Twinkling Tuesday
Dec. 23 — Barry Manilow said he will postpone several farewell tour dates, including his Jan. 16 show at Gas South Arena, after doctors found a cancerous spot on his left lung. Surgery is planned, but no chemo or radiation is expected. The Duluth show is rescheduled for April 29.
☁️ Cloudy and 66° today.
🚨 DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the three inmates who escaped from jail late Sunday or early Monday are back in custody.
👮 The DeKalb County Police Department recently unveiled its $2 million Real Time Crime Center in Tucker, a modernized hub for monitoring live video feeds, enhancing response times, and improving technology-driven public safety measures.
🥫 The Atlanta Community Food Bank has promoted longtime employee Greg Sims to Chief Development Officer.
🚗 The rising cost of auto insurance is likely to spur legislation during the 2026 Georgia General Assembly session that opens Jan. 12.
⚖️ A Kenyan man has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for conspiring to commit a “9/11-style” attack on Atlanta’s Bank of America building.
ELSEWHERE
💊 The Food and Drug Administration approved a pill version of Wegovy, a popular GLP-1 medication.
⚓️ President Donald Trump unveiled plans for a “Golden Fleet,” including a new Trump Class of Navy battleships he claimed would be 100 times more powerful, with lasers and hypersonic weapons.
🥃 Bourbon maker Jim Beam will pause production at one of its distilleries in Kentucky for a year as it navigates tariffs and a slump in demand.
🌧️ A powerful atmospheric river is hitting California this week, triggering flood warnings, evacuation alerts, and mudslide fears across the state.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• APS Literacy Council
• Beltline art call
• Holiday eggnog recipe
✨ The Underground Rep: Inspired by the multi-year construction project and excavation beneath the Woodruff Arts Center’s Memorial Arts Building, Alliance Theatre will open the new Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families with three productions performed in repertory – all set underground! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. APS launches new literacy initiative for early learning
📚 Atlanta Public Schools (APS) has launched the APS Literacy Council, a new initiative bringing together literacy experts from across the Metro area.
This council is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of literacy education within APS, providing guidance and expertise as they help to co-design an innovative, early-learning model that accelerates early literacy for students across the district.
The council is composed of educators, researchers, and community leaders, and will support the district in implementing programs that drive measurable improvement in student outcomes.
➡ Read more about the council here.
A smarter way to move around Atlanta
SPONSORED BY LIME
🚲 Lime is teaming up with the Atlanta Beltline to expand safe, sustainable ways to get around the city.
⚡From free First Ride Academies with hands-on e-bike training to dynamic speed zones created with ATL DOT, the partnership helps riders feel confident on two wheels. As the Beltline nears completion and the city prepares for the World Cup, this collaboration supports a smoother, more sustainable way to get around.
➞ Ride, learn, and explore Atlanta differently.
2. Atlanta Beltline Art opens call for 2026 season
🎨 Atlanta Beltline Art, the public art program that turned Atlanta’s trail system into one of the nation’s largest outdoor galleries, has opened three new calls for participation for Atlanta residents tied to its 2026 exhibition season.
Beginning this month, applications are open for the Beltline Public Art Advisory Committee (BPAAC), the Arts & Culture Review Panel, and the Pre-Qualified Public Art Artist Registry – three distinct pathways into how public art is reviewed, selected, and commissioned along the Beltline.
Since 2010, Atlanta Beltline Art has presented hundreds of temporary artworks and live performances each year.
➡ Find out more about the art call here.
3. Wylie & Rum’s Jamaican eggnog recipe
🎄 Just in time for the holidays, we’re sharing Wylie & Rum’s Jamaican eggnog recipe.
“Eggnog was my first alcoholic beverage my mom let me try,” said Wylie & Rum Executive Chef Brian Jones. “Every Christmas Eve, my mom would buy a carton of eggnog, and we would watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
Oft-used spices in Jamaica – cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla – resonate with the drink Jones always enjoys during the holidays. Adding rum is a natural fit. “The rum highlights the spices and vanilla, and sets a cold drink on fire,” Jones said.
✨ The Underground Rep: Inspired by the multi-year construction project and excavation beneath the Woodruff Arts Center’s Memorial Arts Building, Alliance Theatre will open the new Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families with three productions performed in repertory – all set underground! SPONSOR MESSAGE
✨ The Underground Rep: Inspired by the multi-year construction project and excavation beneath the Woodruff Arts Center’s Memorial Arts Building, Alliance Theatre will open the new Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families with three productions performed in repertory – all set underground! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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