‘Who’ll stop the rain?’
Wednesday, May 27 —Two Georgia spellers, including Sarv Dharavane of Peachtree Middle School, who came in third in last year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, made it through the first two rounds of this year’s competition. The semifinals begin this morning at 8 a.m., followed by finals tomorrow. The winner takes home $50,000.
🌧️ More rain and 82° today.
🚨 A woman died after a car fleeing the Georgia State Patrol at 90 mph lost control on the Hill Street exit ramp off I-20 and crashed into a gas station. The driver faces vehicular homicide charges.
🚧 Confusion over which agency is responsible for the oversight of a controversial construction site at Peachtree and 14th streets in Midtown continues to leave residents with unanswered questions.
🏞️ The City of Norcross is celebrating the recent enhancements and transformation of Norcross Discovery Garden Park on June 9, at 3:30 p.m.
🏗️ The Decide DeKalb Development Authority will host a June 11 groundbreaking ceremony for Candler Crossing, a mixed-use retail development planned in Decatur.
🎶 Dad’s Garage is bringing “GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!” back to its stage this June, more than a decade after the production’s initial run at the Atlanta theater in 2014.
🎗️ Former Atlanta Brave Bob Horner, who formed one of baseball’s most feared power duos with Dale Murphy, died Tuesday at 68. He is also remembered for intercepting a charging Padres player during a 1984 brawl while in street clothes with a broken wrist.
ELSEWHERE
🥵 Western Europe is being hit with a record-breaking heat wave.
☢️ A chemical tank rupture at a paper mill in Longview, WA, killed at least one, as crews worked to stabilize the 900,000-gallon tank.
🤠 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ousted four-term U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a GOP primary runoff defined by the president’s endorsement of Paxton.
💨 The Justice Department mass-deleted records from Jan. 6 cases, including those of rioters who pled guilty to assaulting police officers.
🗳️ A court blocked Alabama from using a gerrymandered map with only one Democratic-leaning district. South Carolina’s GOP-led redistricting push failed after several Republican senators voted against it.
⚽ The U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster was revealed yesterday, headlined by Christian Pulisic, with former Atlanta United defender Miles Robinson also included.
PICTURE THIS: Dedicated music lovers endured rain and muddy conditions at this past weekend’s Atlanta Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park. Due to severe weather, the festivities ended at 7 p.m. on Monday rather than the originally planned 11 p.m. (Photo by Ansley Kelly).
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Above the Waterline
• World Cup recipe: Spain
• The Reset: Red light therapy
AND
• Concert Picks
🎓 It’s not too late to find a great high school. At The New School, your teenager will be known, valued, and challenged, both inside and outside the classroom. Students graduate from TNS knowing themselves and the city – and they head into the world with confidence. Reach out today! Financial aid available. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Birdsong, land conservation, and Ted
ABOVE THE WATERLINE | BY SALLY BETHEA
🦉 Like many Atlantans and millions of people around the world, Sally Bethea has been thinking and reading about Ted Turner since he died on May 6.
Ted was our city’s bigger-than-life hero: an authentic, fun, complex, steadfast believer in saving all life on this fragile planet. With his outsized vision for the world, Ted could see the dangerous trajectory of our overexploitation of nature – what it would do to all species on Earth, including humans.
“Save Everything” was not just the bumper sticker on Ted’s small electric car; it was what he tried to do as he conserved millions of acres of land and invested in habitat protection and restoration for rare and endangered species. Public lands are important for environmental protection, but so is private land. Ted revived entire ecosystems.
🦅 Read more about Turner’s legacy in Sally Bethea’s column.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🎨 You’ve seen Amy Sherald’s iconic portrait of Michelle Obama. Now, her largest exhibition to date comes to Atlanta, featuring rarely seen paintings and monumental portraits spanning nearly two decades.
Amy Sherald: American Sublime is now open, bringing one of the leading artists of her generation back to Georgia. Secure your tickets before it’s gone.
Can only make it in the evening? We’ve got you covered. The show stays open after hours every Friday. Grab a drink, snag an exclusive exhibition poster, and explore the galleries at your leisure.
2. World Cup recipe: Spain
🇪🇸 In honor of the World Cup matches taking place in Atlanta, we’re sharing recipes representing some of the teams playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in June and July. We’re starting with Spain, sharing the recipe for chicken Basquaise from Atlanta restaurant Cooks & Soldiers.
