
Court watch
Thursday, April 30 — A federal judge issued an order protecting the City of Atlanta from the Trump administration’s efforts to block federal funding due to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
☁️ Cloudy with a high of 71° today.
🔎 The 16-year-old who was fatally shot on Monday at the Oakland City MARTA station was identified as Xavier Wright. No motive or suspects have been named.
🚫 The Dunwoody City Council is considering an ordinance to regulate vape shops.
👪 Pending cuts to Georgia’s Medicaid program could affect services for low-income families.
🩺 A new study shows that Georgia ranks 48th in the nation for Hispanic health care, with high rates of uninsured adults and children.
🗣️ Four Georgia Secretary of State candidates from each party squared off in the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series ahead of the May 19 primary.
⚖️ A former Atlanta Hawks finance executive was sentenced to more than three years in prison for embezzling $3.7 million.
🏀 The Hawks must win tonight’s Game 6 against the Knicks to stay alive in the First Round NBA Playoff series. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at State Farm Arena, and tickets are available starting at about $60 (ESPN; 92.9 FM).
⚾ A Matt Olson walk-off home run last night led the Braves to a 4-3 win over Detroit. The teams meet again today at Truist Park at 12:15 p.m. (Braves.TV; 93.7 FM).
ELSEWHERE
🗳️ The Supreme Court voted to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, limiting race as a factor in congressional maps, and potentially reshaping dozens of seats across the South.
💰 Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he will remain on the Board of Governors after his chairmanship ends, calling White House attacks on the central bank “unprecedented in our 113-year history.”
🇬🇧 Two Jewish men were stabbed in London yesterday in what police treated as a terrorist incident, prompting Britain’s government to commit £25 million for security at Jewish sites.
🇮🇷🇮🇱🇺🇸 Here are some updates on the war in Iran:
- Oil prices touched a four-year high today on news that the U.S. is preparing new plans for military action against Iran.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before Congress that the war has cost $25 billion so far, sparring with Democrats and some Republicans over the conflict’s rationale.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Atlanta Collage Collective
• Holocaust memorial restoration
• Real Estate Quiz
• FetchFiles launch
AND
• Quick Bites
🏡 The Chastain Park Conservancy (CPC) is thrilled to announce our first Home and Garden Tour on Sat., May 2 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This event will celebrate the beauty of our neighborhood, foster community, and support CPC’s mission. Get tickets here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Atlanta Collage Collective brings inaugural show to Chamblee’s Oddities Museum
VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER ABOUT ART | SUBSCRIBE
📌 Just over two years after a local zine fest sparked the idea behind it, Atlanta Collage Collective (ACC) is mounting its first formal exhibition. Sixteen artists. One show at Chamblee’s Oddities Museum.
The collective traces its roots to December 2022, when a group of collage artists at the festival spontaneously started making work side by side at a communal table. The response convinced ACC founder Marty Gordon there was real demand for a dedicated collage community in the area.
In February 2023, he hosted the first official Atlanta Collage Collective meetup. After bouncing between temporary locations, the group adopted the Oddities Museum as its creative home base in 2024.
✂️ Learn more about the show here.
Frida Presented by Atlanta Ballet
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA BALLET
🩰 Experience Atlanta Ballet’s production of Frida, a breathtaking ballet by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa that paints a powerful portrait of the life and art of the legendary Frida Kahlo.
Through bold choreography and striking imagery, her passions, pain, and artistic vision unfold onstage, and dreamlike sequences weave her iconic paintings and self-portraits into a vibrant theatrical tapestry.
From the creative team behind Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, this production is an unforgettable tribute to an iconic artist.
➞ Reserve your seats now. May 8-10 at the Cobb Energy Centre.
2. Historic Holocaust memorial in Atlanta receives restoration award
🎗️ The Memorial to the Six Million, a Holocaust memorial site located at Greenwood Cemetery in southwest Atlanta, has been given an excellence in restoration award by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Memorial to the Six Million is the first of its kind to be constructed in Georgia and the first three-dimensional Holocaust memorial in the United States. It underwent a renovation in 2024, returning the memorial to its intended appearance.
Led by Savannah-based Landmark Preservation, the restoration project repaired stone walls, improved accessibility, and upgraded torch lights and eternal flame systems.
Sculpting Space, Shaping Experience
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HIGH MUSEUM
🧑🎨 Step into the expansive world of Isamu Noguchi, where sculpture, design, and space converge in unexpected ways at the High Museum of Art.
Discover nearly two hundred works ranging from iconic furniture to unrealized visions and large-scale installations that reveal an artist redefining how we live, play, and experience form.
3. What’s it Worth?
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA FINE HOMES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY🏡 Set behind gates on 2.3± acres in Sandy Springs, this nearly 15,000-square-foot estate features a pool, fireside pavilion, outdoor kitchen, sport court and indoor gym. The home offers six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and three half bathrooms.
❓ Guess the price below!
4. Emory MBA founders launch pet medical records platform FetchFiles
🐶 From city apartments to suburban homes, close to 90 million U.S. households include a pet.
Two of those pet owners have teamed up to build the medical records platform they can all use.
Vincent Harvey II and Ja’Mel Ware, who are both soon-to-be MBA graduates from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, are building FetchFiles. As its name suggests, FetchFiles aims to be a pet’s complete medical history in a secure, organized, and shareable fashion.
🩺 Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
🚍 MARTA tap ‘n’ pay! This Sat., May 2, all riders must start using their mobile wallet, bank card, or a new orange Breeze card to pay for rides on MARTA and its partner transit systems. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE HERE
😋 This week’s Quick Bites includes details on new coffee shops in Grant Park and Midtown, a card game lounge coming to Alpharetta, vegan lunches in Reynoldstown, and the 2026 Slow Food Atlanta Snail of Approval award winners. Plus, read up on May food events to attend, along with dining specials, and more Atlanta restaurant news. Click here to read the latest Atlanta food and dining news.
💸 Birmingham-based Pihakis Restaurant Group, which includes Atlanta restaurants Psito and Hero Diner, faces $13.7 million in lawsuits and liens.
💚 Love matcha drinks and desserts? Check out our Atlanta guide to matcha drinks, desserts, and soft serve here.
🐾 The Midtown Mutt Gala returns this Sun., May 3 from 2-5 p.m. for an afternoon of fashionable pups, music, vendors, and a doggy red carpet complete with Pawpurazzi! Costume contest entries are closed, but this event is free for spectators. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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