner because of the Super Bowl,” though an Atlanta police spokesman said the shooting is still being investigated. A week before, 18-year-old D’ettrick Griffin was shot while stealing a car at a gas station. It belonged to an off-duty officer. A coalition of civil rights groups has planned a Saturday rally near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played, to highlight Georgia’s continuing struggles with policing.
Pope Francis has blown out his birthday candle on an extra-long pizza at the Vatican to the delight of children.
Francis, who turned 81 on Sunday, then told the children, who use a Vatican health service, to "eat all four meters (13 feet)" saying it will make them grow.
Later, thousands of children in St. Peter's Square shouted birthday wishes to Francis. He replied from his window overlooking the square: "Thanks a lot, thanks a lot." His birthday coincided with his weekly Sunday appearance to faithful.
Pizza for parties in Italy is often baked in long form, instead of round pies, which are meant instead for individual portions. At the Vatican, rectangular-shaped pieces of pizza were stretched end-to-end on a table and a tall, white candle stuck in the middle.
