Welcome to June
Monday, June 1 — NOAA is forecasting a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season, predicting 8-14 named storms and 3-6 hurricanes, as El Niño conditions are expected to suppress activity. The season, which runs today through the end of November, still carries real risk, forecasters warned.
🌤️ Partly cloudy in the morning before a 30% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. High of 87°.
🗳️ Candidates vying to be the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate traded jabs Sunday in one of six Atlanta Press Club debates ahead of the June 16 runoffs. The debates continue today, and you can watch them on YouTube.
🚨 A woman died after being randomly stabbed on a MARTA train at Oakland City Station on Saturday. A suspect is in custody.
🗓️ Brookhaven City Council is considering a proposal to move its popular Cherry Blossom Festival up a week in 2027 to align with an early Easter calendar.
🏠 The City of Dunwoody is proposing to keep its millage rate steady at 3.040 mills, which includes a reduction for all homestead properties.
🏝️ According to a report in The Current, a petition to “rein in overdevelopment” on Jekyll Island drew more than 2,000 signatures in a week, as the state-owned island weighs plans to add up to 185 hotel rooms.
🩸 The CDC released a report with new national data showing slight improvements in HIV care and treatment outcomes in the U.S.
⚾ Georgia beat Liberty 6-1 to advance to the NCAA baseball super regionals. Georgia Tech allowed Oklahoma to rally from an 8-2 deficit and win 15-8 in the Atlanta Regional final yesterday, forcing a winner-take-all game today at 3 p.m.
⚽ The U.S men’s national soccer team arrived in Georgia to train for the World Cup at its new 200-acre facility in Fayetteville.
ELSEWHERE
🎸 More than half the performers scheduled for the Great American State Fair in Washington dropped out, citing the event’s political ties. President Donald Trump, who suggested scrapping the concerts entirely, will now headline the opening ceremony.
🏀 The Spurs beat the Thunder to advance to the NBA Finals against the Knicks. Game 1 is Wednesday in San Antonio.
🏒 The Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes will play for the Stanley Cup, with Game 1 tomorrow in Raleigh.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Book, art vending machines
• Southern Belle’s new patio
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
🏡 Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, this gated Brookhaven home offers approximately 3,500± square feet and is priced at $1.099 million. Light-filled interiors feature refinished hardwood floors, a marble kitchen and inviting gathering spaces that open to a covered stone patio and redesigned backyard. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Book and mini print vending machines delight shoppers at Krog District
📚 The Krog District in Inman Park is welcoming unconventional small businesses into its retail and dining space thanks to a pair of unique vending machines.
Kate Kiefer Lee, owner of the soon-to-open Long Story Books, installed a viral book vending machine near the main entrance of Krog Street Market. The machine stocks new, favorite, or buzzy titles, serving as a uniquely formatted “staff picks” selection.
Artist Anastasia Inciardi also owns a vending machine in the Krog District, but this one dispenses mini art prints. Her company, Inciardi Prints, went viral on social media and has been featured in USA Today, NPR, and the New York Times.
🎨 Find out more about the vending machines in Rachel Spooner’s feature story.
A nostalgic summer vacation at Lake Oconee
SPONSORED BY VISIT LAKE OCONEE
🏖️ Looking for things to do this summer or planning a weekend getaway near Atlanta? Just over an hour away, Lake Oconee is one of Georgia’s top summer destinations, offering everything from boating and fishing to berry picking and small-town charm.
🌞 Whether you’re planning a relaxing lake vacation or hoping to recreate the “good old days” with your kids or grandkids, Lake Oconee is the perfect place to slow down and make lasting summer memories.
2. Southern Belle opening patio bar with oysters, cocktails, and live music
🍸 Michelin-recommended restaurant Southern Belle is adding an outdoor bar this summer, bringing oysters, cocktails, and weekly live music to its Ponce de Leon Avenue patio.
Called Belle Bar, the open-air addition will operate as its own experience alongside Southern Belle’s dining room. Belle Bar will feature a separate menu, a dedicated bar program, and a no-reservations policy.
