Monday moves

Nov. 25 —?Atlanta United's season ended yesterday?with a 1-0 loss to Orlando City in?the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Five Stripes, whose unexpected playoff run included defeating top seed Inter Miami, faces a crucial offseason needing to hire both a technical director and manager.?

??? It will be mostly sunny and 70° today.

????Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson died Sunday night from pancreatic cancer at 59.

?? Dunwoody's new gateway signage project is getting mixed reactions from residents.

?? A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. today at Brookhaven Park to unveil a large, improved dog park, more parking and restrooms, and the tallest Robinia wooden playground structure in the U.S.

???Ground was broken last week for DeKalb County's new animal shelter overflow center – dubbed a "pet neighborhood" – in Chamblee.?

?? Residents of neighborhoods adjacent to Mount Vernon School’s athletic field remain opposed to adding lights after seeing a demonstration last week.

?? Tucker business owners are taking advantage of grants issued by the Tucker Downtown Development Authority to spruce up their storefronts.

????? A Georgia Senate committee studying a ban on transgender girls in sports is hearing from opponents and proponents.?

?? After a wild weekend of conference upsets, Georgia is headed to its fourth straight SEC Championship game. The Bulldogs will face either Texas or Texas A&M in Atlanta on Dec. 7.

ELSEWHERE

??President-elect Donald Trump has completed naming his cabinet picks. Here's a rundown.?

???Lyle and Erik Menendez will appear in court today for a resentencing status hearing that could lead to their release after nearly 30 years in prison for murdering their parents.

????Alice Brock, whose Massachusetts eatery helped inspire?Arlo Guthrie’s?deadpan Thanksgiving standard, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” died at age 83.

?? Here's what's in today's newsletter:

? Molly Blank Center for Opera

? New restaurant roundup

? Global Headlines

AND?

? Look & ListenHave a great week,

Collin & Sammie

???Buckhead is brimming with celebrations this holiday season! A holiday market, afternoon teas with Santa, hot chocolate crawls, Christmas tree lighting, and wreath decorating are just a few highlights of Miracle on Peachtree, Buckhead’s annual season of festivities. Check out the full lineup of celebrations!

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1. $27.5M gift to build Molly Blank Center for Opera

?? The Atlanta Opera has received a $27.5 million gift from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and will name its future permanent home the?Molly Blank Center for Opera.

Named after Arthur Blank's late mother – a patron of the arts and opera devotee – the center will be constructed on Woodward Way in Buckhead and feature state-of-the-art facilities including a 200-seat recital hall, rehearsal spaces, administrative offices, gardens, and will incorporate the historic Bobby Jones Clubhouse.?

??Read more about The Atlanta Opera's new campus.?

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2. The latest Atlanta restaurant openings

???Senior Food Editor Beth McKibben has a big roundup of restaurants now open and coming soon around Metro Atlanta.

Newly opened: A third location of Mediterranean favorite Aviva by Kameel in Buckhead, The Upper Room cafe and bar at Ponce City Market, Sidecar Coffee in Chamblee, and the long-awaited reopening of Bankhead Seafood.

Coming soon: Dips Kitchen at Krog Street Market, Desta Ethiopian Kitchen in Druid Hills, and Kitchen & Kocktails at Perimeter Mall.

? Explore Beth's full roundup here.

3. Far-right candidate stuns Romania; Chabad rabbi found dead in UAE

???? ???? Even as the sides exchange attacks, multiple reports say that Israel's government?has agreed in principle?to a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah that would see the terror group withdraw north of Lebanon's Litani River.

???? Three men were arrested after an Israeli?rabbi was found dead in the United Arab Emirates.?Zvi Kogan, who helped establish Jewish life in the UAE after the 2020 Abraham Accords, disappeared Thursday.

?????Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, who ran an anti-EU TikTok campaign, stunned Romania by taking first place?in presidential elections. Pro-Europe candidate Elena Lasconi will face him in a Dec. 8 runoff.

???? At least?six tourists died in Laos?after drinking alcohol?poisoned with methanol, a toxic substance found?in antifreeze and paint thinner.?

????Authorities in Brazil?indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others charged with attempting?a government coup in 2022. ??

???? Wealthy countries pledged $300 billion a year toward mitigating the climate crisis at?COP29 in Azerbaijan. The figure fell far short of the $1.3 trillion requested by developing countries which are the hardest hit by extreme weather. ??

????In Pakistan, supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan held nationwide protests for his release. They accuse Pakistan’s current government of rigging last year’s elections and jailing political opponents. ??

????Voters in Ireland?head to the polls this week to select a new government. ??

???? A volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupted for the seventh time in under a year, with?dramatic aerial footage showing lava?flows consuming the Blue Lagoon spa's parking lot. The region had been dormant for 800 years before 2021.

???? While Thanksgiving is a distinctly American tradition, a few thousand people on?a tiny island in Australia?also celebrate the holiday.

??? Save the date for March 7, 2025, for the?World Affairs Council of Atlanta's?10th Annual International Women’s Day breakfast featuring Edible Brands’ Asma Farid. She’ll share her inspiring story from growing up in Pakistan to launching multinational businesses in the U.S.

???Buckhead is brimming with celebrations this holiday season! A holiday market, afternoon teas with Santa, hot chocolate crawls, Christmas tree lighting, and wreath decorating are just a few highlights of Miracle on Peachtree, Buckhead’s annual season of festivities. Check out the full lineup of celebrations!

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4. Turkey Day?

In honor of Thanksgiving, we've rounded up some pods and videos to help you in the kitchen and relax into your post-meal coma on the sofa.?

??? The New York Times' former food editor and cookbook author Sam Sifton joins the Wirecutter podcast to talk about?How to Ace Thanksgiving. Sifton has tips on?when to shop for ingredients, what to make ahead, and how to orchestrate the entire meal.?

?? A Bountiful Kitchen'sThanksgiving Dinner Tipshas advice on how to not dry out your bird, make sauces and gravy, how to cook mashed potatoes, and what you need to make your own stuffing.?

???If you have Apple TV, you can watch perennial favorite Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, but if you don't, watch the goofy animated?Garfield's Thanksgiving?for free on YouTube.?

?? For your listening pleasure, the newly released?Miles in France: 1963 & 1964?is an expansive live set from Miles Davis recorded at the Festival Mondial du Jazz in Antibes and Salle Pleyel in Paris.?

???Support local journalism and get a jump on your holiday shopping with these great deals on stocking stuffers. When you shop on Amazon using our link, a portion of your purchase goes to Rough Draft! ?

SHOPPING VIA ROUGH DRAFT

?? Today's newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.?

???Don't miss?our new, daily word game?- you have six chances to guess a five-letter word connected to a news story.