Weekend vibes
Friday, April 24 — CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to lead the Hawks over the Knicks, 109-108, giving Atlanta a 2-1 series lead. See our photos on IG. Game 4 is tomorrow at 6 p.m. (Peacock; 92.9 FM).
🌤️ Mostly sunny with a high of 81° today. It’ll be cloudy and warm throughout the weekend, with a chance of rain on Saturday.
🚒 Wildfires continue to burn across south Georgia, with a Brantley County blaze now at 5,000 acres and 15% containment after destroying at least 54 homes. Here’s how you can help the victims.
💰 The president of the defunct First Liberty Building and Loan in Newnan, GA, was charged with wire fraud in an alleged Ponzi scheme that raised $140 million from 300 investors.
🗳 We asked the five candidates running for the District 4 DeKalb School Board seat about transparency, the Student Assignment Project, and what students need to thrive.
✏️ The Georgia Election Board is considering mandating hand-marked paper ballots for the midterms after state lawmakers failed to authorize a new voting system in its recent session.
🪧 Mayor Andre Dickens formally made a pitch for the City of Atlanta to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention.
🌳 Sandy Springs held its first state-required public hearing for the 2027 Comprehensive Plan, a long-range planning document that outlines where and how development should occur.
💸 Invest Atlanta approved a $2 million Westside Tax Allocation District grant to support the development of the Andrew Young International Institute for Peace and Reconciliation in Vine City.
Emmy-winning CBS News correspondent David Pogue brings his “Apple: The First 50 Years” book tour to Mimms Museum of Technology and Art in Roswell tomorrow at 2 p.m.
🎒 The annual Totes to Tots backpack, suitcase, and essential items drive is today from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Northside Hospital.
ELSEWHERE
🇮🇷🇺🇸🇮🇱 President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire yesterday, and said he faces no “time pressure” on an Iran deal.
⚖️ Federal authorities arrested a soldier who allegedly used classified knowledge of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture to bet on Polymarket, pocketing more than $400,000 in profit.
🗳️ Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted yesterday to approve the company’s proposed merger with Paramount Skydance.
🌿 The DOJ moved to reclassify cannabis, easing research restrictions and opening banking pathways, though stopping short of federal legalization.
🗞️ President Trump is expected to attend tomorrow’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner for the first time as president.
🏈 The Raiders selected Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft last night. Georgia OT Monroe Freeling went 19th to Carolina, and Houston took Georgia Tech G Keylan Rutledge with the 26th pick.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Inman Park Festival
• Movie Review: ‘Mother Mary’
• Black, Jewish unity
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
🎹 Experience a magical night with Grammy Award Winner Jon Batiste and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra tomorrow, Sat., April 25, at Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park. An unforgettable night under the stars awaits – secure your tickets now before they’re gone. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Inman Park Festival returns today through Sunday
🏡 Atlanta’s largest all-volunteer festival is back for its 54th year in one of the city’s oldest communities. The Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes takes place April 24-26, inviting residents and visitors to celebrate the neighborhood.
The Inman Park Festival will include music, dance performances, and, of course, its annual tour of homes.
👋 Stop by and say hello to the Rough Draft team at our tent near the intersection of Waverly and Edgewood throughout the weekend. We’ll have some Rough Draft swag for you!
➡ Learn more about the festival here.
Don’t miss THE event of the spring – Move For Grady!
SPONSORED BY GRADY HEALTH FOUNDATION
🏃 It’s time to register for Move For Grady tomorrow – Atlanta’s best ride/run/walk event supporting Grady! Choose one of three fully supported cycling routes or 5K or 10K run/walk courses that will show you Atlanta from a new point of view. Then stay to celebrate with great food, drinks, and music at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
❤️ Move For Grady raises funds to support Grady’s mission to build a healthier Atlanta. Register today, start training, and join the party tomorrow!
2. ‘Mother Mary’ explores our relationship to pop stardom in ghostly, dramatic fashion
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🎤 The simplest explanation one could give for the set up of David Lowery’s “Mother Mary” is as follows: a pop star (Anne Hathaway), recovering from a personal crisis, returns to her former stylist and friend (Michaela Coel) to beg for help one last time.
What unfolds, however, is a psychological exploration of codependency between pop star and audience (and between two former friends) that mostly takes place within conversations between two actors at the top of their game – that is, until about halfway through, when Lowery decides to go straight into haunting mode.
But, this is not a ghost story. It is a fascinating cinematic study of the emotional tenets of pop stardom. Beyond the capitalism of it all, beyond the careful construction of persona, what does it mean to stand at a Beyoncé, or Lady Gaga, or Taylor Swift (whose “Reputation” tour was a great inspiration for “Mother Mary”) concert, screaming your guts out, putting all of the emotional weight of your feelings on one singular person? “Mother Mary” is interested in that relationship, but also in painting a portrait of two broken people attempting to exorcise their personal demons. It’s a visual feast, haunting and exhilarating, held down by two performances that sing with a sense of heightened drama. And, if you’re going to make a movie about a pop star, drama is key.
👼 Click here to read Sammie’s review. You can also check out her review of the new biopic “I Swear” here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. Unity event brings Black and Jewish students together
🗣️ The sanctuary of The Temple on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Be bold, be hard working, be audacious, and be allies” was the advice of Dr. Michael L. Lomax, CEO and president of UNCF, to the Black and Jewish friends, neighbors, and college students in the audience.
A fireside chat about the Black and Jewish communities was held on Wednesday between Lomax and his longtime friend, Harvard professor, distinguished scholar, and documentarian Henry Louis Gates Jr., and was moderated by WABE’s Lisa Rayam.
Gates is the host and producer of a four-part documentary, “Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History,” which is now streaming on PBS. But the evening was focused on the two communities banding together to fight one common enemy.
➡️ Read more in Logan C. Ritchie’s report here.
🐾 Fancy dogs. Fierce looks. A red-carpet moment you won’t want to miss. The Midtown Mutt Gala returns May 3 from 2-5 p.m. for a playful celebration featuring music, vendors, and a dog costume contest. Small fee to enter the contest. Register by April 26 and learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
② Atlanta Police make major drug bust at marijuana ‘pop-up event’ (Pictured)
③ Unfinished Midtown office building renovation raises safety concerns
④ Tucker Whataburger moves forward, 7 Brew stalls
⑤ Residents say they don’t want 280-unit apartment complex in Brookhaven’s Perimeter Summit
🏥 Join Move For Grady tomorrow! Three intown biking distances and two run/walk options means there’s something for everyone. Come to move, stay for the party – plenty of food and drinks to celebrate at GSU’s Center Parc Stadium. SPONSOR MESSAGE
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
🔤 Play News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
💡 Help support independent local media by becoming a Rough Draft member today. Pick up some cool swag, including our new, limited-edition LOCAL hoodie.
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