Back to school
Monday, Aug. 3 — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a deal with holdout senators late last night, rescinding a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund tied to a settlement in President Donald Trump’s IRS lawsuit. The move came two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s scheduled vote on Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general permanently.
☔ Pop-up showers and 83° today.
🎒 It’s the first day of school for a handful of local public school districts, including City Schools of Decatur and Atlanta Public Schools, plus Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fayette, and Fulton counties.
🏫 A parent-led nonprofit received state approval for a new charter school in Sandy Springs following the closure of Spalding Drive Elementary.
🫏 Georgia Democrats gathered in Savannah on Saturday for their annual convention, which is a blend of a pep rally and a strategy session, as they look to re-elect Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate and win statewide constitutional offices.
🎗️ Former Southwest DeKalb High School football coach William “Buck” Godfrey died. Godfrey coached from 1983 to 2012 and was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
🏆 Three Dunwoody City Council members received the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute’s Certificate of Achievement during the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual convention.
🚗 Houston-based Group 1 Automotive is acquiring Hennessy’s 10 Atlanta-area dealerships, including Lexus, Jaguar/Land Rover and Porsche stores, in a $1.3 billion deal
⚾ The Braves swept the Nationals over the weekend, outscoring Washington 23-11 in four games. Atlanta hosts the Marlins starting tomorrow at 7:15 p.m.
🏀 Angel Reese set a single-season offensive rebounding record, leading the Dream to a 98-89 win over Seattle. Atlanta will try to win its sixth straight game when they play Las Vegas tonight for Barbie Game Day at 7:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.
⚽ Atlanta United blew a 2-1 lead in stoppage time, falling 3-2 to Philadelphia on Saturday, marking the lowest point in franchise history and extending its winless streak to eight matches.
ELSEWHERE
🔥 Fast-moving wildfires forced thousands to evacuate Spokane, WA, where the Old Trails Fire had burned over 3,500 acres and threatened up to 5,000 structures.
⚖️ U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro drew the ire of the president after moving to drop vandalism charges against a former Olympic canoeist, saying damage to the Reflecting Pool stemmed from “flawed installation by the contractor.”
🚨 Three people were killed and five injured when a gunman opened fire outside an In-N-Out in Twin Falls, ID, on Saturday.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Jovita mural returns
• Upcoming Events
• Global Headlines
AND
• Look & Listen
🏡 Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, this 9,100±-square-foot Milton estate is priced at $3.5 million. A midcentury-inspired terrace level features a wine cellar, theater, and a billiard room. Additional highlights include a 40-plus-speaker whole-home audio system, six fireplaces, a saltwater pool, an outdoor kitchen, and a four-car garage. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. New Jovita Moore mural unveiled at Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park
🎨 A new mural honoring late WSB-TV anchor and beloved public figure Jovita Moore has been repainted on the side of Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park.
Atlanta artist Tommy Bronx, who painted the first mural in 2021 shortly after Moore’s death from cancer, returned to create a new version.
Prior to its April 25 opening, the owners of Bellwood Coffee painted over the original mural memorializing Moore, after newly installed windows “significantly” cut into the painting. The decision to paint over Moore’s mural led to online backlash, with the coffee shop’s owners publicly apologizing and vowing to recommission it.
Read more in Beth McKibben’s report here.
MORE DINING NEWS
🥩 McKendrick’s Steak House in Dunwoody announced that Branden Holte has joined the restaurant as executive chef.
🍳 Truth Be Told in Roswell now features a new dinner menu, with Sunday brunch launching soon.
Taste, sip, and celebrate!
SPONSORED BY GRAND TASTING ALPHARETTA🍾 Raise your glass on Thurs., Aug. 27 at The Hotel at Avalon for the Grand Tasting Alpharetta.
Experience a one-night-only celebration of Alpharetta’s top restaurants with tastings of wine, craft beer, and cocktails. Enjoy live music and more during this unforgettable night of flavor and fun.
🎫 VIP entry begins at 6 p.m., general admission at 7 p.m. Get your tickets today!
2. Upcoming Events
🏀The Atlanta Dream host the Las Vegas Aces tonight at 7:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.
🎸 Mumford & Sons play State Farm Arena on Tue., Aug. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
🍿 The SCADshow Summer Series is screening“Catch Me if You Can” on Wed., Aug. 5, at 7 p.m.
