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Georgia "I voted" sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism

Counties can offer the new Steve Penley design, the classic peach sticker or both this election.

Culture

A new &quot;I voted&quot; sticker designed by an Atlanta artist that an AJC columnist once dubbed the &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="da Vinci of the GOP" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/politics/opinion-meet-steve-penley-the-da-vinci-of-the-gop/2X6E35GSGNE7HGVR2UDNQ4KQFA/" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/opinion-meet-steve-penley-the-da-vinci-of-the-gop/2X6E35GSGNE7HGVR2UDNQ4KQFA/" target="_blank">da Vinci of the GOP</a>&quot; is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="drawing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/1wtds1m/new_voting_sticker_for_midterms_what_do_we_think/" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Georgia/comments/1wtds1m/new_voting_sticker_for_midterms_what_do_we_think/" target="_blank">drawing</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="criticism" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/NilesGApol/status/2104981658701267378" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/NilesGApol/status/2104981658701267378" target="_blank">criticism</a> online.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Steve Penley&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.penleyartco.com/" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.penleyartco.com/" target="_blank">Steve Penley&#x27;s</a> reboot of a routine election giveaway fueled fears that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Georgia&#x27;s beloved peach" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reddit.com/r/2american4you/comments/17q2y8y/georgia_has_the_best_i_voted_sticker_by_a_country/" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/2american4you/comments/17q2y8y/georgia_has_the_best_i_voted_sticker_by_a_country/" target="_blank">Georgia&#x27;s beloved peach</a> sticker was going away — and sparked <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chatter" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/AnneofGA/status/2105273272837329313" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/AnneofGA/status/2105273272837329313" target="_blank">chatter</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="online" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/AngieAsadourian/status/2105301881170141333" data-vars-content-id="7be031fb-f822-45f6-bfe8-5a6cb1d03f8a" data-vars-headline="Georgia &quot;I voted&quot; sticker by Atlanta artist draws criticism" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/AngieAsadourian/status/2105301881170141333" target="_blank">online</a> about the artist&#x27;s conservative politics.

Giant pandas are back in Atlanta

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are in Atlanta under a new conservation research agreement.

News

Two highly anticipated giant <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pandas from China" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/24/xi-trump-panda-diplomacy-zoo-atlanta" data-vars-content-id="f69951a6-52b9-47db-82e3-2a4706e5aaf8" data-vars-headline="Giant pandas are back in Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/24/xi-trump-panda-diplomacy-zoo-atlanta" target="_self">pandas from China</a> have finally arrived in Atlanta. Why it matters: The fuzzy ambassadors have long been one of China&#x27;s most beloved tools of soft power — and their arrival could signal an attempt to cool tensions with the U.S.

Georgia's library checkout rate is among nation's lowest

Georgians check out far fewer library materials per person than the national average, federal data shows.

Georgia has one of the lowest rates of library checkouts per person in the country. The big picture: Public libraries nationwide reported 6.5 checkouts per person in FY 2024, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services survey.<ul><li>That figure includes physical items and electronic materials like e-books.</li></ul>

I tried ATL's Minute Suites for an airport nap

Minute Suites offer travelers a private place to rest between flights.

Travel

Editor Geoff here! I was in your fine city this week and decided to try ATL&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Minute Suites" data-vars-click-url="https://minutesuites.com/locations/atlanta-airport/#" data-vars-content-id="4a0a1105-9675-4c2f-a474-20885c698312" data-vars-headline="I tried ATL&#x27;s Minute Suites for an airport nap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://minutesuites.com/locations/atlanta-airport/#" target="_blank">Minute Suites</a> while waiting several hours for my flight home on Wednesday.Why it matters: All of Axios Local convened in Atlanta this week for our annual retreat. We journalists love to karaoke, throw back a few rounds and yap into the wee hours, so a bit of rest was much needed.<ul><li>And I&#x27;m sorry, but I&#x27;m just not that traveler who can lie down on a filthy gate carpet. (And tbh, neither should you. You&#x27;re better than that!)</li></ul>

Outkast fans pack Atlanta Waffle House for merch drop

Fans waited more than an hour for exclusive merch and an André 3000- and Big Boi-themed menu.

