Politically Georgia AJC Podcasts

President Biden and Donald Trump had starkly contrasting campaign events this past weekend. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Host Bill Nigut and special co-host Tamar Hallerman look at the weekend campaign events of Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In Detroit, Trump courts Black voters by falsely accusing Biden of being the main force behind the 1994 crime bill and claimed Biden pushed the “super predator” measure aimed at Black crime. President Biden was in Los Angeles, where he attended a fundraiser where he was praised by some of the biggest names in Hollywood as well as former President Barack Obama. 
Meg Kinnard, national politics reporter, AP, Chuck Williams, WRBL Columbus, reporter, Georgia State University professor Tammy Greer join in on the conversation. 
  
Then, a look at Georgia congressional GOP runoffs that will be decided in tomorrow’s election.  
Former Trump administration official Brian Jack squares off against state senator Mike Dugan for the open seat in the 3rd congressional district; and Chuck Hand, convicted of a misdemeanor criminal action, is facing Wayne Johnson for the GOP nomination in the 2nd congressional district. 
  
Plus, Tamar and Bill look at reaction from Georgia elected officials to the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning the trump-era ban on bump stocks for guns. 
  
  
Links to today’s topics 
Trump courts Black voters in Detroit 
Biden raises millions in glittery Hollywood fundraiser 
Trump-backed Brian Jack faces Senator Mike Dugan in GOP runoff 
Jan.6 rioter in 2nd district GOP congressional runoff  
SCOTUS overturns ban on bump stocks 
  
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”  
  
Credits 
Executive Producer- Shane Backler 
Producer- Natalie Mendenhall 
Engineer- Matt McWilliams 
Editor- Matt Owen 
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Speaker of the Georgia House Jon Burns has announced he’ll
support legislation protecting in vitro fertilization in Georgia. On today’s
episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast,
hosts Bill Nigut and Patricia Murphy discuss the speaker’s announcement and how
a similar measure was blocked by Republicans in the U.S. Senate.

But first, Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight Action, the
voting rights and grassroots activist organization founded by Stacey Abrams
joins the podcast to discuss a new initiative designed to recruit Georgians to
- in their words - “empower everyday Americans to support voters and protect
our democratic process from election deniers and conspiracy theorists trying to
tear our country apart.” Groh-Wargo told the podcast that Fair Fight will also
work to build a grassroots army of volunteers to turn out voters for Joe Biden.

Plus, Patricia reports on the controversy roiling around
Georgia House minority leader James Beverly, who has been accused by a staff
member of sexual harassment.

Then, as we do every Friday, Bill and Patricia answer
listener questions from the Politically Georgia Mailbag and give you their
winners and losers of the week during Who’s Up and Who’s Down.

Have a question for the show? Call the 24-hour
Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play
back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next
Friday's episode. 


Links to today’s topics
Georgia
house speaker vows legislation to protect access to IVF treatments
Supreme
Court preserves access to abortion pill
Female
house Democrats incensed over accusations of sexual harassment against minority
leader

  
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple
Podcasts, Spotify, or
wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play
Politically Georgia podcast.” 
 
Credits
Executive Producer- Shane Backler
Producer- Natalie Mendenhall
Engineer- Matt McWilliams
Editor- Devan Kortan
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In an exclusive interview on CNN’s “The Source”, former
Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade tells Kaitlan Collins that he is
not to blame for the delay of the Fulton County case against former President
Donald Trump. On today’s episode of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s
Politically Georgia podcast, Kaitlan Collins joins hosts Bill Nigut and Greg
Bluestein to discuss her exclusive interview with Nathan Wade.

But first, Ari Berman joins the podcast to discuss his new
book “Minority Rule, the Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People and the
Fight to Resist It.” Berman describes the way in which the Founding Fathers, in
an attempt to establish majority rule but at the same time protect the rights
of the minority of Americans, began a long road to today, as Republicans push
forward initiatives that he asserts thwart the rights of the majority of people
in the country.

Then, University of Georgia political science professor
Charles Bullock expands on Ari Berman’s observations, citing gerrymandering and
other mechanisms used to maintain single-party power in Georgia.

