Morning, y’all! I’ll clarify so no pedants get their pancakes in a twist: In Shakespeare’s famous “Romeo and Juliet” soliloquy, “wherefore” means something akin to “why.” Remember, Juliet is musing about what a bummer it is Romeo belongs to a rival household.
I mean it the same way in today’s subject line. Why? (Or, rather, wherefore?) You’ll have to read on to find out.
Let’s get to it.
INSIGHT INTO ATLANTA’S HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Atlanta wants to evolve the way it tackles problems of homelessness, especially after the tragic death of an unhoused man during an encampment clearing earlier this year and uneasy expectations ahead of next year’s World Cup matches in the city.
Understanding the why
Richard DeShields, formerly unhoused himself, is leading a survey asking unhoused Atlantans why they’d refuse offered shelter. The responses will be used to help guide Atlanta’s strategies.
It’s today’s must-read, because the voices of people experiencing homelessness are too often undervalued in these conversations. Here are some interesting takeaways:
- The majority want stable housing: Of the 450 people surveyed, 22% said they would refuse housing. Their major reasons were safety, concern for personal belongings and not wanting to be around others.
- Requirements are an issue: Different shelters have different requirements. One man said he didn’t want to stay at a certain shelter because it required attendance at religious services. Curfews, restrictions on pets or difficult rules around belongings also play a factor.
- Resources may look different: Loss of community often comes up when examining shelter reticence. One respondent said he feels more supported being unhoused than with potential shelter.
🔎 READ MORE: More insight from Atlanta’s unhoused citizens
An uneasy trust
Meanwhile, activists with the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition are furious at the city of Atlanta for not meeting promises made to unhoused people asked to leave a recently cleared encampment.
Eight people were turned away from the Welcome House shelter, advocates say, despite the city insisting they’d have a place to stay if they left the encampment. The beds are there, the group says, but are tied up in government “red tape.”
🔎 READ MORE: Activists say it’s hard to believe the city’s broader promises
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
THE MYSTERY OF PROJECT SASQUATCH
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
What is Project Sasquatch, you ask? It’s a $250 million manufacturing expansion in south Fulton that just got the OK for a $9.3 million tax break from the Development Authority of Fulton County.
What we don’t know is even more interesting: The company behind the project and what the project ultimately is.
- Such pesky details are currently blocked by a nondisclosure agreement as the company determines whether it wants to move ahead.
- A DAFC fact sheet provides a little more info, saying the company is “a global leader in the manufacturing industry, known for its durable and energy-efficient solutions for commercial and residential building products.”
Is it legal for local leaders and companies to keep things cloaked like an industrial development version of “The Masked Singer”? Yes, but experts say it can be a shady practice, especially when people who live near the site are kept in the dark.
🔎 READ MORE: ‘Project Sasquatch’ isn’t the only one
NEW DELTA PRICING STRATEGY HAS FOLKS WORRIED
Delta is experimenting with AI to set airfare prices, and that’s put some Democratic senators on edge.
- Airlines are already looking at diversifying cabin classes, and air travel experts say using AI to determine prices based on location, demand and fuel economy is the next frontier.
- A group of U.S. senators says the technology could exploit people and raise fares.
- Delta has denied this. The president of the company behind the AI tech said it’s already helped Delta see “improved unit revenues.”
🔎 READ MORE: How AI-determined airfares could work
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🇯🇵 President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with Japan, placing a 15% tax on goods imported from the nation. It’s a significant drop from the 25% rate that Trump, in a recent letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said would be levied starting Aug. 1.
👋🏻 House Speaker Mike Johnson let the House recess a day early to avoid conflict over the ongoing Epstein controversy. Some in his own party aren’t pleased.
⚖️ The Justice Department wants to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s girlfriend and very literal partner in crime who’s currently serving a 20-year sentence. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department “does not shy away from uncomfortable truths.”
🇦🇫 Thousands of Afghans in the U.S. no longer have protection from deportation after an appeals court gave the all clear to President Trump’s decision to end their legal status. The change will affect just under 12,000 people.
SAY HI TO “THE CENTER”
Credit: Courtesy TVS
Credit: Courtesy TVS
New details and renderings of the former CNN Center show its future life as “The Center,” which developers hope will be downtown’s version of Ponce City Market or The Battery.
- The new renderings show a glitzy interior with upscale and casual restaurants, open spaces and colorful artisan details.
- “With The Center, we aim to create a welcoming experience for Atlantans and visitors of our incredible city,” said TVS principal Rob O’Keefe. TVS is the architecture firm charged with the reimagining.
🏛️ Fun fact: TVS was also the firm that designed the Omni International Complex in 1975, which later became ... the CNN Center. A full-circle moment.
NEWS BITES
A wrestling-themed reimagining of Mozart’s opera ‘Così fan tutte’ premiered in Aspen
I don’t have the emotional strength to process the phrase “wrestling-themed Così fan tutte.”
Kirby Smart’s house drops $700K from original price after year on the market
This is what happens when everyone gets nosy on Zillow.
Ready to retire in five years? Here’s your checklist
✅ Panic
No retirement checklist for Rich!
GOOD NIGHT, SWEET PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Two Shakespeare headlines in a day? Fantastic. As you likely know, Ozzy Osbourne passed into the next realm yesterday at the age of 76. Here are some tributes to the heavy metal icon from some of music and entertainment’s finest.
He was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods — a true legend.
ON THIS DATE
July 23, 1995
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: Welcome to our town’s lawless freeways, where everybody’s going faster than you are. … speeding tickets for driving in excess of 100 mph are increasingly routine on the expressways that wind through and around Atlanta, police and prosecutors say. And practically nobody pays any mind to the 55 mph limit.
And not a thing has changed, amen and heaven help us.
ONE MORE THING
Let’s make it a hat trick. A Shakespearean insult to buoy your spirits and wield against your enemies:
[You are] one that converses more with the buttock of the night than with the forehead of the morning. (Coriolanus 2. 11. 50-52)
Have a beautiful day! ❤️
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
