The Update 10/7
Welcome to the King Williams newsletter. I’m a documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcast host, and author based in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a newsletter covering the hidden connections of Atlanta to everything else.
Special Announcement: Atlanta Urban Farm Tour this Sunday, October 10th @ 2 pm - open to any newsletter member
This Sunday we’re having the second tour of our newsletter. We will be meeting at the Atlanta Urban Farm Oasis at 1:45 pm, the tour will be led by Grace Kim. The Urban Farm Oasis is located in East Atlanta and is free for anyone to attend. If you would like the address please respond to this email.
The Zoom link for next Sunday’s session is here. Plus Meeting ID: 829 2379 5330 and Passcode: C8wgtv.
You can also listen to session one here.
BookClub - Sunday, October 10th - 3pm at the Atlanta Urban Farm
This Sunday after the tour of the Atlanta Urban Farm Oasis, our book club will be meeting to discuss MARCH: Book Two, this conversation is open for anyone to attend regardless of whether or not you are a book club member.
New Podcast Alert: Atlanta City Councilman Matt Westmoreland
In this episode, I sit down with the Post 2 At-Large Atlanta City Council member Matt Westmoreland. The two speak on the last four years of being an elected official, cop city, perceptions of crime, Buckhead secession, and misconceptions of Matt.
This episode is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.
The McDonald’s Ice Cream Machine is under federal investigation
After numerous complaints from franchisees and customers, a federal investigation into the McDonald’s ice cream machine is underway. The move comes as a rival machine company is seeking to break the monopoly on repair for the machines. McDonald’s has an exclusive agreement with a manufacturer who controls the creation, distribution, and (most importantly) repair of the ice cream machine. Resulting in a costlier product and service for franchisees. For years, the McDonald’s ice cream machine has been the ire of customers and jokes. There is a website now, McBroken, which tracks down ice cream machines across the US and Canada.
The move is a part of the growing ‘right to repair’ movement of individuals suing companies over the right to repair their own machines or use non-approved service providers and/or products. The biggest have been tech giant Apple and farming equipment brand John Deere.
AT&T is allegedly bankrolling a white supremacist and conspiracy theorist television news network
AT&T, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the US, is coming under fire for its financial support and distribution of One America News Network (OAN).
OAN is one of the biggest facilitators of misinformation in media. OAN grew tremendously during the Trump administration, as well as becoming the former president’s biggest amplification engine of misinformation regarding the 2020 election. OAN’s one of the biggest media organizations propagating the lies associated with the ‘stop the steal’ movement.
AT&T has been a supporter of Republican and Democratic candidates for years but has come under greater scrutiny of their political donations in 2021. AT&T had temporarily stopped donating to Republicans, after the January 6th attempted coup, only to pick back up again. AT&T’s donations have also gone to politicians who supported the Texas abortion ban.
Majorie Taylor Greene showed up at a Buckhead City event
Bill White, the Trump fundraiser and fundraiser of the ‘stop the steal’ movement, is holding more public events in favor of Buckhead cityhood. White is a New York City transplant who is courting state-level Republican officials to garner more support ahead of the 2022 legislative session and 2022 elections. Highly controversial Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene came to a recent event held by White and expressed her support of cityhood.
Red Clay News
In a recent viral video of a Black Georgia State Police officer beating another unarmed Black man for not wearing a seatbelt, the GSP is investigating the use of force.
A Houston developer has bought North DeKalb Mall for $43 million.
Another Texas developer is planning to develop 375 apartments off of I-575 but is running against opposition from local residents.
The Georgia Department of Labor spent over $1 million dollars on free meals for employees.
Fulton County is reporting 60% of its residents have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine.
The Atlanta Dream is not re-signing their only WNBA All-Star after a recent viral video of her fighting outside of a club has gained more traction online.
MARTA and Georgia Tech are testing a rideshare program.
E-commerce giant Shopify is set to open its first US distribution center in Georgia.
A new film studio is proposing to be developed in Mountain View in northern Clayton County.
Smyrna is eyeing its own micro-transit public service.
National News
11 Republicans have joined Democrats to temporarily extend the debt ceiling.
Price-Waterhouse Cooper has told its 40,000 person staff that they can work remotely full-time.
The Governor of Missouri executes Ernest Johnson, a man whose mental state was in question, despite the pleas of fellow lawmakers and the pope.
Republican US Senator Richard Burr is introducing legislation to tax athletes for earnings. Burr was one of the most vocal anti-taxation for corporations and high-income earners.
Seattle moves to decriminalize Psilocybin and other similar substances.
Americans are paying the most for gas in seven years.
The US may be losing its Black officers.
A federal appeals court has ruled against the state of California over banning private prisons. The ruling states that banning private prisons can’t be enforced due to federal immigration needs.
A new investigation believes that the Zodiac Killer has been identified as Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018.
International News
A Polish court has ruled that the laws of the EU are incompatible with its constitution.
A new report has found that potentially 200,000 minors in France may have been abused by Catholic priests.
Canada is preparing for a wave of terminations related to those who’ve refused to comply with mandatory vaccination policies.
Ireland is joining in a global tax initiative to seek lowering tax avoidance.
India is preparing for a nationwide power crisis as over 100 coal-fired plants are running low.