The setup is casual by design. Picnic tables, standing high-tops, area rugs, and string lights define the patio bar, and a pink neon “Bless Your Heart” sign provides a bit of Southern charm.🦪 See more details and find out more about the menu.
MORE DINING NEWS
⚽ A quarter-mile stretch of Walton Street in Downtown Atlanta will shut down to cars and open up to food trucks for every FIFA World Cup 2026 match day, creating a free, walkable eating corridor one block from Centennial Olympic Park.
3. US-Iran continue strikes; PSG retains Champions League title
🇺🇸🇮🇷 The U.S. and Iran continued trading strikes over the weekend, and Kuwait reported intercepting missile and drone threats this morning, as negotiations to end their war drag on.
🇷🇺🇺🇦 The International Atomic Energy Agency expressed “serious concern” Saturday after Russia accused Ukraine of striking the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with a drone, an allegation Kyiv denied, calling it a Russian “provocation.”
🇮🇱🇱🇧 Israeli forces seized a 900-year-old Crusader-era castle in southern Lebanon Sunday, continuing an offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people and killed more than 3,300, despite an officially declared ceasefire with Hezbollah.
🇨🇩 Former federal health officials told NBC News that the dismantling of USAID slowed the response to a growing Ebola outbreak in the Congo, where at least 139 people have died, and 600 cases have been reported. The State Department denied the claims.
🇨🇴 Colombia’s presidential race is headed to a runoff after neither candidate won a majority Sunday. Far-right outsider Abelardo de la Espriella and leftist Iván Cepeda will face off on June 21.
🇺🇸 The U.S. military struck another vessel in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing three men in the fourth such attack this week, bringing the total death toll to 205 in a month-long campaign against alleged drug-smuggling boats.
⚽ Paris Saint-Germain retained the UEFA Champions League title, beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Budapest, becoming just the second club to win back-to-back titles since the competition was rebranded in 1992.
🇫🇷 Nearly 900 people were arrested across France, and roughly 180 police officers were injured after riots broke out following PSG’s win.
🗓️ The World Affairs Council of Atlanta will host “NATO in a Changing World: A Conversation with Kay Bailey Hutchison” on July 1. Drawing on her experience as U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Hutchison will share timely insights on the Alliance’s future, the evolving U.S.–NATO relationship, and the challenges shaping global security in the 21st century. Register for free today.
🏡 Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, this gated Brookhaven home offers approximately 3,500± square feet and is priced at $1.099 million. Light-filled interiors feature refinished hardwood floors, a marble kitchen and inviting gathering spaces that open to a covered stone patio and redesigned backyard. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. World Cup prep
The FIFA World Cup matches in Atlanta begin two weeks from today with a group stage match between Spain and Cabo Verde at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We’ve got some pods on how the U.S. is preparing for an international audience.
🎙️ “The Varsity” podcast, hosted by John Ourand, sits down with Dan Helfrich, COO of US Soccer, who makes the case for the team’s readiness and discusses how this three-nation-hosted tournament is so unique.
🎧 Official“U.S. Soccer Podcast” host Meghan Klingenberg speaks to the creative team behind “U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team.” Director Rand Getlin and Executive Producer Janina Pelayo discuss the series, what it was like to embed with the team, and how the players have changed over the years.
🎙️ “The Road to World Cup 26 Podcast” has news, analysis, and commentary from every team, every qualification process, and the tournament itself.
🎧 Yahoo Sports’“The Cooligans” podcast talks with former midfielder and Fox Sportscaster Stu Holden, who says America doesn’t quite understand what a big deal the World Cup is going to be for the nation.
😌 You’re invited to the Wednesday Wellness Series with the Chastain Park Conservancy at Farm Chastain this June. Enjoy relaxing evenings of sound bath, Qigong, restorative yoga, and meditation surrounded by nature. Free and open to the community. Register today at Chastain Park Conservancy. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Play News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
🍽️ We’ve partnered with DNNR to bring Rough Draft off the screen and into local restaurants for reader dinners on Tues., June 16. Book your seat.
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