Monday matters
Oct. 13 — President Donald Trump was set to address Israel’s Knesset today after Hamas released the last 20 living hostages from Gaza under a U.S.-brokered cease-fire. Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and leaders prepared for peace talks in Egypt on Gaza’s future. Follow live updates.
☀️ Sunny and 79° today.
🗓️ Today is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which means federal and state offices are closed, along with banks and the post office. Most restaurants and retail stores will remain open.
🚨 The GBI is investigating after an off-duty Atlanta police officer shot and killed a man Saturday night in Buckhead.
🚧 MARTA is closing the Peachtree Street entrance to Five Points Station today as part of an ongoing renovation project.
💻 Several Atlanta financial technology startups are set to receive a major boost to their operations through a new initiative called the Pinnacle Atlanta Innovation Accelerator.
🚂 The Atlanta History Center and the Georgia Historical Society have completed the exchange of the Central of Georgia Railway Collection, thanks to a $500,000 gift from Norfolk Southern.
🍗 Dexter Weaver, the beloved owner of Weaver D’s, the Athens soul food spot that inspired R.E.M.’s “Automatic for the People,” announced plans to sell the restaurant and retire after 39 years.
🏈 The Falcons return from their bye week to host the Bills for Monday Night Football tonight at 7:15 p.m. (ESPN; 92.9 FM).
🏈 Georgia and Georgia Tech both won this weekend and each moved up one spot in the AP Top 25. Morehouse won, but Georgia State and Clark Atlanta lost.
ELSEWHERE
➡ Vice President JD Vance said the White House was considering invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the U.S. military for law enforcement.
⚾ Seattle leads Toronto 1-0 in the ALCS. Game 2 is today at 5:03 p.m. (FOX). Milwaukee and Los Angeles begin the NLCS tonight at 8:08 p.m.
🎸 No Doubt will reunite for a six-night 2026 residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere – marking the venue’s first female-fronted headliner.
🎗️ Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, beloved for “Annie Hall,” “The Godfather,” and many other films, died Saturday at 79.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• DeKalb Schools crisis
• Atlanta Pride recap
• Global Headlines
AND
• GA Tech + Goat Farm project
🥕 Come on out to the Fresh Harvest Fall Artisan Market on Sat., Oct. 25 at Refuge Coffee Co. in Clarkston! Browse 25+ artisan vendors, enjoy global cuisine, live music, and fun for the whole family. RSVP for a free coffee! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. ‘Stand with us:’ DeKalb School officials ask for support after federal indictment of superintendent
🏫 On Oct. 9, DeKalb County School Superintendent Devon Q. Horton was indicted on 17 charges by the U.S. Attorney for acts he allegedly committed while serving as the superintendent of Evanston-Skokie School District 65 in Illinois.
Hours after the indictment was announced, the DCSD board placed Horton on leave and appointed Dr. Norman Sauce, the chief of student services, as the acting superintendent.
“Even in times of challenge or change, our commitment to our students and our mission remains steady,” Sauce said. “When we say, I stand with DCSD, we’re not just sharing words, we’re showing our unity through action, compassion, and collaboration. So today, I invite you to stand with us.”
➳ Read Stephanie Toone’s full report here.
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2. Thousands turn out for Atlanta Pride celebration
🌈 Rough Draft and our LGBTQ+ publication, Georgia Voice, were one of the sponsors of this weekend’s Atlanta Pride celebration. Thousands turned out for fun and entertainment in Piedmont Park and lined Peachtree Street for yesterday’s parade.
Flo Milli, Bob the Drag Queen, Bentley Robles, and Perfume Genius were just some of the special guest entertainers over the weekend, while local businesses, nonprofits, restaurants, and social organizations were meeting the community in the park.
📸 See photos from the weekend at Georgia Voice’s Instagram.
RELATED
🏀 The Atlanta Hawks are hosting their annual Pride Night tonight for LGBTQ+ fans at State Farm Arena as the team faces the Miami Heat.
3. Nobel Prize in Economics; Coup in Madagascar
🏅 Economists Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics for explaining how innovation drives long-term growth. Their work on technological progress and “creative destruction” helped shape modern understanding of productivity and prosperity.
🇨🇲 In Cameroon, 92-year-old President Paul Biya was set to be re-elected for the eighth time since he took office in 1982.
🇿🇦 South Africa’s Ambassador to France was memorialized Sunday after his body was discovered outside the Hyatt Regency in Paris, where he was staying on the 22nd floor.
🇦🇺 Hackers have reportedly stolen the personal information of nearly six million customers of Australian airline Qantas. The hack on software company Salesforce also affected several other companies, including Google and Air France.
🇲🇬 Madagascar appears to be undergoing a coup after a unit of the army seized control of the country’s armed forces.
🇪🇺 Travelers to 29 European Union countries will now have their fingerprints and photographs taken to enter and exit the bloc.
🗓️ What does it mean to practice diplomacy in a time of global uncertainty? Join the World Affairs Council of Atlanta for an intimate dialogue Tues., Oct. 28 with the Consuls General of Germany and Belgium in Atlanta. Register today.
📚 The Book Festival of the MJCCA is back! From Oct. 22 to Nov. 16, the 34th annual festival features an impressive array of authors, including John Grisham, John Kasich, Debbie Gibson, Jake Cohen, and Sanjay Gupta. Check out the full lineup and get tickets here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Georgia Tech and The Goat Farm preview LOOP
VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY ART NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE
🖼️ Next spring, The Goat Farm will power LOOP, a seven-acre arts and technology project at historic 665 Marietta St.
Developed with Georgia Tech Arts, the West Midtown site will mix artist studios, performance spaces, and tech-infused installations just steps from the Ferst Center for the Arts and Science Square, with doors open to both the campus and city.
The university has launched new degree programs that unite art, design, and technology; explored ways to transform campus-owned sites into creative spaces; and met with community partners to ensure those spaces serve Atlanta’s broader arts scene.
🎓 Read the full story from Sherri Daye Scott here.
🥕 Come on out to the Fresh Harvest Fall Artisan Market on Sat., Oct. 25 at Refuge Coffee Co. in Clarkston! Browse 25+ artisan vendors, enjoy global cuisine, live music, and fun for the whole family. RSVP for a free coffee! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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🎧 Look & Listen will return next week.
