The Ron Show

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Welcome to the Ron Show - Atlanta's only progressive audio platform airing five days a week on AmericaOne Radio, M-F 9-10am. Host Ron Roberts covers Atlanta, metro Atlanta, Georgia and national politics from a pretty unique lens ... he's just your run-of-the-mill Georgia-born gay cat-dad liberal realtor & talk show host. Dime a dozen, right?

Ron Roberts


    • Oct 3, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
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    • 603 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Ron Show

    Civility - "a tool of fearful leaders" - won't save us.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 43:28


    There's an ask, since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, for a return to "civility" in our political discourse. I'm here to tell you that "civility" is a luxury for only the privileged, and it's more obvious now than ever. When Elon Musk is calling for the shuttering of the Southern Poverty Law Center and he and FBI director Kash Patel see the Anti-Defamation League as a hate group, they're looking to silence arbiters of bias and hatred instead of the amplifiers of bias and hatred. Does that warrant our "civility?"Sadly, the ADL caved! I mean, wasn't that Musk and Patel's intent? NewsNation host Chris Cuomo tried "civility" with Musk, and was told directly by Musk to "piss off." Is that "civility?"Roxanne Gay, New York Times contributing opinion writer - a bisexual black woman - says "civility is a fantasy." AJC op/ed writer David Plazas says "civility" isn't enough; that we need to show each other "mutual respect."So how does one respect people who pathologically lie to perpetuate a political movement hell-bent on the continuation of marginalizing an American majority to the benefit of the long-empowered white conservative patriarchy?

    Who caves in this shutdown is up to us: so which side gets our heat?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 45:25


    Go figure, a dysfunctional, MAGA-controlled federal government has ground to a halt; while there's a cynical explanation as to why the Trump White House and his Congressional bootlickers are okay with this, courtesy of 'Politics Girl' Leigh McGowan, a New York Times op/ed puts it plainly: "The American people deserve and ought to demand better options."I'm actually not so sure; the American people voted for this because "trans people!!!" But that's not to say we, the American people, can't continue to play a role in how things like federal government shutdowns play out. We can throw heat at either side (or even both), but one side has cooked up a whopper of a lie about undocumented immigrants and access to 'free healthcare,' and the other is fighting to keep health insurance rates affordable for working families. Former Trump OMB director Mick Mulvaney was cornered by Brian Tyler Cohen on this point and Mulvaney filibustered. House majority leader Mike Johnson, on CNN with Kaitlin Collins, also got corrected live on the air.Speaking of Mikey J., what's up with the latest ultimatum put on him regarding a Grindr history? Bernie Sanders gave his assessment and offered his terms: no loss of healthcare coverage for 15-20 million Americans, no steep increases in insurance rates, an end to the evisceration of NIH funding, and an end to our sprint towards authoritarian fascism. Obviously untenable to the MAGA GOP. ------Have ya heard the one about the drunk and the fat guy who dodged serving in the military brought hundreds of military brass to a lecture on fitness to serve? Donald Trump - about 44 minutes into his latest inane rant - suggested to those assembled military higher-ups that AMERICAN CITIES should be used as "training grounds" for National Guard troops. Oh, and permitted them to be physically violent with anyone who protests: "they spit, we hit."

    What happened to Bill Maher? Reviewing his 'Homan' humbling

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 44:29


    Admittedly, I've been a little distracted the last couple weeks, caring for an ailing cat and being a part of a caretaking team for a dear friend. Both passed away over the weekend so I'm just diving back into some things I've missed of late, one of them being the Tom Homan sit down on "Real Time With Bill Maher."On the one hand, I'm a little baffled by Maher's recent display of anti-wokeness, and on the other, he's an aging white cynical comedian who's no different than most straight white men in that they don't get the plight of the trans community and so like most straight white men, he craps on their right to exist in any measure of equality.That being said, he brags about his ability to pull Republican guests while complaining Democrats won't come on his show. I suppose Ro Khanna, Tim Ryan, Rahm Emanuel, Jon Tester, Josh Shapiro, Tina Smith, Al Gore, Adam Schiff, Seth Moulton, John Fetterman and Jason Crow (all from just this season!!!!) don't ring a bell. So in the last three weeks, he's sat with Ben Shapiro, Nancy Mace and Tom Homan. but he's clearly not proud of his sit-down with Homan. Having listened back to it and dissected it for today's show - I can hear why.

    Defending educators' 1st Amendment rights | Ruwa's running!

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 44:29


    Author ("Southern. Gay. Teacher." and "Gay Arab American and Middle Eastern Men") and former Fulton County educator Randy Fair joined the show today to share with me what prompted him to write an op/ed in the South Florida Sun Sentinel (paywall ... wah wahhh) defending teachers' free speech rights. I read the op/ed for the audience prior to the conversation, so you won't need to pay to read it.In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination, school systems throughout the country have been suspending and/or terminating educators for social media posts reacting to Kirk's passing. Fair believes this is an overstep. We also discussed what prompted him to write about Gay Arab American & Middle-Eastern Men for his latest book. ------ She's already shattered never-before crossed boundaries as Georgia's first-ever Palestinian-American lawmaker, and now, Rep. Ruwa Romman wants to be Georgia's first woman governor. She spent time with me to discuss what prompted her to run for the Democratic Party's nomination with an already-heavy ticket.

    'Haughty & arrogant' finger-wagging from moderates about progressive terminology is rich

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2025 44:30


    Atlanta Journal Constitution op/ed columnist Bill Torpy penned a piece in early September finger-wagging at progressives over word choice and his perceiving them to be 'haughty and arrogant,' owing to their 'moral superiority' as a reason the Democratic Party is losing elections and the voter registration game, lately. He cited the recently resigned CDC official Dr. Demetre Daskalakis' resignation letter and his use of the term "pregnant people" as an example. Third Way had a longer list, incidentally; a list I questioned. I don't dismiss what Torpy or Third Way is saying, in their entirety, but I find it a touch rich with irony that both take their own 'haughty & arrogant' or 'morally superior' high horse to call out the progressive wing of the party while ignoring the party - controlled by the establishment more to the center - being awful at messaging and in being as welcoming to progressive voters as they seem to be to "never Trump" Republicans.

    My conversation with a foul-mouthed Christian comic who's mad at some 'Christians'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 44:29


    Sterling Hill - aka "Sterling Thrill" - is a dear friend of mine. We go back to 2009 when he entered a contest to be a radio deejay and came in second place (though he eventually got the gig). Sterling and I not only worked together, we've been friends from the jump. One thing we once had in common was a comfortable ability to discuss our atheism. Here's the thing: Sterling found Jesus and has been a strong, passionate voice for Christianity ever since, some of it through his work as a standup comedian. The Jimmy Kimmel (temporary) cancellation, however, set him off in now-viral social media rants. I caught up with Sterling to discuss why his f-bomb laced tirade and subsequent conversations with his followers about that and what led him to be so angry are so important. It turns out we're both just angry and disappointed with a brand of Christianity - white nationalist Christianity - that's brainwashed millions of Americans sullying the work of their lord and savior.

    "Ah-see-two-morons" trashing acetaminophen | Kimmel's clapback

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2025 44:34


    Well, Georgia Democrats didn't snatch a state Senate seat from the GOP last night, despite their candidate - Debra Shigley - outpacing 2024 numbers, but liberals needn't dismay. Her 9-point improvement on 2024 results for her party bode well for 2026, and with the majority of the GOP seeming to be in no hurry to release the Epstein files and with the economy in malaise - and by MAGA's own admission not expecting to improve for a year or more - there should be optimism for Democrats.------Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Junior's attempt to pin autism on Tylenol - without evidence or study - is, I believe, a further decaying of trust in both by even those within their cult bubble. The Daily Show's Jordan Klepper summed up what Donnie and Bobby's case is built on and what the rest of us will have to rely on - our own research.It was nearly two weeks ago that the Georgia Recorder's Jay Bookman actually wrote on the 'alternate reality' RFK Jr. lives in while flexing policy changes within Health and Human Services. While Jay's piece focused mostly on vaccine hesitancy, in general, it holds up well, post-"acetaminophen-gate." He closes with this sobering assessment: "...all of us are living in their alternate reality. Now all of us are at risk when actual reality reasserts itself, as it always does eventually. We can't know what form that challenge will take, but we do know it will come, and the charlatans and conspiracy fools that we now have in charge will prove spectacularly unfit to meet it."------Jimmy Kimmel's return was funny, sharp, emotional and vastly more statesman-like than the thin-(orange) skinned target of his barbs could ever dream of. I scan over some of the highlights.

    Is Geoff Duncan's appeal 'electoral white flight?'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 44:29


    Geoff Duncan's entry into the Georgia Democratic Party's gubernatorial field for 2026 has drawn a lot ... of criticism, skeptics, and yes, some signs of support. Former Gwinnett County Democratic Party chair Bianca Keaton isn't having it. The founder and chief strategist at The Center of Mass, now a candidate consultant, likens Duncan's entry and those who support him to 'electoral white flight.'She joined me to elaborate.Also, joining me, fresh off his one-on-one with Duncan (I've sought that out, myself, to no avail yet) is Atlanta Voice editor-in-chief Donnell Suggs. Donnell also took his family to my favorite state park, by the way, and reviewed a new high-end lodge there. Fascinating!

