Headed into the long holiday weekend, on a Friday in which we say goodbye to two national legends, I think a double-barreled tribute is in order.

First, a side of John McCain that we didn’t always see:

And finally, Queen Aretha Franklin, who saw and helped create a lot of change in her time, and who knew better than most that we’re still a long way from where we need to be:

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Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC