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Atlanta Black business owner blindsided by Trump campaign event held at his barbershop

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Atlanta Black business owner blindsided by Trump campaign event held at his barbershop


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A Black business owner in Atlanta said he feels betrayed and blindsided.

The Trump campaign held an event at Rocky’s Barbershop on Wednesday, the day before the highly anticipated presidential debate.

Owner Rocky Jones said that’s not what he signed up for and now he’s speaking out.

“I really take pride in my business,” Jones said.

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Jones said he welcomes customers from all backgrounds and walks of life.

“Mind my business and serve and give haircuts back to the community and have good conversations; it’s never been about politics,” said Jones.

He said his business has never been the site of a political event until Wednesday when prominent Republicans packed inside the day before the presidential debate in Atlanta.

Former President Trump called in at one point during Wednesday’s event.

“I feel like I have been betrayed,” said Jones.

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Days before the debate, Jones said someone he considered a friend reached out to him about being the host site for a small Black business roundtable.

Jones said there was never any mention this was a political event.

Jones added he never heard from a Trump campaign representative either.

Jones said the timing of the event didn’t raise any flags that the event would be political.

“I honestly didn’t think about it. It was just once you say Black small business give back to the community, it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m doing it,’” said Jones. “Just be aware that it is election season, and the timing seems a little suspect.”

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Jones is warning other business owners to have a healthy dose of skepticism.

“Even though I trusted that person, I didn’t do the research I should’ve done. Now, I’m letting everyone else know you need to be aware of these calls,” Jones said.

Atlanta News First did make contact with the Trump campaign. They acknowledged our request but were not able to get us a response by airtime.

Jones said he was compensated for the two hours he had to close his business for the event but adds he’s now willing to give the money back.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Dream sign forward Amy Okonkwo to developmental contract ahead of home opener

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Atlanta Dream sign forward Amy Okonkwo to developmental contract ahead of home opener


The Atlanta Dream are undefeated heading into their home opener and still finding ways to improve their roster.

The Dream announced Wednesday the signing of forward Amy Okonkwo to a developmental contract. It’s the latest roster move for an Atlanta team that is 2-0 and gearing up to play Sunday against the defending champion, Las Vegas Aces.

Okonkwo brings an impressive résumé despite her young career. 

She most recently attended training camp with the Dallas Wings ahead of the 2026 season and appeared in eight games with Dallas during the 2025 WNBA season, averaging 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. She recorded a career-high 20 points against Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025, and made history as the first undrafted player since 2000 to average 10 or more points while shooting 60 percent or better through her first two WNBA games.

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Her international résumé is equally impressive. Okonkwo has earned back-to-back FIBA Women’s AfroBasket MVP honors in 2023 and 2025 while helping Nigeria’s national team capture consecutive gold medals. Collegiately, she played at USC before finishing her career at TCU, where she earned 2018 Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year honors.

Okonkwo joins a 12-player roster that includes Naz Hillmon, Te-Hina Paopao, Jordin Canada, Angel Reese, Aaliyah Nye, Rhyne Howard, Madina Okot, Allisha Gray, Isobel Borlase, Indya Nivar, Sika Kone and Brionna Jones.

The signing caps a busy stretch of roster moves for Atlanta. 

Earlier this month, the Dream claimed guard Aaliyah Nye off waivers after she was selected by the expansion Toronto Tempo in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft and subsequently waived on May 7. Nye brings championship pedigree to Atlanta, having been a member of the 2025 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces as a rookie, appearing in all 44 regular season games and finishing fourth among franchise rookies in made three-pointers with 37.

A guard out of the University of Alabama, Nye is one of the sharper shooters in the league. She finished her college career with 389 three-pointers across stops at Alabama and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shooting 40.9 percent from beyond the arc. In her final season with the Crimson Tide, she earned Second Team All-SEC honors after averaging 15.2 points per game and setting the program’s single-season record with 111 made three-pointers.

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To make room for Nye, the Dream waived guard Holly Winterburn, a move that came with an emotional cost. Winterburn, a Northampton, England native who went undrafted in 2025 before signing with Atlanta as a free agent, said she learned she had been cut just before boarding the bus for the team’s first game of the season on May 9.

“I thought my welcome to the W moment would happen on the court, not as I’m getting on the bus for my first ever game,” Winterburn wrote on Instagram. “But that’s the reality of this business and I will always be grateful for the opportunity Atlanta gave me. I’m built for this.”

Winterburn did not stay without a job for long. The Portland Fire signed her to a developmental contract shortly after her release.

After Tuesday’s road win in Dallas, the Dream return home Sunday to face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at 1:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.

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Atlanta, GA

Where to Stay in Atlanta If You Like to Eat

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Where to Stay in Atlanta If You Like to Eat


Atlanta’s vibrant food scene offers diners so much more than comfort food classics (although top-notch versions of chicken, biscuits, and all the fixings can be found here, certainly), and leaving the city without tucking into an unforgettable meal should be criminal. But the trick is knowing where to go.

To make your stay in The A culinarily memorable, you need not only an up-to-date list of the city’s epicurean hotspots, but you also need to choose a home base that makes it easy to get to where you want to go. Choose your hotel poorly, and you might miss where fine dining finds industrial restoration in West Midtown, the continuous creative renewal in buildings and on menus in Old Fourth Ward, or the spirit and soulful flavors of Atlanta’s southside. That won’t be an issue with what’s below.

Old Fourth Ward

The walkable Old Fourth Ward neighborhood (O4W for short, which is located north of downtown Atlanta and southeast of Midtown) is home to many of the city’s top food spots. Find a morning pick-me-up from Chrome Yellow Trading Co., sweet treat from Little Tart bakery, or a decadent sandwich from Kinship Butcher & Sundry, where you can choose if you want your breakfast sausage sandwich served “double double,” or opt for a lunchier option like griddled pork belly with “drunken” mustard on brioche. Eastbound to downtown Decatur, Michelin-recommended and James-Beard-Foundation-recognized restaurants like Kimball House, home to some of metro Atlanta’s best oysters and craft cocktails, and The Deer & The Dove, where farm-to-table is performed with a fierce focus on flavor, are admired far beyond their suburban city’s limits.

O4W is also near historic Inman Park, where you can find exceptional pasta at BoccaLupo, steaks at Kevin Rathbun Steak, or dinner with premium cocktails at Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market.

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Forth

Forth bills itself as part hotel, part local hangout and membership club, and its range of amenities and convenient location makes it a smart choice for your home base. It’s just off the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail and a five-minute walk to Ponce City Market, a food hall with stalls from a who’s-who of Atlanta’s culinary talent. (Don’t miss Botiwalla, where chef Meherwan Irani of the award-winning restaurant Chai Pani is slinging dishes inspired by Indian street food.)

Rooms at Forth mix mid-century style and modern function, you’ll find both heavy black telephones inspired by the old-school rotary dials and Bluetooth-enabled radio speakers in groovy wooden and brushed copper casing. The decor is otherwise understated, featuring metallics and earthtones, which allows the views they afford of the surrounding buildings and Beltline activity below to stay the star.



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Atlanta, GA

Hawks 109-108 Knicks (Apr 23, 2026) Final Score – ESPN

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Hawks 109-108 Knicks (Apr 23, 2026) Final Score – ESPN


McCollum ruins Knicks’ night again, leading the Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead

— CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round…

Apr 23, 2026, 10:32 pm – AP



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