Morning, y’all! Hope you had a happy Fourth. Now it’s Friday!
- Be prepared: Expect temperatures in the low- to mid-90s, high humidity and scattered thunderstorms throughout the weekend.
- But have some fun: Notable weekend festivities include more fireworks at Stone Mountain, “Sesame Street” at the Center for Puppetry Arts and the Budweiser Clydesdales marching through Alpharetta.
Otherwise, today’s newsletter takes another look at Fulton County’s case against Donald Trump, Atlanta homicides, otters and one man’s yearslong quest to track down his old Trans Am.
But first: Let’s take a peek at some of our silliest photos from the AJC Peachtree Road Race!
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RUNNING AND REVELRY
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
A black flag (signaling dangerous heat, not pirates!) ended Thursday’s AJC Peachtree Road Race a few minutes early.
But before that?
- A barbershop quartet sang the national anthem.
- Atlanta native Nick Benson reveled in winning the annual T-shirt design contest.
- The pros did their thing. (Check out full results here.)
- Miss Betty Lindberg, a 99-year-old Peachtree icon, finished her 35th race.
- Monica Pearson talked about portable toilets!
The latter was part of the AJC’s first livestream of the event. It was awesome.
But my favorite part is always the weird stuff y’all dress up in before slogging up and down the asphalt.
Make sure to check out the full gallery of colorful costumes — but at the risk of overloading your inbox, here’s a quick sampling, too.
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Head on over to AJC.com/peachtree/ for even more coverage (and photos!) of Atlanta’s favorite Independence Day tradition.
And keep scrolling for more news.
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PRESIDENTIAL QUESTIONS
Credit: File photos
Credit: File photos
We’ve discussed what the Supreme Court’s recent immunity ruling may mean for Fulton County’s criminal case against Donald Trump. But there’s another potential wrinkle in there, too: what if he wins reelection?
- Legal experts tell the AJC’s Tamar Hallerman the case would effectively disappear.
Meanwhile: President Joe Biden’s interview with George Stephanopoulos and ABC News airs at 8 p.m.
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MORE TOP STORIES
» A water main break in Buckhead left five apartment complexes without service for several hours.
» Workers at two more metro Atlanta Starbucks stores want to hold a union vote.
» MARTA decided to postpone closing street access to the Five Points station while renovations begin.
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CLEARING CASES
At the year’s midpoint, Atlanta’s homicide rate sat roughly on pace with last year’s numbers (which were dramatically lower than those in recent memory).
- Also important: Police already closed 36 of 62 cases — a rate that exceeds the national average.
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OTTER DELIGHT
Credit: Rodney Ho/AJC
Credit: Rodney Ho/AJC
Gwinnett County’s Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary recently welcomed in some new friends: river otters.
Co-owner Jonathan Ordway says he built the $500,000 exhibit partially to please his wife. But the four orphaned rescue otters seem pretty happy, too.
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AN UNPLEASANT NUMBER
The Braves lost to the Giants, 4-2, dropping the series. They’re now winless in 27 straight games in which their opponent scores more than three runs. Up next: The division-leading Phillies come to town.
- On the All-Star front: No Braves position players will start the Midsummer Classic on July 16 — but three starting pitchers may well make the roster. Pitchers and positional reserves get announced Sunday.
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MORE SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
» The Falcons released ticket info for their upcoming pair of open practices (one at Seckinger High School in Buford, the other at Mercedes-Benz Stadium).
» The Atlanta Dream play the Dallas Wings on the road tonight (7:30 p.m. on ION TV).
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A MAN AND HIS MUSCLE CAR
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Some 30 years ago, Atlanta musician Joe Gransden sold his beloved Pontiac Trans Am to help pay for tuition. He regretted it instantly — and eventually embarked on a two-decade journey to get it back.
- In his final AJC story before retirement, reporter Bo Emerson takes us along for the winding, unlikely and always love-filled ride.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» DeKalb superintendent had a busy first year on the job. What’s next?
» Cobb elections warn against texts about mail ballots
» Georgia Gwinnett College to keep financial aid center open
» Emory to close Smyrna hospital
» Free health screenings for Fulton seniors on Medicare
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ON THIS DATE
July 5, 1970
The second — and final — Atlanta International Pop Music Festival draws somewhere north of 200,000 people to a farm in the tiny central Georgia town of Byron. With acts like the Allman Brothers Band, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and B.B. King awaiting them, masses of concertgoers stormed the gates and ultimately gained free attendance.
Legendary Atlanta music promoter Alex Cooley jokingly told The Atlanta Constitution that he doubted anyone would attempt to host such a large festival again, “unless he has a box canyon surrounded by barbed wire, electric fences and machine guns.”
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
AJC photographer Natrice Miller captured spectators enjoying the fireworks show during the annual Fourth of July celebration at Roswell Area Park.
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ONE MORE THING
Atlanta’s trying again to redevelop the former Atlanta Constitution building downtown. What do you think the one-time Art Moderne beauty (currently occupied by … trees and such) should be?
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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.
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