Thousands of Outkast and Waffle House fans waited an hour-plus Friday to shop Atlanta merch and order from a souvenir André 3000- and Big Boi-themed menu.Zoom in: Atlanta police closed the street near Waffle House&#x27;s Centennial Olympic Park location to accommodate the line of people who wrapped around the block to celebrate the two Atlanta institutions.

Axios Social Club brings mystery dinners to Atlanta

Meet fellow locals over dinner at a restaurant we hand-picked.

Things to Do

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios Social Club" data-vars-click-url="https://axiossocialclub.dnnr.io/" data-vars-content-id="abcedca7-ab62-4ef4-b22e-22c2bbfa9aad" data-vars-headline="Axios Social Club brings mystery dinners to Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://axiossocialclub.dnnr.io/" target="_blank">Axios Social Club</a> is bringing readers together for dinner in Atlanta&#x27;s Old Fourth Ward on Tuesday, Oct. 6.Why it matters: Your city is full of interesting people you haven&#x27;t met yet. We&#x27;re making it easier to change that.

A chicken wing review — and a mea culpa

Great wings and a unique ambiance will make The Bando hard to forget.

Food and Drink

👋🏽 Crystal here.I recently stopped by wing spot <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Bando" data-vars-click-url="https://www.thebandoatl.com/" data-vars-content-id="4adfc706-43bf-4f4b-87f1-9db23c9faa77" data-vars-headline="A chicken wing review — and a mea culpa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.thebandoatl.com/" target="_blank">The Bando</a> — and I owe our readers an apology.Why it matters: Earlier this year Axios Atlanta ran <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a chicken wing bracket" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/02/02/atlantas-chicken-wing-bracket-voters-have-crowned-a-winner" data-vars-content-id="4adfc706-43bf-4f4b-87f1-9db23c9faa77" data-vars-headline="A chicken wing review — and a mea culpa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/02/02/atlantas-chicken-wing-bracket-voters-have-crowned-a-winner" target="_self">a chicken wing bracket</a>, asking readers to pick the best wings in the city.<ul><li>Voters crowned <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Local" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/thelocalonponce/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="4adfc706-43bf-4f4b-87f1-9db23c9faa77" data-vars-headline="A chicken wing review — and a mea culpa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/thelocalonponce/?hl=en" target="_blank">The Local</a>, but not before informing us of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an oversight" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/01/28/vote-in-round-2-of-our-best-chicken-wings-in-atlanta-bracket" data-vars-content-id="4adfc706-43bf-4f4b-87f1-9db23c9faa77" data-vars-headline="A chicken wing review — and a mea culpa" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/01/28/vote-in-round-2-of-our-best-chicken-wings-in-atlanta-bracket" target="_self">an oversight</a>: The Bando, which bills itself as a chicken wing restaurant and trap museum. Over Labor Day weekend, I finally checked it out.</li></ul>

We tried Waffle House's new tacos in metro Atlanta

About 45 metro locations are serving the limited-time tacos, including breakfast and chicken options.

Waffle House, the Norcross-based culinary and cultural icon, is getting into the tacos game — for a limited time.Why it matters: The Waffle House empire stretches across more than 2,000 locations in 25 states, and the menu and stores are familiar territory. <ul><li>But they occasionally become proving grounds for new menu items. And a new fighter has entered the arena.</li></ul>

Dine out and pay what you can at these Atlanta restaurants

Three Atlanta-area restaurants are participating in the Pay What You Can campaign.

Can you spend $20 or $200 on a Michelin-starred meal? On Wednesday, it won&#x27;t matter because some of the world&#x27;s best restaurants will let diners pay what they can.Why it matters: What began as a community-minded experiment among Mexico City chefs is going global this year — and three Atlanta-area restaurants are joining in.

We tried Coca-Cola's infamous Beverly soda in Atlanta

The dry and bitter drink draws curious visitors despite being discontinued in 2009.

🤢 Hey, y&#x27;all. Thomas here.This past Saturday, I took my brother and his daughters to the World of Coca-Cola to brave crushing crowds and scorching temperatures to sample Beverly, an esoteric Italian soda that, by most accounts, is horrible.State of play: Coca-Cola debuted the hilariously named Beverly in Italy in 1969 as a nonalcoholic aperitif.

