Juneteenth Monday
June 19 — Today is Juneteenth, which marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas were freed, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Banks, the post office, and many non-essential government offices will be closed in observance of the federal holiday. Brookhaven’s Juneteenth Celebration at Lynwood Park is this morning from 10-11:30 a.m.
🌧️ An 80% chance of thunderstorms and 82° today.
✅ As we enter the unpredictable summer weather season, Georgia Power has some tips on what to do in case of a power outage.
⚠️ Sandy Springs residents and businesses are under a boil water advisory as crews try to repair a possible breach in a transmission main interrupted water service in the city. Latest update here.
💰The Atlanta BeltLine has approved a $153.6 million budget for 2024 for trail construction, land acquisition, and affordable housing initiatives.
➡ And speaking of the BeltLine, don’t forget that a one-mile stretch of the Southside Trail closes today until 2025 as construction begins on the paved path.
🚑 Slow EMS response times from DeKalb County’s contracted ambulance service prompted Brookhaven officials to demand the county enforce performance standards or allow the city to establish its own emergency response.
🔎 Atlanta Police are investigating the case of a late-night jogger who says he was abducted from Glenwood Park, assaulted, robbed, and dumped in Buckhead.
📺 At the Southeastern Emmy Awards on Saturday, WABE’s “Love & Respect with Killer Mike” won for Interview / Discussion program, and 11Alive took top honors for Overall Excellence and News Excellence. Here’s a complete list of winners.
ON THE LINKS
⛳ Wyndham Clark won the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club by one stroke over Rory McIlroy.
🕖 Today’s newsletter is 4 stories.
• ‘Political Rewind’ canceled by GPB
• Chamblee’s new entertainment district
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
Have a good day,
Collin, Sammie, & Madison
🪩 Atlanta Contemporary is celebrating our 50th Anniversary on June 24 with ART PARTY – our annual fundraiser that supports daily free admission. The night will feature live musical performances, interactive installations in the galleries, delicious local food, curated cocktails, and more! Tickets are available here.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. GPB cancels ‘Political Rewind’
🎙️ Georgia Public Broadcasting has canceled “Political Rewind” and announced the departure of its host Bill Nigut after nearly a decade. GPB said in a Friday press release that the move was part of “multiple planned programming changes” as it refocuses on its core mission “to be a trusted public broadcaster sharing stories unique to Georgians and providing meaningful community engagement opportunities in cost-efficient ways.”
The daily “Political Rewind” show will air its final episode on GPB Radio on Fri., June 30.
The announcement reverberated across the state’s media and political worlds, with regular panelists assailing the decision as short-sighted, politically motivated, and one that will exacerbate news deserts across much of the state, especially in rural markets.
In sharply worded social media posts, the AJC’s Greg Bluestein and Tamar Hallerman praised Nigut’s mentorship as they criticized the decision by GPB. Emory University political scientist Andra Gillespie Tweeted that “This is a great loss that sadly, I believe is politically motivated and really shortsighted.”
The Peachtree tradition starts young
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA TRACK CLUB
🍑 Keep The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race tradition going and register your child for the Microsoft Peachtree Junior.
Held in Piedmont Park on July 2, this family fun event includes a timed mile, a 50M dash, and a Track & Field Zone. Once they have exercised their body, stop by the Microsoft tent to exercise their brain with special STEM activities designed just for kids.
Every participant receives a medal, an adidas T-shirt, and a race day snack.
🏃🏽 Sign up your child using code ATLJR by June 26 to get 10% off and cheer them on to their next finish line.
2. Chamblee’s open container district to expand entertainment, social activities
🍻 In March, Chamblee City leaders voted to allow for the outdoor consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Downtown Entertainment District.
This new ordinance will go into effect in July with the goal of promoting increased social activities and pedestrian traffic in downtown Chamblee and expanding entertainment options involving alcoholic beverages within the Downtown Entertainment District.
The district stretches from Ingersoll Rand Drive to McGaw Drive.
🎉 Learn more about what to expect here.
3. Blinken visits Beijing; Modi heads to Washington
On Mondays, we get an update on global news through our partnership with the World Affairs Council of Atlanta.
🇨🇳 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Xi Jinping, China’s leader, today during a trip to Beijing that was delayed from February after the dust-up over spy balloons in US airspace. Blinken’s trip to China was the first by a top US diplomat in almost five years. Photo via US Secretary of State on Instagram.
🇮🇱 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to move forward with his controversial overhaul of the country’s independent judiciary. Netanyahu’s move comes after the opposition party said it was stopping talks. The proposed moves by the right-wing Likud party have set off months of massive protests.
🖥️ Separately, Netanyahu announced that Intel was opening a $25 billion chip factory in Israel. The Santa Clara, CA-based semiconductor company is Israel’s largest private employer.
🇮🇳 Nina Curtis, a plant-based chef from Sacramento, CA, will be the guest chef for this week’s White House state dinner honoring India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell will perform.
🇺🇬 40 people died when Islamic State-linked militants from the Democratic Republic of Congo attacked a high school in Uganda.
🇪🇨 Bella Montoya, the Ecuadorean woman who shocked mourners at her funeral when she knocked on her coffin, has died. Montoya, 76, was initially declared dead last week, but was rushed back to the hospital where she actually died a week later.
📌 Join The Atlanta Press Club and The Commerce Club for a special event with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tues., June 20 at 4 p.m. Wray was appointed to his position in 2017. Previously, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia and was a partner at King & Spalding. Register here.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Talking music, ATL Hamm, Juneteenth: There’s a podcast for that!
LOOK & LISTEN | BY MARA DAVIS
🎧 “The Jump”
Shirley Manson from Garbage interviews musicians about the songs that changed the trajectory of their careers. Guests include David Byrne, Patti Smith, Big Boi, and Run the Jewels. I know I’m biased because I booked the talent for this show, but this is truly one of the best music interview shows out there. Garbage will be in Atlanta on Sat., June 24 with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre.
🎙️ Jon Hamm loves ATL
On a recent episode of Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, Hamm professed his love for our city: “I shot five movies in a row in Atlanta,” Hamm said. “…it’s not like in New York or L.A. It’s actually like Black people and white people go to the same places.”
🎧 Juneteenth Pods
Here are a few podcasts about the significance of today:
① Black History Moments: “What Is Juneteenth and the Truth About President Lincoln”
② The Daily: “The History and Meaning of Juneteenth”
③ Today Explained “Happy Juneteenth”
😋 Hungry for more food news? Side Dish is our weekly dining newsletter that comes out every Thursday at 4 p.m. Subscribe here.
