1 big thing: Trans youth health care ban starts Saturday

Illustrated college of a doctor with arms crossed next to a photo of child from behind surrounded by shapes and colors of the Trans flag

S.C. county nixes golf course on Gullah Geechee land

2. County axes golf course on Gullah Geechee land

Sign saying "no gates, no golf" on St. Helena Island

Beltline's $25 million grant paves the way to Lindbergh

3. Beltline's $25 million grant paves the way to Lindbergh

A map of the northeast Atlanta showing where planned Beltline trails will connect with Lindbergh and other trail systems.

City Hall unveils memorial to Atlanta Child Murder victims

4. Pic du jour: Atlanta child murders memorial

Mayor Andre Dickens, wearing a suit, and former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, wearing a red dress, read a marker at a rusted steel memorial to Atlanta's Murdered and Missing Children.

Fresh job openings around town

5. Five-ish Points: 🚙 Sinkhole vs. SUV

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny and hot, with a high near 91. 

😷 Situational awareness: Atlanta is under a code orange air quality alert today. 

This means the air will be unhealthy for children, older adults and other people who have certain lung or heart conditions.

Today's newsletter is 914 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🟣 Emma wonders if McDonald's saw the Grimace milkshake launch turning into an endless stream of mini horror movies.

🤔 Kristal wonders how she used to play outside in this summer heat as a child. 

🍾 Thomas says C O N G R █ T S to local-man-done-good Ryan Seacrest on becoming the new host of "Wheel of Fortune."

This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley and copy edited by Natasha Danielle Smith and Alex Perry.

Plus: 🏳️‍⚧️ Health care law concerns

Atlanta

blue

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

Axios Atlanta

Standard

1 big thing:

1 big thing: Helping DACA students attend college

New rendering: Portman plots next Beltline project

2. 🏗️ Portman plots next Beltline project

An aerial rendering of a proposed mixed-use project along the Beltline with a green roof

3. 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ representation in elected offices

Illustration of the US eagle seal holding the rainbow flag.

4. Stat du jour: Reported antisemitic incidents climb

Your future begins here

5. Five-ish Points: Atlanta's OG music mogul

Illustration of a cut open peach with the Axios A logo in center.

🥵 Today's weather: Sunny and hot. High around 90º. Drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks if you're working outside.

🕯 Situational awareness: The city today will unveil the Atlanta Children's Eternal Flame Memorial, which honors the victims in the Child Murders case.

🪴 Thanks to our members for helping us grow. Join them today!

Today's newsletter is 911 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🐾 Kristal is going to order these to protect Hannah's paws from the hot pavement. Hopefully she will wear them.

🐕 Emma's pup tore up his own paw pad by…running too much. Go hard or go home?

🚍 Thomas is planning to skip the headaches of shuttling between terminals at the Atlanta airport by trying out this public transit hack. 

Plus: 🏳️‍🌈 Representation in office

Fanplex's next chapter could be affordable housing

1 big thing: Fanplex, finally

A photo of an empty and unused entertainment center with a yellow awning that says fun

2. Rep. McBath on passing gun control in Georgia

3. Dangerous heat moving into Atlanta

4. Host a meatless cookout this summer

5. Five-ish Points: 🦅 Let the eagle soar

Illustration of a peach with arms and legs walking past some trees. 

🌡️ Today's weather: Another scorcher. Sunny and a high around 95. Drink lots of water and stay indoors if you can.

Today's newsletter is 910 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🏌️ Thomas challenges you to meet him at the Mountasia family fun center off Barrett Parkway at sundown. We'll settle this putt-putt score once and for all. 

🗳️ Emma is remembering her time interviewing voters stuck in an hours-long line at Fanplex when it served as a polling place during the troubled 2020 primary. 

🤔 Kristal is thinking about this New York Times story out of the U.K.

