Podcast appearances and mentions of Sonny Perdue

In this episode, Kelly Brownell speaks with Jerold Mande, CEO of Nourish Science, adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, and former Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety at the USDA. They discuss the alarming state of children's health in America, the challenges of combating poor nutrition, and the influence of the food industry on public policy. The conversation explores the parallels between the tobacco and food industries and proposes new strategies for ensuring children reach adulthood in good health. Mande emphasizes the need for radical changes in food policy and the role of public health in making these changes. Transcript So, you co-founded this organization along with Jerome Adams, Bill Frist and Thomas Grumbly, as we said, to ensure every child breaches age 18 at a healthy weight and in good metabolic health. That's a pretty tall order given the state of the health of youth today in America. But let's start by you telling us what inspired this mission and what does it look like to achieve this in today's food environment? I was trained in public health and also in nutrition and in my career, which has been largely in service of the public and government, I've been trying to advance those issues. And unfortunately over the arc of my career from when I started to now, particularly in nutrition and public health, it's just gotten so much worse. Indeed today Americans have the shortest lifespans by far. We're not just last among the wealthy countries, but we're a standard deviation last. But probably most alarming of all is how sick our children are. Children should not have a chronic disease. Yet in America maybe a third do. I did some work on tobacco at one point, at FDA. That was an enormous success. It was the leading cause of death. Children smoked at a higher rate, much like child chronic disease today. About a third of kids smoked. And we took that issue on, and today it's less than 2%. And so that shows that government can solve these problems. And since we did our tobacco work in the early '90s, I've changed my focus to nutrition and public health and trying to fix that. But we've still made so little progress. Give us a sense of how far from that goal we are. So, if the goal is to make every child reaching 18 at a healthy weight and in good metabolic health, what percentage of children reaching age 18 today might look like that? It's probably around a half or more, but we're not quite sure. We don't have good statistics. One of the challenges we face in nutrition is, unfortunately, the food industry or other industries lobby against funding research and data collection. And so, we're handicapped in that way. But we do know from the studies that CDC and others have done that about 20% of our children have obesity about a similar number have Type 2 diabetes or the precursors, pre-diabetes. You and I started off calling it adult-onset diabetes and they had to change that name to a Type 2 because it's becoming so common in kids. And then another disease, fatty liver disease, really unthinkable in kids. Something that the typical pediatrician would just never see. And yet in the last decade, children are the fastest growing group. I think we don't know an exact number, but today, at least a third, maybe as many as half of our children have a chronic disease. Particularly a food cause chronic disease, or the precursors that show they're on the way. I remember probably going back about 20 years, people started saying that we were seeing the first generation of American children that would lead shorter lives than our parents did. And what a terrible legacy to leave our children. Absolutely. And that's why we set that overarching goal of ensuring every child reaches age 18 in good metabolic health. And the reason we set that is in my experience in government, there's a phrase we all use - what gets measured gets done. And when I worked at FDA, when I worked at USDA, what caught my attention is that there is a mission statement. There's a goal of what we're trying to achieve. And it's ensuring access to healthy options and information, like a food label. Now the problem with that, first of all, it's failed. But the problem with that is the bureaucrats that I oversaw would go into a supermarket, see a produce section, a protein section, the food labels, which I worked on, and say we've done our job. They would check those boxes and say, we've done it. And yet we haven't. And if we ensured that every child reaches age 18 at a healthy weight and good metabolic health, if the bureaucrats say how are we doing on that? They would have to conclude we're failing, and they'd have to try something else. And that's what we need to do. We need to try radically different, new strategies because what we've been doing for decades has failed. You mentioned the food industry a moment ago. Let's talk about that in a little more detail. You made the argument that food companies have substituted profits for health in how they design their products. Explain that a little bit more, if you will. And tell us how the shift has occurred and what do you think the public health cost has been? Yes, so the way I like to think of it, and your listeners should think of it, is there's a North star for food design. And from a consumer standpoint, I think there are four points on the star: taste, cost, convenience, and health. That's what they expect and want from their food. Now the challenge is the marketplace. Because that consumer, you and I, when we go to the grocery store and get home on taste, cost, and convenience, if we want within an hour, we can know whether the food we purchased met our standard there. Or what our expectations were. Not always for health. There's just no