    A high-profile run-up to the Tuesday Georgia run-off

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 44:29


    It's election day in Georgia's 21st Senate district and Democrat Debra Shigley has enjoyed a lot of support for her campaign to wrest a red-leaning suburban Atlanta enclave from the GOP.High-profile names like Senator Jon Ossoff, Representative Lucy McBath, former gubernatorial (at least we believe she's still 'just' a former candidate, for now) Stacey Abrams, DNC chair Ken Martin, current (Democrat and ...) gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan, one of his combatants in former Senator Jason Esteves ... the list is long and diverse, ideologically.I caught up with Debra Monday to discuss all of that and what's at stake and how the campaign has been affected by the national rift in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination.------Time for a postmortem of sorts on the would-be ascendency of one Fani Willis, embattled Fulton County District Attorney who allowed her personal life (as did Nathan Wade; let's not forget his role in this) to derail the biggest case in her career, and one that might've derailed a second Trump presidential campaign - and all that wound up bringing to this nation's doorstep since. It's not fair to blame her for his re-election, but it is fair to question her and Wade's inability to understand the moment was bigger than they were able to navigate professionally.

    Everything (almost) no one's talking about re: Tyler Robinson

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 44:29


    My roommate and I are pretty different people in a number of ways, not the least of which is his grasp of (and my indifference to) things like DragonCon, cosplay, online gameplay and social interaction outside of traditional social media. His interest in a lot of that, along with is being a regular listener of the LawFare podcast "Rational Security" lead him to recommending a recent episode: "The 'Ten Years, Still Off-Key' Edition." In that episode's first 20 minutes or so, host Scott R. Andeson and The Atlantic's Shane Harris discuss a key element to the Tyler Robinson / Charlie Kirk assassination story that almost no one is talking about: the connections between online radicalization and young men like Robinson who are behind many recent public acts of gun violence. The "too long/didn't listen" summation: everyone (left and right) seems eager to only make motivations about political ideology when online radicalization looms as a greater ingredient for the toxic stew that led to Kirk's assassination, along with other high profile cases Harris alludes to in this conversation.------That being said, it was an experience of my own - having dated a closeted Mormon man for more than a year about two decades ago - that provides some insight into why a Tyler Robinson - Mormon, conservative family, southwest Utah resident with something of a same-sex attraction - found himself to be something of a 'loner' drawn to acceptance in an online community in the first place. Also, I've learned a lot about what 'stochastic terrorism' is and it turns out I've been fumbling around, rhetorically about it in recent weeks not knowing there was even a term for it, but damned if it doesn't seem appropriate to discuss now, no?------That doesn't mean, however, the far-right talking heads like Scott Jennings and The Federalist's Brianna Lyman aren't still working hard to paint this narrative that Charlie Kirk's assassination and any social media celebration of it is somehow “representative of a large part of the left.” CNN's Abby Phillip, along with Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden, held that fire line in place ... for now.------An op/ed I somehow stumbled onto from Unfinished Man writer Sean Shopman warns of "The Deadly Trap Tyler Robinson Fell Into: What Every Young Man Needs to Learn Before It's Too Late." I found it profound and share-worthy. ------Finally, the sudden and quizzical shelving of Jimmy Kimmel from ABC -TV late night is both mystifying (his statement Monday was factual and frankly, he's had sharper takes ...) and alarming for free speech in a tense era. It's why I believe now, more than ever, if the American experiment is going to survive this dark chapter, we're going to need independent journalists to guide us.

    Rural GA's 'FAFO' on labor/delivery options | A sociologist's take on America, post-Kirk assassination

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 44:29


    A Lavonia, Georgia hospital getting out of the 'labor and delivery' business leaves four counties and those pregnant living in them an hour or more away from a still-functioning L&D facility. This is largely the result of Medicaid funding cuts (and I'd argue, Georgia never accepting Medicaid expansion funding since 2010). This is where I mention all four counties going overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024, 2020 and 2016. This doesn't occur in a "statewide race" vacuum, either. Democrats are being wooed now by a gubernatorial candidate who hopes to represent them that once represented the GOP and championed rebuffing Medicaid expansion and stood alongside Governor Brian Kemp as he signed the current six-week abortion ban into place. That doesn't prevent Patricia Murphy of the AJC from scribing an op/ed that perhaps Duncan is what the Georgia Democratic Party needs to win. ------Former South Carolina Congressional candidate, retired sociology professor and author Mal Hyman joined me days ago to discuss the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination and what it says about discourse in our country, and the intimidatory effect of MAGA on weak-spined Republicans that we ALL need to stiffen their spines and re-take their party from. We also discuss Charlie Kirk having more influence on college campuses than professors were ever allowed to.

    Giving voice to the trans community | Who is Duncan running for?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2025 44:30


    Chanel Haley, deputy executive director at Georgia Equality, is frankly one of the lucky few in the trans community. Despite the long odds for navigating adolescence, coming out, transitioning and finding her way towards earning an education and occupational success, Chanel still faced bias and oppression along the way.She joined me today to weigh in on casually-made anti-trans statements made the Sunday before Charlie Kirk's assassination by two conservative pundits on FOX-5 / WAGA-TV's "The Georgia Gang" Sunday, September 7th. Naturally, we had plenty to discuss involving Charlie Kirk's alleged killer and his alleged association with a trans roommate and/or partner, too. ------Geoff Duncan officially announced he's running for governor as a Democrat, despite having just BECOME a Democrat. Unsure what voting bloc he's aiming for or what his perceived pathway to victory is, so I asked political strategist Andrew Heaton with Sagamore Hill Consulting to join me to weigh in, too.

    Social media not 'cancer;' the hate it spreads is

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 44:32


    On Sunday's 'Meet the Press,' Utah governor Spencer Cox likened social media to a 'cancer' on society, putting a lot of blame on social networking for gun deaths in the U.S. Listen, I know the inherent ills social media can deliver with swiftness, but he's focusing on the "circulatory system" delivering the tumors (bigotry, homophobia, misogyny, racism) and not the hatred itself. That troubles me.The right's reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk embodies an attempt to pin blame on everyone and every movement other than their own, when the alleged assassin lived in a conservative household in a conservative state, was raised a Mormon and well-versed in and surrounded by a variety of guns. Somehow one failed semester away at college and one roommate / potential romantic partner radicalized him, we're to believe. Now there's this movement to deify Kirk and liken him to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy as victims of free speech who gave voice to truth. However, also on Sunday, Reve. Howard John Wesley at D.C.'s Alfred Street Baptist Church gave a sermon that offered a sobering assessment of the assassinated right wing lynchpin Charlie Kirk: "how you die does not redeem how you live," said Rev. Wesley.

    A Nick Fuentes 'groyper' meets Eric Erickson's unmitigated gall

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 44:30


    Wednesday night, from the Oval Office, we were told "the left" is the source of all that's poisonous in our political discourse, ironically by one of the most venomous vitriolic pursed lips in American political history. Fast-forward to today when we awaken to those lips flapping on 'Fox & Friends' to reveal that "we have him," the shooting suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination. What's noteworthy about that visit to the curved couch was when he had the audacity to say “the radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime. They don't want to see crime. They're saying: We don't want these people coming in; we don't want you burning our shopping centers; we don't want you shooting our people in the middle of the street."Sure, hindsight's 20/20, but so is collected data that shows alt-right white nationalism far and away leads all participants when it comes to political violence, but hey, he couldn't have known the suspect - Tyler Robinson - was allegedly a Nick Fuentes fanatic, aka a "groyper." Yeah, the same Nick Fuentes Donald dined with. Derp. More on that ⁠HERE⁠ and ⁠HERE⁠. Not to be outdone, however, in the "tasting of shoe leather" competition is one Eric Erickson, the Omaha steak-hawking right wing radio provocateur who inherited many of his affiliates from the Rush Limbaugh I believed that sparked the ratcheting up of divisive and dangerous political rhetoric in this country. Eric penned an op/ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that hinted at "one side-ism," but had a markedly less partisan tone than his YouTube and in-show screed where he relentlessly finger-wagged at "the left" for it needing to police its own.Again, though, he popped off before the savvy folks on X who know a thing or two about Fuentes' groyper movement and had the ability to read into the subtle messaging on shell casings to connect the dots.

    What Kirk's assassination + our reaction says about him and our country

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 44:28


    Charlie Kirk was a lightning rod ... of energy for the conservative base at the younger demographic the GOP sorely needed help with ... of controversy for those he targeted with his rhetoric ... and now, his assassination has exposed deep rifts within our society, empathetically, morally, politically and religiously.I, myself, didn't have a cogent response to share with anyone - for hours Wednesday afternoon. What I knew before he was killed hasn't changed much: he was anti-gay, vehemently anti-trans, some might argue antisemitic and made several insulting statements about black people (does that make him a racist or was he just tone deaf? I'll let others decide).I found myself watching as those on the right hailed him as being a wonderful young man (to whom?) and devout Christian (but is Christianity comfortable with his representation of their faith, with his rhetoric?) while the rest of the American spectrum mostly coalesced around the prevailing thought: no one should lose their life exercising their First Amendment right.Now, for me, it's ironic this occurred in Utah, an open carry haven where someone with a hunting rifle visible in their vehicle on the college campus parking lot elicits no reaction. Charlie did, infamously say "I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights."Then there's this: how he was assassinated and that no suspect has been found gives me reason to suspect an outside influence.