Cobb teacher fights to keep job after parent complains about book

1 big thing: Cobb teacher fights to keep job

Illustration of a stack of books with barbed wire wrapped around them. 

2. Meet your new Hawks

Adam Silver, wearing a suit, shakes hands and poses for a photograph with Kobe Bufkin, who's wearing a tan suit and an Atlanta Hawks cap

A dentist opened the doors of Grady Memorial Hospital to everyone

3. Remember when: A dentist made Grady do better

4. Pic du jour: Look up

Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves raises his glove and hands in the air 

Do you see yourself with a new career?

5. Five-ish Points: Titanic submersible victim had Georgia ties

Illustration of concrete wall with a sign reading "5-ish," with six points after it.

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny with a chance of afternoon showers.

Situational awareness: Gov. Brian Kemp, Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock and other leaders condemned a neo-Nazi protest in Cobb County outside a synagogue on Saturday.

Today's newsletter is 923 words — a 3.5-minute read.

👏 Thomas ate at Miller Union with his girlfriend and their bud this weekend. He's blown away that the Westside restaurant can be so consistently enjoyable.   

❤️ Kristal had a great weekend spending time with her sisters and Hannah.

🥃 Emma reminds you that Georgia adopted the 18th amendment on this day in 1918. But our first (failed) alcohol ban was back in Oglethorpe's colonial days.

1 big thing: Some news from Emma ...

A new career is waiting for you

2. Go forth, and prepare for the 4th

Animated illustration of three fireworks, with the last one in the shape of the Axios logo.

3. Five-ish Points: Noah's Ark reopens its doors

Illustration of a neon sign on a metal tower reading 5ish Points. 

4. We're not crying, you're crying

A photo of a smiling and posing woman wearing a white skiuit with rainbow colors on the shoulders and legs while standing on a ski slope

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny and even hotter. High around 95.

Situational awareness: A group of Georgia parents sued to block the law banning gender-affirming care for minors from going into effect tomorrow.

Many similar bans across the country have already faced trouble in the courts. (Axios)

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Atlanta member Chris Pomar! And an early happy birthday to member Cathy Wooten!

Today's newsletter is 963 words — a 3.5-minute read.

😭 Kristal's eyes are sweating. She will miss having Emma on the Atlanta team.

💔 Emma did not want to write that 1 Big Thing. Sending all the love!

⛷️ Thomas wants to know when Emma stole his ski suit.

Indianapolis

Whats Next

Axios What's Next

Axios Indianapolis

Data: Yelp; Note: Openings are for the core-based statistical area (the population center and surrounding communities) and are measured by new business listings on Yelp, added by businesses or Yelp users; Chart: Axios Visuals

Indianapolis seems to be a good place for new businesses lately.

Driving the news: 500 new businesses were registered on Yelp across the Indianapolis metro area in July 2023, per the company, up 29% year over year.

Among major U.S. metros, Indianapolis saw one of the largest increases in business openings during the first half of 2023 versus the same period in 2019, at about 77.5%.

Why it matters: New business openings are a good measure of economic sentiment — people generally don't take the risk of spinning up a new venture if they foresee economic peril ahead.

What they're saying: "A strong business climate is something we're definitely seeing," said Taylor Hughes, vice president of policy and strategy at the Indy Chamber. "Though there have been concerns about a recession, we haven't seen that in the way that some have predicted.

"There's still a lot of investment and a lot of business happening in central Indiana."

The big picture: Business openings nationwide have exceeded 2019 levels every month this year, thanks to a surge in travel, events and get-togethers, Axios Closer's Hope King reports.

The intrigue: Dan Drexler, director of the Central Indiana Small Business Development Center, said they're seeing a lot of people starting new businesses as a side gig, looking to bring in extra income as their wages fail to keep up with rising prices.

Drexler said the center has worked with roughly 900 clients so far this year, helping them either start a business or scale up an existing small operation, and has another 160 waiting to meet with an adviser. 

