?? R.E.M. stuns fans
Flag Day Friday
June 14 —?Today is Flag Day?and?the last day of early voting for the June 18 runoff. Here's where to find your polling location.
?? Sunny with a high of 95° today. The weekend will be sunny and extremely hot, with highs closer to 99°.?
?? Walmart has announced the closure of its "underperforming" store in Dunwoody on July 12. A second Walmart is shuttering in Marietta.?
?? The Atlanta Board of Education announced it has selected finalists to be the district's next superintendent. Plans are to have a new leader hired by fall.
?? The Prison Policy Initiative released a report that argues against the need for a new Fulton County Jail, which would cost an estimated $2 billion.
???Dunwoody Police charged a 17-year-old with shooting a man at an apartment complex over stolen property.
??? New Mediterranean and Cuban restaurants are open in Chamblee and Brookhaven.
????U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is the featured speaker at today's?Prosperity Partners Luncheon, co-hosted by the Brookhaven Chamber and Perimeter Chamber.
?? Join?Canopy Atlanta?and Rough Draft this evening for a tasting and panel discussion about our recent story “Why restaurateurs flock to Norcross’s diverse food scene.”
?? In yesterday's newsletter, we erroneously stated that PAWS Atlanta runs the animal shelters in Fulton and DeKalb counties. They are run by Lifeline Animal Project. Our apologies for the mistake.
ELSEWHERE
???The Supreme Court unanimously preserved access to?mifepristone, the medication used in nearly two-thirds of U.S. pregnancy terminations.
???? WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in a Russian jail for more than a year, will stand trial on espionage charges.?
??A tropical disturbance has led to flash floods across southern Florida, where more rain is expected today.
?? Here's what's in today's newsletter:
? R.E.M. reunites for interview and performance
? Juneteenth celebrations?
? Film Review: 'Tuesday'
? The Sports Section
AND?
? Top Stories of the Week?
Happy Father's Day to all the dads,?
Collin & Sammie
?? All are welcome! Juneteenth at City Springs, June 19, 5 p.m. Presented by the City of Sandy Springs, the celebration includes family-friendly fun, a performance of “From Africa to America,” an interactive art exhibit, African dance, a drum circle, and genealogy exhibit!?
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. R.E.M. reunites at Songwriters Hall of Fame?
???That collective gasp you heard last night was from legions of R.E.M. fans reacting to?a post on X by the band.?They?performed on stage together for the first time in more than 15 years at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York.
?? Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry, and Peter Buck played "Losing My Religion," about which Michael Stipe said, "I love the song, but we never thought it was going to be a hit." Watch a clip of the performance here.
?? Yesterday morning, the four appeared in a rare joint interview?with CBS News' Anthony Mason. Part II of the interview airs this morning.
She Leads is transforming financial futures
SPONSORED BY GEORGIA POWER
?? The She Leads Women's Empowerment Program, hosted by the Atlanta Hawks, wrapped up at Georgia Power in a day filled with transformative sessions focused on financial wellness.
The year-long development program supports the advancement and growth opportunities of early-career women in Atlanta ages 22-35 whose focuses are in business, sports and entertainment, STEAM, and entrepreneurship.
???? Hosted at Georgia Power, She Leaders and mentors gained valuable insights into their financial journey, including tips on negotiating salaries and contracts, personal finance, and career and financial growth.
2. Events, exhibitions, and food to mark Juneteenth
?? Juneteenth, which?commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, will be celebrated with a plethora of celebrations around the Metro area starting this weekend. We’ve rounded up a guide to some of the best places to check out.
From events at the High Museum and the Atlanta History Center, to city celebrations in Sandy Springs and Brookhaven filled with delicious food, music, and dancing, there are plenty of ways to celebrate.?
3. The reality of 'Tuesday' undermines the magic of its fantasy
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
?? A mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and daughter must confront Death when he arrives in the form of a magical talking bird.?This is the logline for “Tuesday,” writer and director Daina O. Pusi?’s feature debut. It’s a logline that might leave some feeling skeptical – an ambitious undertaking that could so easily feel silly in the wrong hands. But, if there’s one thing “Tuesday” gets right, it’s the bird.?
The bird – Death, if you will – is a grand, shapeshifting parrot (voiced by Arinzé Kene) who answers the call when it’s time for us to go. Death spends his time flying around the world, head filled with the rumblings of humanity until he hears someone call out clearly through the noise. He finds the person who called him, ignoring their outward pleas for mercy in favor of their inner voice that just wishes for it all to be over, and waves his wing over their face as they go silent.?
It’s quite an arresting opening, and the bird really?works.?He’s beautifully animated and expressive, his feathers ruffling, eyes peering with contemptuous boredom at his victims. It’s a true feat of writing and design that the bird works so well, that his arc comes together so completely over the course of the film. But when Death leaves the screen, “Tuesday” suffers for it. The reality in which this fairy tale takes place doesn’t feel nearly as fleshed out, neither tonally nor in terms of its human characters.?
??Stay in the picture withScene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia's film industry.?Subscribe for free.
4. Falcons lose draft pick; Remembering Tech's Homer Rice
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGIA POWER
?? The Falcons were penalized a 2025 fifth-round draft pick and fined $250,000 for anti-tampering violations involving free agents.
?? Homer Rice, Georgia Tech’s legendary athletic director, died on Monday at the age of 97. The Jackets won 16 ACC championships in five?sports during his 17 years at the school.
? The Braves broke?a?five-game losing streak?yesterday against the Baltimore Orioles. Atlanta?hosts Tampa for three games this weekend.
?? The Atlanta Dream fell to the Indiana Fever last night. They host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday at 3 p.m. (TV: ESPN3)
??Euro 2024 starts today. The tournament is being played in ten?German cities, culminating with the?July 14 finals in Berlin. (TV: Fox Sports
? Decatur FC, who has never allowed a goal, hosts Knoxville 865 Alliance on?Saturday at 7 p.m. at Decatur High School.?(TV: Hudl)
? Atlanta United?plays its?first game since firing head coach Gonzalo Pineda tomorrow at home against Houston Dynamo at 7:30 p.m.?(TV: AppleTV+)?? Florida?beat Edmonton last night to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 4 is?Saturday in Canada at 8 p.m. (TV: ABC)
?? The Celtics can clinch the NBA championship with a win tonight in Dallas at 8:30 p.m.?(TV: ABC)
??? Patrick Cantlay and Rory Rory McIlroy are tied for first after the opening round of the?U.S. Open?at Pinehurst. (TV: Peacock)
??♀? The USA Olympic swimming Trials begin Sunday?inside Lucas Oil Stadium?in Indianapolis, IN.?(TV: USA Network/NBC)
???Netflix announced a new, Labor Day hot dog-eating?competition between Joey Chestnut?and Takeru Kobayashi.?
?? All are welcome! Juneteenth at City Springs, June 19, 5 p.m. Presented by the City of Sandy Springs, the celebration includes family-friendly fun, a performance of “From Africa to America,” an interactive art exhibit, African dance, a drum circle, and genealogy exhibit!?
SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week's most-read stories from our website.
?? 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!?
?????? Today's email was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke, who had one of her poems featured on the Slowdown podcast yesterday.?