    Black women suffer most in Trump's economic swoon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 44:31


    CNN's Victor Blackwell hosted a panel last week to discuss the canary in the coal mine - a notable rise in unemployment among not only black Americans, but black women. On that panel: Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown, former GOP Georgia Senate candidate Stephanie Donegan, and Capital B national editor Dalila Paul. First, let's applaud that CNN fielded an all-black and female panel to discuss an issue impacting black women. You'd think it obvious to do that, but cable TV news isn't usually good at that.Still it was Donegan, the former GOP candidate, who leaned into tropes like 'affirmative action' and 'DEI' placing black women in positions, saying "ultimately a lot of the hiring, I feel that's happened within the federal government, was to check boxes for DEI."Notice she said "I feel ...;" not that she had evidence or data. Just "I feel ..."On with me to discuss her remarks and all the negative impacts of the second Trump presidency impacting black women is - yay me! - a black woman. Shavonda Miles is CEO at Vona Monet Consulting, in Atlanta. ------I'm beyond excited that Texas state House Representative James Talarico has announced his Senate run, but first Texas Democrats will have to decide between he and Collin Allred, someone else I'm a huge fan of. A shame we can't have both (yet, anyway) represent that state but hear Talarico's message and tell me it doesn't give you goosebumps (or 'white Obama' vibes). ------Georgian Lisa Cook's seat on the Fed Board is still hers, according to a federal judge. That stability, along with already-lowering mortgage rates should mean good news next week for the housing market, despite the slowing economy. ------The ICE raid on the southeast Georgia Hyundai Metaplant has put strains on US-South Korean and Georgia-South Korean relations, and Korean-Americans here are deeply concerned, themselves. ------Lastly, Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't excited about any of the GOP candidates running for Governor here or the US Senate seat now occupied by Jon Ossoff - mostly because she isn't one of the candidates (my opinion), but is this a sign of weakness on the cohesiveness on the right?

    ICE raid exposes US & GOP shortcomings on immigration policy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 44:30


    All the work (to his credit!) that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has done to make Georgia a green energy and electric vehicle manufacturing hub are slowly being undone by Trump 2.0 white nationalist tendencies. The recent Hyundai raid in southeast Georgia performed by ICE was launched to snag Latin American migrant workers but also - oops - ensnared Korean and Japanese visa waiver employees, putting strain on U.S.-Korean and Georgia-Korean relations. It also creates an unnecessary impediment towards completing the construction of the plant soon to hire 8000 Georgians. You know ICE wasn't prepared to deal with Koreans when you realize they had not one Korean interpreter among them.But here's the thing: among the few dozen Hispanic construction workers that were swept up, some may have legal status and the others appear to be hires of quickly-popped up LLCs who appeared days before or after the announcement of the plant's construction, leaving local contractors receiving far less of the economic impact they were expecting. Through it all, though, the currency of choice for Trump 2.0 - fear and intimidation - has people here legally, as well, cowering. ------Brad Raffensperger hasn't announced what his 2026 political aspirations are, but his former chief operating officer - Gabriel Sterling - has. So far, no Democrat has announced their intention to seek the office of Secretary of State as Sterling and two other Democrats have, and it's my view that it may not matter if the party fielded a candidate at all but someone needs to step up quickly and start making the case. Raffensperger, meanwhile, has made it clear he's running for something, that "something" likely the governor's office, which presents an interesting and tantalizing opportunity for Democrats to cross lines and vote for the far lesser of the batch of evils in the GOP gubernatorial race - if Democrats manage to have a clear favorite by primary election day.-------The decision by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to shutter its print operations by the end of the year is unsurprising, but has me concerned about access for the poor, but also got me to talking about the trajectory even radio is headed towards - which might not necessarily be a bad thing given talk radio being mostly gripped by right wing extremism. Indulge me, if you will, while I also take the opportunity to tout what this show does and plans for the station it airs on out of Atlanta.

    Local TV pundits spew anti-trans rhetoric without pushback - until now

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2025 44:27


    Atlanta's Sunday TV talk diet includes one local program - WAGA-TV/ Fox 's "The Georgia Gang." I watch it occasionally and happened to have some time Sunday to catch the most recent episode, and I'm furious but glad I caught it.Two pundits - Phil Kent and Martha Zoller - notably the right-wing participants, spewed anti-trans swipes, which I suppose should be unsurprising. That they did so with zero pushback from the show's moderator or the two left-wing participants, however, is disappointing. The pundits zeroed in on the prior week's Senate subcommittee skewering of Trump HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kent whined that Warnock was "rude" and wandered into an attack on Dr. Demetre Daskalakis (without citing him by name), labeling him a "trans promoter," (I suppose) simply because he used the term "pregnant people" and offered his pronouns of preference in his now-infamous resignation letter. Listening to he and Martha Zoller fumble around in an anti-science uproar over CDC pandemic strategy "in the moment" and current vaccination conversations is cringy enough, but weaving in anti-trans swipes is just beyond the pale repugnant, and it's time someone called it out. So I did.Later in the show, the conversation of school shootings came up, what with the one-year anniversary of the Apalachee High School shooting and the recent Minneapolis catholic school shooting. Zoller, citing a "series" (it's two, lady - nowhere near the leading number of heterosexual white men who've victimized hundreds over the years) of incidents involving trans shooters, leaned into the mental health aspect. "...DSM 5 (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) took that out as a mental health problem but clearly there's a mental health problem there," she said. She almost gets it. Gender dysphoria isn't a "mental illness," in the latest DSM. She's right. However, as the Philadelphia Mental Health Center points out , "gender dysphoria is listed as a mental health diagnosis, but it is not considered a “mental illness” in the traditional sense," continuing "gender dysphoria is not seen as a pathological condition. The focus of treatment is not to “cure” someone of their gender identity but to alleviate the distress they experience due to societal pressures or physical incongruence."In other words, bigots like Kent and Zoller are a driving reason trans people seek mental health treatment; the dysphoria isn't something needed to be treated as a mental health condition.Bloop.------The ICE raid on the southeast Georgia manufacturing plant was meant to be a use of fear and intimidation aimed at Hispanic people working in construction, but hundreds of South Korean nationals were swept up (without any Korean-speaking ICE officials - which tells you ICE wasn't prepping to take them). So says Dustin Baxter with the Kuck Baxter Law Firm, an Atlanta-based immigration firm. He joined me to discuss. The "visa waiver" program was the likely channel the temporary guests from South Korea were here under the guise of, but this is just another situation where it is painfully obvious American immigration laws are woefully inadequate for modern needs.

    Warnock to RFK: "You are a hazard to the health of the American people.”

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2025 44:29


    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was summoned to a Senate finance subcommittee hearing and was met with bipartisan skewering. The most notable moments being RFK being cornered into explaining his anti-vax actions as head of HHS while also glomming on about his boss' (Donald Trump) "Operation Warp Speed" by GOP Senator Bill Cassidy, and Rev. Senator Raphael Warnock flatly stating that he is "a hazard to the health of the American people." It isn't just the man in the office; it's the entire "anti-vaccine" movement that has Florida's surgeon general pursuing an end to vaccine mandates for public schools in that state. Next family trip to Disney or Universal, imagine the kids around yours in line for those rides and guess if they're vaccinated. Might you be reconsidering taking that trip? ------The Trump 2.0 presidency isn't just doggedly stupid on public health, but Don's persistence on triggering trade wars has the American economy teetering towards recession if the latest jobs reports are any indication. Odd that an account I cited (Investq) was suspended by the X platform, by the way. They cited various uncertainties, including disruption of the labor market - as might happen when ICE is raiding a Hyundai plant in southeast Georgia. ------The new wrinkle in the Epstein saga comes from a DOJ staffer telling a woman on a first date (wow, what a flex) that his agency is working feverishly to redact/remove Republicans from the Epstein files while leaving Democrats exposed. Meanwhile, Marjorie Taylor Greene is being praised from the likes of Democratic House Rep. Ro Khanna and AJC op/ed writer/reporter Patricia Murphy for remaining dogged in her pursuit of the files' relesae.

    Debra's not done: my chat with Georgia's 2025 candidate 'that could'

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 44:30


    She out-performed Kamala Harris by 13 points and the last candidate to try to win her state Senate district in November by ten percentage points, too. That could be a harbinger of things to come in 2026 (quick, Donald; get on the phone to Kemp to work on those maps!) but it also speaks to candidate quality as voters came out for Debra Shigley in the special election to fill the 21st Senate district seat vacated by Brandon Beach. It isn't just about what the voters did, though; it's about the small army of young and energetic campaigners she drew in with her magnetic personality and go-get-em tenacity.Debra and i caught up to discuss that and the still-monumental task of winning the run-off next month. We also took right to her opponent's website to combat his six big policy points. She handled 'em all like a champ.------There's an effort afoot, on the right, to question the trans medical process. 'Fox & Friends' host Brian Kilmeade tried it out on RFK Jr. who, to his (rare) credit, opted not to the take the bait. While Kilmeade - after two mass shootings triggered by trans murderers - wants to 'study' if trans medical treatment is a source of concern, he didn't bring up the leading batch of culprits - white supremacists - let alone champion further study there. Interesting, no?

