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What does Atlanta's Atlantic Station need next?

New management wants to hears ideas as Atlantic Station rethinks its shops, dining and placemaking.

Development

Atlantic Station is getting another makeover. But first, the mixed-use district would like your opinion.Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Trademark Property Company" data-vars-click-url="https://trademarkproperty.com/" data-vars-content-id="9bd45180-77ed-43ba-9ecd-99b0751be617" data-vars-headline="What does Atlanta&#x27;s Atlantic Station need next?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://trademarkproperty.com/" target="_blank">Trademark Property Company</a>, a Texas-based real-estate firm, took over management, leasing and operations of the 138-acre mixed-use district on Aug. 1.

Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit

Eric André and Clayton English sued Clayton County police officers in 2022, alleging the department's Airport Interdiction Unit compelled passengers to consent to searches.

News

The Clayton County Police Department has agreed to disband one of its units at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport nearly four years after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="two comedians" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/10/13/eric-andre-sues-cops-over-racial-profiling-at-atlanta-airport" data-vars-content-id="1564fab9-2839-4f59-b5ab-3e2b65914a97" data-vars-headline="Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/10/13/eric-andre-sues-cops-over-racial-profiling-at-atlanta-airport" target="_self">two comedians</a> alleged the unit coerced passengers to undergo unconstitutional searches.The latest: Clayton County has settled <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the lawsuit" data-vars-click-url="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/63459147ec332f2e79d80282/1665503559954/Andre+English+-+Complaint.pdf" data-vars-content-id="1564fab9-2839-4f59-b5ab-3e2b65914a97" data-vars-headline="Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/63459147ec332f2e79d80282/1665503559954/Andre+English+-+Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">the lawsuit</a> brought by Eric André and Clayton English, who in 2022 accused officers of using the department&#x27;s Airport Interdiction Unit to compel passengers — most of whom were people of color — to consent to searches between fall 2020 and spring 2021, lawyers for the two men said Tuesday.

Georgia swelters as U.S. records its hottest July ever

July averaged 83°F statewide while heat domes helped drive record temperatures nationwide.

Climate

July was the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hottest month on record" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/06/extreme-heat-polling-survey" data-vars-content-id="ba9dc59e-a8e6-44eb-8b93-a96b55b57a6c" data-vars-headline="Georgia swelters as U.S. records its hottest July ever" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/06/extreme-heat-polling-survey" target="_self">hottest month on record</a> for the contiguous U.S. and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ranked" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/statewide/time-series" data-vars-content-id="ba9dc59e-a8e6-44eb-8b93-a96b55b57a6c" data-vars-headline="Georgia swelters as U.S. records its hottest July ever" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/statewide/time-series" target="_blank">ranked</a> among the most sweltering in Georgia&#x27;s recorded history, per new federal data dating back to 1895.Why it matters: Exceptionally hot summers in Georgia and across the country are forcing elected officials to rethink how people stay safe and survive in the heat.<ul><li>If you listen closely, you can hear your HVAC system asking for a vacation.</li></ul>

Atlanta mayor blasts DNC over 2028 convention snub

Mayor Andre Dickens says dropping Atlanta sends a troubling message to Black and Southern voters.

Politics

Mayor Andre Dickens accused the Democratic National Committee of &quot;abandoning&quot; Atlanta, the South and Black voters by excluding the city from the 2028 presidential convention <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shortlist" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/19/democrats-2028-convention-cities" data-vars-content-id="00d258f9-b9c3-4fad-a112-0960bdd42776" data-vars-headline="Atlanta mayor blasts DNC over 2028 convention snub" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/19/democrats-2028-convention-cities" target="_self">shortlist</a>.Why it matters: Dickens&#x27; letter Thursday to DNC chairman Ken Martin is a blistering rebuke after losing a four-day event that draws tourists and national political attention — and which Atlanta hasn&#x27;t hosted in nearly 40 years.<ul><li>No Southern cities are now in the running to host the convention, leaving only Boston, Denver and Philadelphia.</li></ul>

These pedestrian signals are inches from a Castleberry Hill resident's window

The signals were installed mere inches from the Swift & Company Lofts building on Peters Street in Castleberry Hill.

What would you do if you woke up one morning to find a pedestrian crossing signal installed right outside your window?<ul><li>It&#x27;s a situation Castleberry Hill residents and historic preservation advocates have been trying to remedy for several months, ever since the Georgia Department of Transportation installed two signals in awkward locations.</li></ul>Why it matters: Both signals, which were installed as part of larger improvement projects, are just inches away from the Swift &amp; Co. Lofts building at 244 Peters St. SW.

Atlanta mayor supports keeping Olympic cauldron in Summerhill

Dickens wrote in a letter that moving the cauldron to Centennial Olympic Park "does not reflect the collaborative approach these communities deserve."

Mayor Andre Dickens is backing Summerhill residents <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="in their fight" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/22/olympic-cauldron-summerhill-atlanta" data-vars-content-id="73777b11-0f8b-4ee4-9793-e0f61f93c8b6" data-vars-headline="Atlanta mayor supports keeping Olympic cauldron in Summerhill" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/22/olympic-cauldron-summerhill-atlanta" target="_self">in their fight</a> to keep the cauldron from the 1996 Summer Olympics game in their community.Why it matters: A letter written Thursday by Dickens could — at the least — encourage those who want to relocate the cauldron to take stock of residents&#x27; concerns.