Restaurant news: Van Leeuwen expands, The Chai Box opens

Here's a roundup of the latest in Atlanta food and drink.

Another week is in the books, and it&#x27;s been a busy one for Atlanta&#x27;s food and drink scene.Here&#x27;s a brief roundup of the latest: What&#x27;s happening: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Black Restaurant Week" data-vars-click-url="https://blackrestaurantweeks.com/atlanta-black-restaurant-week/" data-vars-content-id="13286767-e990-428f-b245-a24fe42347c4" data-vars-headline="Restaurant news: Van Leeuwen expands, The Chai Box opens" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://blackrestaurantweeks.com/atlanta-black-restaurant-week/" target="_blank">Black Restaurant Week</a>, which began Sunday, runs through Sunday, Aug. 16, and encourages diners to explore Black-owned eateries and bakeries across metro Atlanta.

Restaurant news: Pretty Hens now open, Daddy D'z torn down

Pretty Hens Rotisserie is owned by Jonathan Beatty, a local chef who attracted national attention with his win on Food Network's "Chopped."

It&#x27;s a new week, and that means there&#x27;s a fresh batch of news from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Atlanta&#x27;s restaurant industry" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/food-and-drink" data-vars-content-id="7bc848f7-45e1-4d3d-8e0c-4ac9f34d7d76" data-vars-headline="Restaurant news: Pretty Hens now open, Daddy D&#x27;z torn down" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/food-and-drink" target="_self">Atlanta&#x27;s restaurant industry</a>.Here&#x27;s the latest roundup: MetroFresh will not reopen its original location at Midtown Promenade several months after it suffered serious damage in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fire" data-vars-click-url="https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/02/metrofresh-atlanta-restaurant-midtown-promenade-fire/" data-vars-content-id="7bc848f7-45e1-4d3d-8e0c-4ac9f34d7d76" data-vars-headline="Restaurant news: Pretty Hens now open, Daddy D&#x27;z torn down" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/03/02/metrofresh-atlanta-restaurant-midtown-promenade-fire/" target="_blank">fire</a> it says was caused by a lithium-ion battery.

Nick Poulos, who co-founded Nick's Food to Go, dies after cancer battle

Nick Poulos, whose wit and gyros made Nick's Food to Go an Atlanta institution, died after cancer.

Nick Poulos, a Greek immigrant who became an Atlanta legend dishing out pitas and platters and an unexpectedly delicious burger, died this past week after a battle with pancreatic cancer.Zoom in: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Nick&#x27;s Food to Go" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nicksfood.com/" data-vars-content-id="371b1510-9314-4e15-90e0-1e79b554595c" data-vars-headline="Nick Poulos, who co-founded Nick&#x27;s Food to Go, dies after cancer battle" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nicksfood.com/" target="_blank">Nick&#x27;s Food to Go</a>, the Grant Park corner restaurant that Nick opened with his late wife, Helen, in 1994, has thrived as the neighborhood transitioned from warehouses to apartments.

Food news: Shops of Dunwoody lands new dining

Plus, Summerhill gears up for World Cup crowds and Zaxby's wants to go nationwide

Life is about more than soccer. There&#x27;s food and beer.🍱 The Shops of Dunwoody is adding Tenku Sushi and Beyond Juicery + Eatery as part of a retail refresh by owner Asana Partners, which purchased the shopping center last year. (<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Urbanize" data-vars-click-url="https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/shops-dunwoody-new-retail-store-neighborhood-village" data-vars-content-id="a0947392-4f91-4ac9-af87-3de7c5b41baa" data-vars-headline="Food news: Shops of Dunwoody lands new dining" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://atlanta.urbanize.city/post/shops-dunwoody-new-retail-store-neighborhood-village" target="_blank">Urbanize</a>)

Food and Drink 🍽

Outkast fans pack Atlanta Waffle House for merch drop

Hot Takes: Two transplants debate Ohio vs. Georgia

Axios Social Club brings mystery dinners to Atlanta

A chicken wing review — and a mea culpa

We tried Waffle House's new tacos in metro Atlanta