    Election deniers are taking over | the CDC's "red wedding" night

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 44:29


    How WILD is it that Fulton County's elected commissioners are being compelled - by force - to vote a certain way (why do they have a role at all if merely ceremonial?) in seating election-deniers to that county's elections board? Well, that's what a Brian Kemp-appointed judge decided earlier this week. Here we are, with Fulton County Republican clowns offering up only two appointees - both election-deniers - for Fulton commissioners to (uh) "choose" from. ------If that erosion of democratic norms and liberties isn't enough, now the same party that loathes "government overreach" from the federal bureaucracy is sending word from on high (DOT Secretary Sean Duffy) that (checks notes) rainbow crosswalks have to go "because safety." Atlanta officials say theirs are here to stay, and there's ample reason to believe they're actually good for pedestrian safety, but whatever, "woke libs!" Florida's crosswalks face a less certain fate. ------Meanwhile, the Wednesday night CDC "red wedding" would be an utter embarrassment to RFK Jr. and the Trump White House if they had any self-awareness in the first place. First, they fired that just-appointed CDC director THEY signed off on; an appointee who'd just weeks ago been voted in by the Senate. She refused to step down so naturally, Donnie J. had to take to Truth Social to make it official. LOL That's where we are now, as a country. Then, Atlanta-based Dr. Demetre Daskalakis penned a resignation letter he posted to the X platform, excoriating the "intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies ..."Just another day to be embarrassed as an American to be led by such buffonishness while our health and wellness guardrails continue to be dismantled.

    Voters signal a shift to the left in Iowa, Georgia

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 44:27


    In Iowa, ⁠Democrats flipped a second legislative seat to wrest a supermajority from the GOP⁠, last night, and in Georgia, Democrat Debra Shigley paced 13 points better than Kamala Harris and ten points better than the last state Senate candidate in her district in ⁠earning a spot in the late September run-off⁠ to fill Brandon Beach's vacated seat. On today to discuss those eye-popping returns, along with poor polling for Trump and the GOP on immigration, the economy and the state-by-state gerrymandering shenanigans is Atlanta-based political consultant Andrew Heaton.

    Did a woman win a Georgia state Senate seat on Women's Equality Day for Dems?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 43:28


    Today in Georgia, a state Senate vacated when Brandon Beach took a Treasury job with the Trump administration was up for grabs in a "jungle primary" election. In this scenario, there were six Republicans and one lone Democrat vying for the seat. Naturally if one standalone candidate were to have secured 50%-plus turnout, the seat would go to them.Could that lone Democrat - Debra Shigley - flip the district? Melita Easters - executive director at the Georgia WIN List - thinks the work's been put in for it to happen. She joined me today to discuss this race, plus to commemorate Women's Equality Day (such as it is in these tumultuous times for women) .As of publishing, Shigley was well ahead of the GOP pack with 46.2% of the vote, but not clearing 50% will necessitate a run-off. Still, outpacing her party's last nominee for the district by 17% from just last November could be a harbinger of things to come. ------Melita and I also covered the President's overreach in firing a Federal Board governor with Georgia ties - Lisa Cook.------Donald Trump seems hell-bent on ramming armed National Guard troops into "blue" cities like D.C., New York, Chicago and Oakland, but would Atlanta be a target for this sort of activity, too?Riley Bunch at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution posed the question, but my hunch is a quick "no" for a reason she didn't really cover, though she gave many valid reasons it is or isn't likely to occur.

    The Cobb County cartoon squabble

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 44:30


    An anonymous AI-skilled cartoonist (allegedly) sent a Cobb County defense attorney this 16-page comic - depicting newly elected district attorney Sonya Allen as a clown. That elicited a response from Cobb County Democratic Party chair Essence Johnson, labeling the comic "Jim Crow–era propaganda once used to diminish Black leadership."For some reason, the Cobb GOP chair, Mary Clarice Hathaway, decided to jump in with a long list of easily refutable nonsense. Essence Johnson joined the show to explain what on Earth this back-and-forth squabble is about. You should note, however, Megan Webb Grout is out with a new uh, "donated" cartoon "sent" to her (anonymously, of course) where said cartoonist at least dialed back the clown caricaturizing.

    From Fulton County to Georgia & beyond: Democrats & 'Fair Fight' are drawing a line

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 44:30


    We're at the "elected local officials could be jailed for their votes" portion of the slow-roll to full-on MAGA authoritarianism in the United States. Fulton County Democrats are refusing to seat two election denier Republican nominees to its election board, with the county and state GOP now seeking legal recourse which could include fines and jail time for commissioners who keep voting to refuse seating those nominees. They're not refusing to seat Republicans, period; just these two, particular (as Fair Fight calls them) 'conspiracy theorists.' Joining me to discuss are Fulton County district three commissioner Dana Barrett - who's seeking to unseat commission chair Rob Pitts - and Fair Fight's Max Flugrath. Max and I further discuss Fair Fight's activism for voters being disenfranchised by mass voter purges occurring right now; purges that disproportionately affect voters of color. ------In Florida, that state's transportation department cowering to Trump transportation secretary Sean Duffy's anti-gay, anti-woke screed to whitewash rainbow crosswalks and other street messaging from America's roads, took all the color out of the Pulse Nightclub crosswalk memorial.Because the cruelty is the point. It isn't speaking to "all lives matter," for sure.

    Chamber campaign schmoozing, Vance's visit, GA's wrong-way energy policy & more

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 44:29


    Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga) addressed the Georgia Chamber of Commerce while many of the GOP hopefuls seeking to oust him in 2026 were working the room. Also working the room - Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who hasn't said what office (if any) he'll be running for soon.But he was in the room schmoozing, so of course he's running for something. The question is: is there an avenue for him to win the GOP nomination in either the Senate or gubernatorial primary? I, for one, have my doubts. ------Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance swooped into metro Atlanta to tout the highly unpopular "Big Beautiful Bill" that was signed into law last month. He steered clear of going anywhere near projects unfunded by that same bill, like the $65 million for the south metro Flint River Gateway Trails. ------Speaking of environmental impact, Georgia's going the wrong direction (and that'll be exacerbated by Trump-led green energy rollbacks), and consumers will pay the brunt for that, according to Patty Durand, founder of Georgians for Affordable Energy. ------Texas moved forward with their use of "gerrymandering on request" to appease the unpopular President, Donald Trump. He's trying to fend off a midterm turnover of the U.S. House. California, in turn, is aiming to undo what Texas does, and their state Supreme Court signed off on it. What's rich is, House Speaker Mike Johnson wants California to stick to using independent redistricting commissions (just California, though; no word on seeing red states embrace this concept, of course) when he's the shining example of an unchallenged politician benefiting from gerrymandering in his home state. Brilliant takedown by David Pepper on X. ------Jamie Dupree wrote an op/ed for the Atlanta Journal Constitution spotlighting what appears to be the first Democratic-drafted plan to provide an alternative to "Project 2025" that Dupree believes most Americans could get behind. Ohio Democratic House member Greg Landsman has penned a ten-point plan that lays that path out.

    The tool of intimidation: keeping Georgia colleges "in line" with Trump regime

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 45:30


    Listen, I'm all for prospective students and parents having some insight into a college course syllabus but the general public? The University System of Georgia is arming MAGA's "anti-D.E.I." and "anti-woke" cult with access to professors' course outlines, and those professors believe they'll face harassment - or worse - because of it. Even worse, the USG is leaning on member schools to erase sexual orientation and gender identity from non-discrimination policies. The question is "why?" ------Wild how slow Georgia Republican legislators are to respond to mass shootings and safe gun storage options, but swift to work on drafting bills to erase the state income tax and put a heavier burden on the poor and working class for the state's fiscal solvency. They're already propping up committee hearings with the intent to do just that. Jay Bookman from the Georgia Recorder joined me a couple weeks back to discuss this fiscal nightmare, incidentally. A worthy re-visit while we're on this subject.

