🗓️ August arrives

Hello, August! Aug. 1 — Georgia’s State Election Board has accused rideshare company Lyft of violating election laws by offering discounted rides to voters trying to get to the polls.   Partly cloudy with temperatures around 92° today. The weekend is looking rainy with cooler temperatures.  Sandy Springs-based UPS plans to close more buildings and stores and to continue its buyout severance program for U.S. drivers as it looks to reach $3.5 billion in expected savings this year.  Former Democratic state representative Bob Trammell has entered the race to succeed Republican Chris Carr as attorney general.  DeKalb County School District has expanded its cell phone ban to all campuses for the 2025-26 school year. Sandy Springs has approved the construction of a mixed-use development called Hillcrest with apartments, retail, and restaurants.  ATL Free Fair is Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in East Atlanta Village with food, music, and shopping, and a lineup of skill shares, discussions, crafts – all for free. Dining Editor Beth McKibben has a roundup of new July restaurant openings that you might have missed.  ELSEWHERE President Trump signed orders imposing tariffs of 15-41% on goods from 67+ countries starting Aug. 7. Attorneys for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs filed a motion asking that either his prostitution conviction be thrown out or a new trial be set.  Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: • ‘Ain’t No Mo’ at True Colors• Film Review: ‘The Naked Gun’• The Sports SectionAND• Top Stories of the Week  Food. Drinks. Stories. Improv. Community. L5P Alliance’s annual fundraiser People Make the Place returns Sun., Aug. 17! Experience the spirit of Little Five Points while supporting local arts, safety, and placemaking efforts. Together, we build a better L5P. Learn more here! SPONSOR MESSAGE Photo by Matt Odom 1. ‘Ain’t No Mo’ takes center stage at True Colors in August For a theater company, finding a show that represents the company’s artistic goals is paramount. Jamil Jude, the artistic director for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company, found that show with “Ain’t No Mo’.” Written by playwright Jordan Cooper, “Ain’t No Mo’” imagines a world where the U.S. offers all Black Americans a one-way ticket to Africa, the story unfolding in sketch comedy-like vignettes detailing how different characters are affected by the policy. The show will play at True Colors starting today and will run through Aug. 24. This year, True Colors is operating with the phrase “Blackness is not a monolith” in mind. For Jude, that means looking for great art that takes the audience’s expectations about the Black experience and turns them on their head. Find out how “Ain’t No Mo'” achieves that goal here.RELATED NEWS Improv house Dad’s Garage Theatre Company is kicking off its 30th anniversary season tonight with “BlackGround,” as Black performers explore what African-American characters were doing during classic film scenes. Rob Thomas kicks off his new tour tonight at Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park. Check out Sammie Purcell’s interview with him here. Be part of the fun: Perimeter CIDs launch Playfully Perimeter SPONSORED BY PERIMETER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS When was your last carefree afternoon? Playfully Perimeter is touching down here, there, and everywhere in Perimeter to brighten up your 5-to-9 routine! This free event series will bring live music, tasty treats, art, and creative games from local Perimeter businesses. The party kicks off Aug. 27 on the Green at Perimeter Summit! Expect frozen drinks, oversized games, and serious summer vibes. See you soon at Play it Cool!  Learn more and RSVP today. Photo provided by Paramount Pictures 2. ‘The Naked Gun’ is the comedy of the summer WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL During an early scene in “The Naked Gun,” Frank Debrin Jr. (Liam Neeson) is kneeling in front of a photo of his father, Frank Debrin Sr. (Leslie Nielsen, of the original 1988 film), asking for guidance. “I want to be just like you,” he says. “But original! And completely different!”Neeson might as well be speaking for the movie itself, or any of the plethora of remakes and reboots that have filled movie theaters this century. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, “The Naked Gun” clearly outlines the gold standard these remakes are aiming for, but hardly ever reach – capturing the spirit of the original, but still standing on their own merit. “The Naked Gun” nails that balance. It’s the funniest big studio comedy release to come along in years, playing in a similar sandbox to the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker films of yore, but in a new context with new toys.  Click here to read Sammie’s review. You can also find her review of the horror movie “Together” here, and the Japanese film “Cloud” here.  Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free. 3. Premier League at Mercedes-Benz Stadium; UGA tennis honors BY HANNAH MUCH The Dream will host the Phoenix Mercury tonight at 7:30 p.m. and the Washington Mystics on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Gateway Center Arena. AFC Bournemouth takes on West Ham United at 2 p.m., and Manchester United takes on Everton at 5 p.m. at the 2025 Premier League Summer Series at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Braves finish out their series against the Reds on the road today at 12:40 p.m. and Saturday at 7:15 p.m. French Olympian Léon Marchand broke the record for the 200 IM with a time of 1:52.69 at the world championships in Singapore on Wednesday. American Ryan Lochte set the previous record in 2011 with a time of 1:54.00. UGA legends Manuel Diaz and John Isner will be inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in May 2026 at UGA’s Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Food. Drinks. Stories. Improv. Community. L5P Alliance’s annual fundraiser People Make the Place returns Sun., Aug. 17! Experience the spirit of Little Five Points while supporting local arts, safety, and placemaking efforts. Together, we build a better L5P. Learn more here! SPONSOR MESSAGE 4. Top Stories of the Week A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates. ① DeKalb may consolidate or rebuild Vanderlyn, Chesnut schools ② Georgia school voucher program has lower demand than expected ③ Atlanta real estate tycoon Tom Cousins dies at 93 (pictured) ④ One dead, 10 injured in Edgewood Avenue mass shooting ⑤ Here’s why there are so many steakhouses in Buckhead Food. Drinks. Stories. Improv. Community. L5P Alliance’s annual fundraiser People Make the Place returns Sun., Aug. 17! Experience the spirit of Little Five Points while supporting local arts, safety, and placemaking efforts. Together, we build a better L5P. Learn more here! SPONSOR MESSAGE  Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page! Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game.  Connect with us on Bluesky. Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy getting this newsletter? Forward them this link to subscribe. 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