Morning, y’all! Friday has arrived — and it’s going to be extremely warm. More on that in a bit.
Today’s newsletter also includes the latest on local Walmart closures, an Atlanta man held captive by the Taliban and a former UGA football coach’s recovery from addiction. It’s also your last chance to vote early in next week’s primary election runoffs.
Now. Indulge me in a little pre-Father’s Day reflection, would ya?
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KEEPING IT TOGETHER
Credit: Family photo
Credit: Family photo
Being a dad is a lot of things. When your kids are 8 and 4 years old, it’s mostly love and compromise.
And scheming up ways to get a nap in.
It’s taking the older one to get his tonsils removed, hand-feeding him popsicles and NOT being weirded out by his new voice. It’s eating Kraft mac and cheese multiple days in a row because that’s what he wants. (As Princess Anna of Arendelle sang in the first “Frozen” movie: “Don’t know if I’m elated or gassy, but I’m somewhere in that zone.”)
It’s playing Mario Kart together and showing absolutely zero mercy. Because that’s how they learn, folks.
It’s chaperoning a pre-k field trip to one of those indoor playground places, even though you’re exhausted and have a newsletter to write and large slides apparently make you nauseous now. It’s rolling with it when all the children assail you at once because they’ve decided you’re a pirate.
Arrrgh.
Above all, fatherhood is about trying to be the best version of yourself. Trying to be kinder, more attentive, more patient. Marveling at your kids’ growth and trying not to stunt it. Reveling in the small things when there are so many big things to worry about.
All of that and, for some reason, listening to “Uptown Funk” on repeat in The Year of Our Lord 2024.
As author and longtime preschool owner Kay Paschal writes in her new opinion piece for the AJC, dads today can be just about anything — including more involved.
And that’s what matters most.
Paschal’s column is just one of several Father’s Day perspectives assembled by the AJC opinion team. Check them out:
- Dhaval Desai, director of hospital medicine at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, on how his dad’s death made him a better doctor.
- Kenneth Braswell, CEO of advocacy group Fathers Incorporated, on how Atlanta helped him be a better dad.
Keep reading for more news.
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BEAT THE HEAT
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Today’s forecast calls for high temperatures around 95 degrees. We could flirt with 100 on Saturday, then stick in the mid-90s until Tuesday. “Potentially record-shattering heat,” as one Channel 2 meteorologist put it.
- It’s all driven by the same heat dome that scorched the southwestern U.S. for days.
- Stay hydrated, wear plenty of sunscreen and take frequent breaks in the shade if you head outside.
If you do plan to leave the house, weekend festivities include plenty of Juneteenth celebrations and dad-centric events. Concerts like Tim McGraw and 21 Savage, too.
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MORE TOP STORIES
» Cobb County Superintendent Chris Ragsdale apologized for a recent high school graduation that excluded students with disabilities.
» Another small earthquake popped up near Lake Lanier. That makes four in 10 days.
» Columnist Nedra Rhone checked in with former residents of Atlanta’s notorious Forest Cove apartments and found that, for many, life hasn’t much improved.
» Walmart plans to close stores in Dunwoody and Marietta. And it’s happening soon.
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TAKEN BY THE TALIBAN
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Atlanta’s George Glezmann, a Delta mechanic with a degree in cultural anthropology, took a trip to Afghanistan in late 2022. The Taliban captured him almost immediately and has held him captive ever since.
- His family is ramping up the political pressure to bring him back: “It’s been 18 months now. It’s time for him to come home, and it’s time for the Taliban to let him go.”
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POLITICS CENTRAL
» Vice President Kamala Harris is in town today to speak to the annual conference of the 100 Black Men of America. She returns next week for rapper Quavo’s anti-gun violence event.
» A U.S. Supreme Court ruling preserved access to a popular abortion pill. In Georgia, GOP state legislators expressed support for protecting in vitro fertilization.
» Donald Trump returned to Capitol Hill for the first time since Jan. 6, 2021. Georgia’s Republican lawmakers enjoyed his message.
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WORTH IT?
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
The NFL docked the Falcons a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft for tampering prior to the official signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins (and two other free agents). Fines incoming, too.
It’s a surprising slap on the wrist, the AJC’s Michael Cunningham writes. But at the same time: plenty of fifth-round picks see on-field success.
More sports highlights:
- The Braves won a game! Their 6-3 victory over the Orioles included two RBIs from Marcell Ozuna and four hits from Ozzie Albies.
- The Atlanta Dream held walking controversy Caitlin Clark to seven points but lost 91-84 to the Indiana Fever.
- Georgia Tech plans to retire the jersey of basketball great Dennis Scott.
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‘SHE FOUND ME DEAD’
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
Earlier this year, UGA special teams coach Scott Cochran left football, his latest attempt to shake a decade-long addiction to opiates.
He’s now in recovery, launching a national advocacy organization — and sharing new details about just how bad things got.
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BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Legendary Athens band R.E.M. reunited at last night’s Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, playing together publicly for the first time in many years. (Yes, there’s video.)
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Fani Willis says she’s been ‘attacked and over-sexualized’
» MARTA defends Five Points closure
» Appeal by Young Thug’s lawyer could take months as trial continues
» Atlanta’s Kenny Leon among nominees at Sunday’s Tony Awards
» Omakase Table to open second location in Buckhead Landing development
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ON THIS DATE
June 14, 1954
Atlantans took part in a national Civil Defense drill, pretending someone dropped a bomb on the city and practicing their response.
But while a group of Boy Scouts dutifully marched from downtown to Buckhead (in order to “determine how far a person could get on foot before an atomic attack”), much of the rest of the city seemed unimpressed.
“Many office workers, pedestrians and residents whiled away at their usual activities as if nothing were happening,” the Atlanta Journal reported.
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
AJC photographer John Spink captured Atlanta firefighters battling a blaze at a former dormitory near Morris Brown College. More photos here.
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