    The future of this show & its anchor station + the theft of your voting rights in plain sight

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 42:29


    I've hosted this show - for what is just six weeks shy of three years - on AmericaOne Radio. To let you behind the curtain a little, I and its owner wanted to be candid about its current and future.In essence, Jeremy reached out to me last week to tell me he was going to close up shop. AmericaOne has been a labor of love/passion for Jeremy and less about making money. In fact, it's cost him. For that reason and with the general fatigue many are feeling after last November, and because he has a full-time job and other ventures he'd like to focus on, AmericaOne is likely to disappear.Sort of. There's the potential for new ownership and that may bring changes - but good changes - to the outlet. So much is up in the air, but I felt it right to let AOR's and TRS's listeners know everything that's on the table. With that, onto show material:The open theft of our right to cast votes for 'regime change'Donald Trump knows enough about U.S. history to know Presidents and their party usually lose the House in the next election cycle, and both his and generic polls show that to be likely in 2026, as well. To offset that possibility, of course, he and Vice President J.D. Vance are working the phones and executive branch airline budget to get red states to mid-decade gerrymander. MAGA memes, of course, misinform their voting bloc howling indignation at states like Delaware and Vermont gerrymander (when in fact, they have only one House seat), adding in states like Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, which have two. Uhm, how do you afford House representation to 40% of those states fairly with only two House seats, math wizzes? Context is everything, and that's what I'm here. Hi, Democrats; this is where you bring up (as Texas Rep. James Talarico has) that no Republican voted with Democrats on a House measure to make gerrymandering illegal and that the Trump-packed Supreme Court didn't address it when it could, either. Or, that uncapping The House, by the way would address their howling about these smaller blue states lacking representation for those poor-poor minorities of Republicans. That, incidentally, contributes to fixing the Electoral College, SO USE THIS MOMENT TO DO SOMETHING.Now, Trump wants to eliminate mail-in voting (the Constitution prohibits him from doing so but when's that stopped him, before?) It's par for the course, though: Republicans are all about making it more difficult for law-abiding legal voters to vote. High turnouts almost always mean "GOP losses." So they have to suppress. Even 'hero' Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia Secretary of State who stood up to Trump in 2020, whiffed when given the chance to speak against Trump's latest attempt to rig voting. Patricia Murphy at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, however, wrote, that there's a movement afoot to make it as easy to vote as it is to order your lunch on Door Dash. That's right: using your mobile device. Murphy informs that The Mobile Voting Project's Bradley Tusk's recent TED Talk illuminates the argument for what would be a massive expansion of voter participation opportunity. We can predict where the pushback will come from, though, right?

    No love for RFK at CDC or Emory; Ruwa's ruminating & Duncan's deliberating

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 44:59


    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visiting the Centers for Disease Control campus while himself being a leading voice in the vaccine skepticism that poisoned the mind of the alleged assassin at the center of Friday's deadly assault aimed at CDC buildings is quite something. At least he's acknowledged it - unlike the President or the White House at all.While here, though, RFK Jr. could've swung by Emory University to offer his apologies for pulling funding for mRNA vaccine research, but of course, he didn't. "“I don't think I've seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,” said Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations."------Upon further review, I have to admit I came away from my interview with 2026 gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves a little unfulfilled - mostly with my questioning. He did nothing wrong; I just didn't spend the time I had wisely enough. I'm pretty high on him for reasons other than policy, but he's said nothing policy-wise to sour me, either. Here's the thing: there are those who believe he doesn't definitively say much of substance at all. That has at least one Georgia progressive considering a run for the party's nomination - friend of the show, state Representative Ruwa Romman. She and I texted back & forth a bit yesterday and while I'll keep most of that between us, she didn't deny having interest. ------One reason a progressive like Romman is dissatisfied with the field might be the potential that former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan is openly considering joining it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: ya just joined the congregation, Geoff. What makes you think you should already be a deacon?

    Antivax rhetoric triggers CDC shooting | Jason Esteves checks in

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2025 44:30


    Friday afternoon in Atlanta became chaotic, with ambulances and emergency vehicles all screaming and racing their way to the campus of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Those personnel from multiple jurisdictions arriving to the scene of a lone, mentally unstable gunman carrying a grudge triggered by vaccine skepticism - the kind Trump's Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been stoking for a decade or more. On that note, current and former CDC staffers didn't hold back with their assessment of said rhetoric. Nor did Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist Bill Torpey. Former CDC senior health policy analyst Jason Cecil joined me for insights.------Hours before that chaos, state senator Jason Esteves gave me 25 minutes or so of his time on the campaign trail to see how his campaign's doing, what he's learned about the state that he might not have known before, what are some big and/or pressing issues he'd like to address if elected, and more.

    Texas Dems hold the line to keep the nation from fraying under Trump

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2025 43:29


    I've said for a few days now that Donald Trump's goading of Texas to "find" five new safely GOP congressional seats in a highly unusual mid-decade gerrymander could spark something akin to a civil war. Perhaps not a literal "military" rift between red and blue states, but a fraying of the threads that keep them "united" as a nation. Well, it turns out I'm not the only one who thinks that. Bloomberg's Ronald Brownstein sees what I see, too: blue states matching what Texas does to counter-act their stifling of "we, the people's" ability to elect representation vs letting the representation choose us. Where does that lead us as a nation? It's ominous to consider, and more importantly, it's anti-democratic. Perhaps the silver lining in all of this is that Texas' egregious actions could be what finally convinces enough Americans and House members to pursue making gerrymandering illegal - no matter the state doing it. Texas state representative James Talarico - I think of him as "white Obama" - is a pastor, former teacher and rising star in the Democratic Party. He's everything scumbags like Ted Cruz isn't: courageous, decent and lives his morals and values. He's among the handful of Democrats refusing to give Governor Greg Abbott the legislative quorum required to pass the Trump-ordered gerrymander. Do keep an eye on him if you aren't already. Meanwhile, Donald Trump thinks he has the power to have the Commerce Department "re-do" the 2020 census to remove undocumented people from the count. Never mind the unconstitutional nature of the order (buy when's that stopped him before?) but say he does it: doesn't that also mean Texas loses three U.S. House seats when 2.1 million immigrants aren't counted? Derp. ------Closer to home, Georgia's still fighting the Civil War in a court battle with the Sons of the Confederacy. You see, Stone Mountain Park, just outside Atlanta - the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan - had long been a magnet glorifying the Confederacy. After civil rights protests in 2020, the state drew down a lot of that, and the SOCVs are throwing a judicial hissy. Here again, a Kemp-led Georgia (a broke clock being right occasionally) steered from pandering to Confederate fetishists, and Trump's recent emboldening of said fetishism has them itching for a fight. ------Lastly - and this is rich - Georgia attorney general Chris Carr is howling like a scalded dog because his 2026 GOP gubernatorial combatant (Burt Jones) has the benefit of a state law giving him cover to fundraise using a "leadership committee" only state legislators or governors or lieutenant governors can use prior to winning party primaries. Here's the funny part: AG Carr has been defending the law that created that unfair advantage in court since it became law. Also, a Republican whining about there being "too much money" in campaigns when his party's done everything they could to let as much big money sicken the process for decades.

    So what kind of Democrat IS Geoff Duncan? & why is Megyn Kelly coming for Beyonce?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025 44:29


    Okay, cool; former Republican Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan is a Democrat, and while he's (supposedly) "fielding calls" to run for office, he's not saying he has any interest in doing so.To that I say "good." You just sat in the pew; no sense aiming to be a deacon just yet. If does decide to run, however, there are quite a few questions Democratic activists and voters sour on his role in the state of affairs in Georgia now would like to ask him. I shared a few in-show today. Former Georgia Democratic Party chair Steve Anthony also sought to remind Duncan and AJC readers how Georgia became "the" southern state that rose from the southern mire when under Democratic control. ------Former Dekalb County CEO Mike Thurmond had a busy "day one" in his quest to be the Democratic Party nominee for Georgia's governor's race in 2026, which included three social media posts: the campaign video rollout, an offer of prayers to yesterday's Fort Stewart shooting victims and his end-of-day video. It's the middle one that bothers me most. Not because he offered prayers and well-wishes, obviously, but because he hasn't posted a SINGLE thing on that same professional Facebook account since June of 2023. Why is there no offer of prayers for Apalachee High School shooting victims from last September? If the answer is "he wasn't campaigning then," then that's my problem. ------AJC columnist Bill Torpy penned a piece about the curious case of a Georgia coach's son handpicked to be a Senate candidate by that state's governor. Is this about a famous daddy's prodigal son or about Brian Kemp not trying to concede that Donald Trump is his daddy? Lots to unpack.------Lastly, what IS the deal with Megyn Kelly and people of color if - as she insists - she's not a white supremacist? The "Santa is white" lady - for some reason - felt the need to compare the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle "genes/jeans" campaign to Beyonce's newer Levi's jeans 90-second motif. My two cents? I'm indifferent to the Sweeney ad but it felt kind of lazy - a riff on Brooke Sheild's iconic Calvin Klein ad from my childhood but I rather enjoyed Beyonce's episode. It's like a "short story," and ... I don't know ... was entertaining. Megyn, however? She opined that something about Beyonce's "look below" was ... "bought and paid for." You know, "artificial, fake, enhanced."First, kinda gross a woman is making accusations like that, but when it's the tighter-faced Megyn Kelly, it's even richer. Also, does Meg not know Beyonce just wrapped a global world tour where those legs and glutes put in a hell of a workout for 3-5 nights a week for many months? Ma'am; that ain't "artificial." It's hard work. Clearly Megyn Kelly doesn't recognize it.