🎭 The third annual Lavender Fest opens Aug. 5 and showcases queer talent from across the United States.
🍸 Live entertainment and cocktails will be available at the Georgia Aquarium’sGlow Nights After Hours event on Fri., Aug. 7, starting at 7:30 p.m.
3. Possible Iran talks; Famed mountaineer dies in Pakistan
🇺🇸🇮🇷 President Donald Trump said he canceled planned strikes on Iran after Tehran and other Mideast nations requested a pause, claiming the “perimeters of a deal,” including opening the Strait of Hormuz, had been agreed to. Iran disputed the claim.
🇺🇦🇷🇺 In the Russia-Ukraine war:
- Russian missiles killed nine people and injured more than 30 in Kyiv early Saturday, as Ukraine’s dwindling Patriot interceptor supply left it able to down just one of 27 ballistic missiles.
- Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries warehouse, sparking a fire.
- A bomb carried by a woman killed at least three people and injured 21 near a Moscow restaurant Saturday. Russian bloggers speculated, without evidence, about a link to Ukraine.
🇮🇱🇵🇸Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov lamented Israeli strikes that killed at least 17 Gazans over the weekend, as Israel resisted implementing Hamas’s disarmament deal.🇳🇵Nirmal Purja, 43, the Nepali mountaineer famed for climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in six months, died in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, along with nine other climbers who were on his expedition.
🇫🇷🇪🇸🇬🇷 As Europe endures a summer of record-breaking heat, devastating wildfires are sweeping across France, Spain, and Greece, scorching vast stretches of land and forcing evacuations.
🇪🇸 After tens of thousands of migrants swam into Ceuta, Spain’s enclave on the North African coast, nearly 50,000 have since returned to neighboring Morocco.
🇨🇩 Public health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the country is facing its fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record.
🇿🇦 Oprah Winfrey will close her Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg after the 2027 school year, shifting her foundation’s focus to a nationwide scholarship program for disadvantaged South African students.
🇰🇷 Korean K-pop supergroup BTS says it will not submit its music for Grammy consideration in 2027, after organizers established a new Best Asian Pop Music category that critics argue could separate non-Western artists.
⚽ FIFA abandoned its plan to sell $20 billion in World Cup equity after UEFA and other confederations threatened to boycott competitions, with its own chief operating officer publicly objecting to the deal.
🗓️ The Pacific Islands sit at the crossroads of geopolitics, security, and climate change. This week, join the World Affairs Council of Atlanta and John D. Brewer, Director of the Office of Insular Affairs, for “The Pacific Islands and the New Global Competition” – a conversation on U.S. partnerships in the Pacific and why this region is increasingly central to the future of the Indo-Pacific. Register today.
⚡ Southern Company, Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR, is building stronger communities through golf. Since 1998, the TOUR Championship has raised more than $71 million for Atlanta nonprofits, fueling education, youth development, and neighborhood revitalization. That’s what it means to drive good energy, on and off the course. Learn more. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Sammie’s Suggestions
VIA SCENE, A WEEKLY FILM & TELEVISION NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE
Scene newsletter editor Sammie Purcell shares what she’s been reading, watching, and listening to for this week’s Look & Listen.
📚 Reading: I’ve been catching up on the work of the great Pauline Kael, one of the seminal film critics of the 20th century. I don’t always agree with her (often don’t, in fact), but her voice is undeniable – biting, incisive, sometimes unhinged in the best way. Learn about some of her most notorious reviews here, including “The Sound of Music” review that – according to legend – got her fired.
📺 Watching: I’ve finally started watching “The Pitt” (pictured above), and I finally get the hubbub around Dr. Robby (tortured, soulful, kind of mean – I get it!). However, he needs to stop being so mean to my queen, Dr. Mohan – God forbid a girl care about her job!
🎧 Listening: Some of my favorite pop girlies have been putting out new music, so I’ve been jumping all around the pop spectrum. My faves? “Persona” by Charli XCX and “the light in the painting” by Lizzy McAlpine.
🏡 Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, this 9,100±-square-foot Milton estate is priced at $3.5 million. A midcentury-inspired terrace level features a wine cellar, theater, and a billiard room. Additional highlights include a 40-plus-speaker whole-home audio system, six fireplaces, a saltwater pool, an outdoor kitchen, and a four-car garage. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 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.
📤 Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy getting this newsletter? Forward them this link to subscribe.
