Wassup, Wednesday
Feb. 4 — Milton Police are actively searching for DJ Young Slade, the son of award-winning rapper and producer Lil Jon, who was reported missing on Tuesday morning.
🌂 Possible showers and 54° today.
⚖️ Attorney General Chris Carr said he will continue with the prosecution of 61 defendants charged with domestic terrorism against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
📣 Healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson entered Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial primary with plans to spend $50 million.
🗳️ A Georgia election review panel recommended that the state return to hand-marked paper ballots for this November’s midterms.
📰 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is laying off about 50 employees as it continues its shift to digital. (Related: significant cuts are expected today at the Washington Post.)
💸 Tracy Denise Jones, a former senior executive at Atlanta Housing, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal fraud charges.
🏆 PETA is awarding its Compassionate Police Department Award to the Brookhaven Police Department for its swift action in rescuing a puppy who was seen being beaten on a woman’s Twitch stream.
✋ The Jonesboro City Council voted Monday to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in the city.
ELSEWHERE
💰 The U.S. House voted yesterday to pass a government funding package to end a partial government shutdown.
🤔 President Donald Trump said he wants Republicans to “take over the voting” in 15 states, including Georgia, to “nationalize” the 2026 midterm elections.
🔎 Arizona authorities continued searching for the 84-year-old mother of “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who officials believe was abducted from her Tucson-area home.
🐕 Penny the Doberman Pinscher won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show, beating 3,000 competitors from 202 breeds.
⛰️ Although the opening ceremonies are not until Friday, the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics start today. Catch curling at 1:05 p.m. on NBC.
PICTURE THIS: Paul McKibben captured this image of the waning gibbous moon on Tuesday morning as it set behind the spires of the King & Spalding tower in Midtown. And, yes, we know it’s giving “Lord of the Rings.”
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Rally Foundation celebrates 20 years
• World Cup + small businesses
• Wellness Wednesday
AND
• Concert Picks
🎉 Celebrate Food Service Workers! Join Giving Kitchen on Sun., March 15, at Truist Park for THE culinary tasting of the year! Team Hidi 2026, fueled by Georgia Natural Gas, brings nearly 100 top food & beverage partners together. Get details and tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Dean Crowe’s Rally Foundation marks 20 years of fighting childhood cancer
🏥 Since Dean Crowe founded the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research twenty years ago, the Sandy Springs-based nonprofit’s investments have netted researchers $1 billion in additional support.
Crowe is a Sandy Springs native and Riverwood High School graduate, turning her personal connection to a child with brain cancer into a nationally recognized nonprofit. Its mission focuses on finding better treatments with fewer long-term side effects, and ultimately, a cure.
The Rally Foundation has impressive figures to back up its 20 years of nonprofit work: $50.5 million awarded in childhood cancer research grants, $317.5 million secured in federal funding since 2017, and 148,000 meals provided to families in the hospital. Last year, the organization awarded $5.5 million in grants to 75 researchers worldwide.
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.
2. Atlanta mayor announces initiatives to help boost small businesses during the World Cup
⚽ Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens, Invest Atlanta President and CEO Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson, and Showcase Atlanta Interim Executive Director Lamar Stewart held a joint press conference yesterday to discuss how small businesses can benefit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.
The expected influx of soccer fans provides a unique economic opportunity for Atlanta’s small businesses, if owners and operators collaborate with the city in preparedness efforts ahead of the World Cup.
Dickens announced multiple grants and opportunities for small businesses to take advantage of during Atlanta’s eight World Cup matches.
💼 Sarra Sedghi has more on this story here.
3. Wellness Wednesday
🫂 Look out for your loved ones and learn about suicide prevention on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Doraville. This free training will educate participants on how to recognize warning signs, speak to someone at risk, and refer them to helpful resources.
❤️🔥 Indulge in an evening designed for women at Love Land + Liberation Farm on Saturday at 5 p.m. Enjoy a curated four-course meal and an interactive workshop on how to care for body, mind, and spirit during the colder months.
🔔 Refresh your soul at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center with a relaxing sound bath (pictured) on Monday at 6 p.m. This meditative evening will encourage mental clarity and stress reduction.
🫶 The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has fueled every major IBD breakthrough. Think of someone you love living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Honor them by giving today and supporting our Torch Gala on Sat., Feb. 7. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
Wed., Feb. 4
💨 Berner @ The Loft
🧠 Geoff Tate’s Operation Mindcrime @ Center Stage
Thurs., Feb. 5
🌙 Langhorne Slim @ Terminal West
🦖 Dinosaur Pile-Up @ The Masquerade
Fri., Feb. 6
🪄 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2: Live in Concert @ Atlanta Symphony Hall (also Saturday and Sunday)
🎸 JUMP – America’s Van Halen Experience @ Gas South Arena
🔑 112 @ Tabernacle
🎧 SUPER DUPER USELESS SHOW! @ The Loft
🐊 454 @ Aisle 5
Sat., Feb. 7
💂 Her Majesty’s Request (pictured) @ Avon Theater
🎶 Scott Ivey & The Filthy Frets @ The Loft
🌺 The Movement @ Variety Playhouse
🦊 Fox Stevenson @ The Masquerade
Sun., Feb. 8
🧢 MC DAVO & Sabino @ Terminal West
Tues., Feb. 10
🥀 Badflower @ The Masquerade
🔥 Miguel @ Coca-Cola Roxy
Wed., Feb. 11
🔌 Electric Guest @ The Masquerade
🎉 Celebrate Food Service Workers! Join Giving Kitchen on Sun., March 15, at Truist Park for THE culinary tasting of the year! Team Hidi 2026, fueled by Georgia Natural Gas, brings nearly 100 top food & beverage partners. Get details and tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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