way to know in a day, a week, a month, even in a year or more. We don't know if the food we're eating is improving and maintaining our health, right? There should be a definition of food. Food should be what we eat to thrive. That really should be the goal. I borrowed that from NASA, the space agency. When I would meet with them, they said, ' Jerry, it's important. Right? It's not enough that people just survive on the food they eat in space. They really need to thrive.' And that's what WE need to do. And that's really what food does, right? And yet we have food, not only don't we thrive, but we get sick. And the reason for that is, as I was saying, the marketplace works on taste, cost and convenience. So, companies make sure their products meet consumer expectation for those three. But the problem is on the fourth point on the star: on health. Because we can't tell in even years whether it's meeting our expectation. That sort of cries out. You're at a policy school. Those are the places where government needs to step in and act and make sure that the marketplace is providing. That feedback through government. But the industry is politically strong and has prevented that. And so that has left the fourth point of the star open for their interpretation. And my belief is that they've put in place a prop. So, they're making decisions in the design of the product. They're taste, they gotta get taste right. They gotta get cost and convenience right. But rather than worrying what does it do to your health? They just, say let's do a profit. And that's resulted in this whole category of food called ultra-processed food (UPF). I actually believe in the future, whether it's a hundred years or a thousand years. If humanity's gonna thrive we need manmade food we can thrive on. But we don't have that. And we don't invest in the science. We need to. But today, ultra-processed food is manmade food designed on taste, cost, convenience, and then how do we make the most money possible. Now, let me give you one other analogy, if I could. If we were CEOs of an automobile company, the mission is to provide vehicles where people can get safely from A to point B. It's the same as food we can thrive on. That is the mission. The problem is that when the food companies design food today, they've presented to the CEO, and everyone gets excited. They're seeing the numbers, the charts, the data that shows that this food is going to meet, taste, cost, convenience. It's going to make us all this money. But the CEO should be asking this following question: if people eat this as we intend, will they thrive? At the very least they won't get sick, right? Because the law requires they can't get sick. And if the Midmanagers were honest, they'd say here's the good news boss. We have such political power we've been able to influence the Congress and the regulatory agencies. That they're not going to do anything about it. Taste, cost, convenience, and profits will work just fine. Couldn't you make the argument that for a CEO to embrace that kind of attitude you talked about would be corporate malpractice almost? That, if they want to maximize profits then they want people to like the food as much as possible. That means engineering it in ways that make people overeat it, hijacking the reward pathways in the brain, and all that kind of thing. Why in the world would a CEO care about whether people thrive? Because it's the law. The law requires we have these safety features in cars and the companies have to design it that way. And there's more immediate feedback with the car too, in terms of if you crashed right away. Because it didn't work, you'd see that. But here's the thing. Harvey Wiley.He's the founder of the food safety programs that I led at FDA and USDA. He was a chemist from academia. Came to USDA in the late 1800s. It was a time of great change in food in America. At that point, almost all of families grew their own food on a farm. And someone had to decide who's going to grow our food. It's a family conversation that needed to take place. Increasingly, Americans were moving into the cities at that time, and a brand-new industry had sprung up to feed people in cities. It was a processed food industry. And in order to provide shelf stable foods that can offer taste, cost, convenience, this new processed food industry turned to another new industry, a chemical industry. Now, it's hard to believe this, but there was a point in time that just wasn't an industry. So these two big new industries had sprung up- processed food and chemicals. And Harvey Wiley had a hypothesis that the chemicals they were using to make these processed foods were making us sick. Indeed, food poisoning back then was one of the 10 leading causes of death. And so, Harvey Wiley went to Teddy Roosevelt. He'd been trying for years within the bureaucracy and not making progress. But when Teddy Roosevelt came in, he finally had the person who listened to him. Back then, USDA was right across from the Washington Monument to the White House. He'd walk right over there into the White House and met with Teddy Roosevelt and said, ' this food industry is making us sick. We should do something about it.' And Teddy Roosevelt agreed. And they wrote the laws. And so I think what your listeners need to understand is that when you look at the job that FDA and USDA is doing, their food safety programs were created to make sure our food doesn't make us sick. Acutely sick. Not heart disease or cancer, 30, 40 years down the road, but acutely sick. No. I think that's absolutely the point. That's what Wiley was most concerned about at the time. But that's not the law they wrote. The law doesn't say acutely ill. And I'll give you this example. Your listeners may be familiar with something called GRAS - Generally Recognized as