Thursday on Political Rewind: Los Angeles in the early 1970s was a glittering confluence of creative genius, which transformed American society as we know it. Journalist and cultural historian Ronald Brownstein documents this lively history in his new book, Rock Me on the Water: 1974 — The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics.
We speak with Brownstein about how 1974 would change the face of popular culture forever — and create works far ahead of the political status quo of the time.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: President Joe Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre in Oklahoma yesterday. What is being done to address those horrendous parts of our history — here in Georgia and across the country?
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Many of Georgia’s COVID-19 restrictions are now lifted. An executive order from Gov. Brian Kemp relaxed public health rules in many spaces including restaurants, bars, and child care facilities yesterday. And while the order attempts to discourage public schools from enforcing their own mask mandates, it falls short of a ban on local mask rules.
Friday on Political Rewind: House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) joined the show to discuss a recent visit with Republican leaders in Congress and speculation he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate in 2022. Ralston, a top leader of Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, said he was interested in the role representing Georgia in the U.S. Congress, but had not made a decision yet.
Thursday on Political Rewind: GOP legislative leaders have begun a series of hearings they say are designed to address the spike in violent crime in Atlanta. Also: Reports indicate that Georgia’s Newt Gingrich may work with former President Donald Trump on his campaign messaging leading up to the 2024 elections.
Wednesday on Political Rewind, Gov. Brian Kemp has issued an executive order banning state agencies and schools from requiring proof of vaccination against the coronavirus. Also, after days of silence, Republican leaders of the U.S. House have now issued stern criticisms of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s repeated statements comparing mask and vaccine rules to Nazi Germany’s vilification of Jews.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Change is coming to Stone Mountain Park after the board approved a series of plans to begin reframing the park’s glorification of the Lost Cause. We mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His death sent millions of Americans into the streets to march for racial justice and police accountability.
Today on Political Rewind: The board that oversees Stone Mountain Park meets today to hear proposals for how to reshape the story that for decades has celebrated the “Lost Cause” of the south. Also, a Superior Court judge has ordered yet another recount of 2020 presidential ballots in Fulton County.
Friday on Political Rewind: Is Georgia House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) considering a run for Senate in 2022? A meeting with Republican congressional leaders and recent social media posts about the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Raphael Warnock are leading some analysts to speculate Ralston might launch a challenge. Meanwhile, conservative leaders across Georgia are focusing their attention on a new issue: critical race theory in state curriculum. But is this a problem in search of a solution?
Thursday on Political Rewind: A bipartisan vote in the U.S. House approved the establishment of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The proposal was opposed by all of the Republican members of Georgia’s congressional delegation. Meanwhile, Gov. Brian Kemp launched his reelection campaign with a series of TV and newspapers interviews.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: It has been a difficult year. So there may be no more important time for all of us to talk about hard things. Fortunately, Anna Sale, host of the hugely popular podcast Death, Sex and Money, recently released a manual for how to have those conversations. Her book Let’s Talk About Hard Things is a distillation of what she’s learned in discussing the subjects so many of us prefer to avoid on her podcast for the past seven years.
Tuesday on Political Rewind: Following the latest CDC guidance, some 20 states have given the go-ahead for vaccinated people to go maskless. How are Georgia cities, counties and local businesses responding to the announcement?
Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has made it official — he will not seek reelection. Instead, he says he’ll work instead to build a Republican Party freed from Donald Trump’s lingering control.
Monday on Political Rewind: Federal unemployment benefits helped buoy Georgians through a difficult year of economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Gov. Brian Kemp and several Republican lawmakers across the country are moving towards ending the weekly checks for the unemployed in their respective states.
Friday on Political Rewind: A new documentary by two Georgia-born filmmakers, brothers Will and Jim Pattiz make the case that Carter was a visionary who promoted policies far ahead of their time; on racial justice, world peace, sustainable energy and much more.
Thursday on Political Rewind: In the midst of the pandemic that gripped the nation, two of the country’s greatest civil rights leaders died on the same day. One of them, Rep. John Lewis, was a man whose name was known around the world. The other was C.T. Vivian, whose courage and visionary leadership was only equaled by the humility he displayed by rarely seeking the spotlight. It is his story we’ll tell today.
