ATL News

07/09/2026

So So Def files a massive federal lawsuit alleging decades of hidden accounting for Kris Kross, Xscape, and Usher tracks.

Jermaine Dupri helped build the sound of Atlanta from the ground up, launching multi-platinum legends like Kris Kross, Xscape, Da Brat, and Jagged Edge into worldwide superstardom.

Now, the So So Def mastermind is heading to federal court with a legal blockbuster: suing Sony Music for $18 million over allegations of missing royalties, altered statements, and a "hidden" foreign accounting system that kept millions off the books.

Is this a routine accounting dispute, or did one of music's biggest labels shortchange the empire that put ATL on the global hip-hop map?

READ MORE: Jermaine Dupri Sues Sony Music for $18M Over Decades of Unpaid Royalties

07/09/2026

Paramount is drowning in red tape - So why doesn't Georgia bring Ted Turner’s empire home?

Paramount’s $110 billion dream to swallow Warner Bros. Discovery is officially tied up in regulatory gridlock, racking up millions in daily fees while state AGs and international watchdogs pull out the fine print.

Meanwhile, right here in the ATL, the city is already busy securing historic downtown media turf, rebranding the iconic CNN Center as "The CTR."

Which leads us to a fair question: If Paramount can’t close the deal, why shouldn't Atlanta step up, buy Warner outright, and bring Ted Turner's legacy back home to Georgia?

READ MORE: Paramount’s $110B Warner Megamerger Hits the Brakes: Is Atlanta Ready to Buy Back Its History?

Paramount’s $110B acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery faces mounting state lawsuits and international regulatory delays, raising questions about media consolidation and a hilarious alternative for Atlanta.

06/23/2026

An Atlanta artist is making serious waves on the global stage—and she’s doing it all while balancing a deeply personal mission right here at home.

Visual artist Erika Loney has officially advanced to the quarter-finals of The People’s Artist, a prestigious international competition presented by Johnny Depp. Loney is currently rallying the community for votes to help her take home the grand prize: twenty-five thousand dollars and a feature in Vanity Fair.

But for Erika, this competition isn't just about career recognition. After her mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Erika selflessly converted her home art studio into a bedroom to become her full-time caregiver.

A broadcast-ready news introduction highlighting Erika Loney’s journey to the competition quarter-finals and her role as a full-time caregiver. An Atlanta

06/08/2026

How Public Funding for Candler Crossing Connects to the Insurrection and Classroom Censorship

A $28.9M development footprint is expanding in a historic metro Atlanta neighborhood, but grassroots creators are exposing an uncomfortable reality behind the anchor tenant. Read how a major private fortune is fueling systemic battles over Black history in public classrooms—and how a critical, local election runoff this week gives a community the power to demand accountability.

READ MORE: Why South DeKalb Deserves Better Than the Planned Candler Crossing Publix

How Public Funding for Candler Crossing Connects to the Insurrection and Classroom Censorship A $28.9M development footprint is expanding in a historic metro

06/01/2026

How a proposed banknote for America’s 250th anniversary is blurring the lines between official government currency and second-term commercial marketing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move that has ignited sharp debate across Capitol Hill, the Trump administration has unveiled a prototype design for a commemorative $250 currency note featuring the face of President Donald J. Trump. The proposal is timed to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented the mockup during a White House press briefing, signaling a major push by the administration to secure a historic spot for the sitting president on American paper currency.

The concept, initially proposed behind the scenes by political appointees including U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach, features Trump’s portrait at the center of the $250 bill, flanked by a "250" Semiquincentennial logo and the signatures of both the President and Secretary Bessent.

How a proposed banknote for America’s 250th anniversary is blurring the lines between official government currency and second-term commercial marketing. WA

06/01/2026

Riding the rails to buy time isn't just an echo of childhood defiance. As street camps vanish, it has become a desperate calculation for survival.

