Metro Atlanta kids born into low-income households are still finding broken ladders to climb out of poverty, according to a new report from the team that sounded the alarm on economic mobility a decade ago.

Why it matters: Atlanta is one of the country's economic powerhouses, but the prosperity has yet to reach children born into poverty.

How it works: The paper published last month by Harvard economist Raj Chetty uses anonymized federal census data and tax returns to track people born into low-income families in 1978 and 1992, and examines their income in adulthood at 27 years old.

By the numbers: Household incomes between the 1978 and 1992 groups decreased 5.2% in Atlanta, from $27,700 to $26,200, matching the national average.

• In other words, a native Atlantan who's about 30 years old today is more likely to be in a worse financial position than an Atlantan who was about 30 in 2014.

Reality check: Atlanta ranks 50 out of the 50 most populous metros for upward mobility for low-income children born in 1992, according to researchers.

The big picture: Janelle Williams, the cofounder and CEO of the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative, told Axios that the corporate and philanthropic communities should invest in organizations and efforts that are working to remove structural barriers.

• In addition, metro Atlanta's jigsaw puzzle of counties and cities can trip up efforts to address sprawling complex problems like the lack of economic mobility.
• Policies such as baby bonds, basic income programs, community-benefit agreements and affordable housing can build a solid foundation for young people and help improve economic mobility, according to Williams and Alex Camardelle, AWBI's vice president of policy and research.

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The Paris Olympics are over for the United States men's soccer team, but for Atlanta's Caleb Wiley, international stardom is just beginning.

Why it matters: Atlanta United's 19-year-old defender just joined the English football league's Chelsea F.C. for nearly $11 million.

Catch up quick: Wiley played for the USMNT at the 2024 Olympics, where the team advanced to the knockout round for the first time in more than two decades.

• The USMNT then lost against Morocco 4-0 last Friday.

Flashback: Matthew Lawrey, assistant coach for Atlanta United and the club's former academy director, said he and Wiley started at the academy at the same time in August 2016.

• Wiley was about 10 or 11, but "he was one of the hardest working players, and eventually, that created talent," Lawrey said.

Stunning stat: Wiley became the youngest player in Atlanta United's history when he first played for the team in 2020 at 15.

• "He was the one that was training when no one else was," Lawrey said.

The bottom line: Expect Wiley to get better as a player while maintaining his humility, Lawrey said.

• "The most exciting thing is not who he is currently, but knowing his character, knowing his work ethic, and how much he's going to put into it, it's really exciting to think about what he's like at 21, what he's going to be like at 24, at 25," Lawrey said.

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Vice President Kamala Harris is eyeing a broader path to victory than President Biden's 2024 map, with an army of enthused volunteers and piles of cash.

Why it matters: Harris' entry could put Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina back in play, forcing Trump to spend in states he considered safe.

• A new CBS poll shows Harris and Trump are tied across the collective battleground states, erasing Trump's previous lead over Biden.

Zoom in: In the last two weeks, the Harris campaign added 370,000 new volunteers — including 15,500 in Georgia, 21,000 in Arizona, and 10,500 in North Carolina — three states with diverse or changing electorates that have seen the most uptick in enthusiasm.

In Georgia, there are 100,000 votes up for grabs, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) told Axios in an interview.

• "Kamala Harris puts all of those votes back in play. The number one excuse that I heard [about Biden] was, 'My gosh, he's just so old. I just can't imagine him governing for four years.' She takes that risk of physical and mental failure off the table," Duncan said.
• Harris is looking to continue to build her coalition including Black and Asian communities in and outside of metro Atlanta, in addition to reaching out to Georgia's numerous Trump-skeptical Republicans and independents.

What's next: Harris will kick off her weeklong swing state tour in Philadelphia with her vice presidential nominee today.

• The duo will also hit western Wisconsin; Detroit; Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix and Las Vegas.

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🏢 Some residents who were displaced by the July 27 fire at Bell Collier Village apartments have been allowed back into their units to retrieve their property. (WSB)

⚖️ The attorney for the man accused of killing four Asian women at two metro Atlanta massage establishments says his client's confession should not be used in the upcoming death penalty trial in Fulton County. (WABE)

🗳️ Vice President Harris will postpone her Friday rally in Savannah due to Tropical Storm Debby. (AJC)

👀 CrowdStrike is hitting back at Delta Air Lines after the Atlanta-based carrier said it will pursue legal action following a widespread technology outage. (AJC)

✋ A Fulton County judge ordered the closure of Elleven45 Lounge, a Buckhead nightclub where two people were killed in a shooting. (Fox 5)