Make your vote count
Friday, May 15 — As of early this week, nearly half a million Georgians had cast early ballots ahead of the May 19 primary, and that number is expected to grow today as early voting closes. You can find out where to vote here and check your registration status here.
☀️ Sunny and 79° today. Mostly sunny this weekend with highs in the mid-80s.
🚨 After an hours-long manhunt, Atlanta Police officers apprehended the suspect wanted in the fatal stabbing of a woman on the Atlanta Beltline near the Ansley Golf Club yesterday.
🚧 A two-mile stretch of I-285 on the westside will be closed in both directions from 7 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. on Monday. Watch for detours and leave extra time for travel.
🏫 The executive director of DeKalb County Schools’ controversial Student Assignment Project resigned in April, days before a parent flagged that she conducted official business with a personal Gmail account.
🐑 Attendees at Dunwoody’s Congregation Ariel got a surprise during their Lag B’Omer celebration on May 5 when Mable the sheep gave birth to a lamb in front of the crowd.
🏠 The City of Norcross celebrated the opening of more than 130 affordable housing units at The Legacy at Walton Crossing.
🍎 Erika Allen, an audio/visual technology and film teacher at Tucker High School, was chosen as this year’s High 5 for Teachers winner.
🏈 The Falcons released their 2026 schedule, featuring three consecutive prime-time games in Weeks 3-5, a trip to Madrid in Week 9, and a season opener at Pittsburgh.
🎬 The Georgia Production Partnership launched a nonprofit branch to develop local film talent.
ELSEWHERE
🇨🇳 President Donald Trump departed Beijing after two days of meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping that covered trade, Iran, Taiwan, and oil, with China agreeing to buy U.S. oil and 200 Boeing aircraft.
😵💫 Stock futures are lower this morning after the S&P 500 closed at a record high yesterday, even as consumer confidence hit an all-time low. Honda posted its first annual operating loss in nearly 70 years.
⚖️ The U.S. Supreme Court preserved access to the abortion pill mifepristone without an in-person doctor visit.
⛳ Scottie Scheffler is one of seven players tied for the lead at the PGA Championship after yesterday’s opening round at Aronimink, outside Philadelphia. Round 2 is today.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Virginia Highland Porchfest
• Film Review: ‘Obsession’
• Stevie Nicks poetry anthology
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
❤️ Do you have a sentimental fur, stole, jacket, or coat collecting dust and not being worn? Restyle Your Fur is holding a fur recycling and mink restyling event at Magnolia Moon in Alpharetta City Center on Wed. May 20, and Thurs. May 21. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Virginia Highland Porchfest returns tomorrow
🎸 On May 16, Virginia Highland District Porchfest returns for its sixth year, turning more than 50 neighborhood homes into stages for over 100 bands and drawing tens of thousands of people from across Atlanta and beyond.
Even at that scale, Porchfest still holds onto the intimate, front-porch feel that defines the neighborhood. As the event continues to grow, 2026 introduces thoughtful changes designed to improve the overall experience for attendees and neighbors alike. A new ticketed model with capped attendance will help manage crowds and offset the rising costs of hosting a large-scale, grassroots event, while also supporting expanded infrastructure.
The festival features over 100 musicians, with genres from indie rock and Americana to country and funk. This year’s lineup includes exciting bands such as The Gringos, Hallpass, The Ocho, Kobanova, and many more.
🍻 Read more about the event here.
A nostalgic summer vacation at Lake Oconee
SPONSORED BY VISIT LAKE OCONEE
🏖️ Looking for things to do this summer or planning a weekend getaway near Atlanta? Just over an hour away, Lake Oconee is one of Georgia’s top summer destinations, offering everything from boating and fishing to berry picking and small-town charm.
🌞 Whether you’re planning a relaxing lake vacation or hoping to recreate the “good old days” with your kids or grandkids, Lake Oconee is the perfect place to slow down and make lasting summer memories.
2. ‘Obsession’ offers a clever, horror twist on the ‘crazy girlfriend’ trope
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🐻 Early on in Curry Barker’s new horror film “Obsession,” Nikki (Inde Navarrette) stands outside the passenger door to her coworker and friend Bear’s (Michael Johnston) car. She leans down into the vehicle, making intentional eye contact with Bear as she asks: “Do you like me?”
It’s very clear to the audience that the answer to this question is a resounding “yes.” Bear has known Nikki for years, and harbored a not-so-subtle secret crush on her the whole time – afraid of voicing these feelings in case she doesn’t like him back. So, instead of answering Nikki outright, he chickens out. Typical.
“Obsession” takes its name from when, after Bear is unable to tell Nikki how he feels, he makes a half-hearted wish on a kitschy toy that he got from a novelty shop, wishing that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. After that wish comes true – perhaps a little too true – we’re off to the races, with Barker proving himself a gifted horror filmmaker with a surprisingly smart, subversive take on a well-worn genre. “Obsession” cleverly uproots the idea of who we should be rooting for in a horror movie, and delivers a star-making horror performance from Navarrette in the process.
❤️🔥 Click here to read Sammie’s review.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. ‘White Winged Doves’ celebrates Stevie Nicks through poetry
🕊️ Reading through the introduction of “White Winged Doves: A Stevie Nicks Poetry Anthology,” it’s clear that its editors have very different relationships with the queen of rock ‘n’ roll.
But, despite their different perspectives, editors Collin Kelley and Megan Volpert can agree that however they feel, Nicks is someone who has forced them – who has forced the world at large – to sit up and pay attention. And for that, she’s deserving of a poetry anthology celebrating her work.
“White Winged Doves” will be released on June 16 by Madville Publishing, but a pre-launch event is set for Mon., May 18, at the Decatur Library, followed by a virtual event on Nicks’ birthday, May 26.
🎼 Read Sammie Purcell’s conversation with the co-editors.
⛱️ Looking for things to do this summer or planning a weekend getaway near Atlanta? Just over an hour away, Lake Oconee is one of Georgia’s top summer destinations, offering everything from boating and fishing to berry picking and small-town charm. Plan your nostalgic summer escape today. 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.
① White House counterterrorism strategy targets ‘anti-American, radically pro-transgender’ groups
② Town at Trilith’s annual food festival returns to Fayetteville on May 29
③ Residents in Sandy Springs rally against SR 400 construction impacts (Pictured)
④ Pushback stalls proposed second paved Beltline trail for bikes, scooters
⑤ Bowie-inspired wine bar Under Pressure opening in Sandy Springs
🏫 Ben Franklin Academy is a learning community that activates mastery. How? By offering 47 AP and Honors level courses, individualized instruction and demonstrated proficiency with subject matter before moving on! And it’s not too late to enroll for next school year. At Ben Franklin Academy, the learning is built to last. Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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