Safe. It's a big problem today. Industry co-opted the system and no longer gets approval for their food additives. And so, you have this Generally Recognized as Safe system, and you have these chemicals and people are worried about them. In the history of GRAS. Only one chemical has FDA decided we need to get that off the market because it's unsafe. That's partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fat. Does trans-fat cause acute illness? It doesn't. It causes a chronic disease. And the evidence is clear. The agency has known that it has the responsibility for both acute and chronic illness. But you're right, the industry has taken advantage of this sort of chronic illness space to say that that really isn't what you should be doing. But having worked at those agencies, I don't think they see it that way. They just feel like here's the bottom line on it. The industry uses its political power in Congress. And it shapes the agency's budget. So, let's take FDA. FDA has a billion dollars with a 'b' for food safety. For the acute food safety, you're talking about. It has less than 25 million for the chronic disease. There are about 1400 deaths a year in America due to the acute illnesses caused by our food that FDA and USDA are trying to prevent. The chronic illnesses that we know are caused by our food cause 1600 maybe a day. More than that of the acute every day. Now the agency should be spending at least half its time, if not more, worrying about those chronic illness. Why doesn't it? Because the industry used their political power in Congress to put the billion dollars for the acute illness. That's because if you get acutely ill, that's a liability concern for them. Jerry let's talk about the political influence in just a little more detail, because you're in a unique position to tell us about this because you've seen it from the inside. One mechanism through which industry might influence the political process is lobbyists. They hire lobbyists. Lobbyists get to the Congress. People make decisions based on contributions and things like that. Are there other ways the food industry affects the political process in addition to that. For example, what about the revolving door issue people talk about where industry people come into the administrative branch of government, not legislative branch, and then return to industry. And are there other ways that the political influence of the industry has made itself felt? I think first and foremost it is the lobbyists, those who work with Congress, in effect. Particularly the funding levels, and the authority that the agencies have to do that job. I think it's overwhelmingly that. I think second, is the influence the industry has. So let me back up to that a sec. As a result of that, we spend very little on nutrition research, for example. It's 4% of the NIH budget even though we have these large institutes, cancer, heart, diabetes, everyone knows about. They're trying to come up with the cures who spend the other almost 50 billion at NIH. And so, what happens? You and I have both been at universities where there are nutrition programs and what we see is it's very hard to not accept any industry money to do the research because there isn't the federal money. Now, the key thing, it's not an accident. It's part of the plan. And so, I think that the research that we rely on to do regulation is heavily influenced by industry. And it's broad. I've served, you have, others, on the national academies and the programs. When I've been on the inside of those committees, there are always industry retired scientists on those committees. And they have undue influence. I've seen it. Their political power is so vast. The revolving door, that is a little of both ways. I think the government learns from the revolving door as well. But you're right, some people leave government and try to undo that. Now, I've chosen to work in academia when I'm not in government. But I think that does play a role, but I don't think it plays the largest role. I think the thing that people should be worried about is how much influence it has in Congress and how that affects the agency's budgets. And that way I feel that agencies are corrupted it, but it's not because they're corrupted directly by the industry. I think it's indirectly through congress. I'd like to get your opinion on something that's always relevant but is time sensitive now. And it's dietary guidelines for America. And the reason I'm saying it's time sensitive is because the current administration will be releasing dietary guidelines for America pretty soon. And there's lots of discussion about what those might look like. How can they help guide food policy and industry practices to support healthier children and families? It's one of the bigger levers the government has. The biggest is a program SNAP or food stamps. But beyond that, the dietary guidelines set the rules for government spending and food. So, I think often the way the dietary guidelines are portrayed isn't quite accurate. People think of it in terms of the once (food) Pyramid now the My Plate that's there. That's the public facing icon for the dietary guidelines. But really a very small part. The dietary guidelines are meant to help shape federal policy, not so much public perception. It's there. It's used in education in our schools - the (My) Plate, previously the (Food) Pyramid. But the main thing is it should shape what's served in government feeding programs. So principally that should be SNAP. It's not. But it does affect the WIC program- Women, Infants and Children, the school meals program, all of the military spending on food. Indeed, all spending by the government on food are set, governed by, or directed by the dietary guidelines. Now some of them are self-executing. Once the dietary