    Jay Bookman and I: on Thurmond, Burt, Stacey, Marge & more

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2025 44:28


    Last week, Georgia Recorder columnist Jay Bookman wrote a well-measured op/ed asking why Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones looks to Florida and Tennessee for ideas on tax & economic policy when Georgia is already superior to them? Answer: to put an even greater tax burden on the working class by eliminating the state income tax. He and I caught up to go over that, the newest entry into the 2026 governors' race, Mike Thurmond, the shape of the field as it stands now, plus Marjorie Taylor Greene's recent "boys' club" frustrations . I shared with him a theory about her that worries me: her 2026 frustrations leading to a 2028 White House run, where MAGA voters may look favorably on her moreso than J.D. Vance and ... well, we know what happened the last time a mouthy idiot stood on the GOP presidential primary dais for the first time.I also wondered if he felt (as I do) that Trump triggering Texas to gerrymander (even more!) could lead to a very-real fracturing of the country the likes of which we haven't seen since the 1860s.

    Dooley's in the game and Duncan's in the party

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 44:29


    Former college football coach and son of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley, Derek Dooley has put himself in "the game," so to speak. He's among the three prominent names seeking the GOP nomination to try and unseat Senator Jon Ossoff in 2026. The delicate balance he's trying to seek - being Kemp-anointed but kowtowing to Trump fanatics simultaneously will be an interesting tightrope walk for him, and already his two combatants are taking aim at his being largely absent, politically until now. ------Meanwhile, former GOP Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan has gone from leaving the GOP to now fully embracing his entry into the Democratic Party. I'd been inhospitable to him doing this, instead imploring he and those like him to go wrest the GOP from MAGA and save this country in the process, but I've softened my tone and thrown out the welcoome mat - with caveats.

    MAGA town suffers from Trump 2.0 & Collins' chief of staff is hot for nepotism

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025 45:29


    Not in chronological order as you (I hope) listen along, but the LEAD story for this chapter is and should be this:New Georgia US Senate hopeful Mike Collins' chief-of-staff - the dog-kicking Brandon Phillips - also seems to have a nepotism problemL namely that he hired & paid his girlfriend for work she allagedly never did. If that's not bad enough, he fired the whistleblower. On Collins' watch. So uh, all those Georgia Republicans bucking Brian Kemp's endorsement-in-waiting for Derek Dooley siding with Mike Collins ... what will become of them?------David Eichenthal has worked in - and with - state and local governments for more than thirty years, including in New York City and Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he now lives. Eichenthal recently worked with the Domestic Policy Council and the Treasury Department in the Joe Biden administration, and penned an op/ed in Friday's AJC bemoaning Democrats' looking to build a "Project 2029" and not addressing "left behind" Americans in "left behind" communities - you know, "drive through" counties and "flyover country" locales I've long said Demcorats have to at least try to campaign in to win.Something about it reminded me of the 'scanda' Jane Fonda found herself in, here in Georgia, in the late 1990s when she likened parts of the state to a 'third world' country. I've traveled all over this state and she wasn't wrong then and wouldn't be wrong now, but she backtracked. Anyhow, while miffing the very people who feel "left behind" in making such a statement, at least she paid attention to them. Something Eichenthal (and I) note, Democrats haven't done enough of.MAGA is literally HANDING Democrats opportunities dotting the map - in rural, ruby-red MAGA hotspots. One such example (one I've mentioned before because I'm very familiar with it) is Cedartown, Georgia in Marjorie Taylor Greene's district. A recent New York Times piece did some in-depth coverage of a story I'd made mention over before: that the Trump-coveted "big beautiful bill" that MTG voted for herself has likely cost that town of 800-1200 good-paying jobs. An influx of jobs and in a vital and longterm industry that commuinity leaders and developers were banking on to transform that struggling small city.

    Kammie's out;Stacey, too ... for now. Houston's in & Burt's big pitch gets ripped.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 44:29


    With word that Kamala Harris wouldn't be seeking the California governor's office in 2026 came immediate speculation (and derision) she's eyeing a second go at the White House in 2028. Incidentally, 'Meet The Press' anchor Kirsten Welker (again) brought up this alleged, yet-to-be-proven cover-up inside the Biden White House to shield Americans from knowing the former President was .... old?Why am I the only one troubled by mainstream media types insisting there's a "there" there? It smacks of ageism and the same kind of "took the bait" group-think the right lambasts Beltway media over when it's "RussiaGate" or "the dossier." Meanwhile, someone I'm still going to insist should be considered for a Presidential movement (til he says he absolutely won't do it) is 'The Daily Show' Monday host Jon Stewart. He and author ("Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza" ) Peter Beinart - two Jewish American men - had such a profound conversation last Monday - about Netenyahu's bloodlust and the long-range ramifications on Israeli safety and security - I felt it worthy of revisiting. Just more reason I see Stewart as a "Trump elixir" for most of non-MAGA America. C"mon, Jon.------Stacey Abrams also isn't running for governor - here in Georgia - at least not yet. A recent interview with NPR's Tanya Mosley about her latest novel, "Coded Justice" naturally led Mosley to ask while she had Abrams on. The TL:DR is she's "not ruling it out." Meanwhile, an Abrams-led organization - Fair Fight Action - is working to counter-act state government-led voter purges by providing an online search tool to help Georgia registered voters check their standing. ------Georgia Recorder op/ed columnist Jay Bookman penned a response piece denouncing Lieutenant Governor (and 2026 gubernatorial candidate) Burt Jones' pitch to have Georgia ditch the state income tax. Bookman used liberal tools - facts, math and data - to make a cogent argument against Jones' scheme to put a greater burden on the poor and working class to fund the state's budget.------There's movement in the tussle to succeed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins. Thirty-year old state representative Houston Gaines has tossed his hat in the ring. On the left is Lexy Doherty, but there are rumors a conservative Democrat from Hall County is set to announce his run, too, but until verified, there's little to do but speculate. ------Georgia's two Democratic Senators joined a Bernie Sanders-led push to limit military aid to Israel. Good!

    Another 'purge,' MTG's second bow-out & Tulsi's troubling behavior

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2025 44:31


    Oh look; another round of unneeded "inactive voter purges" in Georgia. Nevermind that they make mistakes. Often. I gave one anecdotal example.Investigative reporter Greg Palast gave more: "...Maj. Gamaliel Turner of Columbus, Georgia, because he filed a change-of-address to get his absentee ballot while assigned by the Pentagon to California. He was one 4,000 who lost their vote to a challenge by the Georgia Republican Party on or near his military base.Then there was Christine Jordan, MLK's cousin, who put in a change of address form because, at 92, she wanted her daughter to review her mail.Then there is the case of Dr. Carry Smith, expert on voter purges, who herself was removed for cockamamy reasons. "He opines that Georgia's GOP is ensuring 2026 victory already with these tactics. ------Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't running for a Senate seat, and she announced earlier this week in a 600-plus word screed on X that she won't be running for governor either. In that rant, she railed on the "good ol' boy" network being on obstacle for her while simultaneously bragging that if she did run, she'd win. You know, overcoming that "good ol' boy" network she's upset at stunting her ascendency. She seems to believe there's this patriarchy unfairly stunting the advancement of marginalized people like women. Isn't that what D.E.I. initiatives she and her party eviscarated would mitigate?------ HOW has it flown under the radar for American political media that Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lgo had 16-year old girls working in its spa and that Jeffrey Epstein poaching such a 16-year old girl from him? Never mind that the story doesn't line up with previously revealed dates chronicling their rift; actually no, don't pass that on by. It's noteworthy. Still, Jon Stewart ribs Donald over his "poaching pouting." ------Brian O'Neill, former CIA executive and guest teacher on national security at Georgia Tech, scribed an op/ed for the Atlanta Journal Constitution insisting that Tulsi Gabbard abandoned core intelligence standards. O'Neill believes Trump's national intelligence director used her position to make politicized claims against President Barack Obama, flouting norms in intelligence accuings "officials of selectively quoting or suppressing intelligence - without acknowledging that selective citation is standard." He writes "what matters is whether the selection is transparent, justified and consistent with tradecraft, not whether every fragment appears.""Her rhetoric - 'shoddy,' 'irrefutable,' 'dubious' - wasn't the language of objective critique," O'Neill continued. "It was a prosecutorial script. That matters. Intelligence doesn't operate in absolutes."------The state Senate special election in GA-21 has but one Democrat running against a half dozen Republicans in a 'jungle primary' August 26th, and low turnout is expected, but GOP infighting could help Shigley clear the field, too. Well, a touch of that came to fruition this week, with a "hit website" (read HERE) coming out attacking one Republican candidate. The AJC reports "It accuses him of not paying his taxes, pocketing taxpayer money from a COVID-era government loan and even threatening to shoot his neighbor's dog." Woof.

    Georgia 10th revisited & what to make of the ugliness of religious extremism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2025 44:30


    With Mike Collins making his move to take Jon Ossoff's Senate seat comes a wide-open Congressional seat in northeast Georgia. Republicans like state representative Houston Gaines and former Congressman Paul Broun are licking their chops, but as we here know, there's a plucky Democrat already on the road campaigning in that district: Lexy Doherty. She was on this show about seven weeks ago. A worthy and timely revisit no?------'Fixer Upper' power couple Chip & Joanna Gaines have built a reality TV empire and had been the darlings of evangelical America; that is, until they - gasp - cast a married gay male couple and their twin boys for the reality series "Back To The Frontier." Then came the ugliness. Listen, I know somewhere there's some written or unwritten reason I'm not supposed to like Chip & Jo, but I like 'em. Their having never booked a gay person or couple for their 'Fixer Upper' series isn't an issue for me (mostly because what gay person wants to move to Waco? I kid; I kid), because I see inherent goodness in them. Well, so did most of evangelical America until this show's cast was revealed.It's that element of religious extremism that just keeps dividing humanity. I noted a passage on friend of the show Dom Kelly's personal Facebook page. On a recent post, he shared that he'd become something of a pen pal with a Palestinian Gazan father not unlike him - in fact quite similar. Despite Kelly being a Jewish American and Ahmed being a Muslim Palestinian, they had plenty of common ground to develop a lovely bond. There's no citation (yet) to attribute because I share this from his personal and private page, but I do hope you'll listen to me sharing the passage. It's so moving, and gut-wrenching, too.

