Morning, y’all! Happy Friday, and Happy Halloween Eve! This weekend is a time of great power and possibility, and not just because you can dress up however you want and not be judged for it. All Hallow’s Eve, Dia De Los Muertos, Samhain, All Saint’s Day — they’re all celebrated at the edge of the gossamer veil between life and death.
It’s a perfect time to refocus on the things that matter to you, appreciate the gifts of nature or reminisce fondly about loved ones on the other side.
No hijinks, though. I’m not bailing anyone out of jail.
Let’s get to it.
THE ELECTION THAT WON’T REST
It’s been six years since Georgia became a hotbed of politicized election conversations and the target of repeated federal pressure campaigns — including a January FBI raid on the Fulton County elections office.
Now we’re on the cusp of a consequential midterm election. How did we get from there to here?
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Pulitzer Center just released “Politically Georgia: The Final Tally,” a three-part podcast series detailing Georgia’s journey, hinging on Donald Trump’s infamous 2020 call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
- The first two episodes are out now, and the third will be produced in real time as election results roll in next week.
🔎 Listen to them here, or wherever you get your podcasts. They’ll be under the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast feed.
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.
WHILE WE’RE TALKING POLITICS ...
Let’s get you a free coffee.
Today and next Tuesday, the AJC is partnering with three local coffee shops to offer civic-minded readers a free brew for their election jitters.
- Still the same offer, still the same locations, but after some reader feedback, the requirements have changed.
- Instead of showing your “I Voted” sticker, all you need to do is sign up for the AJC’s Politically Georgia PM newsletter at the counter, or show proof that you already subscribe.
Our three partners are:
- Mend Coffee in Atlanta
- Opo Coffee in Decatur
- Portrait Coffee in Atlanta
Easy peasy, French press squeezy.
THE G20 COMES TO ATLANTA
Foreign dignitaries will descend on Atlanta today for the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
It’ll be two days of talks focused on economic and security challenges.
World affairs are important, but more importantly, how will it mess up traffic?
- The foreign ministers’ meetings will beat the Loews Hotel Conference Center in Midtown.
- The Atlanta Department of Transportation will be closing streets in Midtown starting at midnight on Friday (so, now) until noon Sunday.
- Portions of Juniper, 11th and 12th streets around the Loews will be affected.
Why Atlanta?
- Aside from the multinational corporations, manufacturing and logistics hubs, Atlanta has a very important benefit: a direct connection to the rest of the world through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
🔎 READ MORE: What’s on the agenda, more traffic info
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🗳️ Georgia voters shattered the state’s midterm record for in-person early voting yesterday. More than 2.29 million Georgians have cast ballots in person, according to state data, passing the previous midterm record set in 2022. Today’s your last day to vote early!
🚌 The DeKalb County School District released its latest proposals for reducing overcrowding in schools, and is seeking community feedback. A new middle school is at the center of the latest round.
GEORGIA’S HAUNTED PLACES
Want some good ghost stories? You don’t need to look far. Plenty of places in Georgia are more than willing to share their spooky history.
- The ghosts of the Fox Theatre: The historic venue holds a seasonal Haunted History Tour, which takes guests through some of the building’s most storied spaces. According to staff, guests have repeatedly discovered a woman in a late-1800s dress standing behind them in their photos of the tour.
- The Doll’s Head Trail: Like it needs any explanation with a name like that. Actually, the trail inside Constitution Lakes Park was created by artist Joel Slaton as a statement on waste and consumption. “If you think it’s going to be spooky, it’s going to be spooky,” says Slaton.
- Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport: Did you know there are two graves right next to an active runway? They belong to members of a farming family whose land once occupied the property.
👻 READ MORE: More info on all the above, just in time for Halloween
I’ll add my own:
About 16 years ago, young and bored, I went alone to Old Vinings Inn in downtown Vinings. I’d heard good things about their Attic Bar.
Cool place, but I only lasted a few minutes. On the threshold of the top floor I felt it, like walking into an invisible wall. Anyone who puts stock in these things will recognize when I say there was an inexplicable feeling of “NO.”
Before I could escape, a young man foolishly tried to chat me up and asked if I liked the surroundings. When I answered noncommittally, he nodded. “Well, it is haunted,” he said.
Ah.
Now, is it actually haunted? Old Vinings Inn was built as a residence in 1880. Something that old has probably retained some spiritual seasoning, so I believe it.
NEWS BITES
Atlanta Dream stay alive to force Game 7 of WNBA Finals
It’s the first Game 7 in WNBA history, and it goes down in Cali this Saturday.
So big, it’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium-worthy. (The AJC sports gurus favor Georgia.)
Legendary actor Patrick Stewart has died at 86
Heaven just got a little classier.
Skelly, the giant Home Depot skeleton decoration, has become a national icon
One could write an entire anthropology dissertation on why stressed Americans find such succor in a 12-foot-tall plastic skeleton.
ON THIS DATE
Oct. 29, 1992
Whatizit a hit with kids. Whatizit, Atlanta’s mascot for the 1996 Olympics, greets schoolchildren at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Carrollton during a convention for the Just Say No to Drugs program. The subject of controversy after its unveiling, the critter was a big hit.
I am not convinced Whatizit said No to Drugs.
ONE MORE THING
Yes, the On This Date was from yesterday, but it was too rich to pass up.
While Izzy is now looked upon with nostalgic fondness, the “critter,” as the article says, was not a hit at the time.
In August of 1992, the AJC’s visual arts critic Catherine Fox called Izzy “an embarrassing commercial-looking thingamajig.” Say that to its gaping maw!
We have a really cool archive article all about Atlanta’s reaction to its big blue Olympic buddy. I made it free to read, even if you’re not a subscriber. Trick or treat.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.