A.M. ATL: Debate 2024, the day after

TGIF Atlanta! Temperatures are expected to be near 90 degrees today with isolated showers.

And quick reminder for those preparing for the AJC Peachtree Road Race. It won’t be long now as our countdown clock above shows.

A bounty of news is on tap to get your weekend started, including a federal indictment against two Newton County commissioners, a Supreme Court decision on abortion in Idaho and an AJC chat with actor Kevin Costner.

Now, let’s get to it.

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MESSY SHOWDOWN

It’s the day after the big debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and the consensus is Biden struggled while Trump issued falsehoods.

The AJC’s Greg Bluestein said the 90-minute slugfest offered a split-screen contrast voters have wrestled with throughout the campaign: “The 81-year-old Biden and 78-year-old Trump are the oldest candidates ever to compete in a presidential race.”

How each addresses the aftermath of the meeting is the big question. Democrats, hands-wringing halfway through the event, have already expressed distress as they quickly wondered aloud if it’s too late to replace their presumptive nominee.

A couple of things to note:

Meanwhile independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who wasn’t at the debate, responded to the questions posed as if he were in the room in a real time livestream on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Metro Atlanta residents cheered on the candidate of their choice at watch parties at Hudson Grille in Midtown for Republicans and the downtown Hyatt Regency ballroom for Democrats. (Pictures from the scenes).

Memorable moments from the debate included these:

Check back frequently throughout the day at AJC.com for more coverage, including local reaction to how Atlanta handled the big event and what’s next for Biden and Trump.

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.

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NBA DRAFT PART DEUX

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

The Atlanta Hawks had a busy second day in the NBA draft. In an attempt to get another pick, the Hawks traded forward AJ Griffin (above) to Houston for the No. 44 pick in the second round.

That proved successful, and the team announced that Serbian guard Nikola Djurisic will join Zaccharie Risacher as the newest member of the Atlanta franchise.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

And speaking of Risacher (above), the Hawks announced that he would be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Sunday’s Atlanta Braves game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The match begins at 11:35 a.m.

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RIVIAN GEORGIA REVIVAL?

Georgia leaders may have new hope about the state’s stalled plans for Rivian operations in Walton and Morgan counties. The electric-vehicle company saw its shares boom Wednesday after the announcement of a partnership with Volkswagen Group, injecting new life into Rivian’s bottom line.

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MILLIONS MORE FOR WATER WOES

Credit: John Spink/AJC

Credit: John Spink/AJC

» Atlanta City Council frees up $177 million from Department of Watershed Management to update its aging water system. The funds will boost the department’s budget by nearly a quarter at a time when Atlanta is trying to recover from a series of embarrassing water main breaks.

» It goes without saying, but get ready for lines, lines, lines at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. While July 4 is not until next Thursday, Hartsfield leaders are expecting record holiday crowds to begin traveling today.

» Newton County Commission Chairman Marcello Banes and recently elected Newton Commissioner Stephanie Lindsey were indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury on money laundering charges.

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NO FIELD OF DREAMS

Credit: Adrianne Murchison

Credit: Adrianne Murchison

College Park leaders are pushing ahead with a plan to sell a local ballfield to developers, despite objections from residents, who think the site would be better served as space for youth baseball.

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NATION AND WORLD

Critically ill children began leaving Gaza on Thursday for treatment abroad in the first medical evacuation since the territory’s sole travel crossing shut down in early May.

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In a limited ruling, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed emergency abortions in Idaho. At least for now.

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BIG EAST ON TNT

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Big East conference games are coming to TNT, the Atlanta-based sports network said Thursday. It’s the third media rights deal secured by TNT Sports. A contract with the NBA? Well that remains up in the air.

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Warning: Students who sign with NIL Club could risk their eligibility if boosters pay them for online news and content, the Georgia High School Association says. NIL told a Florida newspaper college athletes have earned more than $10 million through its platform since 2021.

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ALL-AROUND CREATIVE

Credit: Photo by Lauren Cross

Credit: Photo by Lauren Cross

Constance Collier-Mercado, the 2024 Georgia Fellow for Literary Arts, is an Atlanta writer, poet and all-around creative, who stuck to her vision when outside voices were telling her to make her art “neat.”

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Ahead of today’s opening of his new western, “Horizon: An American Saga,” actor Kevin Costner tells The AJC’s Rodney Ho, “There’s room for all kinds of stories.” He better hope so as Costner spent $50 million of his own money to bring the film to the big screen.

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MORE TO EXPLORE

» Arena of Savannah Civic Center to be demolished

» CDC awards national Black churches group $3 million in COVID-19 fight

» Georgia Supreme Court declines to halt YSL trial amid effort to replace judge

» Red Roof Inn settles landmark sex trafficking case mid-trial

» Georgia town alerted to off-duty work before firing police chief, suspending its force

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ON THIS DATE

June 28, 1904

An unsavory incident involving Atlanta’s most prominent pastor and Albany’s police chief unfolded after the former accused the latter of being “taken from a house of questionable resort in a state of intoxication.”

The police chief, R.N. Westbrook, denied the charge and found Dr. Len G. Broughton at a barber shop — and hit him over the head with the butt end of a bull whip.

Credit: File photo

Credit: File photo

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Credit: Miguel Martinez

AJC photographer Miguel Martinez captured fans as they pose prior to Thursday’s Copa America soccer game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta. The match pitted the U.S. Men’s National Team against Panama.

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ONE MORE THING

It’s that time again to comb through the riches of former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in the annual Carter Center auction. And when I say riches, I mean of the heart and sentiment, not pricey, showy nonsense to impress the neighbors.

Not that there aren’t “ooh-wow” offerings planned for this year’s auction, set for this weekend. There are guitars signed by Stevie Nicks, Sting and Rod Stewart, Shaker boxes designed by Rosalynn Carter, framed photos and posters from the former leader’s presidential campaigns, and various vacation packages and gift certificates for flights on Delta Air Lines.

But as the AJC’s Matt Kempner reports, the Carters were famously frugal and the high life was not their style. Instead, much of what the center is auctioning was given to a couple who was known to rinse out plastic storage baggies for reuse or fix furniture others might throw out.

“Finding a second life for gifts or used items seems especially Carter-like,” Kempner writes. “The couple often seemed allergic to fancy. Or waste.”

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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at leon.stafford@ajc.com.

Until next time.