Vintage Tuesday
Feb. 24 — President Donald Trump will give his State of the Union address tonight at 9 p.m. with an expected focus on the economy, immigration, and foreign policy. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will give the Democratic rebuttal, with Sen. Alex Padilla also giving a Spanish-language response. Watch on all major networks or stream on the White House website.
⛅ Partly cloudy with a high of 52° today.
⚖️ The mother of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray testified she urged his father to lock up the guns in their home before the 2024 shooting that killed four people.
🦠 The Georgia Department of Public Health reported a second measles case this year, this time from an unvaccinated Bryan County resident.
🗳 Georgia Senate Republicans shot down Democrats’ attempt to pass Medicaid expansion late last week.
🚨 Police are investigating a “targeted” shooting in DeKalb that stalled traffic for hours yesterday, leaving one dead and several others wounded.
🚰 Residents of Twelve Midtown in Atlantic Station remain out of their condos following an evacuation order due to ongoing electrical and water issues.
🍴 The Pittsburgh Yards development on the Beltline Southside Trail installed the final shipping containers that will house 11 small businesses, including six restaurants.
🎗️ The Dunwoody Police Department is mourning Major William “Rusty” Furman, one of the force’s original officers, who died after a battle with cancer.
ELSEWHERE
🇺🇦🇷🇺 Today is the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Analysts estimate 1.2 million Russian and up to 600,000 Ukrainian casualties.
❄️ The Northeast is digging out from its strongest storm in a decade, with thousands of flights canceled, and schools closed across several states.
🇲🇽 An uneasy calm returned to Jalisco state in Mexico after the killing of a cartel leader, with tourists still stranded in Puerto Vallarta.
🔎 Fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files continued as longevity guru Dr. Peter Attia resigned from CBS News, and former U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson was arrested in London.
⚖️ Nick Reiner, the son of director Rob Reiner, who is accused of killing his parents last year, pleaded not guilty to murder yesterday.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• AJFF juror controversy
• TrustDALE on dryer vents
• Oglethorpe book fair
• GPB on R.E.M. cover bands
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
☀️ Make lifelong friendships, try new activities, and have the best summer ever at MJCCA Day Camps! The possibilities are endless with theme, sports, performing arts, teen, and traditional camps for rising Pre-K through 9th graders. Learn more and register here!
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1. Dispute over juror leads Israeli consulate to pull funding from AJFF
🇮🇱 The Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern United States announced that it was ending its partnership and financial support of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival over a juror’s views on the State of Israel and the war in Gaza posted to social media.
In a Feb. 20 statement, the Consulate said it discovered that a juror had posted what it deemed “antisemitic and anti-Israel content” on social media. When the Consulate told festival leadership, the festival refused to remove the juror, prompting it to pull its support from the festival, which began Feb. 18 and runs through March 15.
The AJFF released an initial statement on Feb. 20 defending its decision, citing the importance of creating spaces where people with different opinions can come together and engage. Two days later, it walked back that defense, saying, “We are sorry. Recent conversations within the Jewish community have made clear that the [AJFF] fell short in our internal processes regarding the recent jury matter.”
📽️ Read more here.
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2. Is your dryer vent a fire risk?
TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE
👚 Most homeowners clean the lint trap after every load. It feels responsible, thorough, and done. What many do not realize is that the lint trap is only the first checkpoint. The real buildup often happens deeper inside the vent line that runs from the dryer to the exterior of the home.
Over time, that narrow duct becomes a tunnel lined with lint, dust, and debris. Airflow slows, heat builds, dry cycles stretch longer, and in some cases, the risk escalates beyond inconvenience.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, nearly 2,900 residential dryer fires are reported each year, and failure to clean is the leading factor contributing to those incidents. That is not a statistic meant to scare. It is a reminder that maintenance inside the walls matters just as much as wiping down surfaces you can see.
🧯 Learn more from the experts at TrustDALE here.
3. Vintage, rare book show coming to Oglethorpe University this weekend
📖 Fine Book Fairs will host its first event of the year at Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, Feb. 27-March 1, marking its first fair in Atlanta.
With 24 exhibitors and vendors from all over the United States, including local favorites like Atlanta Vintage Books and Toadlily Books, the fair will feature a wide range of material at varying price points.
In addition to the shopping experience, Fine Book Fairs will host two keynote speaker events with Kermit Roosevelt III, the great-great-grandson of former President Theodore Roosevelt.
🎓 Learn more about the event here.
4. Remaking R.E.M. — Meet the tribute bands keeping the music alive
🎸 R.E.M.’s music will always be in the ether. After more than 93 million records sold and billions of streams reaching new generations, the group’s recorded legacy is perfectly positioned for the future, even though band members Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry no longer record or tour together.
So, who is performing R.E.M.’s music these days?
Over the past few years, traditions have formed around the anniversaries of R.E.M. recordings, such as the celebrations of the “Chronic Town” EP in Atlanta and Athens in 2022. Last year, actor Michael Shannon and guitarist Jason Narducy lured all four members of R.E.M. on stage when they toured together to perform songs from the band’s 1985 album, “Fables of the Reconstruction.”
Now, the pair returns to the 40 Watt Club on Feb. 26 and 27 to present a 40th anniversary tour of “Lifes Rich Pageant.”
🔊 Read more in this story from GPB.
☀️ Make lifelong friendships, try new activities, and have the best summer ever at MJCCA Day Camps! The possibilities are endless with theme, sports, performing arts, teen, and traditional camps for rising Pre-K through 9th graders. Learn more and register here!
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5. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🌼 Food Well Alliance (pictured) is looking for volunteers to assist in the Historic Westside Gardens on Thursday morning in Atlanta. Pitch in to support food-producing spaces and learn more about urban agriculture.
📦 Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Georgia needs volunteers on Friday morning in Chamblee to help sort donations in the warehouse and tag clothing items.
🌿 Park Pride is seeking volunteers on Saturday morning in Atlanta for the final day of Love Your Park 2026. Participants will restore the Proctor Creek bed at Lillian Cooper Shepherd Park by removing invasive plants and cleaning up litter.
☀️ Make lifelong friendships, try new activities, and have the best summer ever at MJCCA Day Camps! The possibilities are endless with theme, sports, performing arts, teen, and traditional camps for rising Pre-K through 9th graders. Learn more and register here!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
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