Links to topics
Guardian review of "Minority Rule"
Ari Berman books
Kaitlan Collins interview with Nathan Wade

Have a question for the show? Call the 24-hour
Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play
back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next
Friday's episode. 
  
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple
Podcasts, Spotify, or
wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play
Politically Georgia podcast.” 
 
Credits
Executive Producer- Shane Backler
Producer- Natalie Mendenhall
Engineer- Matt McWilliams
Editor- Devan Kortan
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Supreme Court is about to roll on rulings on a number of cases that will be of historic significance. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, host Bill Nigut and special co-host Tamar Hallerman look at some of the historically significant cases: Is Donald Trump immune from criminal charges for alleged crimes committed while he was in office? Two of the top cases the court will act upon Ask consequential questions: Were January 6 rioters who have been charged and, in many cases, convicted of criminal actions wrongly prosecuted under a law that should not have been used against them? Emory University Professor of Constitutional Law Fred Smith and Georgia State University Professor of Political Science Amy Steigerwalt weigh in on these pending decisions. 
  
AJC education columnist Maureen Downey also joins the podcast to look at a disturbing trend: Fewer college graduates are choosing to go into careers as teachers. Maureen cites numerous reasons for this and explains why a scarcity of teachers is harmful to student learning. 
  
Plus, MAGA Republicans are continuing to claim the Justice Department has been weaponized to attack Donald Trump even as President Biden’s son Hunter has now been convicted of three felony offenses that could lead to significant prison sentences. 
  
Links to today’s topics 
Major Supreme Court ruling soon to be announced 
Downey: We need teaching to be 'doable' 
What's next for Hunter Biden after conviction? 
  
Have a question for the show? Call the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.  
 
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”  
  
Credits 
Executive Producer- Shane Backler 
Producer- Natalie Mendenhall 
Engineer- Micah Middleton 
Editor- Matt Owen 
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On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut sit down with Brian Kemp political adviser Cody Hall to discuss how Kemp may be preparing for his next step in political life. The governor is holding national fundraisers, announces he’ll attend Republican National convention and looks for other opportunities to expand his national profile. 
  
We also hear from former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin as she talks about the history of Atlanta’s troubled water system and how she raised $3 billion to make massive repairs to the sewage system during her tenure. 
  
Plus, hear what Vice President Kamala Harris’ hopes to accomplish when she makes yet another visit to Atlanta this week. And they discuss the factors that are shaping the GOP runoff election for Georgia’s 3rd congressional district. 
 
 
Links to today’s topics 
Brian Kemp plots steps that could shape his political future 
Shirley Franklin 'sewer mayor' 
Mayor Dickens calls water crisis a 'wake up call' 
  
Have a question for the show? Call the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.  
 
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”  
  
Credits 
Executive Producer- Shane Backler 
Producer- Natalie Mendenhall 
Engineer- Matt McWilliams  
Editor- Matt Owen 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent Pew poll shows that Black voters support President Biden over former President Trump in the 2024 election by a wide margin, but not as wide as four years ago. On today’s episode of The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, host Bill Nigut and special co-host, Tamar Hallerman, are joined by AJC enterprise reporter Ernie Suggs for a discussion of the complicated choices Black men are facing as they decide on voting in the race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Ernie also shares insights from his interview with Morehouse College president David Thomas, who worked to navigate the controversy around President Biden’s visit to Morehouse as graduation speaker. 
  
Also on today’s podcast, Professor Gillespie offers insights about whether the Trump guilty verdict in the Manhattan hush money trial is moving voters away from the former president. 
  
And later, GOP candidate Chuck Hand, who is in a runoff for the GOP 2nd congressional district nomination, walks off the stage moments into the debate with his opponent Wayne Johnson. Bill and Tamar explain why. 
  
Links to today’s topics 
Morehouse president on Biden visit: It made us stronger 
Pew poll of Black voters 
New CBS poll has Biden making incremental gains since Trump verdict 
January 6 rioter walks off stage in GOP 2nd district congressional debate 
  
Have a question for the show? Call the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.  
 
Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”  
  
Credits 
Executive Producer- Shane Backler 
Producer- Natalie Mendenhall 
Engineer- Matt McWilliams  
Editor- Matt Owen 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices