Morning ATL! As we rise for debate day expect highs in the upper 80s with isolated showers or storms.
In today’s newsletter you’ll find a “prehistoric” turtle getting some endangered species love, an interview with singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III and concerns that downtown Atlanta has become the city’s “unmade bed.”
Now, let’s get to it.
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DEBATE DATE
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Today’s talker is a no-brainer. In fact, it has been the talker for weeks now, but the big event is finally here.
President Biden and former President Trump will debate at 9 p.m. in the first face-to-face meeting of the major parties’ presumptive nominees for the 2024 presidential election. And it’s in Atlanta at CNN’s headquarters in Midtown.
Pundits will, among other things, be looking to see whether Biden can shake concerns about his age with a good performance or whether Trump can convince independents, worried about his New York conviction last month on 34 felonies, to give him another chance as the nation’s leader.
Locally, there’s a lot to know.
First, there are the political implications:
- The road to Atlanta: Georgia is once again in the spotlight after playing a pivotal role in the 2020 election.
- Who will win young voters? An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll says neither candidate is a hit with the youth vote.
- Bipartisanship: Former Georgia governors Nathan Deal and Roy Barnes team up to fight election lies in bipartisan initiative.
- Differing storylines: Trump is fundraising on Fulton ‘torture’ claim ahead of debate. Biden’s ‘all-out’ campaign in Georgia faces stiff challenges.
And then there is the practical, i.e., the impact the debate will have on Atlanta.
- How to watch tonight’s presidential debate.
- Here’s how CNN is preparing for the debate.
- Expect traffic congestion: The debate and a downtown soccer match are likely to create gridlock.
And finally, we asked you what you wanted to ask the candidates and you responded. Here are a few of your questions directed at both.
- “What does Democracy mean to each of you?” — Andrew Lewis
- “How can this election be framed as a battle for the future of the country when voters largely view both of you as relics of the past?” — Niles Francis
- “I’d love to hear their thoughts on reducing gun violence, solutions to the housing market crisis keeping younger families from affordable housing, and where they think the primary efforts to address climate change should be placed.” — Teresa Gay
This the tip of the iceberg of what’s coming on AJC.com about the debate, including a live blog that launches at 9 a.m. So check back frequently.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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HAWKS’ NEXT BIG NAME
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
You didn’t think we’d forgotten about the other big news in Atlanta did you?
The Hawks picked French teenager Zaccharie Risacher (above) with the No. 1 selection Wednesday in the 2024 NBA Draft. The 19-year-old forward will give the team versatility on both ends of the floor, and they can move him up and down the lineup.
AJC Hawks reporter Lauren Williams has more about Risacher and what he means for the Hawks’ future.
Plus: Here’s a gallery of photos of Risacher from the big event. You can also vote here on what you think of the Hawks’ draft pick.
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LEGAL LOSS
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Legal advocacy group Southern Poverty Law Center is unwinding an initiative it operates that provides legal assistance to detained migrants. That could make it more difficult for migrants in Georgia to fight deportation.
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MORE TOP STORIES
» Delta Air Lines on Wednesday debuted its new Delta One Lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. It features a Brasserie restaurant with three-course meals, shower suites with valet services and is ultra-exclusive.
» It’s official. Atlanta hit 100 degrees for the first time in nearly five years!
» COVID-19 infections are on the rise in the U.S., with 39 states — including Georgia — experiencing growing or likely growing cases, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says. Cases are generally milder, but the latest iteration of the virus is more contagious.
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‘UNMADE BED’
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Convention visitors say downtown Atlanta (above) ain’t what it was five years ago. Panhandling, litter and, um, unsanitary smells, have left some questioning whether to return. Tourism leaders are worried too, with one comparing downtown to an “unmade bed.”
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PROTECTING THE ENDANGERED
Credit: SPECIAL
Credit: SPECIAL
Georgia’s pre-historic-like Suwannee alligator snapping turtle is getting some protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday the reptile, sometimes called the “dinosaur” of the turtle family and found only in Suwannee River basin of Georgia and Florida, will join the Endangered Species Act.
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An effort to address shoplifting in California could impact which party controls Congress. That’s the belief of supporters and opponents of a proposed ballot measure that aims to toughen penalties for repeat shoplifters and drug dealers.
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MORE FROM SPORTS
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
The Atlanta Braves will play the Pittsburgh Pirates in an early Sunday morning game. That’s right, Sunday morning. As in 11:35 a.m. three days from now. The game will be broadcast for free on Roku’s streaming channel, at therokuchannel.com, or on other streaming devices that offer the Roku channel service.
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The U.S. women’s Olympic soccer team will include four Atlantans, including one Georgia Bulldog. Team manager Emma Hayes selected the women on Wednesday.
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A SUNNY OUTLOOK
Credit: Photo by Shervin Lainez
Credit: Photo by Shervin Lainez
Singer-songwriter and sometimes-actor Loudon Wainwright III shows his sunny side on his new album. In a wide-ranging interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he talks about connections to Georgia, his desire to do more acting and life as a 77-year-old.
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Reality TV star Ts Madison is turning her Atlanta home into a safe space for Black transgender women. Madison, who is transgender, hopes to fill what she sees as gaps protecting the vulnerable in her community.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Sledgehammers pound North DeKalb Mall into new era
» Former Atlanta Public Schools educators withdraw appeals in cheating case
» Fast-growing logistics company first anchor at one of metro area’s largest mixed-use office projects
» Georgia Republican, top national Democrat clash over Confederate monument plan
» Chattanooga police chief, a former APD leader, resigns while under state investigation
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ON THIS DATE
June 27, 1957
Monkey on the move!
The primate (whose provenance isn’t explained) terrorized the fine folks of southeast Atlanta for more than a month, raiding henhouses and vegetable gardens.
“A free spirit with a sense of humor, the monkey delights in stealing Mrs. Phillips’ eggs,” The Atlanta Journal dispatch read. “He throws them at people trying to capture him.”
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR (SO FAR)
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
Aldo Carias (foreground) and Antonio Morales, of Academy Roofing, work on the roof of an Acworth home despite Wednesday’s boiling heat (Atlanta hit 100 degrees) in this photo by AJC photographer John Spink.
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ONE MORE THING
The last thing we needed to hear during a heatwave (can we call it that yet?) is that we may need to throw out the ice cream in our freezers. But here we are.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that Maryland-based Totally Cool’s dessert items may be connected to possible listeria contamination. As such, the nation’s food cops have ordered the recall of 68 products across more than a dozen brands served by the company, including Hershey’s, Jeni’s and ChipWich.
It’s necessary because listeria causes an estimated 1,600 infections and 260 deaths in the U.S. annually. The infected can suffer fevers, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, the AJC’s Hunter Boyce writes. More severe cases can cause headaches, stiff necks, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
Boyce says no illnesses have been reported as of yet from contamination. A list of affected products is available at fda.gov.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at leon.stafford@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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