As aggressive pre-World Cup street sweeps clear prominent camps along Bell Street and other areas, the city’s unhoused residents are left with a shrinking list of options. Instead of disappearing, the housing crisis is simply shifting onto the transit lines. Discover how a lack of municipal beds is turning Atlanta’s brand-new train fleet into an emergency sanctuary of last resort.

READ MORE: The Moving Shelter: How Atlanta's World Cup Sweeps Push the Unhoused Onto MARTA

Riding the rails to buy time isn't just an echo of childhood defiance. As street camps vanish, it has become a desperate calculation for survival. As aggress

05/31/2026

The "Make America AI-Ready" campaign brings artificial intelligence literacy straight to workers' phones—no laptop required.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an unexpected fusion of World War I-era iconography and cutting-edge technology, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has launched a nationwide campaign utilizing Uncle Sam to recruit American workers for the digital age.

The initiative, titled “Make America AI-Ready,” offers a free, seven-day artificial intelligence literacy course delivered entirely via text message.

As seen in the official promotional image 1000049691.jpg, the DOL is leaning heavily into an iconic American symbol. Reimagining the classic James Montgomery Flagg recruitment poster, Uncle Sam points directly at the viewer under the bold headline: "I WANT YOU TO BENEFIT FROM AI." The graphic promises that citizens can "Learn AI in just a text a day" and features the official logos of the Department of Labor alongside the "Make America AI-Ready" campaign emblem.

The "Make America AI-Ready" campaign brings artificial intelligence literacy straight to workers' phones—no laptop required. WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an une

05/27/2026

Nonpartisan, policy-first election coverage mapping the art, trade, and lifestyle of American politics.

With 61 candidates crowding the ballot to become California's next governor, the airwaves are flooded with performative talking points and horse-race poll numbers.

We are cutting through the static.

In this special one-day feature, our California Bureau delivers exclusive, nonpartisan Candidate Blueprints for the top contenders tracking the race. We break down the real platforms of Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Chad Bianco, Matt Mahan, Tony Thurmond, and Antonio Villaraigosa across the three pillars that actually impact your community, your pocketbook, and your daily life: Art, Trade, and Lifestyle.

No political theater. Just the objective, structured data you need to map the future of California.

Explore the California Candidate Blueprints Now

Nonpartisan, policy-first election coverage mapping the art, trade, and lifestyle of American politics. With 61 candidates crowding the ballot to become Cali

05/26/2026

Three-Judge Panel Intervenes to Protect Majority-Black Districts Ahead of Midterms

BIRMINGHAM, AL — In a major voting rights development, a federal three-judge panel on Tuesday blocked Alabama from using a Republican-backed congressional map for the upcoming midterm elections, ruling that the plan was intentionally drawn to discriminate against Black voters.

The sweeping 102-page order issues a preliminary injunction that prevents state officials from switching to a 2023 legislatively enacted map. Instead, the court ordered Alabama to continue utilizing a remedial, court-drawn map featuring two majority-Black districts—the same boundaries used during the 2024 election cycle.

“Ultimately, we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination,” the judicial panel wrote in its decision.

Three-Judge Panel Intervenes to Protect Majority-Black Districts Ahead of Midterms BIRMINGHAM, AL — In a major voting rights development, a federal three-j

05/26/2026

New York Sweeps Cleveland in Historic Eastern Conference Finals Victory

CLEVELAND, OH — For twenty-seven years, the basketball world has spun on an axis that excluded a relevant Madison Square Garden in June. On Monday night, that era of nostalgia and agonizing drought was shattered in spectacular fashion.

With an authoritative 130-93 blowout victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena, the New York Knicks completed a flawless 4-0 sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals. The win punches their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since their legendary, history-making Cinderella run as an 8-seed back in 1999.

The victory also extends New York’s franchise-record playoff winning streak to 11 games, matching the third-longest single-postseason streak in NBA history. Over this historic stretch, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by a staggering 262 points, marking the most dominant point-differential span in league history.

New York Sweeps Cleveland in Historic Eastern Conference Finals Victory CLEVELAND, OH — For twenty-seven years, the basketball world has spun on an axis th