A.M. ATL: đ A candidate for the social studies teachers
Morning, yâall! Temperatures creep back into the mid-90s this afternoon. Yay.
Todayâs newsletter offers the latest on Tropical Storm Debby, the results of a state elections board meeting and a first look at Childrenâs Healthcare of Atlantaâs new hospital. Plus: the Savannah Bananas ⊠on TV!
But first, a very specific subset of people weighs in on the Democratic nominee for vice president.
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EDUCATED GUEST
People talk a ton about identity politics.
Black folks appealing to Black folks. Women appealing to women. Twenty-somethings appealing to Leonardo DiCaprio.
Good, bad? I donât know (except for Leo, thatâs icky).
But Iâll tell you one thing: Local social studies teachers? They can identify with Tim Walz.
Yep. Kamala Harrisâ pick for a Democratic running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, used to teach social studies.
At a public school, no less!
âI havenât done a lot of research on him but when I saw that he was a former teacher and coach I thought âAhh, finally somebody may really get it,ââ former Georgia teacher of the year Ernie Lee II said.
He spoke to Ty Tagami, my irreplaceable AJC colleague, for his latest story.
- So did Chris Davis, a ninth grade civics teacher at Decatur High: âKnowing whatâs happened through our history is definitely a good background to have for someone to be vice president and potentially president.â
- And Taylor Richardson, current teacher of the year at Atlanta Public Schools: âI think thatâs really neat.â
She suspects that historical perspective grants Walz an extra dose of empathy.
To be clear: None of these folks weighed in electorally, exactly. Politics are politics. We shanât discuss that now or here.
But appreciation for a fellow classroom veteran? Count on it.
More coverage from the AJC:
- Georgia Election Board approves new âinquiryâ for certifying election results
- Torpy: Tight presidential race means brutal fall for Georgians
- Do Black voters buy claim that immigrants are taking âBlack jobsâ?
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JUST ROLLING THROUGH
Debby completed its tour through coastal Georgia, dumping 10 inches of rain in some places. Some threats, like falling trees, still linger.
But things couldâve been much worse. As one local put it: âWe dodged a bullet.â
» More AJC coverage: Dispatches from South Georgia and the coast
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STILL SUSPENDED
Six University of Georgia students barred from campus for participating in April protests over the Israel-Hamas war will remain suspended through the fall semester.
- The decision, which also involves academic probation, comes after a lengthy hearing before the student-led University Judiciary.
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COMPELLING THE WITNESS
The judge in rapper Young Thugâs Fulton County trial ordered key witness Kenneth Copeland to start over with his testimony â or go to jail.
- Copeland was the witness involved in the meeting that resulted in the ouster of the caseâs previous judge. More on his ⊠interesting background here.
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CARING FOR KIDS
The AJC got a sneak peek inside Childrenâs Healthcare of Atlantaâs new Arthur M. Blank Pediatric Hospital, which is set to open next month near I-85 and North Druid Hills Road.
- Billed as one of the most advanced pediatric hospitals in the country, the facility boasts 19 stories and 2 million square feet. Photo gallery in the story!
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A LEADER LOST
Friends and colleagues continue mourning Georgia Aquarium CEO Brian Davis, who died suddenly this week.
âWe are heartbroken by this news,â said Steve Koonin, chairman of the aquariumâs board. âBrian was a giant in leadership with his intellect, wisdom, and imagination.â
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A BIG FAN
Bryce Elder struggled on the mound as the Braves lost 10-0 to the Brewers, marking their second straight shutout loss.
But at least Big Boi threw out the first pitch (see above) and people got Outkast bobbleheads?
More sports highlights:
- The Falconsâ first joint practice with the Dolphins saw one minor scuffle. The team released a depth chart for Fridayâs preseason game, too.
- The Savannah Bananas are coming to TruTV, which will broadcast five of the barnstorming baseball teamâs upcoming games. First one: Aug. 16.
- Meanwhile, in Paris: Former Atlantan Gabby Thomas wins 200M gold; U.S. women headed for soccer final; menâs basketball bests Brazil
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LIVINâ THE DREAM
Leah Rudick, the comedian that does those âWealthy Womanâ videos on TikTok, comes to City Winery Atlanta for two shows later this week.
âAll my dreams are coming true, as sappy as that sounds,â she told the AJC.
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THATâS THE SPIRIT
Popular Athens brewery Creature Comforts is conspiring to cook up something new: liquor. Permits to add a distillery to its downtown taproom are pending.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Atlanta special education audit reveals need for monitoring, training
» Microsoft fires back in response to Deltaâs legal threats
» Atlanta hits absentee property owners with blight tax
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ON THIS DATE
Aug. 7, 1957
Fired up after the death of a swan, Mrs. Roy H. Petree embarked on a one-woman crusade to care for the animals at the Grant Park zoo.
Petree, a florist by day, regularly took â100 to 300 pounds of foodstuffsâ out to Zoo Atlantaâs predecessor. She had the manager at her beck and call, too.
âIâd been mad for a long time about how animals and birds were treated out there,â she told the Atlanta Constitution. âWhen I heard that lovely swan died, it was just the last straw.â
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC photographer Ziyu Julian Zhu captured Autumn Nelon (center) singing during a Tuesday funeral in Carroll County. Three members of her family, all who performed in the Georgia-based gospel group known as the Nelons, died in a recent plane crash.
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ONE MORE THING
Donât miss reporter Matt Kempnerâs look at the quiet final years of William Calley, the U.S. Army lieutenant at the center of the Vietnam Warâs My Lai Massacre. He spent decades out of the public eye in Columbus and Midtown Atlanta.
âHe made it very clear that was a different part of his life, and he was not going to relive it,â according to one person who knew him.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
