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‘Everything is possible’: Acuña inches closer to 40-40 club

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‘Everything is possible’: Acuña inches closer to 40-40 club


ATLANTA — Somewhere in the midst of the Braves’ latest homer fest, Ronald Acuña Jr. created reason to believe he might indeed join the exclusive 40-40 club and become its most unique member.  

Acuña accounted for two of the five homers the Braves drilled while snapping a three-game skid in an 8-5 win over the Cardinals on Thursday night at Truist Park. His third multihomer game of the season left him six home runs shy of recording the fifth 40-homer, 40-steal season in AL/NL history.

“I’ve been playing with Ronald since 2016, and at this point, nothing really surprises me anymore,” Braves starter Max Fried said. “He’s that talented, and he’s that good. He’s always been capable of doing it, but to actually have the season he’s having so far and to come so close to that accomplishment, doesn’t surprise me, but it’s also extremely impressive. He can get as hot as anyone.”

Acuña has five homers in his past seven games. But he hasn’t been quite as hot as Matt Olson, who has homered in four straight games to increase his MLB-leading home run total to 47. This matches Hank Aaron (1971) and Eddie Mathews (1953) for the second-highest total in franchise history. It also puts him four away from the franchise record Andruw Jones set in 2005.

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“That’s pretty good company,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Michael Harris II and Travis d’Arnaud also went deep for the Braves. It was the 10th time Atlanta has hit at least five homers in a game this season — an MLB best. The Astros rank second with seven such games.

With this latest outburst, the Braves are on pace for 314 homers, which is seven more than the MLB record the Twins set in 2019.

Acuña homered against Adam Wainwright’s first pitch of the game to record his sixth leadoff home run of the season and the 32nd of his career. The Braves right fielder added another first-pitch solo shot off Wainwright in the sixth to increase his season home run total to 34. He also has an MLB-leading 63 stolen bases.  

“It’s probably the first time in my career where a guy hits a homer off you on a pitch and then is ready for the same pitch the next at-bat,” Wainwright said. “Usually they think they get you off of it, and you can go back to it. But I mean, I executed that perfectly. The ball is down and away, off the plate and down, and he hit it out to center. It’s amazing. I mean it’s really impressive what he can do.”

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Acuña became the first player ever to tally 30-plus homers and 60-plus stolen bases this past weekend at Dodger Stadium. If he hits six more homers, he’ll join Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Alfonso Soriano (2006) as the only players to record a 40-40 season. None of those four players stole more than 46 bases during their 40-homer seasons.

So, Acuña could become the first member of the 40-60 club, or maybe even the 40-70 club.

“Everything is possible,” Acuña said. “[40-40] was never the goal. But now that it’s within sight, it would be nice. But with the season being at the end and the numbers being where they are, it feels like we’re getting tight and running out of time.”

Can Acuña homer six times over the final 23 games, or just one more time than he has over the past seven games? He homered 12 times during a 23-game span from July 21-Aug. 15, 2019. He hit nine homers over a 23-game span this year, as recently as June 10-July 5.

“Nothing he’s going to do is going to surprise me,” Snitker said.

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Acuña is already in uncharted waters. Before this year, nobody had ever recorded more than 52 stolen bases during a 30-homer season. Nor had anybody tallied more than 28 homers while collecting at least 60 stolen bases in a season.

But now that Acuña is that close, adding 40-40 to his NL MVP resume certainly seems appealing.

“You see the work he puts in every day,” Fried said. “He doesn’t take an at-bat off. Day in and day out, being able to take the field and impact the game the way that he does is the most impressive thing.”



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Atlanta, GA

Kenya Moore Leaving 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Following Suspension

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Kenya Moore Leaving 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Following Suspension


Kenya Moore is officially out at The Real Housewives of Atlanta after 11 seasons with the show. 

On Tuesday, ET confirmed that the 53-year-old reality TV star will not be returning for season 16 following her suspension by Bravo back in early June. Kenya was sidelined at the time for alleged drama involving RHOA newcomer Brittany Eady. 

In response, a source tells ET that she decided to part ways with the franchise, despite previously expressing interest in returning, declaring that she would not be “going anywhere” and receiving support from her longtime cast mates and friends. 

“Kenya is not returning to RHOA this season. She decided it was best for herself to leave after how she felt the incident was handled and how she was treated,” a source shared with ET. The news of Moore’s exit was first reported by TMZ

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Kenya Moore poses for her The Real Housewives of AtlantaAB+DM / Bravo

Kenya later vaguely her decision to exit the series in a tweet, writing “You are the best fans anyone could ever ask for. and I love you all so very much. Always and forever.” The former Miss USA also added “#TeamTwirlForever,” referencing her fanbase. 

While TMZ reports Bravo is keeping the door open for a future return, a source with knowledge of the situation tells ET that hasn’t been discussed. 

A separate source tells ET it’s currently unknown how Kenya’s exit will be addressed on the show, if at all. “It’s still early into filming and they could just edit her out, like Lizzy Savetsky on New York.” Savetsky was a cast member on the rebooted version of The Real Housewives of New York but left the show early on in filming. When the show premiered, she was completely left out of the edit. 

Regardless of how her departure is handled, the individuals say Kenya is not interested in conversations at this time after her unceremonious suspension. 

