The organization said in a press release that the campaign reflects its broader commitment to year-round community engagement (alongside its annual Pride festival, slated to return this year on Sept. 24-27), rooted in its mission to educate Georgians, celebrate diversity, commemorate history and support LGBTQIA+ individuals.

According to Macon Pride, Summer of Giving aims to highlight numerous issues in the region through a series of events, in which Macon Pride will partner with various local organizations.

The campaign kicked off on June 13 with “Pride in Your Park,” a clean-up event at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park that Macon Pride in partnership with Southern Queer Folks for Hikes.

Following the park clean-up, the organization is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity on July 18 for a “Pride Build” initiative that looks to address the region’s housing crisis. 

During the month of August, Macon Pride is partnering with Macon Periods Easier for “Period Packing Party” (Aug. 22), an event that provides awareness about period poverty and menstrual equity; as well as hosting “Planting Pride: Community Garden Project” (Aug. 29), a public space beautification effort (in collaboration with Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful).

In addition to service-focused events, the campaign is also putting on several creative-focused initiatives like art exhibitions, storytelling shows, film screenings and other cultural collaborations that Macon Pride says are designed to spotlight LGBTQIA+ voices and local artists.

Finally, Macon Pride announced several fundraiser endeavors to support its programming, including “Dine Out / Shop Out” (where participating local businesses donate 10% of the day’s earnings to the organization), “Pride Night” during a Macon Bacon baseball game and a pickleball tournament.

The post Macon Pride announces ‘Summer of Giving’ campaign appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

It’s on

Monday, June 15 — Atlanta takes the global stage today when Spain meets Cabo Verde at noon at Atlanta Stadium (FOX). Spain, which won the FIFA World Cup in 2010, is the favorite to win this year. It’s the first World Cup for Cabo Verde, previously known as Cape Verde, a small Atlantic archipelago nation of 10 volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa. Our fan guide is here.

Cloudy and 84° today.

The Republican primary runoffs were jolted yesterday by a pair of high-profile endorsements:

• In the U.S. Senate runoff, President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins over Derek Dooley. Dooley, who Gov. Brian Kemp backed, said he still expects to win.  
• In the gubernatorial runoff, Gov. Kemp endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones over Rick Jackson, a last-minute move that comes as polling showed Jones trailing his opponent. Trump has previously endorsed Jones.

A man fell onto the tracks at MARTA’s Civic Center Station on Saturday morning and was fatally struck by a train before he could climb back to safety. No foul play was suspected.

 Spruill Studios, which provides workspace for 16 emerging and established artists, held its grand opening on Saturday in the former Chamblee City Hall.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation awarded its 2026 Wade and Mary Lu Mitchell African American Heritage Preservation Grant to the Herndon Home Museum. 

 The Atlanta Dream beat the Toronto Tempo 102-77 to improve to 9-4 on the season. 

UGA repeated as NCAA women’s outdoor track and field national champions Saturday in Eugene, OR, with Dejanea Oakley setting a record in the 400m.

No. 3 Georgia beat No. 6 Texas 7-1 in its College World Series opener Saturday in Omaha, NE, and will face Oklahoma tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

ELSEWHERE

U.S. stock futures are up sharply this morning on news of a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz (more below in Global Updates). Oil prices fell to a three-month low.

President Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday with a UFC event at the White House. The card was delayed by bad weather and punctuated by a winning fighter insulting former First Lady Michelle Obama.

 The Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought, defeating the Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday. Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP.

 The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to win the Stanley Cup.

Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• Downtown restaurant openings

• Wild Tunes 

• Global Headlines

AND 

• Look & Listen

This designer-finished townhome in East Atlanta Village features more than $65,000 in upgrades, including a marble waterfall island, dramatic stone finishes, and custom design details. The home is listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty and offers walkability to shops, dining, and the Atlanta Beltline. SPONSOR MESSAGE

1. A downtown Atlanta restaurant-opening bonanza 

 Development in downtown Atlanta has exploded over the last two years as the city prepared for thousands of World Cup soccer fans this summer, along with future hosting duties like Super Bowl LXII in 2028.

This development boom includes an influx of new restaurants and mixed-use complexes centered around walkability and access to transit in downtown Atlanta.

Many restaurants and bars have already opened, with more restaurants opening over the coming weeks and months at developments like The CTR, Centennial Yards, and South Downtown.

 Check out all of the restaurant openings in downtown Atlanta here.

Dinosaur Summer. It’s here.

SPONSORED BY THE FERNBANK MUSEUM

They ruled the Earth for millions of years. This summer, they rule Atlanta.

Always a favorite dinosaur destination, Fernbank has even more ways to satisfy your inner paleontologist with exhibits, cinema, programs, and more this summer! Come face-to-jaws with the Tyrannosaurus rex in the new exhibit, T. rex: The Ultimate Predator. Learn about the iconic dinosaur through life-sized models, specimens, and interactives.

Also, Museum Nights gets a Jurassic twist during LATER: Rex Factor. It’s casual, curious, and the best way to kick off the weekend to connect, discover, and unwind in a come-and-go atmosphere for all ages, with a grownup vibe.

