Monday moves
May 20 — Road warriors rejoice. MARTA’s Airport Station reopened this morning.
🌞 Sunny and 82° today. The rest of the week is a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the 80s.
🗳 Election Day is tomorrow. Here’s a link to a candidate guide, and here’s where you can find your polling location.
🪙 GDOT announced it would place new toll lanes on the top half of I-285 and along GA-400 to the North Springs MARTA station.
➡ At their convention in Columbus, Georgia Republicans elected conservative activist Amy Kremer to the Republican National Committee. Kremer, who spoke at the “Save America” rally before the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, was elected despite opposition from party leaders.
🚓 Cobb County Police arrested a suspect in Saturday’s campus murder of a student at Kennesaw State University.
🐼 Zoo Atlanta will bid farewell to its pandas this fall, with Lun Lun, Yang Yang, and their twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun returning to China.
🍷 3 Parks Wine is hosting cellist-songwriter OkCello for an outdoor concert on Tues., May 21 at 6 p.m. Tickets are required and available here.
🎾 For its final year, the Atlanta Open announced Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens will play in the Sunday Showdown on July 21.
ELSEWHERE
➡ Sean “Diddy” Combs apologized for beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2016 after a video of the attack was released, calling his actions “inexcusable.”
⛳ Xander Schauffele won the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY.
🏇 Seize the Grey upset Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan to win the Preakness Stakes.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Biden’s Morehouse speech
• Nino’s glow-up
• Global Headlines: Iranian president killed in crash
AND
• Look & Listen: commencement speeches
Have a great week,
Collin & Sammie
💡 Interested in having your child or teen take their Spanish to the next level over the summer? Register for a free, trial Spanish class with Atlanta Spanish Immersion. Sign up for a package before May 31, and receive two complimentary hours. Aprende más.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Biden speaks at Morehouse commencement
🎓 At yesterday’s Morehouse College commencement, President Joe Biden challenged the more than 400 graduates to fight for freedom and democracy against the forces of divisiveness threatening America.
“You’re all future leaders,” Biden said during the 140th commencement ceremony at the historically Black college in Atlanta. “You’ll face complications and tough moments. … [But] we’re expecting a lot from you.”
🧑🏾🎓 Read more and watch the video over on our site.
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2. Nino’s gets a glow-up with new Italian cocktail bar Dopo Lavoro
🍝 Nino’s Italian Restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road received a glow-up this winter, including a new entrance and cocktail bar, which was once home to a hair salon.
Having opened in February, Dopo Lavoro pays tribute to owner Antonio Noviello’s hometown of Sapri along the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Regulars wandering into Nino’s for the first time since the bar’s quiet debut might not recognize the restaurant. The only clues indicating they’re in the right place are the Nino’s sign above the entrance, family photos on the walls, and being greeted by Alessandra Noviello Hayes and her husband, Micah.
Nino’s has been a fixture on Cheshire Bridge since 1968. It’s not only one of Atlanta’s oldest restaurants, it’s one of the city’s most beloved red sauce joints.
🇮🇹 Read more about the glow-up here.
3. Iranian president killed in helicopter crash
🇮🇷 Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister are dead after their helicopter crashed in mountainous northwestern Iran. “President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash…,” an Iranian official told Reuters after rescuers worked through the night to reach the crash site in East Azerbaijan province.
Raisi, a hardliner, was seen as a potential successor to Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei, which is leading to speculation on the cause of the crash. First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was named interim president ahead of a new presidential election, which must occur within 50 days.
🇰🇪 Kenyan President William Ruto begins a historic visit to the United States today in Atlanta. He will visit the Carter Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Spelman College, and will meet with Mayor Andre Dickens before heading to Washington, D.C. Ruto is the sixth head of state to be accorded a state visit during the Biden presidency.
🇨🇩 The Democratic Republic of Congo army says it quashed an attempted coup against President Tshisekedi today, detaining 50 suspects, including Americans.
🇸🇦 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has postponed today’s scheduled visit to Japan, due to King Salman’s lung inflammation treatment.
🇮🇱 The bodies of four Israeli hostages were recently recovered by Israel’s military. More than 120 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israeli officials saying 37 are likely dead.
🎗️ Prominent Israeli politician and author Yael Dayan, an early advocate for LGBTQ rights and feminism, died at 85 after a long battle with lung disease.
🇹🇼 Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, a former doctor, was sworn in today. Lai said his election was a win for democracy, which has angered leaders of the Chinese Communist Party who claim the island country is a part of China.
🇬🇧 A British high court on Monday will decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the U.S. to face charges.
🇪🇸 Good news for the endangered Iberian lynx which has doubled its population in three years.
🗓️ Join the World Affairs Council of Atlanta for a Members Forum Salon: Exploring The Geopolitics of Global South on Wed., Jun 5. This Members Forum Salon aims to sharpen understanding of the term “Global South” and why and how “Global South” countries are leveraging their influence.
💡 Interested in having your child or teen take their Spanish to the next level over the summer? Register for a free, trial Spanish class with Atlanta Spanish Immersion. Sign up for a package before May 31, and receive two complimentary hours. Aprende más.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Commencement speeches
In addition to President Biden’s speech at Morehouse, here are some other notable commencement addresses from this year and one from a decade ago.
🎙️ Mathematician Grant Sanderson tells the graduating class at Harvey Mudd that following your dreams isn’t as straightforward as we think.
🎧 NBC sports broadcaster Maria Taylor talks to Pace Academy seniors about changing what your future looks like and recovering from mistakes.
🎙️John Legend talks to Loyola Marymount seniors about the power of love and forgiveness.
🎧 It’s been ten years and a day since Admiral William H. McRaven gave his iconic commencement speech at the University of Texas.
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📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