guidelines change the government changes its behavior. But the biggest ones are not. They require rulemaking and in particular, today, one of the most impactful is our kids' meals in schools. So, whatever it says in these dietary guidelines, and there's reason to be alarmed in some of the press reports, it doesn't automatically change what's in school meals. The Department of Agriculture would have to write a rule and say that the dietary guidelines have changed and now we want to update. That usually takes an administration later. It's very rare one administration could both change the dietary guidelines and get through the rulemaking process. So, people can feel a little reassured by that. So, how do you feel about the way things seem to be taking shape right now? This whole MAHA movement Make America Healthy Again. What is it? To me what it is we've reached this tipping point we talked about earlier. The how sick we are, and people are saying, 'enough. Our food shouldn't make us sick at middle age. I shouldn't have to be spending so much time with my doctor. But particularly, it shouldn't be hard to raise my kids to 18 without getting sick. We really need to fix that and try to deal with that.' But I think that the MAHA movement is mostly that. But RFK and some of the people around them have increasingly claimed that it means some very specific things that are anti-science. That's been led by the policies around vaccine that are clearly anti-science. Nutrition is more and more interesting. Initially they started out in the exact right place. I think you and I could agree the things they were saying they need to focus on: kids, the need to get ultra-processed food out of our diets, were all the right things. In fact, you look at the first report that RFK and his team put out back in May this year after the President put out an Executive Order. Mostly the right things on this. They again, focus on kids, ultra-processed food was mentioned 40 times in the report as the root cause for the very first time. And this can't be undone. You had the White House saying that the root cause of our food-caused chronic disease crisis is the food industry. That's in a report that won't change. But a lot has changed since then. They came out with a second report where the word ultra-processed food showed up only once. What do you think happened? I know what happened because I've worked in that setting. The industry quietly went to the White House, the top political staff in the White House, and they said, you need to change the report when you come out with the recommendations. And so, the first report, I think, was written by MAHA, RFK Jr. and his lieutenants. The second report was written by the White House staff with the lobbyists of the food industry. That's what happened. What you end up with is their version of it. So, what does the industry want? We have a good picture from the first Trump administration. They did the last dietary guidelines and the Secretary of Agriculture, then Sonny Perdue, his mantra to his staff, people reported to me, was the industries- you know, keep the status quo. That is what the industry wants is they really don't want the dietary guidelines to change because then they have to reformulate their products. And they're used to living with what we have and they're just comfortable with that. For a big company to reformulate a product is a multi-year effort and cost billions of dollars and it's just not what they want to have to do. Particularly if it's going to change from administration to administration. And that is not a world they want to live in. From the first and second MAHA report where they wanted to go back to the status quo away from all the radical ideas. It'll be interesting to see what happens with dietary guidelines because we've seen reports that RFK Jr. and his people want to make shifts in policies. Saying that they want to go back to the Pyramid somehow. There's a cartoon on TV, South Park, I thought it was produced to be funny. But they talked about what we need to do is we need to flip the Pyramid upside down and we need to go back to the old Pyramid and make saturated fat the sort of the core of the diet. I thought it meant to be a joke but apparently that's become a belief of some people in the MAHA movement. RFK. And so, they want to add saturated fat back to our diets. They want to get rid of plant oils from our diets. There is a lot of areas of nutrition where the science isn't settled. But that's one where it is, indeed. Again, you go back only 1950s, 1960s, you look today, heart disease, heart attacks, they're down 90%. Most of that had to do with the drugs and getting rid of smoking. But a substantial contribution was made by nutrition. Lowering saturated fat in our diets and replacing it with plant oils that they're now called seed oils. If they take that step and the dietary guidelines come out next month and say that saturated fat is now good for us it is going to be just enormously disruptive. I don't think companies are going to change that much. They'll wait it out because they'll ask themselves the question, what's it going to be in two years? Because that's how long it takes them to get a product to market. Jerry, let me ask you this. You painted this picture where every once in a while, there'll be a glimmer of hope. Along comes MAHA. They're critical of the food industry and say that the diet's making us sick and therefore we should focus on different things like ultra-processed foods. In report number one, it's mentioned 40 times. Report number two comes out and it's mentioned only once for the political reasons you said. Are there any signs that lead you to be hopeful that this sort of history doesn't just keep repeating itself? Where people have good ideas, there's science that