"We're positioned really well for this growth, and I think we're going to continue seeing it," he said. 

By the numbers: New listings of shops and services on Yelp are on track to beat 2022's all-time high, according to a recent company report.

Nearly 484,000 new businesses popped up on the platform from January through July this year, compared with about 389,000 over the same time period last year.

That's a roughly 25% increase year over year, and a 46% increase from the same period in 2019.

Openings increased across every category, driven by hotels and travel (up 39% over 2022), home services (up 37%), auto (up 27%), event services (up 27%) and local services (up 23%).

Zoom out: California, Florida, Texas, New York and Georgia have seen the largest total number of new business openings so far this year.

Meanwhile, there have been more business openings from underrepresented communities every month compared with the same month last year.

From January through July, LGBTQ-owned (+33%), Black-owned (+28%) and Latin-owned (+28%) businesses opened at a higher rate than the national average (+25%), and when compared with the same time period last year.

Women-owned businesses saw an increase of 19% in openings, and Asian-owned businesses saw a 13% increase.

What to watch: How long economic optimism lasts, and whether momentum continues as banking conditions tighten for small businesses.

Of note: Yelp business openings refer to new business listings on the platform in a given time frame.

Business owners or Yelp users can add listings.

New business data may lag due to the time taken to report and verify openings, Yelp says.

Indianapolis sees high new business activity

Indy saw one of the largest increases in business openings compared to 2019.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis seems to be a good place for new businesses lately.Driving the news: 500 new businesses were registered on Yelp across the Indianapolis metro area in July 2023, per the company, up 29% year over year.

Business

News

Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Chart: Axios Visuals

Indiana's outage rate has remained below the national average since 2016.

Driving the news: The average Indiana electricity customer experienced 4.8 hours of power outages in 2021 — barely up from 4.7 hours in 2020, and up from 3.9 hours in 2013.

That's per the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an agency within the Department of Energy.

The average U.S. electricity customer experienced 7.3 hours of power outages in 2021 — down from 8.2 hours in 2020, but more than double 2013's rate.

Why it matters: Electricity outages stand to become more common as extreme weather events — many driven by climate change — wreak havoc on the country's aging power infrastructure.

While some outages are short-lived annoyances, others are widespread events that can become deadly.

Zoom out: 2021's nationwide numbers were driven in large part by widespread power outages in Texas amid severe winter weather and by broad outages following Hurricane Ida.

The average Louisiana electricity customer experienced a staggering 80.2 hours of downtime in 2021, trailed by Oregon (24.8 hours) and Texas (19.6 hours).

Washington, D.C. (0.9), Delaware (1.1) and Florida (1.35) customers experienced the fewest hours of downtime — the latter a noteworthy stat, given Florida's hurricane vulnerability.

Of note: In a national ranking of electric utility performance, Indiana's average affordability and reliability fell towards the middle, but it ranked 48th in environmental responsibility given high grid emissions, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported.

Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Map: Axios Visuals

Between the lines: Access to reliable power is increasingly an equity issue, Axios New Orleans' Chelsea Brasted reports, as wealthier people are better able to afford backup generators and other adaptations compared to those less well-off.

The intrigue: Some homeowners are turning to whole-home batteries, sometimes charged via solar power, that can store backup electricity in case of an emergency.

A few electric vehicles, like Ford's F-150 Lightning pickup, can also act as residential power sources by funneling electricity from the vehicle's battery into owners' homes.

And several communities, including a Decatur County crop production facility, are turning to "microgrids," which can supply power to a small number of homes and businesses when the main grid goes offline. 

Yes, but: While incentives exist for solar and home battery installation, they're still prohibitively expensive solutions for many homeowners — to say nothing of renters with limited say over their home's energy options.

What's next: Efforts to modernize the grid and reduce outages are underway.

The 2021 infrastructure law allocated $13 billion for modernizing the electrical grid, and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act guarantees up to $250 billion in loans for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing energy infrastructure, Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.