Atlanta could expand where medical cannabis dispensaries can open

A proposed permit process could let dispensaries seek exemptions from Georgia's distance buffers.

Neighborhoods

Atlanta could allow <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/01/georgia-medical-cannabis-pharmacies-vape-products-new-qualifying-conditions" data-vars-content-id="a2b6f7ca-90a3-46d4-9278-7cf38eba08c0" data-vars-headline="Atlanta could expand where medical cannabis dispensaries can open" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/01/georgia-medical-cannabis-pharmacies-vape-products-new-qualifying-conditions" target="_self">state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries</a> to seek the OK to operate closer to schools, early care programs and houses of worship.Why it matters: The city currently has three licensed medical cannabis dispensaries within its boundaries, and the proposal could open the door for more to open in Atlanta.

Fulton County offers to buy Atlanta jail for $56 million

The proposal comes weeks after Mayor Andre Dickens withdrew an offer to sell the facility for $80 million.

Weeks after Mayor Andre Dickens offered to sell the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County, its governing body has responded with a counteroffer that&#x27;s considerably lower than his asking price.Why it matters: Dickens, who withdrew the offer after Fulton commissioners <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="voted against participating" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/07/fulton-commissioners-opt-out-of-atlanta-mayors-tax-extension-plan/" data-vars-content-id="520d95d7-ecad-4716-a9ee-bcb6aa964aa4" data-vars-headline="Fulton County offers to buy Atlanta jail for $56 million" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/07/fulton-commissioners-opt-out-of-atlanta-mayors-tax-extension-plan/" target="_blank">voted against participating</a> in the city&#x27;s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, needs the support of the county and Atlanta Board of Education to extend several tax allocation districts to fund the sweeping project.

Georgia Senate and gubernatorial candidates fight for Black voter support

There's a much more coordinated effort to court Black voters this year.

Black voters have long scolded Democrats and Republicans for taking their votes for granted or ignoring them entirely. <ul><li>But in Georgia, nearly all candidates running for U.S. Senate and governor are trying to court Black voters ahead of the election Nov. 3.</li></ul>Why it matters: Democrats are banking on the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="surge of Democratic voter turnout" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/democrats-outpace-republicans-in-early-voting-in-georgia-primaries/" data-vars-content-id="1deafc10-afa3-4460-bd39-8dc81f1b3e0b" data-vars-headline="Georgia Senate and gubernatorial candidates fight for Black voter support" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/democrats-outpace-republicans-in-early-voting-in-georgia-primaries/" target="_blank">surge of Democratic voter turnout</a> in the May 19 primary to lead to a victory while Republicans are hoping to peel away just enough Black voters — who consistently vote Democratic — to push them over the victory line.

Pornhub seeks a return to Georgia's web browsers

The company wrote a letter last week to more than 300 elected officials across the country asking them to rethink their age verification laws.

Pornhub is hoping to return to web browsers and search histories in Georgia by challenging the state&#x27;s age verification rules for porn sites.Why it matters: It&#x27;s been one long year since residents could directly access one of the biggest names in online pornography.

Calls grow for Collins to address son-in-law's white nationalist posts

CNN reported that David Alan Scheer II, the son-in-law of U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), has shared white nationalist and antisemitic posts on his social media accounts.

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) is under mounting scrutiny over his son-in-law&#x27;s social media posts promoting white nationalist and antisemitic views.Why it matters: A group of Black pastors held a press conference Monday urging Collins, a President Trump-backed candidate running to unseat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, to answer questions about the posts.<ul><li>Collins released a statement Monday distancing himself from his son-in-law&#x27;s views, after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="telling reporters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/collins-healthcare-event-derailed-by-questions-about-his-son-in-law/" data-vars-content-id="bb663efb-01be-47dc-a6d4-8d3033c1f53b" data-vars-headline="Calls grow for Collins to address son-in-law&#x27;s white nationalist posts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/07/collins-healthcare-event-derailed-by-questions-about-his-son-in-law/" target="_blank">telling reporters</a> at an event last week that his campaign had &quot;fully addressed&quot; the controversy.</li></ul>

Trump endorses Rick Jackson in Georgia governor's race

Trump endorsed Jackson Wednesday at a campaign rally in Cobb County.

President Trump has endorsed Republican <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Rick Jackson" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/06/17/georgia-governor-republican-primary-runoff-results" data-vars-content-id="fc098354-fdc8-4e98-8fe1-5f1523e359b7" data-vars-headline="Trump endorses Rick Jackson in Georgia governor&#x27;s race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/06/17/georgia-governor-republican-primary-runoff-results" target="_self">Rick Jackson</a> in his bid to become Georgia&#x27;s next governor.Why it matters: Trump&#x27;s endorsement Wednesday gives Jackson&#x27;s campaign the MAGA seal of approval that could rally Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.

Politics 🇺🇸

Atlanta mayor blasts DNC over 2028 convention snub

These pedestrian signals are inches from a Castleberry Hill resident's window

Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit

Atlanta mayor supports keeping Olympic cauldron in Summerhill

Atlanta could expand where medical cannabis dispensaries can open