Thomas Wheatley

Legend!

Atlanta City Council president race heats up with clash over training center, website The contest between Marci Collier Overstreet and Rohit Malhotra has become a rare citywide flashpoint.

The Atlanta City Council president race has become a rare citywide flashpoint — a test of the political ripples from Atlanta's public safety training center, also known by opponents as "Cop City." www.axios.com/local/atlant...

In every debate about extending public transit into a US suburban area, we always hear this.

(Source in first reply.)

Oakland Cemetery to sell new spaces for first time in 140 years The historic cemetery's new columbarium could be your actual forever home.

Oakland Cemetery — the final resting place of Bobby Jones, Maynard Jackson, Kenny Rogers and others — is Atlanta's most exclusive place to spend the afterlife (burial plots have mostly only been available through private sales for roughly 140 years). www.axios.com/local/atlant...

Paul Dans, ex-director of Project 2025, will challenge US Sen. Lindsey Graham in SC GOP primary Paul Dans, Project 2025’s architect, is launching a Senate bid against Lindsey Graham in an effort to oust the longstanding South Carolina lawmaker.

The original architect of Project 2025, the conservative blueprint President Donald Trump has closely followed since returning to the White House, is now drawing up his next plan to reshape Washington: launching a Republican primary challenge against U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina.

Atlanta housing authority freezes rent hikes for Section 8 homes Uncertainty over federal funding for housing is spreading to local governments.

Experts tell @axios.com the move could spur landlords who accept vouchers and are facing rising property taxes or upkeep costs to switch to market-rate tenants, short-term rentals or sales. The end result: more housing instability and fewer affordable units. www.axios.com/local/atlant...

The official TSA post-screening bench

Burt Jones enters Georgia governor’s race with Trump-aligned platform Lt. Gov. Burt Jones joins the race for Georgia governor with $14 million in campaign cash.

Just in: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones enters Georgia governor’s race with Trump-aligned platform. Flush with $14 million in a campaign account, Jones is vying to become the GOP frontrunner — and land Donald Trump’s endorsement. #gapol

ajc.com/politics/202...

First "Stop Cop City" defendant goes to trial The case could could set the tone for dozens of activists' cases.

Benavidez, of @freepress.bsky.social, told @thomaswheatley.bsky.social @axios.com the case "is emblematic of a pervasive nat'l effort to undermine diversity of speech & to delegitimize the viewpoints of those fighting for equity, human rights, & progress generally." www.axios.com/local/atlant...

Adult sites go dark for Georgia residents A law requiring users to verify their age has taken effect, spurring some sites to close access.

Pornhub, Youporn and other adult websites, citing Georgia’s new age-verification law, went dark today. www.axios.com/local/atlant...

Historic land deal halts mining project next to Okefenokee Swamp The move puts an immediate halt to a project that scientists and environmentalists had feared could irreparably damage North America’s largest blackwater swamp.

Huge news about one of Georgia's natural wonders.

ARRIVAL AND ENFORCEMENT ACTION:Upon arrival at the scene, Chief Atkinson advised me to block the intersection of ChambleeTucker Road at Northcrest Road to prevent vehicular traffic from passing through. Afterpositioning my marked patrol unit, I observed DeKalb County officers issuing additionaldispersal orders to the crowd, followed by the deployment of chemical agents.The protesters began to flee the area, crossing Chamblee Tucker Road into Embry VillagePlaza and moving in the direction of Northcrest Road. As the crowd advanced, I observedDeKalb County Lieutenant Obester (Badge #2169) verbally instruct a male subject, lateridentified as Mario Guevara (DOB: /1977), to exit the roadway and return to thesidewalk. Guevara, who was wearing a helmet, red shirt, and ballistic vest, appeared tocomply, walking toward the sidewalk while shaking his head in disagreement.Shortly thereafter, I heard Lt. Obester again address Guevara, who had re-entered the roadway,advising him that he had been given multiple warnings and would be arrested if he continuedto violate the order. Guevara then walked into the Embry Village Plaza parking lot.I maintained visual contact with Guevara as he moved through the parking lot. I then observedhim look around quickly before unlawfully entering Chamblee Tucker Rd after NorthcrestRoad in front of the Wells Fargo located at 3601 Chamblee Tucker Rd. At that time, Iimmediately approached Guevara, detained him, and secured him in flex cuffs behind his back.He was then escorted to a nearby DeKalb County patrol vehicle, where he was searched

The good part of the arrest report is that the officer notes what Guevara was wearing, but not what his clothes said ("PRESS"), or what we was doing (filming), or what he said when approached ("I'm press").