➞ Experience it all this summer at Fernbank.

2. Shelter animals find comfort in music through Wild Tunes program 

 PAWS Atlanta animal shelter has partnered with Wild Tunes, a program founded in 2023 by a now 12-year-old Houston boy, Yuvi Agarwal.

The national nonprofit encourages volunteers to play instruments or sing to comfort, desensitize, and befriend local shelter animals. 

The partnership launched in April, with staff bringing instruments and their voices to serenade PAWS’ resident animals. The program is being piloted with cats at the shelter, but there are plans to expand the musical therapy to dogs, too.

 Find out more in Rachel Spooner’s story here. 

3. Peace deal with Iran; Anti-immigrant violence rocks Belfast

The U.S. and Iran agreed on a peace deal to end their nearly four-month war, with President Trump and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing the agreement Sunday. A formal signing ceremony is set for June 19 in Switzerland.

 Violent anti-immigrant protesters in Northern Ireland torched homes, cars, and businesses after a viral video appeared to show a 30-year-old Sudanese refugee attempting to gouge a man’s eyes out with a knife.

 The leaders of seven of the world’s largest economies – known as the Group of Seven, or G7 – are meeting in France to discuss the world’s most pressing economic challenges.

 A right-wing party in Switzerland lost a referendum that would have capped the country’s population at 10 million people, which would have run contrary to the European Union’s freedom of movement principle.

 Italy has a new far-right, nationalist, populist party designed to outflank Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling coalition in upcoming elections.

 Widespread flooding on the Indonesian island of Sumatra last year killed 1,200 people and 7% of the population of critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans, according to a new report.

 Children from 48 schools in Haiti organized their own World Cup tournament, with each school representing one of the countries participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

 In Turkey, a Russian ballet production of Romeo and Juliet was interrupted by a playful cat who remained on stage during the most dramatic ending scene.

The World Affairs Council of Atlanta will host NATO in a Changing World: A Conversation with Kay Bailey Hutchison, a free virtual program on July 1, ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit. Drawing on her experience as U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Hutchison will share timely insights on the Alliance’s future, the evolving U.S.–NATO relationship, and the challenges shaping global security in the 21st century. Register today.

Ahlers & Ogletree presents a 600-lot Modern & Contemporary Art & Design Auction featuring Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, and more. Explore fine art, furniture, and sculpture. Preview starts today and runs through tomorrow. Reception also on June 16. Register and start bidding today. SPONSOR MESSAGE

4. Symphonic celebrations

The Atlanta Symphony will present a night of music by Barber, Copland, and Bernstein on Wednesday at 8 p.m., titled America @ 250 Encore, to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial. Here are some essential watches and listens to reacquaint you with these American legends. 

 The original Broadway cast recording of“West Side Story” from 1957 is still the go-to for Leonard Bernstein fans. 

 Watch the National Symphony Orchestra’s majestic interpretation of Aaron Copland’s“Fanfare for the Common Man.” 

 Here’s Copland conducting the National Symphony for his shimmering“Appalachian Spring” at The Kennedy Center in 1980.

 Listen to the ASO, conducted by Yoel Levi, in a 1992 performance of Samuel Barber’s Overture to “The School for Scandal,” Op. 5.

Explore Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Brookhaven with Perimeter Pursuit! Complete missions, discover local favorites, and earn points for chances to win prizes including Braves tickets, gift cards, dining experiences, and hotel stays. Join the challenge today! SPONSOR MESSAGE

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Help support independent local media by becoming a Rough Draft member today. Pick up some cool swag, including our new, limited-edition LOCAL hoodie.

 Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy getting this newsletter? Forward them this link to subscribe.

The post 🗣️ GOP runoff endorsements appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Follow Decatur FC coverage on Rough Draft.

Decatur FC found itself up against its toughest matchup yet. The teams traded scoring opportunities in the pouring rain for the first 30 minutes, the conditions making it difficult for either team to gain much headway. Chances went sideways as players slipped on the sopping field, and the ball speed and pace of play were slowed by the wet ground. 

“Obviously disappointed to lose a big game, but the conditions were very difficult tonight,” Decatur coach Campbell Chapman told Rough Draft after the match. “A monsoon came right after kickoff and completely changed the way we played.” 

Through all of that, Decatur battled against its toughest opponent of the season in a year that has seen multiple close games.  Georgia Impact was swarming, pushing them far back into their own zone and intercepting seemingly every pass in the midfield, which is highly disruptive to an offense that runs via passes connecting in the midfield. 

“I thought the conditions suited the way they wanted to play against us and made it a very up-and-down game,” Chapman said. “We just couldn’t adjust to the conditions with the heavy rain coming in.”

As the game wore on, Decatur was increasingly on its back foot, and mistakes began to creep in. Thirty minutes in, goalkeeper Nikky Bidun made an excellent save off a free kick, but then took too long to take the goal kick, triggering an automatic corner for Impact under FIFA’s new rules. Georgia sent it off the post, and Decatur managed to clear, but the danger wasn’t over. Seven minutes later, forward Anna Weir sent a pass across the net to forward Sarah Houston, whose shot was deflected by the fortunately positioned body of a Decatur FC defender. 

