Tuesday wins
July 8 — If you’re looking for summer bargains or early Christmas shopping, Amazon’s Prime Day starts today and runs through Friday.
⛅ Partly cloudy with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms and a high of 93° today.
⚖️ In a racketeering case tied to Atlanta public safety center training protests, a Fulton County judge declared a mistrial yesterday for one of the defendants.
✈️ A Delta flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale was diverted to Fort Myers after a lithium battery exploded in a passenger’s backpack
🗣️ Residents and housing advocates spoke out against a plan to clear the Old Wheat Street homeless encampment during yesterday’s Atlanta City Council meeting.
🚨 A local nonprofit is calling for the firing of two Atlanta police officers under investigation for misconduct.
💰 The U.S. Department of Education has frozen billions of dollars in school grants, impacting Georgia school districts and after-school programs.
🗳️ Early voting is underway for the runoff between Democrats Keisha Sean Waites and Peter Hubbard for the Georgia Public Service Commission District 3 seat.
💻 The DeKalb County Tax online property information website will be unavailable from July 19-Aug. 4.
🚲 Midtown Alliance is hosting a public meeting tomorrow from 5-7 p.m. to talk about bike lane expansion along 3rd Street.
🚑 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University Hospital participated in a nationwide test on moving patients with highly infectious diseases to regional treatment centers.
ELSEWHERE
🎗️ The death toll in Texas climbed to at least 104, with dozens still missing after Saturday’s catastrophic flooding.
📈 Citing trade imbalances, President Donald Trump placed a 25% tariff on goods from Japan and South Korea starting Aug. 1. Stocks slid on the news and are set to open flat this morning.
🎾 Atlanta-born Ben Shelton advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, where he will face top-seeded Jannik Sinner tomorrow. Here’s the complete schedule.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Science center saved
• APS superintendent contract
• New Alzheimer’s drug
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
🏠 This $2.5 million Mediterranean-style estate in Buckhead stuns with a pink stucco exterior, a Spanish tile roof, and a winding driveway. Inside are soaring ceilings, a marble kitchen, a fireside sunroom, and a luxe primary suite. Lush grounds, a pool, and a carriage house complete this Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty listing. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Science center saved by Georgia senators
ABOVE THE WATERLINE | BY SALLY BETHEA
🧪 Earlier this year, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) proposed terminating the leases for more than 30 water science centers around the country.
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper discovered that the South Atlantic Water Science Center located in Norcross was on the hit list; the facility coordinates the monitoring of waterways throughout Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
After pressure from Georgia’s U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, media coverage, and strong public opposition, DOGE made an unexpected reversal on closing the vital science center.
➡ Read Sally’s full column here.
Movies on the Town continues in July!
SPONSORED BY TOWN BROOKHAVEN
🎬 Movies on the Town, an annual summer movie series at Town Brookhaven, continues on Thursdays through July 24!
🍿 Gather on the green space for this family-friendly activity with movies beginning at dusk. Bring a blanket or chair, order dinner from one of our restaurants, and bring it out to the green space. The series includes movies perfect for family nights, date nights, girls’ nights, or nights out with a few friends! Look for a DIY movie-themed craft activity and face painting before our screening on July 17! Popcorn is provided by LOOK Dine-In Cinema while supplies last.
➞ Don’t forget, you can shop or visit service-oriented merchants before the movies, too. Learn more here!
2. Atlanta school board extends superintendent’s contract
✏️ The Atlanta Board of Education held a special-called meeting on Monday to extend the contract of Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson.
The board voted unanimously to extend Johnson’s contract through July 6, 2028.
Since assuming the role of superintendent last August, the district implemented a “Back to Basics” approach, which included new school leaders, streamlining the curriculum to align with state testing standards, and adopting a district-wide literacy curriculum, along with continued training and support in the science of reading.
➡ Read more about Johnson’s tenure and what’s ahead here.
3. New Alzheimer’s disease medication is helping this Georgia man’s quality of life
💉 In 2024, George King was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a degenerative disease of dementia, but the 78-year-old said his symptoms have improved since he started taking transfusions of Leqembi.
In an interesting coincidence, his diagnosis came around the same time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval for the drug to treat patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Leqembi works by reducing amyloid plaques that form in the brain, the presence of which is a defining feature of the disease.
➡ Read more in this story from GPB.
🏠 This $2.5 million Mediterranean-style estate in Buckhead stuns with a pink stucco exterior, a Spanish tile roof, and a winding driveway. Inside are soaring ceilings, a marble kitchen, a fireside sunroom, and a luxe primary suite. Lush grounds, a pool, and a carriage house complete this Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty listing. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🤝 Hands on Atlanta (pictured) is seeking warehouse volunteers on Wednesday morning and afternoon in Midtown. Expect to set up, sort, and organize items for various volunteer projects.
🧹 The Launch Pad Foundation is looking for volunteers for their Keep Our Community Clean event on Saturday morning. After being supplied with pickers, trash bags, and gloves, volunteers will be assigned to teams for various cleanup efforts.
🌿 EcoAddendum needs volunteers to help restore Morgan Falls Overlook Park on Sunday morning. Roles include pruning, clipping, and shoveling.
🏠 This $2.5 million Mediterranean-style estate in Buckhead stuns with a pink stucco exterior, a Spanish tile roof, and a winding driveway. Inside are soaring ceilings, a marble kitchen, a fireside sunroom, and a luxe primary suite. Lush grounds, a pool, and a carriage house complete this Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty listing. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
