Figuring out Friday
Aug. 29 — After 157 years in print, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced that it will transition to a digital-only model on Jan. 1. Rough Draft’s Keith Pepper shares his thoughts on the transition in a Publisher’s Note.
☀️ Sunny and 83° today. A mix of sun and rain is forecast for the long Labor Day weekend with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.
⚖️ A federal judge dismissed Attorney General Chris Carr’s lawsuit challenging Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ use of a leadership committee that allows unlimited fundraising for the 2026 governor’s race.
🚂 The Atlanta Regional Commission and the City of Atlanta are exploring new locations in Downtown to relocate the Amtrak station.
🌈 City of Atlanta officials say that Midtown’s rainbow crosswalk honoring the LGBTQ+ community is not in danger of removal like those in Florida.
🚨 The Brookhaven Police Department announced it is saving time and money with new ballistics system technology implemented earlier this year.
🗣️ Educators gave state lawmakers an earful of concerns at hearings this week, including high-stakes testing, competitive salaries, and outdated technology.
ELSEWHERE
🌀 Today is the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans, killing nearly 1,400 people and causing $125 billion in damage—the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
💵 The $800 “de minimis” tariff exemption on low-cost goods ends today, meaning shipments from retailers like Temu and Shein will face duties that could significantly raise consumer prices.
⚖️ Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a Georgia native, has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the attempt to fire.
🐊 Florida’s immigration detention facility, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” will wind down following a judge’s order to close.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Eat and drink like a local Downtown
• BTS at Dragon Con
• Film Review: ‘Caught Stealing’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
Have a great holiday weekend!
💡 For students and young adults entering the workforce, technical skills are important, but employability skills are critical for career success. Learn why Georgia Power joined 14 other partners to launch the You’re Employed and Skilled (YES) Workforce Academy. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Where to eat and drink like a local in Downtown Atlanta
🍤 Whether you’re in town for business, a convention like MomoCon or Dragon Con, or attending a game or concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium or State Farm Arena, Downtown Atlanta includes dozens of dining and drinking options.
While big brands and restaurant chains dominate the landscape in this part of Atlanta, you’ll also find several locally owned and operated restaurants, many catering to office workers, Georgia State University students, and residents living in and around the neighborhood.
🌆 Check out Beth McKibben’s list of places to eat and drink like a local the next time you’re visiting Downtown Atlanta. Click here for more.
Where story, science, and soul meet
SPONSORED BY ART FARM AT SERENBE
🎬 Join us at Art Farm at Serenbe for our first-ever Film Showcase Weekend, featuring a special screening of “Parrot Kindergarten” – a moving documentary about healing, connection, and the surprising intelligence of animals.
After the film, stay for an intimate Reel Conversation with award-winning director Amy Herdy and researcher Jen Taylor-O’Connor, moderated by Sheri Salata, former executive producer of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
✨ Don’t miss this unforgettable evening where story, science, and soul meet. Sat., Sept. 13. Get tickets here and use code ROUGHDRAFT10 for 10% off.
2. Behind the scenes with a track director at Dragon Con 2025
🕹️ Dragon Con is one of the biggest pop culture and gaming conventions in the country. But here in Atlanta, it can feel a bit old hat. If it’s Labor Day weekend – it’s Dragon Con. That’s the way it’s been for 40 years.
Because we Atlantans are so used to Dragon Con and its presence, it can be easy to forget how much work goes into putting on a convention of this size. So, ahead of this year’s event, which runs through Sept. 1, Sammie Purcell spoke with Renee Cooper, director of the Animation Track at Dragon Con, about how the sausage gets made.
Cooper started volunteering with Dragon Con roughly eight years ago, but before that had been attending the convention since 2009. She’s got plenty of experience under her belt, and was the perfect person to show Sammie around.
3. Austin Butler finds his pitch in ‘Caught Stealing’
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
⚾ “Caught Stealing” is a funny name for Darren Aronofsky’s new film, not just because of how much baseball factors into the plot, but because in reality, every character kind of gets away with everything. Unless they end up dead.