Georgia Capitol's $10 million "hamster tube" hits city snag Atlanta City Council members cite concerns over the proposed walkway's effect on Downtown pedestrian activity.

Council member @District4ATL Jason Dozier said the skybridge proposal is another example of the state building projects that are "antagonistic towards this idea of these properties being open to the people." www.axios.com/local/atlant...

$10M Capitol walkway plan faces preservationist backlash State officials say a new bridge boosts security and access. Critics call the plan a scar on Georgia's most prominent public building.

"Could you conceive of the White House having what looks like a toilet paper roll sticking out of one side of it connected to another building for elected officials to waddle back and forth?" www.axios.com/local/atlant...

New spying claims emerge in Silicon Valley corporate espionage scandal HR start-ups Rippling and Deel trade allegations their leaders directed efforts to steal company secrets from one another

"The latest claim comes after Rippling alleged earlier this year that a staff member had been spying on behalf of Deel. The employee locked themselves into a bathroom and smashed their phone with an axe when confronted with allegations, according to their own testimony." 🪓

@thomaswheatley.bsky.social and I forgot to mention Friday that we're off today, so no Axios Atlanta newsletter today folks❤️

Under Trump, a Mainstay for Small Businesses Clamps Down

Today from me: Under Kelly Loeffler, the Small Business Administration is cutting staff, tightening lending standards, terminating programs for women and veterans, and barring loan applications from companies that have even one drop of non-American investment. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/b...

Beltline WiFi and trail funding in jeopardy Private donors may step in after "digital equity" grant gets clawed back and doubts linger over path to Lindbergh

“If it were $2 million, we'd have an easy Plan B. But this is $25 million," @atlantabeltline.org CEO Clyde Higgs told the Fulton County Commission.

Ransomware group threatens Cobb County data leak, shares images of apparent sensitive documents Hacker group Qilin says it has 150GB of files from Cobb County, including autopsy photos, IDs and arrest reports.

The group said it planned to release the data within 48 hours.

Several emails dated October 21, 2016. Ed Martin writes: "Go slow and steady. Not too much of a flood. Make it organic. Email his comments to others and say 'is this right?' Direct message him and play sweet/dumb ... 'i am not a lawyer but how can this happen?' And 'john and roger and others are grieving their mother's death ... can't this wait?'" A reply back from Priscilla Gray says "on it." Another email from Martin says: "Turn up the heat with others on his page. Call what he did unfair and rigged over and over. He's doing it like hillary does ...." And a third email reads: "Go back on his page and write 'your ruling puts anne cori and her co plaintiffs in charge of the entity they sued, Eagle Forum. How can the anne cori and the plaintiffs now be telling the lawyers for defendant eagle forum how to defend themselves? That is not justice but a rigged system. So, you gave them eagle forum by rigging it so anne cori is lawyer for both sides. Shame on you and this broken legal system.'"

Ed Martin, Trump's pick for D.C. U.S. District Attorney, ghostwrote online attacks against an Illinois judge with whom he was in a legal dispute.

We obtained emails that show Martin bought a laptop for the woman who made the posts and coached her on how to make them look organic: propub.li/4d1aut5

The Women Who Think the World Needs More Babies At a convention of the pronatalist movement, the relatively few women in attendance agreed: Motherhood needs a rebrand.

I went to the Natal Conference in Austin and wrote about the women drawn to the pronatalism movement — and those who are criticizing it for the far-right voices it's bringing into the tent www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/s...

Why a $1.50 pimento cheese sandwich is a Masters tradition Golf's most exclusive event boasts a Southern classic served in its own green jacket.

I learned about these famous pimento cheese sandwiches they sell for $1.50 at the Masters c/o @thomaswheatley.bsky.social, and now I really want one of those famous pimento cheese sandwiches they sell for $1.50 at the Masters. www.axios.com/local/atlant...

If you are a #CDC employee in metro Atlanta who was affected by today's cuts and you want to talk about the process or potential impact, please get in touch with me. thomas dot wheatley at axios dot com or DM a good contact.

Heatmap is absolutely killing it 🔥

Atlanta is the world champion of delayed alerts about street closures and boil water advisories

El Tesoro picks South Downtown for third location Yes, there will be a great patio

El tercero El Tesoro

I honestly don’t know if folks are prepared to learn just how much governance takes place by group chat.

FILA

The Georgia Supreme Court says former Atlanta City Council member H. Lamar Willis should be readmitted to the bar. www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/u...