*By Carlo Versano*
If there's one person aside from the 800,000 unpaid federal workers who is hoping the government shutdown ends soon, it's Keisha Lance Bottoms.
The mayor of Atlanta is less than two weeks away from hosting Super Bowl LIII, which is a logistical and security nightmare even when the city's airport *isn't* being slowed down by mass TSA sick-outs.
"I'm extremely concerned," Bottoms said of the possibility that the shutdown may continue through Super Bowl weekend.
Though Atlanta is "no stranger to big events" ー it has hosted Super Bowls, MLS championships, college football championships, and, of course, the 1996 Olympics ー it relies, as every city does, on government workers like air-traffic controllers and TSA agents to move people in and out of its airport, the world's busiest. Bottoms said the prospect of thin airport staffing is "quite frightening" during a week when passenger traffic is [expected](https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/by-the-numbers-what-atlanta-can-expect-as-super-bowl-liii-comes-to-town/) to increase by a full 33 percent a day, with 750 additional flights landing daily at Hartsfield Airport.
"We are most concerned about security" at the airport, Bottoms said. Stadium and game security will be handled by private contractors and a mix of local and federal law enforcement agencies unaffected by the shutdown.
Super Bowls are typically one-time economic boons for their hosts, and this year, when Atlanta will show off its gleaming, year-old stadium, could generate as much as $400 million in game-related revenues, according to Bottoms.
Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council, added that the city has been planning for this year's Super Bowl since 2016, when it was awarded the bid by the NFL, and is particularly thrilled about flaunting its Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The venue has made headlines for its dazzling retractable roof and having the world's largest "halo" scoreboard, but it's also famous (in a good way) for its concession prices.
Fans can get a hot dog and a soda (with refills) at the stadium for $3.
"It's really the finest sports and entertainment venue in the world," Corso said.
Shutdown or not, Bottoms said the city is gearing up to host the Rams and Patriots in what is expected to be an exciting match-up, after both teams scraped by in overtime to reach the big game (and not without [controversies](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/sports/nfl-calls-los-angeles-rams-new-england-patriots.html).
"It's an opportunity for us to showcase our city in a way that we wouldn't otherwise have on the worldwide stage," Bottoms said.
"You can already feel the energy."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/stage-is-set-for-super-bowl-liii-in-atlanta).
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Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash
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*President Trump meets with Russian President Putin in Helsinki, Finland, days after the indictment of 12 Russian operatives for trying to disrupt the 2016 election.
*A federal judge blasts the HHS giving them one more week to reunite 2,000 families at the border after the administration missed the initial deadline.
*Protests erupted in Chicago over the weekend after a popular barber was shot and killed by the police.
*Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber won Wimbledon titles over the weekend. And France took home the World Cup.
Cheddar's Hope King gives us the details.
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*President Trump is in England preparing for a joint news conference with Theresa May. While the duo dined last night, The Sun newspaper published a sit-down interview with the president where he criticized May’s handling of Brexit. Trump warned trade deals with England could be nixed if Brexit isn’t handled properly.
*FBI agent Peter Strzok was removed from working on the Hillary Clinton email probe and the Trump-Russia investigation after text messages were discovered in which he criticized the president.
*Stormy Daniels made an encore appearance at the same strip club she was arrested at the night prior.
*A Kansas City water park will not reopen after a 10-year-old boy died on a water slide.
*Serena Williams beat Julia Görges of Germany yesterday to reach her 10th Wimbledon final.
Cheddar Big News's Jill Wagner gives us the details.
The Olympic gold medalist hosts “Wedding Cake Championship,” a new show on Food Network, with longtime friend and fellow figure skater Johnny Weir. While the new gig is worlds different from their athletic careers, there are still some similarities. “The competition part of it was fun,” Lipinski tells Cheddar.
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* Confusion at the NATO summit after President Trump said allies will add billions of dollars to defense spending. But French president Emmanuel Macron rebuffed those claims.
* Stormy Daniels was arrested after an alleged misdemeanor at a Columbus, Ohio, strip club. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has also been working to reunite families at the southern border.
* The U.S. Senate voted yesterday on a non-binding resolution giving it a say on what tariffs are levied and against whom.
* New evidence prompted the Department of Justice reopened the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1955 in Money, Miss.
* John Schnatter, founder and former CEO of Papa John’s, has resigned his chairman role after a racially-charged comment on a conference call.
* Americans made it to both the men’s and women’s Wimbledon semifinals, the first time since 2009.
Cheddar Big News' Jill Wagner tells us the latest.
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The NATO Summit got off to a heated start as President Trump already criticized member countries for not paying their fair share of defense spending.
The Trump administration also missed its promised deadline to reunite dozens of migrant families.
A natural gas leak in Sun Prairie, Wisc., turned deadly when an explosion erupted for several hours.
Brett Kavanaugh, the president's pick for the open Supreme Court seat, met on Capitol Hill with the vice president and senators yesterday.
The NFL Players Association is challenging the anti-kneeling policy, which requires players to remain in the locker room if they choose to protest the national anthem.
Hurricane Chris makes its way up the East Coast, but shouldn't make a major impact on land.
Cheddar Big News' Jill Wagner gives us the details.
France kicked Belgium out of the championship tournament on Tuesday. Some of the team's success so far can be attributed to its coach, Didier Deschamps, who captained the 1998 title-winning team and can convey that experience to his players, says Jeffrey Marcus, publisher of The Banter.
After Croatia's long-fought match against Russia on Saturday, the team may not have the stamina to beat England this week. "Croatia's had to play two very long 120-minute games followed by penalty shootouts," says Mike Murphy, deputy editor at Quartz. "That'll work in England's favor."
With the Golden State Warriors signing its fifth All-Star, some wonder whether the league has forever changed. "I just miss the days when guys would compete against each other ... Now with the world we live in, there's so much pressure on these kids to win," Shaquille O'Neal told Cheddar.
The basketball star, who has been DJing since the 80s, tells Cheddar that he initially decided to start spinning after attending a Public Enemy concert and meeting Chuck D and Terminator X. "I got enough money to go to the pawn shop, get some turntables and taught myself how to DJ." His "Summer of Shaq" tour began June 9 and runs through August 5.