    MAGA Mike ("MTG with a mullet") Collins takes aim at Ossoff

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2025 43:59


    Georgia's 10th district Congressional representative, "MTG with a mullet" Mike Collins has thrown his trucker hat into the ring to seek the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in 2026. He hopes, of course, to unseat Senator Jon Ossoff, and cast the Democrat (along with Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock) as working for "California crazies or New York nut jobs." He stepped in not longer Governor Brian Kemp informed him he'd be backing the (potential, still, I guess) campaign of former college football coach Derek Dooley. They're lifelong friends, after all, but Dooley's conservative bonafides are already coming into question in right wing media. There's this concept that Kemp was trying to play "kingmaker" (does he really have that kind of sawy herding cats with Georgia GOP voters, though?) and keep the Senate primary race from being a bitter fight. Good luck with that. For what it's worth, I happen to think Georgia Democrats might flex a little "ranked choice" and cross party lines to choose the lesser of all the evils that'll be on that ballot as a de facto "second choice."------"The Georgia Gang" panelist (and Georgia WIN List executive director) Melita Easters brought an interesting point to the political conversation ... there seem to be a lot of "daddy issues" in the Georgia GOP. Between the Derek Dooley (son of UGA football coaching legend Vince Dooley) and Lt. Governor Burt Jones and his daddy's influence (and wealth) ... it's just hard to ignore.------Atlanta growth is "slowing" (still growing, but slower), as noted in a Wall Street Journal article, and noted on Sunday's "The Georgia Gang" as well. Housing costs and woeful traffic affecting "quality of life." With an abundance of office space available, post-pandemic, it's not easy converting office buildings to residential use, as natural as that seems to be a solution for a lack of housing supply. A for the traffic issue, I go right back to the well insisting it's past-due time for someone to champion connecting the entire state with high speed rail and networking to the airport here, strengthening MARTA's usability and convincing Atlanta's mayor (and Atlanta Regional Commission chair) to reconsider his position on Beltline Rail necessity where it's already necessary to be first.

    Grassroots journalism is filling the 'trust void'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2025 44:29


    Americans have not only become so hyper-partisan that they distrust the concept of "government" on the whole, they also distrust "the news," or "the media." Except for the "media" or "news" choices they make, of course.Since media consolidation and profit margins have weighed in so heavily on decisions made in news rooms with dwindling numbers of personnel, that "trust void" has left us wanting - and yet we're seeing dandelions popping up out of the concrete as entities like the Atlanta Community Press Collective (ACPC), The Atlanta Objective and Pro Publica press on. In Atlanta, for example, the ACPC pushed and pushed, pursuing FOIA (freedom of information) requests until the Atlant Police Foundation had to cough up nearly 300 pages of records detailing their lobbying efforts to push the Atlanta Public Training Facility (aka "Cop City") through city hall despite intense public scrutiny and opposition. Pro Publica, for its part, researched to learn more about the men who'd been deported to el Salvador by the Trump administration: 230 Venezuelan immigrants, 197 of them having "not been convicted of crimes in the U.S. — and that only six had been convicted of violent offenses." They also "identified fewer than a dozen additional convictions, both for crimes committed in the U.S. and abroad, that were not reflected in the government data." There's more: "Nearly half of the men, or 118, were whisked out of the country while in the middle of their immigration cases, which should have protected them from deportation. Some were only days away from a final hearing." You know, going about it "the right way" MAGA's implore to us that that's all they want from immigrants. Okay.They dove into the use of tattoes as predetermining factors and the flaws in that rationale, which we've done here, too.------To wrap the show last week, I couldn't help but enjoy the deliciousness of Donald Trump whipping out his "gotcha" data in front of a press pool spary while touring the Fed renovations with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, only to have Powell dutifully correct him in front of same pool spray. Trump (and Senator Tim Scott touring with him) thought he had ambushed Powell, and it went like one of those Wile E. Coyote cartoons. "Boom."

    Repubs flee 'the list,' the case for WNBA players & Ossoff tees off

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2025 51:59


    So we now know what AG Pam Bondi has long known and then relayed to Donald Trump: he's on "the list." Democrats in the House are eager to have that information coughed up so Speaker Mike Johnson shut the House down for five weeks. The White House kitchen is going to need more ketchup.Meanwhile, the first WSJ bombshell on this was that Trump allegedly drew a "bawdy" birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein, but Trump doesn't draw (he does) or use the word 'enigma' (he has) or ... ehh, Jon Stewart spells it out quite well. ------All of this makes me nostalgic for when we only focused on divisive social issues; who's with me? Well, far be it for opinionated men (hey, I'm one, too ...) to sound off on WNBA players wanting a pay raise. Who do these women who're playing while the league's finally turning a profit for the first time in it's 28-plus year history think they are? Uhm, maybe the current players a) aren't responsible for the league's past but b) are responsible for its present and future, in the green?------Senator Jon Ossoff held a rally in Savannah late last week and all indications are "Trump is on the ballot" in his mind. I reviewed his 20-plus minute speeach where Donald figured prominently.

    Georgia ponzi scheme dupes conservatives uses tried and true tactics

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2025 44:28


    You almost knew when you heard the name "First Liberty" that the people running said business were aiming for a specific kind of client.It turns out that clientele was "easily duped conservative," as we learned last week that a Newnan, Georgia-based lender was hawking "patriot notes" to help fuel a movement of "America First patriots."You just know it's gross when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Trump administration is going after 'em. Or, as I surmise, maybe they're quashing competition for Trump's ceaseless business empire targeting the same rubes. It's lead to a potential class action lawsuit by some of the conservatives duped by it. It's also been heavily scrutinized by the staff at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who's followed the money to PACS, the state GOP and a handful of far-right politiicans and even the current governor and lieutenant goernor (like he needs it). Here's the thing: anyone who's listened to conservative talk radio or watched OANN or Fox News has seen or heard that same kind of icky sales pitch. Hell, I caught a bourbon brand utilizing the deaths of the 13 American servicemembers who died in Kabul as fodder in their pitch on an Atlanta Braves radio commercial campaign. Ick.On to discuss this and the makeup of the 2026 gubernatorial field is Atlanta-based political consultant Andrew Heaton.

    Is this the moment for Debra Shigley to snatch GA-21 from the GOP?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2025 44:30


    With a 'jungle primary' in late August on the docket for Georgia's 21st state Senate district voters, the lone Democrat on the ballot - Debra Shigley - is not only imminently qualified for the job, she's also putting in the sweat equity in hopes that she can surprise in this red-leaning district. The special election, necessitated by Brandon Beach taking a Trump cabinet role, is an early barometer on the mood of Georgia voters, post-DOGE; post-"big beautiful bill," too. With Donald eager to distract everyone from the "Epstein files," if ever an opportunity existed to clip a state Senate seat, this might be it.I spoke at length with Debra about campaigning in this heat, how she sees herself representing this "R+" district if she did win it, what voters there are telling her matter most, and how her experience as a mother, business owner and even a Jewish woman all impact her passion for service.------Candace Ownes almost gets it; she believes the President isn't on the infamous "Epstein list," but does believe his inner circle may be setting him up for a big fall. She does say the quiet part out loud, though: either Trump thinks his base is stupid or those around think he is. What if she's right on both counts?

    American capitalism thrives on exploiting (some) people; even the disabled

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 44:30


    Dom Kelly, co-founder, President and CEO at New Disabled South, penned a social media post days ago that caught my attention. In it, he connected the dots between recent Trump administration statements and policy changes that bear out this truism: if you're disabled, you'll *have* to work to receive Medicaid if you're "able-bodied," and they'll let your employer pay you a 'sub-minimum wage' simultaneously.While some states (including Georgia) won't allow anyone to be paid less than the federal minimum wage, the Trump Department of Labor reversed a Biden administration policy to end to the 14(c) program that allows disabled workers to be paid less than $7.25 an hour in states that will allow it. On top of that, Brooke Rollins, Trump's secretary of Agriculture, touted the idea that "able-bodied" Medicaid recipients should be out in the fields replacing the migrant workforce ICE is snapping up and detaining. Put it all together. Kelly and I discussed this today at good length. ------Prior to that I reviewed notes from the AJC's Politically Georgia Wednesday blog that spelled out some of the cash hauls (and sources of them) for various 2026 gubernatorial combatants and the handful of potential candidates for that and other offices here in Georgia. There's also a notable policy item the new GOP entry - and presumed frontrunner - Burt Jones and the potential candidate in Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have in common. Could it be a matter who which one makes the most noise to push it who'll win that nomination?

