Friday on Political Rewind: Vaccination rates in Georgia remain stubbornly low, even as the coronavirus is establishing a foothold again across the country. Hospitalizations are up in the state too, with the vast majority of patients being unvaccinated. What role are misinformation and partisan politics playing in the continuing spread of the virus? And how is this affecting other national topics, such as immigration? Our panel weighs in.
Plus, all five candidates for mayor of Atlanta took aim at what they say is a destructive campaign to create a new city of Buckhead.
Thursday on Political Rewind: Speaker of the House David Ralston has unveiled a sweeping $75 million proposal to confront escalating crime, especially in metro Atlanta. The plan includes bonuses for local law enforcement officers and an increase in funding for law enforcement agencies — as well as for an expansion of mental health services. Democratic House members said they’ll work with Ralston on his plan even as they recognize it’s part of a GOP effort to use crime-fighting as a wedge issue in the 2022 election cycle.
Meanwhile, the guessing game over the possibility of a big-name Republican emerging to challenge U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock continues this week, and the effect of COVID on U.S. life expectancy is discussed.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: We all know that the pandemic has had a profound impact on our buying habits — from how we shop for groceries to the services we use to stream new movies at home; from the sticker shock that awaits us as we shop for a new (or even used) car to the soaring price of houses.
The travel industry is only now coming back to life. But can you feel safe booking a cruise? Flights are full again, but do you want to fly on an airplane with every seat filled?
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp says he’ll ask the General Assembly to pass laws to fight crime during a special session of the legislature later this year. The session’s primary mission will be to redraw political maps based on new census data. But Kemp has the power to add measures to combat violent crime, especially in Atlanta, to the agenda.
Plus, we look at the outcome of the U.S. Senate field hearing examining Georgia’s new voting law.
Monday on Political Rewind: Sen. Amy Klobuchar is in Atlanta today to hold a field hearing on the impact of Georgia’s new election law on voters of color. It’s unlikely that any Republicans on the committee will attend the hearing, which Klobuchar hopes will shine a spotlight on the need to pass a federal voting rights act.
Meanwhile, Georgia Republicans are doing a bit of counterprogramming today. At the same time of the Klobuchar event, GOP House leaders are holding a committee hearing to look at rising violent crime in Atlanta. And Gov. Brian Kemp has scheduled a conference call with reporters to defend the new election law.
Friday on Political Rewind: Debates about access to health care have been a dominant theme in politics here in Georgia and across the country for decades. Author Elinor Cleghorn presents us with a new and deeply troubling look at health care and medical treatment. In her new book, Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World, she tells the harrowing story of how medicine has failed women throughout history.
Thursday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia legislators will face a happy problem as they begin determining how to spend state revenues over the next year. Despite the pandemic, Georgia tax collections reached a record $3.2 billion in the recently ended fiscal year.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: In a fiery speech in Philadelphia, President Joe Biden reasserted his contention that Republican-backed election bills passed in Georgia and other states amounted to "Jim Crow 2.0." Meanwhile, Texas Democratic legislators have blocked the GOP effort to pass a controversial election bill by fleeing to Washington and denying state House leaders the quorum needed to pass legislation.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: With the first pitch in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game set to be thrown in Denver tonight — not Cobb County — Republicans have launched a blistering campaign blaming Democrats for the move. MLB moved the game in response to the state's new election law, which league officials insist discriminates against minority voters.
Monday on Political Rewind: The latest campaign financial reports in races across the state reveal once again the staggering sums of money that now are commonplace in political campaigns. After releasing his first campaign ad late last week, Gov. Kemp traveled to Perry, Ga., over the weekend to launch his bid for reelection. Meanwhile, GPB and the AJC reviewed the use of drop boxes in 2020 voting.
Friday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp has officially launched his campaign for reelection. He starts the race with a formidable war chest but he continues to face criticism from former President Donald Trump and his allies. Is there a credible Republican primary challenge waiting in the wings?
Thursday on Political Rewind: Overall, the pandemic’s grip on the state has loosened. New cases and hospitalizations have fallen to new lows, and deaths from the virus have become far more rare. As a result, Gov. Brian Kemp lifted the restrictions he had imposed more than a year ago. But Georgia remains in the lower tier of states for putting shots in arms, especially in rural areas.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: As Gov. Brian Kemp prepares to formally launch his bid for reelection later this week, his campaign sends a warning signal to those looking to challenge him. Also, a USDA report shows the extent to which black farmers struggle for help to keep their businesses alive.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Voting rights experts are continuing to assess the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in an Arizona voting case. Many believe their decision will further weaken federal laws designed to protect the rights of minority voters. What might that mean for the many challenges to Georgia’s new election law?
Friday on Political Rewind: As the July 4 holiday approaches, New York Times bestselling author Sebastian Junger joined us to reflect on the basic tenets of freedom in society.
In his new book, Freedom, Junger writes that throughout history, humans have always been drawn to two competing ideals; community and freedom.