“Kenya was suspended for allegedly depicting Brittany performing a sexual act at the grand opening of her Kenya Moore Hair Spa in Atlanta, from images allegedly found online,” one person shared with ET at the time.”The network is still reviewing the content Kenya displayed during filming.”

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Kenya Moore was suspended from ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ in mid-JuneDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Glamour

After the news of her suspension broke, Kenya hopped on Instagram Live and said she had “a lot going on” and was doing her best to be a successful business owner and working mom. Kenya shares daughter Brooklyn, 5, with her ex, Marc Daly.

“The way that people go out of their way to disparage your name or ruin your business, I’ll never understand it,” she said. “Leave me alone. I’m a single mom. I’m out here just like anybody else. I am not getting child support, I’m not getting anything. I’m taking care of my daughter on my own.”

She requested that her fans “ride with me through this journey.”

Kenya shouted out cast members Drew Sidora and Porsha Williams throughout the live for being supportive friends as they repeatedly commented with their assistance.

Porsha wrote, “We love you!!” in the comments, and praised Kenya as a “Queen.” Meanwhile, Shamea Morton and Angela Oakley revealed they were watching, and Drew praised Kenya’s hair.

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Drew Sidora chats with Kandi Burruss and Kenya Moore on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’Darnell Williams / Bravo

The rest of the cast is still filming season 16, which has yet to receive a release date. 

Following the alleged event, Kenya also took to social media to defend herself, posting, “I would never engage in revenge porn, I have never distributed private images or footage of anyone, nor solicited images owned by others to use to threaten or blackmail.” She maintained her innocence, adding, “I have always been vindicated.”

Brittany — the Housewife on the other side of the drama — has similarly addressed the situation. She also denied the internet rumors that she threatened Kenya with a gun.”For the record, I’ve never once had possession of any weapons or threatened anyone ever.”

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Atlanta's Munir Meghjani and David Perdue broach difficult topics with 'Comedy & Conversations'

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Atlanta's Munir Meghjani and David Perdue broach difficult topics with 'Comedy & Conversations'


“Comedy & Conversations” is an immersive experience where comedy is used as a tool to engage with difficult social topics such as immigration, food insecurity, race and mental health.

Laughter is a universal language, and these shows thoughtfully pair comedians with subject experts for conversations that use humor to make group dialog engaging, understandable and actionable.

Atlanta activist and community leader Munir Meghjani created the series alongside comedian and “What’s Good Atlanta” host David Perdue. The next “Comedy & Conversations” event, “Reconstructing Reconstruction,” occurs at the Margaret Mitchell House at Atlanta History Center Midtown on Thursday, June 27.

The duo joins Summer Evans on “City Lights” to discuss the upcoming show.

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Ms. Lauryn Hill bringing tour to metro Atlanta in August

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Ms. Lauryn Hill bringing tour to metro Atlanta in August


Lauryn Hill attends GRAMMY Museum’s Inaugural GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala and Concert presented by City National Bank at The Novo by Microsoft at L.A. Live on May 21, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images for The Recording

5-time Grammy winner and iconic figure in hip hop, R&B, and fashion, Ms. Lauryn Hill, is set to reunite with The Fugees for an extended leg of The Miseducation Anniversary Tour. This tour celebrates her landmark album, recently named the best album of all time by Apple Music. Fans can expect performances from “The Miseducation of Ms. Lauryn Hill,” “The Score,” and more.

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The tour will cover 21 dates, with a notable stop at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta on Aug. 16. YG Marley will join as a supporting act, and The Fugees will co-headline all dates.

Ticket Sales Information:

  • Presales: Begin Tuesday, June 25, starting with a Citi presale. Citi cardmembers can access presale tickets through the Citi Entertainment program. Details can be found at Citi Entertainment.
  • General Onsale: Starts Friday, June 28 at 10 AM via LiveNation.

VIP Packages: Fans can purchase VIP packages that may include premium tickets, individual photo opportunities with Ms. Lauryn Hill & The Fugees, access to a pre-show VIP Hospitality Lounge, autographed posters, and specially designed gifts. For more information, visit VIP Nation or VIP Nation EU.

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A portion of the proceeds ($2 from each ticket) will go to the MLH Fund, supporting mental health, women’s wellness, community small business development, education, and more.

Tour Dates:

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  • Fri Aug 09: Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • Sun Aug 11: West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
  • Fri Aug 16: Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
  • Sun Aug 18: Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
  • Wed Aug 21: Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at The Mann
  • Fri Aug 23: Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
  • Sun Aug 25: Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
  • Wed Aug 28: Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
  • Fri Aug 30: Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
  • Sat Aug 31: Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
  • Wed Sep 04: Huntsville, AL – The Orion Amphitheater*
  • Fri Sep 06: Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
  • Sat Sep 07: Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
  • Fri Sep 13: Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • Sun Sep 15: Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • Tue Sep 17: Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
  • Fri Sep 20: Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
  • Sat Sep 21: Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
  • Sat Oct 12: Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Mon Oct 14: London, UK – The O2
  • Fri Oct 18: Paris, France – Accor Arena
  • Tue Oct 22: Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome

*Note: The Huntsville, AL date is not a Live Nation event.

Ms. Lauryn Hill’s influence on music, fashion, and culture is profound, with her album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” being inducted into the Library of Congress in 2015 and achieving numerous milestones, including being the first hip hop album to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.



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