The bottom line: It'll take time — years, most likely — for those funds to translate into real-world improvements.

In the meantime, storms will likely keep driving massive outages, putting lives at risk for hours, days or even weeks after they pass.

Indiana electrical outages below national average

That's per the latest available data from the Department of Energy.

Indiana

Indiana&#x27;s outage rate has remained below the national average since 2016.Driving the news: The average Indiana electricity customer experienced 4.8 hours of power outages in 2021 — barely up from 4.7 hours in 2020, and up from 3.9 hours in 2013.<ul><li>That&#x27;s per the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an agency within the Department of Energy.</li></ul>

Climate

Austin

Seattle

Axios Seattle

More than 1 in 4 Austin seniors were working past the age of 65 in 2021, a decision senior advocacy groups say is often driven by fear and financial insecurity.

Driving the news: At an age when people could historically retire and get full Social Security benefits, about 27% of Austin seniors — or 25,417 people — remain in the workforce, according to a new study of recent Census Bureau data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

That's above the national average of 21%.

What they're saying: Many find meaning and connection through the jobs they do, but for others, a high cost of living means they can't afford to step back, Jason Erskine, a spokesperson for AARP in Seattle, told Axios.

"Whether it's housing, utilities, groceries or pain at the pump — older adults are finding themselves squeezed financially," he said.

In a recent AARP survey, 87% of older workers pointed to their paycheck as a leading reason for why they are continuing to work.

Zoom in: In Austin, the median senior household income is $58,546 per the study.

Reality check: That's far below the median household income of the entire Austin-Round Rock metro area, which was nearly $95,000 in 2022, per new Census Bureau data.

The big picture: Americans retiring now are the first generation forced to rely on private savings, 401(k) plans and IRAs, which don't generate steady and predictable income the way pensions and Social Security do, Axios' Felix Salmon reports.

Just 36% of those 55 and older — nearing typical retirement age — say they'll be able to retire at the time they expected and 1 in 5 say they don't think they ever will, according to a recent Axios-Ipsos poll.

Zoom out: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the labor force participation of older workers will continue to rise to 29.9% in 2032 for people aged 65-74 and to 9.9% for those 75 and older.

Over a quarter of Austin seniors still work

Illustration of an office chair with a doily on top, sitting on front of vintage wallpaper.

Retirement

More than 1 in 4 Austin seniors were working past the age of 65 in 2021, a decision senior advocacy groups say is often driven by fear and financial insecurity.Driving the news: At an age when people could historically retire and get <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="full Social Security benefits" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/raising-social-securitys-retirement-age-would-cut-benefits-for-all-new#:~:text=As%20noted%2C%20the%20full%20retirement,age%20had%20remained%20at%2065." data-vars-content-id="4d288540-81a5-42f2-81d6-2aeadb56c410" data-vars-headline="Over a quarter of Austin seniors still work" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/raising-social-securitys-retirement-age-would-cut-benefits-for-all-new#:~:text=As%20noted%2C%20the%20full%20retirement,age%20had%20remained%20at%2065." target="_blank">full Social Security benefits</a>, about 27% of Austin seniors — or 25,417 people — remain in the workforce, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new study" data-vars-click-url="https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/14/9xog12klrnsxoo5swyhqehh32/0/d429572e0bafc14d06132dd0fc8ecfaf9a5c5ea69f3fee4658c50ec10a747cb4" data-vars-content-id="4d288540-81a5-42f2-81d6-2aeadb56c410" data-vars-headline="Over a quarter of Austin seniors still work" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://usw2.nyl.as/t1/14/9xog12klrnsxoo5swyhqehh32/0/d429572e0bafc14d06132dd0fc8ecfaf9a5c5ea69f3fee4658c50ec10a747cb4" target="_blank">new study</a> of recent Census Bureau data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Austin is getting a new — though familiar — museum.