“Chicken Basquaise is essentially chicken cooked with, or served over, that piperade base, making it one of the classic dishes prepared à la basquaise,” said John Castellucci, Culinary Director for Castellucci Hospitality Group.
The dish is popular on both the Spanish and French sides of the Basque region.
3. Red light therapy; Sunset tree tour
THE RESET | SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
“The Reset by Rough Draft” is edited by Laura Scholz, one of Atlanta’s most respected lifestyle journalists. Send tips and ideas via email. In June, The Reset will become a weekly newsletter with even more content, and you can subscribe here.
🧠 May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health. Conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders are common and treatable, and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
🔴 What’s the science behind red light therapy and those eerie-looking face masks you’re seeing all over social media right now? The non-invasive light treatment has been used by dermatologists and estheticians since the early 2000s to stimulate deep tissue repair, boost elasticity, and reduce inflammation. Red light can be transmitted through a variety of devices, including those trendy at-home face masks and via targeted wands and full-body panels used in clinical settings and spas. Read my feature story here.
🧺 Pack a picnic dinner for Date Night on the River, an adults-only evening paddle with the Chattahoochee Nature Center on May 29 at 6 p.m. All equipment is provided for the guided, 2.5-hour tour.
🩸 Join South Fulton Run Club for its inaugural Run the Block 5K on May 30 at 8 a.m. at Sandtown Plaza. Emory Winship Cancer Institute will be on site offering free mobile prostate cancer screening tests for men ages 40 to 75, no insurance required.
🧘♀️ Stretch it out with Neutral Moon Studio’s gentle, all-levels flow yoga on May 30 in Grant Park. Register here for the free class, which starts at 10 a.m.
🥾 Recharge with Black Men Heal: The Climb, a free, guided wellness hike at Cascade Spring Nature Preserve on May 31 at 2 p.m.
🚶 Stroll along the Atlanta Beltline Arboretum Eastside Trail with a docent-led Sunset Tree Tour on June 2 at 7 p.m. The free, 1.5-mile tour departs from Inman Perk Coffee and ends at Ponce City Market.
🏃🏼♀️ Celebrate Global Running Day with Atlanta Run Club and Hills 4 ATL on June 3. Local running clubs will lead three- and six-mile group runs that depart from Ponce City Market’s The Shed at 6 p.m., followed by an after-party with refreshments and giveaways.
❤️ Therapy that helps you feel seen, supported, and understood – while building practical skills to navigate life with confidence at Intown Psychology.
⛳ Golf Chastain: Nine at Night returns July 27 for a one-of-a-kind glow golf experience at Chastain Park. Enjoy dinner, drinks, music, and a glow-in-the-dark round of golf under the lights. Grab your friends and register here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
Wed., May 27
💀 DEATH ANGEL @ The Masquerade
⛰️ Racing Mount Pleasant @ Terminal West
⌛ James Blake @ Tabernacle
🩸 bleood @ The Loft
Thurs., May 28
🎻 Stutzmann Conducts Tchaikovsky @ Atlanta Symphony Hall (also Fri. and Sat.)
🎷 J & The Causeways @ Vinyl
Fri., May 29
🪖 Wage War @ The Masquerade
🎤 MGK @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
🤡 Insane Clown Posse @ The Eastern
🏠 Your Neighbors @ Vinyl
Sat., May 30
🐰 Echo & The Bunnymen @ Tabernacle
💤 Nice Dream @ Vinyl
👊 Punch Brothers @ The Eastern
🗡️ Blade Rave @ Buckhead Theatre
Sun., May 31
🍭 Fulton Lee @ The Loft
🪣 Buckethead @ Variety Playhouse
💀 Babyfxce E @ The Masquerade
Mon., June 1
✨ Em Beihold @ Terminal West
Tues., June 2
🥭 Flawed Mangoes @ Aisle 5
Wed., June 3
🎹 Charlie Puth (pictured) @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park
🌴 Feng @ The Loft
😌 You’re invited to the Wednesday Wellness Series with the Chastain Park Conservancy at Farm Chastain this June. Enjoy relaxing evenings of sound bath, Qigong, restorative yoga, and meditation surrounded by nature. Free and open to the community. Register today at Chastain Park Conservancy. SPONSOR MESSAGE
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