Unfortunately, that defender’s body would not be there the next time Weir and Houston made the same play, which was approximately three minutes later. This time, Houston didn’t miss her shot, arcing the ball over Bidun’s outstretched arm and into the top right corner of the net in the 40^th minute for the 1-0 lead.  

As the rain dissipated during halftime, Decatur hoped a fresh half could breathe new life into its lineup. That did not happen, however. A mere three minutes into the second half, Georgia Impact threw the ball in down near Decatur’s net. Two passes later, the ball was in the back of the net, knocked past Bidun, who didn’t see the ball going past her until it was too late. 

“Giving up a goal right before halftime was very important for the momentum of the game,” Chapman said. “It’s an uphill battle from there.”

Decatur did fight back, but was ultimately stoned by Impact keeper Jaddah Foos, who played with Decatur in its inaugural season in 2024. 

Next match

Decatur FC is now 2-1-1 on the season and will try to rebound on Tues., June 16, when they play Atlanta Fire United in Cumming, GA. 

The post Decatur FC falls to Georgia Impact in rainy 2-0 defeat appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Gov. Brian Kemp made a last-minute endorsement of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ bid to replace him in the governor’s mansion ahead of Tuesday’s runoff election in the GOP primary.

In a social media post Sunday afternoon, Kemp pointed to their past work over the years, saying that he and Jones “has been a strong, trusted ally in those victories for the people of our state,” pointing to tax cuts and economic growth. He also implied Jones will be a continuation of his leadership, saying that Jones “will make a strong case to the voters for four more years of conservative leadership” this fall.   

“That’s a conservative record of success that Marty, the girls, and I are proud of — and it’s one that would not have been possible without our partners in the General Assembly,” Kemp said.

Jones was the top vote getter in last month’s election, winning about 38% of the vote in a crowded primary. Wealthy billionaire executive Rick Jackson wasn’t far behind, finishing in second place with about 33% of the vote. 

The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will go on to face the Democratic nominee, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who easily won her primary outright last month. 

Jones, who was backed by President Donald Trump early in the race last year, welcomed Kemp’s endorsement. He said on social media that he’s been “grateful to work alongside [Kemp] for the past four years, and it is my honor today to receive his full endorsement.”

“It’s time we come together as a party, finish strong on Tuesday and look to November and keep fighting for all the principles, freedoms and values that make Georgia the best state in the nation,” Jones said.

The late endorsement comes as a recent primary runoff polling from Cygnal indicated that Jones’ was behind Jackson, suggesting that voters who supported Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger were now turning to Jackson in the runoff. Carr endorsed Jackson shortly after the May primaries, indicating Jackson may be the more mainstream Republican choice.

Before Kemp broke his silence, both campaigns ran ads that implied they had the governor’s backing, but in an interview with 11Alive, Kemp remained neutral and spoke positively of both candidates, pointing to his working relationship with Jones and Jackson’s history of supporting Kemp.

Kemp’s announcement was not the only surprise endorsement on Sunday. Trump, after not weighing in on the U.S. Senate race, backed the firebrand Congressman Mike Collins, who is running against Kemp-endorsed former football coach Derek Dooley.

The post Gov. Kemp endorses Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in GOP primary runoff appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

With two days to go before the runoff election, President Donald Trump has sided with U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in his race for U.S. Senate against Derek Dooley.

Trump said in a 12:56 a.m. post Sunday on Truth Social that Collins “has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”

The support came weeks after Collins beat Dooley 40.5% to 30.2% in the May primary.

Collins posted a brief reaction on X later in the morning, saying he would be the one to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

That is also the goal for Dooley, who posted on X a half hour after Collins that he respected Trump but still expected to beat Collins in Tuesday’s runoff. The former football coach touted his own support from Gov. Brian Kemp.

It is not the first disagreement between Kemp and Trump over a pick for U.S. Senate.

Differences over Kemp’s appointment of Kelly Loeffler to an open U.S. Senate seat in 2019 triggered years of attacks by Trump, which were exacerbated by Kemp’s refusal to call a special legislative session over Trump’s 2020 election loss.

(Trump had wanted Kemp to appoint then-U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, who is not related to Mike Collins, according to an interview with the latter first published by the Jackson Progress-Argus in 2022.)

Trump said Mike Collins had been with him “from the very beginning” and offered a genteel critique of Dooley, basically calling him a carpetbagger.

“I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person. Unfortunately, he has lived outside of Georgia for most of his life,” Trump’s post said. Trump also dinged Dooley for saying Trump had lost the 2020 election.

Dooley has been careful not to alienate Trump supporters, publicly praising the president while bashing his opponent. 

“Donald Trump is doing a great job trying to make change,” Dooley said at a debate in April, adding that Congress had not done enough to support the president.

Late on Sunday morning, Ossoff responded with his own social media post, calling both Collins and Dooley “Trump puppets” who had “made themselves both unelectable and terminally inseparable from the toxic president.”

This article is available through a partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Association’s nonprofit, tax-exempt Educational Foundation.

The post Trump endorses Collins in Georgia Senate runoff appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.