Driving the news: The UT museum previously known as the Texas Memorial Museum is reopening Saturday as the Texas Science & Natural History Museum.

University leadership has spent the last year reworking the museum's business model, recruiting philanthropic support and planning new exhibits.

Why it matters: The museum is back with a new lease on life after closing in 2022 without plans to reopen, UT News writes.

Flashback: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was on site for the groundbreaking of the Texas Memorial Museum nearly 90 years ago.

The state Legislature established the museum following complaints from Texas paleontologists that the state had no proper museum to house its most valuable fossils.

Details: Paul Cret, the architect of the UT Tower, designed the museum's art deco building but quit when money ran out to complete his vision of two additional wings.

The building is still smaller than average with just 18,000 square feet of exhibit space.

What's new: The museum had previously only been funded through the College of Natural Sciences, money from the state and admissions tickets. Now its model will align with peer institutions to include membership programs and private event rentals.

The building has new lighting and landscaping, carpet tiles to help with acoustics, refreshed legacy exhibits and new ones focused on the museum's history and active UT research.

The grand opening is Saturday from 10am-2pm, with free admission.

Starting next week, tickets will cost $10, with senior discounts and free admission to UT ID holders, children under 4 and active military members.

If you go: The museum is located at 2400 Trinity St.

Hours are 10am- 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, 1-5 pm Sunday.

Paid parking is available in the San Jacinto Parking Garage next to the museum as well as in other UT parking garages. Metered parking is available along Dean Keeton St. and along San Jacinto Blvd. south of Dean Keeton.

The Texas Memorial Museum reopens with new name

It is now the Texas Science & Natural History Museum.

Fossil of Quetzalcoatlus northropi, a species of pterosaur and one of the museum's legacy exhibits. Photo: Courtesy of Nolan Zunk/The University of Texas at Austin

Austin is getting a new — though familiar — museum.Driving the news: The UT museum previously known as the Texas Memorial Museum is reopening Saturday as the Texas Science &amp; Natural History Museum.

Things to Do

Culture

Data: Census Bureau; Chart: Axios Visuals

Remote work is holding strong here — 28% of Austin metro area workers were working from home as of 2022, compared to a peak of 32% in 2021, per newly released Census Bureau figures.

Driving the news: That's the second-highest percentage among American metro areas, the highest in Texas and well above the national average.

The big picture: Workers in America's biggest, most competitive cities aren't giving up the flexibility and savings — in both time and gas money — of working from home.

Every state has more remote workers now than it did in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Flashback: Austin saw the biggest net gain of remote workers of any major city in 2020-21, per a New York Times analysis. 

Steven Pedigo, director of the University of Texas' LBJ Urban Lab and a professor studying economic development, previously told Axios he's optimistic that remote workers will stick around because of the city's social cohesion.

Plus, he said the city remains less expensive compared to where many moved from, like California and New York.

Zoom out: Overall, 15% of the U.S. worked from home last year, versus nearly 18% in 2021 — but the numbers remain much higher on the East and West coasts and in large metro areas.

Boulder, Colorado — with just under a tenth of Austin's population — had the highest share of remote workers of any metro area last year at 32%.

Austin is still one of the nation's top remote work hubs

It's the second-highest among American metro areas, per new Census Bureau data.

Remote work is holding strong here — 28% of Austin metro area workers were working from home as of 2022, compared to a peak of 32% in 2021, per newly released Census Bureau figures.Driving the news: That&#x27;s the second-highest percentage among American metro areas, the highest in Texas and well above the national average.

Emma Hurt

Stories

Over a quarter of Austin seniors still work

Indiana electrical outages below national average

Indianapolis sees high new business activity

Austin is still one of the nation's top remote work hubs

The Texas Memorial Museum reopens with new name

Newsletter editions

😭 The end of an era

🛠 Fanplex's future

😦 Ponce eats an SUV

🏗 Portman's Beltline plans

📚 Classroom book controversy