Monday kicks
June 16 — The first of six FIFA Club World Cup matches in Atlanta is this afternoon at 3 p.m., when Chelsea FC faces Los Angeles FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. There are still plenty of tickets left. Centennial Yards is hosting a tailgate party starting at 11:30 a.m.
☔ A 20% chance of rain and 88° today.
🌳 The Atlanta City Council is expected to vote today on a controversial tree protection ordinance.
🚨 Police arrested a 19-year-old in last week’s fatal shooting of a 12-year-old in Southwest Atlanta.
🗣️ The Brookhaven City Council will hold two public hearings tomorrow, June 17, concerning a potential millage rate increase.
🚬 Georgia lawmakers have formed a committee to explore raising the sales tax on cigarettes.
🛼 Ponce City Market is opening a covered roller skating rink on its rooftop on June 21.
ELSEWHERE
➡ Police arrested the suspected gunman who fatally shot Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounded another state lawmaker and his wife, on Saturday.
⛳ J.J. Spaun captured his first major championship with a dramatic two-stroke victory at the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont, finishing as the only golfer under par.
🎪 Bonnaroo organizers canceled the remainder of the weekend festival due to severe weather after dangerous conditions forced evacuations Friday.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• “No Kings” protests
• James Beard Awards
• Theatre Review: “Young John Lewis”
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
❤️ Mental health and addiction affect every community – including ours. Don’t let silence cost more lives. Discover how Atlanta can take action, support recovery, and build a stronger, more compassionate future. Learn from Southern Live Oak Wellness how to start the conversation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. ‘No Kings’ rallies draw thousands
🪧 Thousands of people from across Metro Atlanta mobilized on Saturday morning for the “No Kings” rallies against the actions of the Trump administration.
A rally in DeKalb County at the corner of Northcrest and Chamblee Tucker roads ended in tear gas being deployed when protesters tried to block the road and were met by police in riot gear. At least eight protesters were arrested.
Rallies in Downtown and Midtown Atlanta, Tucker, and Decatur were just four of thousands happening across the United States and abroad. The protests came amid ongoing raids and arrests by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles and other cities.
🔄 After softening his stance on farm, restaurant, and hospitality workers last week, Trump lashed out at Democrat-run cities last night, ordering ICE to launch “the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”
➳ See our full recap and photo gallery here.
A Shell of a Good Time: Open now!
SPONSORED BY THE FERNBANK MUSEUM
🐢 This summer, discover the fascinating world of Turtles at the Fernbank Museum! This new exhibit focuses on the lives and behaviors of these beloved reptiles.
Guests can get up close to live turtles through hands-on activities and daily live animal presentations. Visitors will learn about their natural history and survival challenges, their vital role across ecosystems around the globe, and conservation efforts humans are taking to protect these animals.
➞ Learn more about the exhibit and special after-hours events here!
2. Georgia James Beard media winners
🥇 On Saturday, the James Beard Foundation kicked off its annual culinary awards in Chicago with the announcement of the media and book winners.
“The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar,” by Jim Meehan, Bart Sasso (Ticonderoga Club partner), and Emma Janzen, was awarded a medal for best Beverage with Recipes book. Athens-based publication The Bitter Southerner won for best Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication.
🧑🍳 The chef and restaurant awards will be given out tonight. Buckhead’s Aria will represent Atlanta (and all of Georgia) in the Outstanding Service category.
➼ Stay tuned to our website and Instagram, where Rough Draft dining editor Beth McKibben will let you know if Aria earns a medal!
3. Theatre Review: ‘Young John Lewis’ could be the next ‘Hamilton’
🎶 Seeing the world premiere of “Young John Lewis” at Theatrical Outfit feels like being on the precipice of something big – you know that a couple of years down the line, you’ll be bragging that you saw it before it was on Broadway.
The musical, with book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by Eugene H. Russell IV, has the potential to become the next “Hamilton,” but instead of taking inspiration from hip-hop to make colorblind the racist foundation of America, “Young John Lewis” utilizes the genre to face the realities of race in America head-on.
➳ Read Katie Burkholder’s full review of the musical, which will now run through July 6.
4. G7 begins in Alberta; Fly nonstop to Greenland
🇮🇱🇮🇷 Israel claimed “full aerial operational control” over Tehran after more strikes overnight, while Iran’s missiles continue to penetrate Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, killing 24 Israelis since Friday. Iran’s health ministry said that more than 224 Iranians have been killed. Here’s the latest.
🇨🇦 The world’s seven largest economies meet in Canada this week for the G7 summit.
🇮🇳 India has created a commission to investigate the cause of the deadly Air India crash that killed more than 250 people.
🇪🇸 Hundreds of people took to the streets in Barcelona to protest overtourism, which they blame for driving up housing prices. Last year, Spain hosted twice as many international tourists as its total population.
🇦🇺 Australia’s IVF industry is reeling from another high-profile mix-up in which the wrong embryo was implanted in a patient.
🇳🇮 Former Nicaraguan President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, the first woman to lead a Central American country, has died at the age of 95.
🇵🇱 Robert Kubica, a 40-year-old Polish race car driver representing Ferrari, won France’s 24-hour Le Mans race.
🇬🇧 Gary Oldman and David Beckham received knighthood in King Charles’ Birthday Honours.
🇬🇱 United Airlines launched nonstop service to Greenland, with the inaugural Newark-to-Nuuk flight selling out in record time.
🇫🇷 The global advertising industry descends on the South of France this week for the annual Cannes Lions festival amid “a requiem” for traditional agencies.
🗓️ The nature of warfare is evolving rapidly as nations integrate cutting-edge technologies into their military arsenals. Is the U.S. military ready for future conflicts? Join the World Affairs Council of Atlanta for a free, public webinar with retired U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove.
❤️ Mental health and addiction affect every community – including ours. Don’t let silence cost more lives. Discover how Atlanta can take action, support recovery, and build a stronger, more compassionate future. Learn from Southern Live Oak Wellness how to start the conversation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Soccer sounds
With the FIFA Club World Cup matches starting today in Atlanta and the 2026 World Cup just a year away, here are some podcasts to get your blood pumping for the beautiful game.
🎙️ FIFA has launched its own podcast to follow the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup matches happening across America this month.
🎧 Pitch legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard host the weekly Unfiltered Soccer podcast with plenty of inside talk on the FIFA match-ups.
🎙️ The daily ESPN FC podcast covers the world of footie from an international perspective.
🎧 FIFA Women’s World Cup champs Tobin Heath and Christen Press take a humorous look inside global soccer on The Re-Cap Show.
❤️ Mental health and addiction affect every community – including ours. Don’t let silence cost more lives. Discover how Atlanta can take action, support recovery, and build a stronger, more compassionate future. Learn from Southern Live Oak Wellness how to start the conversation. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