“Caught Stealing” is about Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a former high school baseball player whose professional potential was ruined by a drunk driving accident. Now, he bartends on the Lower East Side, drinks too much, and lives vicariously through his beloved San Francisco Giants. No one loves the Giants (or hates the Mets) more than Hank. During a sex scene, he takes off his Giants cap in order to take his shirt off, then immediately puts the hat back on. A true fan.
After being asked by his punk rock neighbor, Russ (Matt Smith), to watch his cat while he goes to see his dying father in England, Hank is attacked by two Russian gangsters interested in Russ’ whereabouts. Hank quickly becomes embroiled in a web of crime with no earthly idea what’s going on. It’s a wacky premise, and one that is mostly well-served by Aronofsky’s direction, except when it gets a little too … well, Aronofsky, and suddenly becomes a little too nasty for the tone it’s trying to strike.
🗝️ Click here to read Sammie’s review.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
4. Corso signs off on ‘GameDay’; Schwarber lights up Braves
BY RYLIE LIVINGSTON | SPONSORED BY NYO
⚾ Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs in the Phillies’ 19-4 rout of the Braves last night. The teams play in Philadelphia again tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday.
🏈 It’s the first full weekend of college football action. Of local interest:
– No. 5 Georgia hosts Marshall tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
– Georgia Tech plays Colorado tonight at 8 p.m. (ESPN)
– Kennesaw State travels to Winston-Salem, NC, to face Wake Forest tonight at 7 p.m. (ESPN)
– Georgia State is at No. 21 Ole Miss Saturday at 7:45 p.m. (SEC Network)
– Mercer hosts Presbyterian Saturday at 6 p.m.
– Georgia Southern is at Fresno State tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. (Fox Sports)
– Morehouse travels to Boston to play Johnson C. Smith University in the Essence HBCU Classic tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
– Clark Atlanta plays at Valdosta State at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday.
– West Georgia beat Samford 34-3 last night.
🏈Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosts two Aflac Kickoff Games, with Tennessee and Syracuse kicking off at noon Saturday, and Virginia Tech and South Carolina on Sunday at 3 p.m.
📺 As the show begins its 39th season, ESPN’s College GameDay celebrity coach Lee Corso will make his final headgear pick tomorrow from Columbus, OH where No. 1 Texas will play No. 3 Ohio State at noon.
⚽ Atlanta United heads to Nashville on Saturday before coming back for a two-game homestand against Columbus and San Diego.
🏀 The Dream fell to the Aja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces Wednesday night at home. Atlanta hosts the Dallas Wings tonight at 7:30.
🏈 Colquitt County will face North Gwinnett in the Score Atlanta Game of the Week tonight at 8 p.m. Watch live on Atlanta News First (Channel 46) and the Peachtree Sports Network beginning with the Georgia High School Countdown to Kickoff pregame show at 7:30. Postgame coverage airs live until midnight.
⚽ Fourth-division Grimsby Town stunned Premier League giant Manchester United 12-11 on penalties in the League Cup, a rare feat spanning three divisions of English football.
🎾 At the US Open in New York, No. 3 seed Coco Gauff beat Croatia’s Donna Vekić 7-6, 6-2 to advance to the third round. Play continues today with Americans Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro in action.
🎬 Experience the power of story at Art Farm’s first Film Showcase Weekend. Join us for a special screening of “Parrot Kindergarten“ and a live conversation with the director and the film’s subject on Sat., Sept. 13. Get tickets here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① ‘We’re So Dead’ is an indie film by the service industry, for the service industry (pictured)
② Brookhaven Arts Commission explores options to repurpose dome tiles
③ Kemp sending Georgia National Guard troops to support ICE
④ Beltline purchases more property in Buckhead for Northwest Trail
⑤ Sandy Springs plans stronger measures to prevent predatory car booting
🌸 Tickets are on sale now for Oakland Cemetery’s iconic Sunday in the Parkfestival! Enjoy live music, artist markets, historic costume contests, free tours, kids’ activities, and MORE in support of Historic Oakland Foundation’s mission to preserve the cemetery! SPONSOR MESSAGE
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game.
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