    Burt 'bulldogs' his way onto the governor's race stage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2025 44:28


    Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones finally made it public: he's running to be the state's next governor, and did so with a well-produce, trope-riddle campaign video that checked off all the rudimentary Republican campaign ad must-haves: a truck, driving from a lovely exurban home, through the wandering highways of rural-esque Georgia, walking the grounds with the entire family in tow, chatting it up with some guy wearing a cowboy hat and walking a horse, etc.It also included some other disturbing tropes: the absurdly not-at-all female guy running track as a distraight female looks on, for example. Oh, and his big foray into policy: no more income taxes. That's where the focus went here. Why?Because A) it never reduces - actually contributes to - inequalities and B) as per "A," is yet aother disproportionate handout to the well-off at the expense of the poor and working class. Plenty of evidence to that. Burt's okay with that because he has zero concept what it's like being that poor and/or working class Georgian. That's how it goes when you're raised in wealth, attend private schools and don't have to balance going to college with job(s) but can instead walk-on with the football squad then step into the family business.

    Ruwa's home from "Mamdani duty"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2025 49:59


    Georgia state House Rep. Ruwa Romman has been a busy little bee of late, speaking in Philadelphia at a massive "No Kings Day" protest and going door-to-door campaigning the Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdni in that city's primary election season.I caught up with her for a full show conversation about her ascendant profile, along with the intra-party tug-of-war between establishment and progressive Democrats (and the gettable voters just outside the party waiting to embrace it.

    Murkowski's selfish vote is "on-brand" MAGA, but about the good in the bill ...

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2025 44:29


    I had to laugh when NBC News' Ryan Nobles' relayed Senator Rand Paul's reaction to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski's caving directly to her face. Why?Well, for one, she had that "raccoon when the light comes on" look; for another, sh elicited a response so on-brand with "America First," MAGA and the kind of voter the GOP corrals on the regular ... the "I gots mine" crowd. That said, I opted to go the "well, let's look at what's good in the bill" route, and even then, found that all that glitters ain't gold.The "no tax on overtime" part, for example. A. it sunsets. B. it might benefit 2% of U.S. households and C. "very few will see significant gains." Like $10 per year. That's not going to overcome healthcare costs going up with all the Medicaid cuts coming. The $1000 'Trump accounts' for babies is another shimmery "nothing nugget." Its benefits are - surprise - skewed to the wealthy. Okay, what about the 'no tax on tips' carve-out? A. it's capped at $25,000, and B. "would primarily benefit higher-income tipped workers, mostly because those who make less than the standard deduction already owe no federal income tax."------In Georgia, particularly rural MAGA Georgia, the 'Big Beautiful Bill' is whacking those voters' economic prospects, too. Towns like Cedertown had clen energy manufacturing coming their way. Now paused. Then there are the looming Medicaid cuts and the impact they'll have on the lives of Georgia mothers. Dr. Carey Perry's op/ed in the AJC relayed just how vital Medicaid is to nearly half of all Georgia births and how losing preventative healthcare sources will be deadly for mothers. "Loss of this coverage would almost certainly negate the efforts that continue to be made to prevent the loss of life. Medicaid is essential to our progress in combating maternal death."But hey, Lisa Murkowski got some goodies for the 740,000 people who live in Alaska. There are ninety or more COUNTIES with more people living in them than Alaska, but Lisa took care of her folks. The rest of us?

    Dunkin' on Geoff eyeing a Democratic run; Warnock strikes the perfect tone on Senate floor

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025 44:29


    Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor, former Republican, Geoff Duncan, appeared on the Atlanta Journal Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast earlier this week to hawk his centrist overtures (again) to Democrats, only this time, he's hinted at receiving calls from 'folks across the state' (sure, dude) to run for governor - as a Democrat. "I've heard the rumor," he said. Sorry, if he has, he's the first.When asked, he said “I'm certainly not going to run as a Republican," then groused about how difficult it is to run as a third party candidate in this country. Duncan would like the Democratic Party to abandon a lot of its core principles for the sake of winning, and I'm here to reject his thought process. Instead, Republicans like Duncan should show some spine and go win back their party from the nuts they once benefitted from being shovel-fed so much disinformation. Instead, what Democrats should do is listen to Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock's floor speech Sunday and follow his lead. His impassioned plea for his Senate colleagues to reject the budget measure they eventually passed with a tie-breaking Vice Presidential vote. "In a real sense, the question tonight is, who are we? Not who we tell ourselves we are, but who are we really? What and who do we care about? What kind of nation are we? What kind of people do we want to be? Who matters and who doesn't? What do we think is dispensable?In no place is the answer to that question clearer than in a nation's budget. I submit that a budget is not just a fiscal document, a budget is a moral document. Show me your budget, and I'll show you who you think matters and who doesn't.If this awful budget were an EKG, it would suggest that our nation has a heart problem and is in need of moral certainty."His 20-minute oratory was a work of art, and the exact type of tone Democrats need to take, going forward.

    In a long slog, Thom Tillis just gave us a boost

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2025 44:27


    Sorry I'm late to posting this week; I'd actually planned to take the four-day week into the three-day holiday weekend off, but "one big beautiful" legislative disaster has spawned this internal need to stay at it, this week.As did Thom Tillis' floor speech over the weekend, followed by his announcement he'd not seek re-election in 2026. Suddenly, Democrats have an opportunity in North Carolina to pick up a Senate seat in an otherwise bleak Senate cycle for them.As Trump's coveted "one big beautiful bill" makes its way through Congress, we're already seeing even GOP-led states like Georgia brace for and re-allocate funds to stunt its effects. Here, they're racing to "amp up Medicaid hospital funding by $2 billion" in anticipation of this bill's passage.

    Bernie on Rogan & what happened to "vote blue no matter who?"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2025 44:28


    Bernie Sanders idd what former VP Kamala Harris didn't - he went (back) on Joe Rogan's podcast last week, and it was illuminating to listen to the host - a prior Sanders supporter in 2016 - agree with the progressive Senator on a range of issues - most notably the ridiculousness of a still-$7.25 per hour minimum wage. Now, it wasn't all coziness; Rogan doesn't see an issue with unfettered sums of cash influencing elections, but Sanders had to plenty to say on that - as did I. It's on that subject, actually that libertarian Robby Soave took to a podcast (and transcribed to The Hill) to weigh in, too. He believes Rogan "SHUT DOWN" Bernie on that. But ... did he?------Meanwhile, (centrist, deep pocketed) Democrats gonna do what they do ... freak TF out over the term "democratic socialist" in the wake of Zohar Mamdani's NYC mayoral primary. I've some words for them, too. What they're unaware of in their huddling up and discussing where to through their hefty sums of money to in the general is, they're showing why it's so important to GET money out of politics as much as is feasible. Running theme here. So much for "vote blue no matter who," right?------Did you see the piece on CBS Sunday morning a week ago? The story of the couple who's moved to Malta to live off their Social Security in comfort? Wow. Just, wow. ------Patricia Murphy at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution penned a piece outlining Jewish Georgians' weighing in on the AIPAC v Sen. Jon Ossoff snarl. The Senator apparently isn't pro-Israel 'enough' for them, and timely enough with it. Well, it turns out Jewish Georgians aren't all in line with state Rep. Esther Panitch and AIPAC. AIPAC should hear folks like Rabbi (a RABBI!!!) Michael Rothbaum and Dr. Michael Greenwald out.

    Reacting to Mamdani & is Dalton, Ga., a barometer for sane immigration policy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 44:30


    From elation to concern to outright hyperbolic right wing smear, reaction to Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary is all over the spectrum. Naturally, progressives are elated and believe the result portends a progressive-led blue wave for 2026 and beyond; establishment Democrats seem a little angst-riddled, fearful an ascendent democratic socialist (eek! That word!!!) could be a point of attack from the right, and of course, the right and their President, who are all too keenly aware their base is unaware the differences between "Marxist communism" and "democratic socialism."So what is there to make of it, and does any of it translate to an effect on 2026 midterms, for Georgia Democrats or even here in Atlanta's mayoral race? Yet to be seen, but it doesn't stop me from discussing. One Georgia lawmaker, friend of the show, Rep. Ruwa Romman, actually campaigned for Mamdani. ------As Mario Guevara's arrest and detention draws first amendment advocates' ire, the charges that even led to his arrest have been dropped, but ICE has indicated no reversal of course on their part in seeking to deport the reporter. Meanwhile, overcrowding at the south Georgia immigration detention facility Geuvara remains in is overcrowded, leading to inmates sleeping on the floor and resorting to 3 A.M. showers to find the time to even have one, along with rationing of food. I find it all worth mentioning because hearts and minds are softening and changing, even in ruby red MAGA hotspots like Whitfield County and its largest city, Dalton, Georgia. Patricia Murphy at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution spent a lot of time there gauging Dalton's citizens on where their minds are now that ICE is raiding workplaces and wreaking havoc on economies like that in Dalton. Even a staunch Republican state lawmaker is showing signs of having empathy for the immigrant population his community - and thus his own businesses' bottom lines - plight.

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