Morning, y’all! Happy Friday. I am fascinated by people who still prefer hot coffee this time of year. You’re much stronger souls than I.
Let’s get to it.
DOORS CLOSING
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
MARTA GM and CEO Collie Greenwood is out. The agency chief announced he’s taking early retirement “because of immigration and personal matters.”
- Greenwood is actually Canadian and moved from Toronto to work for MARTA in 2019.
- His work permit expired in June, according to MARTA officials. At that time, he ceased working and delegated tasks to MARTA authorities while waiting in the country legally for his green card.
- “The immigration process is extensive and has had an impact on Mr. Greenwood’s personal and professional progress,” the agency said in a statement.
- Greenwood’s exit has prompted mixed reactions. Some MARTA board members and Atlanta leaders said he was well-respected and steered the agency through difficult times. Others said it was high time for fresh MARTA leadership.
🔎 READ MORE: Leaders weigh in on Greenwood’s exit
Recent MARTA rail troubles include Peachtree Road Race delays and an escalator mishap at the Vine City station following a Beyoncé concert.
Officials say the escalator had “nothing wrong with it” when it malfunctioned and that it was overloaded with people. Eleven people were injured in the incident.
🔎 READ MORE: The latest on the Vine City escalator malfunction
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NEW COKE?
Credit: Dreamstime/TNS
Credit: Dreamstime/TNS
President Donald Trump says he has encouraged Coca-Cola to change the way it sweetens its soda, but Coke hasn’t confirmed anything official.
- “I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
- Coke did not confirm the change but teased “new innovative offerings.”
- Coke has used high fructose corn syrup in many of its beverages since the 1980s. Experts say a sweeping switch to cane sugar would monumentally disrupt a complex supply chain.
- However, there’s a possibility Coke could be planning a new variation on its classic. Competitor Pepsi already has a cane sugar-based product called “Pepsi Real Sugar.”
🔎 READ MORE: Why switching sugar sources is anything but simple for Coke
WEEKEND PLANS
Credit: Photo courtesy of ATL Comic Convention
Credit: Photo courtesy of ATL Comic Convention
In the mood for a “dressed up” weekend or a pajama weekend? Atlanta has options for both.
💥 Atlanta Comic Con: Stars, creators, authors and illustrators will be out in full force at the Georgia World Congress Center, along with anime fiends and cosplayers brave enough to battle the heat.
☁️ Pajama Jam: It’s like a sleepover, but you actually get to go home. The Children’s Museum is hosting an early night of pajama fun with sing-alongs, dancing and snacks.
🥙 Halal Food Fest: Celebrate culture, community and delicious Islamic eats at Atlantic Station, complete with food trucks and live music performances.
🧚🏼♀️ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: Elevate date night with a picnic blanket and something nice to drink, then settle in for a Shakespeare classic en plein air.
☀️ More info on these and other weekend inspo here
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🔇 The Trump administration told embassies to rein in criticism of foreign elections unless there is a “clear and compelling U.S. foreign policy interest to do so.”
✉️ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blindsided county officials with swift plans for the infamous Everglades detention center, new emails reveal.
🚂 Union Pacific is reportedly in talks to acquire Atlanta-based railroad Norfolk Southern. The possible “megamerger” has raised concern in the rail industry.
🚗 Rivian will plant its East Coast flag in Atlanta, bringing as many as 500 jobs to a new headquarters along the Beltline. The electric vehicle startup is due to break ground on its Georgia factory next year.
✂️ The House gave final approval to President Trump’s request to rescind about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday. The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress.
STANLEY DOES ATLANTA
Credit: Brandon Amato, courtesy of Johnny's Hideaway
Credit: Brandon Amato, courtesy of Johnny's Hideaway
The Stanley Cup made a tour of Atlanta, courtesy of an executive for the repeat NHL Champions, the Florida Panthers.
🏆 Atlanta ties: It could have been a cruel jape, to show off the Stanley Cup in a city that lost their NHL team years ago. However, Mike Huff, the vice president of player engagement for the Panthers, seems cool. He previously worked at Georgia Tech for many years, including as the director of football operations.
🏆 Take her somewhere classy: Where would you take the Stanley Cup if you had to squire it around the A? Apparently the Stanley Cup and I are similar, because the respective men responsible for us took us to Johnny’s Hideaway. (The site of my first date with my husband many years ago, and it worked out anyway.)
Ol’ Stanley was right at home and the pictures are excellent. The owner of Johnny’s Hideaway did say they had to find a tablecloth for such an esteemed visitor.
That wasn’t the trophy’s only stop. Huff also brought the Cup to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and, of course, a Waffle House.
NEWS BITES
A cave-themed speakeasy will open in Ponce City Market later this year
We need to get much more specific. What’s the vibe of the cave? Is it like, spooky bat cave? Cave of wonders? Cave where unspeakable things happened in ancient times, the ghosts of which still reach for your every breath? All could work, I’m just asking.
Could soccer ever become ‘football’ in the U.S.?
One could write a whole dissertation on such a question.
How to clean keyboard grunge, earbuds and smartphone ports
Surely there’s a better way than “100 Q-tips and a can-do attitude.”
Rural roadsides can be surprising havens for wildflowers
There’s something very poetic about that. 🌼
ON THIS DATE
July 18, 1954
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: Economic Expert Gasps at Growth of Vibrant Atlanta. It’s hard to put an emotion of this sort into words, but it’s there. You can feel it, breathe it. While the boom may be slow at times, the future is brilliantly clear. The whole South is pushing forward, and Atlanta is in the lead.
I bet Atlanta was blushing after such a nice compliment.
ONE MORE THING
I would take the Stanley Cup to the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant and show it how our water infrastructure works. I was thinking the Cobb County Solid Waste Management Facility, but it might get the wrong impression. Don’t want to scare the Stanley Cup.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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