See ‘ya 2025
Dec. 31 — Looking for ways to celebrate the arrival of 2026? Check out our New Year’s Eve guide, which includes the new Countdown Over ATL event with a drone show visible over Downtown and Midtown at 11:45 p.m., and fireworks at midnight.
🌞 Sunny and 52° today.
⚖️ A Fulton County judge dismissed RICO charges against dozens of protesters tied to Atlanta’s Public Safety Training Center, ruling Attorney General Chris Carr lacked authority. The state said it would appeal.
🗓️ New laws going into effect in Georgia on Jan. 1 will address shortages in accounting and dentistry, increased homeowner protections, and campaign finance requirements.
📃 State LGBTQ+ advocates expect legislation to be introduced in 2026 that targets school curriculum and books, gender-affirming care, and DEI initiatives.
📌 Georgia Recorder has rounded up a list of the year’s top political stories in the state.
ELSEWHERE
🎗️ Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of John F. Kennedy, and daughter of Caroline Kennedy, died at 35, weeks after revealing she had terminal leukemia in a November New Yorker essay.
👶 Federal agencies are freezing child care payments to Minnesota after claims of widespread fraud amplified by YouTuber Nick Shirley. Gov. Tim Walz accused President Donald Trump of politicizing the issue.
🦠 The South Carolina Department of Public Health reported 179 measles cases since July, warning the virus was spreading in unvaccinated communities and urging residents to check their vaccination status.
PICTURE THIS: There will be two ball drops in Times Square tonight: the traditional midnight countdown and a 12:04 a.m. encore honoring America’s 250th birthday, complete with patriotic confetti and a Ray Charles-scored finale led by America250 (Image via America250).
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• AJC goes digital
• New Year’s Day dining options
• Top stories of 2025
AND
• Concert Picks
✨ Ring in 2026 at Starlight Lounge & Grill with a high-energy NYE celebration – galaxy vibes, live DJ, fusion cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, countdown moments, and late-night magic in Sandy Springs. Dress to impress and celebrate among the stars. Reserve now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. AJC presses go quiet
📰 After 157 years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has printed its final daily newspaper. Today’s issue (above left) features reflections from executives, former writers, and columnists, including Bill Torpy and Patricia Murphy. There are tribute ads from The Carter Center, Grady, Kroger, AMB Sports and Entertainment, Rough Draft Atlanta, and other local organizations. There’s also a gallery of historic front pages, three of which are pictured above. View the e-edition here (subscription required).
AJC President and Publisher Andrew Morse said the shift of resources to digital reflects changing audience habits, and a belief that focusing fully on digital products, subscriptions, video, podcasts, and events is the best way to protect the newsroom and ensure the paper’s long-term survival.
🗞️ “We will begin the new year as a fully digital organization, committed, as always, to being the most essential and engaging news source for the people of Atlanta, Georgia, and the South,” Morse wrote in August.
Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor said, “I’m proud of our team for making these decisions, as much as I will miss the nostalgia of seeing the paper in my driveway every morning.” Cox owns the AJC and the Dayton Daily News.
🖥️ Read more at AJC.com or find today’s final print edition at local retailers, including Kroger, RaceTrac, and QuikTrip.
Fashion meets art at the High Museum!
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
👗 Experience Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Statements – a bold, breathtaking exhibition celebrating avant-garde fashion visionaries who blurred the line between haute couture and art. Only at the High, the exhibition’s sole U.S. stop.
➞ On view through Feb. 8, 2026.
2. New Year’s Day dining, beyond Atlanta’s boozy brunches and football feasts
🥂 Looking for low-key places to continue celebrating on New Year’s Day, or maybe indulge one last time before you truly commit to those 2026 resolutions? We have a few New Year’s Day dining suggestions for you, beyond Atlanta’s boozy brunches and football-watching feasts.
➳ See all of dining editor Beth McKibben’s suggestions here.
3. Top stories of 2025
👓 As we say goodbye to 2025, we look back at the Top 10 most-read stories on the Rough Draft website over the last year.
The stories range from a tragic missing persons mystery and a party house shutdown, to features on a beloved DeKalb Farmers Market and the Beltline’s multibillion-dollar transit plan.
⚡ A smarter way to move around Atlanta. Lime is expanding safe, sustainable micromobility with free e-bike lessons, dynamic speed zones, and new vehicles – helping residents and World Cup visitors travel confidently on and beyond the Beltline. Ride, learn, and explore Atlanta differently. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
Wed., Dec. 31
🎛️ Gucci Mane (pictured) @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
🎸 Umphrey’s McGee @ Tabernacle
🌀 Widespread Panic @ Fox Theatre
🕺 Perpetual Groove @ Terminal West
Thurs., Jan. 1
🍷 Raheem DeVaughn @ City Winery (additional dates)
Fri., Jan. 2
🇮🇷 Behnam Bani @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Sat., Jan. 3
🎶 New Year’s Weekend Southern Soul Celebration @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
🥣 Soup @ Vinyl
💼 CEO Trayle @ Aisle 5
Tues., Jan. 6
🪕 Jarvis Taylor @ Eddie’s Attic
🍻 Tanner Laws Band + Joe Bryson @ Eddie’s Attic
Wed., Jan. 7
🎤 Kevin Kinney @ Eddie’s Attic
✨ Ring in 2026 at Starlight Lounge & Grill with a high-energy NYE celebration – galaxy vibes, live DJ, fusion cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, countdown moments, and late-night magic in Sandy Springs. Dress to impress and celebrate among the stars. Reserve now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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