Hot diggity
Friday, July 10 — Amidst a push by Georgia Republicans and the White House to eliminate electronic voting machines, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that results from an audit of the June 16 runoff showed errors came exclusively from hand-marked ballots.
🌤️ Partly sunny today, with a high of 91° and a chance of isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
💸 According to a report in the AJC, local vendors say they have lost thousands of dollars in the Welcome to ATL Experience after promised World Cup foot traffic has failed to materialize.
🗳️ Early voting for Georgia’s 13th congressional district has kicked off ahead of the July 28 special election to fill the seat of the late Rep. David Scott.
👀 Residents living near North Point Mall in Alpharetta are scrutinizing plans to turn the property into a mixed-use development and possible hockey arena.
🥽 In our Business Briefs roundup, find news about Walmart’s new “associate to technician” training hub in Decatur, and check out new retail, company expansions and real estate mergers.
🏳️⚧️ Trans Joy, a grassroots organization providing free intergenerational spaces for trans and allied people, is partnering with Infinite Realities in Tucker for new monthly drop-in hours.
🍻 Georgia-based brewery StillFire Brewing will open its third location in Tucker this fall.
🍽️ The next Rough Draft DNNR Club is set for Tues., July 21. It’s one of the best ways to make new friends, meet like-minded RD readers, and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Learn more and sign up here.
ELSEWHERE
✈️ President Donald Trump flew home from the NATO summit in Turkey on the older Air Force One instead of the new Qatari-donated jet, as the Secret Service urged security precautions amid renewed hostilities with Iran.
🎗️ Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer known for her ’80s hits “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” died yesterday at 75.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Hot dog challenge
• Movie Review: ‘The Invite’
• COSM Vignette
• Sports
• Upcoming Events
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
🍑 PeachFest is back! PeachFest returns July 12 to Underground Atlanta for an unforgettable celebration of Georgia peaches. Enjoy chef-crafted dishes, creative cocktails, live music, and experiences from Atlanta’s top chefs, bartenders, artisans, and farmers. Bring your friends. Learn more and buy tickets today. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. A runner’s 2026 Peachtree Road Race hot dog challenge could become an annual tradition
🌭 Mico Quijano ran his first Peachtree Road Race last weekend. That in itself isn’t really newsworthy. What set the Charlotte, NC, resident apart was that he participated in the annual Atlanta tradition dressed as a hot dog.
His mission for the July 4 race was simple: eat one Costco hot dog every mile while giving hot dogs to people along the course.
For Quijano, the challenge wasn’t just about finishing; it was about creating moments people would remember, and, if everything went according to plan, maybe even catching Costco’s attention.
🏃🏾♂️➡️ Read Ansley Kelly’s story here.
When the Matches End, the Dining Begins
SPONSORED BY LIVABLE BUCKHEAD
⚽ After cheering on your favorite teams across Atlanta, treat yourself to the city’s best tables during Buckhead Restaurant Week, July 27-Aug. 1.
More than 50 participating restaurants are serving exclusive prix-fixe menus and inventive pairings crafted to turn post-game energy into an unforgettable evening. Whether you crave bold flavors or a relaxed celebration with friends, Buckhead delivers.
➞ Explore the lineup and discover your next favorite meal. The final whistle is just the beginning of a delicious night.
2. Intimacy is fraught with resentment in ‘The Invite’
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL🛏️ There’s a scene early on in “The Invite” that solidifies the movie’s themes in an instant. This is part of what makes the film work so well – it invites you to be on its wavelength from the word go.
Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen) are shouting at each other – they’ll spend a good portion of the film shouting at each other – about whether or not they should tell their new neighbors, Pína (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) – who are coming over for dinner in just a few minutes – that they are too loud during sex, the sound of their lovemaking wafting into Angela and Joe’s extremely celibate, unsexy bedroom at night.
The film is also directed by Wilde, and she keeps the camera incredibly claustrophobic here, so much so that you don’t really notice at first that Angela and Joe have spent the entirety of this fight making their bed. They don’t discuss it. It’s never brought up amid all the endless needling and jabs. They just start pulling up the covers. Much like making the bed, fighting has become so ingrained in their routine that Angela and Joe barely even notice when they’re doing it anymore.
🧀 Click here to read Sammie’s review. You can also read her review of the comedy “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. FIFA World Cup™ comes alive at Cosm Atlanta
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COSM ATLANTA
⚽ The world is coming to Cosm Atlanta. The excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ reaches new levels as fans are transported pitchside in Shared Reality.
When countries from around the globe compete to be crowned world champions, there’s one way to witness it all pitchside without leaving Atlanta. The massive, ultra-high-definition dome inside Cosm Atlanta puts fans inside the stadiums for the biggest event in the world.
4. France advances; Gauff out at Wimbledon
SPONSORED BY COSM
🏀 Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese picked up her seventh technical foul of the season in last night’s win over Seattle, leaving her one away from a mandatory one-game suspension.
⚾ The Braves have five players heading to Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia, the team’s largest contingent since 2023, with Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin starting, and Chris Sale earning his 10th career selection.
🎾 Seventh-seeded Coco Gauff lost to No. 10 Karolina Muchova in three sets in yesterday’s Wimbledon semifinal, blowing a match point as Muchova advanced to Saturday’s all-Czech final against No. 9 Linda Noskova (ESPN).
🎾 The men’s semifinals are today, with wild card Arthur Fery facing No. 2 Alexander Zverev at 8:30 a.m., followed by No. 1 Jannik Sinner v No. 7 Novak Djokovic (ESPN).
FIFA WORLD CUP
⚽ France became the first team to advance to the semifinals, beating Morocco 2-0 yesterday. Kylian Mbappé scored his 20th career World Cup goal in 20 World Cup appearances.
📺 Watch these upcoming FIFA World Cup™ quarterfinal matches at Cosm:
- Spain v Belgium – Today @ 3 p.m.
- Norway v England – Sat., July 11, @ 5 p.m.
- Argentina v Switzerland – Sat., July 11, @ 9 p.m.
📺 Fox’s Monday, July 6, broadcast of the U.S. loss to Belgium drew 33.1 million viewers, the most-watched soccer telecast in U.S. history, nearly matching an average NFL playoff audience.
⚽ USMNT star Christian Pulisic fractured his right leg while attempting a shot during Monday’s match.
🏃 100 miles. Six weeks. One incredible community. Join the Chastain Challenge and help keep Chastain Park clean, safe, and green while reaching your own goals. Details here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Upcoming Events
😋 Enjoy the Atlanta Summer Halal Food Fest on Saturday and Sunday at Historic Old Fourth Ward Skatepark.
🍹 The Rum Island Festival will celebrate Caribbean culture on Sat., July 11, at Piedmont Park.
🎭 The musical “Basura” is heading into its final weekend at the Alliance Theatre. Tonight’s performance is sold out, but tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday.
🎸Paul Simon will be in concert at Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park on Mon., July 13.
🍽️ The Revival Dinner: A Joint Fundraiser for Café Momentum & The Sow Project; Fri., July 17 at Café Momentum from 6-9 p.m.
⚽ When the matches end, the dining begins. After cheering on your favorite teams across Atlanta, savor the city’s best tables during Buckhead Restaurant Week, July 27-Aug. 1. More than 50 restaurants serve exclusive prix-fixe menus. Learn more here. 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.
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