Political Breakfast from WABE

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District Attorney Fani Willis expresses no regrets in Georgia Trump case Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

A year ago, President Donald Trump was fighting 13 felony counts in Georgia for trying to overturn the 2020 election. At the time, the prosecutor who charged him, Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis, was seen as a rising star.

Now Trump is back in the White House, immune from prosecution for the next four years, and Willis has been rebuked by the courts and is fighting to keep the case alive.

On this week's episode of "Plugged In," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali look into the reversal of fortunes for Trump and Willis, who began their second terms in office just a few weeks apart.

Plus, Thursday is a big day at the Georgia State Capitol. It's known as Crossover Day, a key deadline for bills to advance out of at least one chamber of the legislature.

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Political Breakfast LIVE: Takeaways from Trump's first month in office, controversial policies trickle-down to Georgia Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

On this week's Political Breakfast: We recorded another live episode in-front of a studio audience here at WABE, roughly six weeks into Donald Trump's second presidency.

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson joined host Lisa Rayam to answer questions from some of our loyal listeners.

We discuss Trump's first 6 weeks in office and the political impact on Georgia. That includes mass layoffs at Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the so-called 'Bromance' between Trump and non-elected billionare Elon Musk.

Plus, pushback against Republican representatives at recent town halls. And Trump and Governor Brian Kemp's evolving 'relationship.'

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Legislative priorities are on the move as Georgia General Assembly hits halfway mark Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

Georgia state lawmakers are now halfway through the 40-day legislative session.

Between former President Jimmy Carter's funeral, the presidential inauguration and a snow storm, the session got of to a slow start. But now some big ticket items are on the move.

On this week's episode of "Plugged In," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali take a closer look at some of those bills, including one that would compel local governments to help with immigration enforcement and a school safety package responding to the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School.

Plus, we take a look at some lower-profile bills and check in on how President Donald Trump's moves to reshape the federal government are continuing to play out here in Georgia.

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Ossoff losing Jewish support, connections to Governor Kemp's potential U.S. Senate run, Atlanta Public Schools literacy rate improving Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

This Political Breakfast, the gang dives into a recent New York Times article about Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff -- the state's first Jewish Senator -- losing Jewish support.

The Times wrote some Democratic donors and Jewish leaders are unhappy with Ossoff's position and criticism of the Israel-Hamas war. A bipartisan group of Jewish leaders even urged Georgia GOP Governor Brian Kemp to run against Ossoff in next year's Senate race.

Republican Strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson tell host Lisa Rayam that Ossoff may be in a pretty tight spot.

Plus, Atlanta Public Schools literacy rates hit a successful milestone post-COVID.

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Kemp responds to Trump targeting Atlanta's CDC in mass federal layoffs, Doug Shipman not running for re-election Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

On this week's first Political Breakfast, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp responds to Donald Trump's administration firing roughly 13-hundred workers at Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Employees told NPR they wish to remain anonymous, and reported the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency cut about 10 percent of the workforce.

Meanwhile, is Kemp setting the stage to announce a U.S. Senate run next year?

Republican strategist Brian Robinson, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and host Lisa Rayam discuss all that, plus Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman announcing he will not run for re-election.

He recently made the announcement on social media, saying he has to focus his time and effort on serious medical challenges within his family.

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Plugged In: Georgia lawmakers, public dig into Gov. Kemp's top legislative priority Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Georgia state lawmakers this week started digging into Governor Brian Kemp’s signature policy push this session – overhauling the state’s civil litigation rules, often referred to as tort or lawsuit reform.

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali bring listeners into the first committee hearing on the issue, where lawmakers and a packed room of observers got to hear from people on different sides of the debate.

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More candidates flex in Georgia Governor's race Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

New candidates are hinting they'll run to replace Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in 2026.

On this epidose of Political Breakfast, Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam discuss two in particular:

GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Democratic State Senator Jason Esteves.

The team re-visits former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms interest in a possible gubernatorial run, and Governor Kemp possibly running for U.S. Senate.

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Plugged In: At the Georgia Capitol, debate turns to school safety and girls sports Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

Lawmakers are wrapping up a busy week at the State Capitol as they take their first votes on the budget and banning transgender girls from playing on girls school sports teams.

On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss these and other new legislative proposals including on school safety.

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Georgia Gold Dome updates, talking tort reform, school safety Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

On this week's second edition of Political Breakfast, we focus on Governor Brian Kemp's highest legislative priority this session: Tort reform.

Kemp has been pushing the issue for years, and believes that the laws on our books make it too easy to bring "frivolous lawsuits against Georgia business owners." He's said excessive civil litigation drives up the price of insurance, and stops job growth in communities that need them the most.

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson are paying close attention, to an issue that host Lisa Rayam asks, is the average Georgian aware of?

Plus, school safety is another priority being taken-up under the Gold Dome. That's following the deadly mass shooting last year at Apalachee High School.

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Trump attacks Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Tariff terror Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

On this week's Political Breakfast, we reflect on Black History Month amid attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in the workplace from President Donald Trump's administration.

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam touch on Trump blaming the recent horrific Philadelphia plane and helicopter crash on DEI.

Plus, tariffs. Trump is threatening to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, but those are now held on a 30-day pause. A 10 percent U.S. tariff on imports from China already took effect.

All three are some of Georgia's biggest trading partners.

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