suggests you go down one road, but the food industry says, no, we're going to go down another and government obeys. Are there any signs out there that lead you to be more hopeful for the future? There are signs to be hopeful for the future. And number one, we talked earlier, is the success we had regulating tobacco. And I know you've done an outstanding job over the years drawing the parallels between what happened in tobacco and food. And there are good reasons to do that. Not the least of which is that in the 1980s, the tobacco companies bought all the big food companies and imparted on them a lot of their lessons, expertise, and playbook about how to do these things. And so that there is a tight link there. And we did succeed. We took youth smoking, which was around a 30 percent, a third, when we began work on this in the early 1990s when I was at FDA. And today it's less than 2%. It's one area with the United States leads the world in terms of what we've achieved in public health. And there's a great benefit that's going to come to that over the next generation as all of those deaths are prevented that we're not quite seeing yet. But we will. And that's regardless of what happens with vaping, which is a whole different story about nicotine. But this idea success and tobacco. The food industry has a tobacco playbook about how to addict so many people and make so much money and use their political power. We have a playbook of how to win the public health fight. So, tell us about that. What you're saying is music to my ears and I'm a big believer in exactly what you're saying. So, what is it? What does that playbook look like and what did we learn from the tobacco experience that you think could apply into the food area? There are a couple of areas. One is going to be leadership and we'll have to come back to that. Because the reason we succeeded in tobacco was the good fortune of having a David Kessler at FDA and Al Gore as Vice President. Nothing was, became more important to them than winning this fight against a big tobacco. Al Gore because his sister died at a young age of smoking. And David Kessler became convinced that this was the most important thing for public health that he could do. And keep in mind, when he came to FDA, it was the furthest thing from his mind. So, one of it is getting these kinds of leaders. Did does RFK Jr. and Marty McCarey match up to Al Gore? And we'll see. But the early signs aren't that great. But we'll see. There's still plenty of time for them to do this and get it right. The other thing is having a good strategy and policy about how to do it. And here, with tobacco, it was a complete stretch, right? There was no where did the FDA get authority over tobacco? And indeed, we eventually needed the Congress to reaffirm that authority to have the success we did. As we talked earlier, there's no question FDA was created to make sure processed food and the additives and processed food don't make us sick. So, it is the core reason the agency exists is to make sure that if there's a thing called ultra-processed food, man-made food, that is fine, but we have to thrive when we eat it. We certainly can't be made sick when we eat it. Now, David Kessler, I mentioned, he's put forward a petition, a citizens' petition to FDA. Careful work by him, he put months of effort into this, and he wrote basically a detailed roadmap for RFK and his team to use if they want to regulate ultra-processed stuff food. And I think we've gotten some, initially good feedback from the MAHA RFK people that they're interested in this petition and may take action on it. So, the basic thrust of the Kessler petition from my understanding is that we need to reconsider what's considered Generally Recognized as Safe. And that these ultra-processed foods may not be considered safe any longer because they produce all this disease down the road. And if MAHA responds positively initially to the concept, that's great. And maybe that'll have legs, and something will actually happen. But is there any reason to believe the industry won't just come in and quash this like they have other things? This idea of starting with a petition in the agency, beginning an investigation and using its authority is the blueprint we used with tobacco. There was a petition we responded, we said, gee, you raised some good points. There are other things we put forward. And so, what we hope to see here with the Kessler petition is that the FDA would put out what's called an advanced notice of a proposed rulemaking with the petition. This moves it from just being a petition to something the agency is saying, we're taking this seriously. We're putting it on the record ourselves and we want industry and others now to start weighing in. Now here's the thing, you have this category of ultra-processed food that because of the North Star I talked about before, because the industry, the marketplace has failed and gives them no incentive to make sure that we thrive, that keeps us from getting sick. They've just forgotten about that and put in place profits instead. The question is how do you get at ultra-processed food? What's the way to do it? How do you start holding the industry accountable? Now what RFK and the MAHA people started with was synthetic color additives. That wasn't what I would pick but, it wasn't a terrible choice. Because if you talk to Carlos Monteiro who coined the phrase ultra-processed food, and you ask him, what is an ultra-processed food, many people say it's this industrial creation. You can't find the ingredients in your kitchen. He agrees with all that, but he thinks the thing that really sets ultra-processed food, the harmful food, is the cosmetics that make them edible when they otherwise won't I've seen inside the plants where they make the old fashioned minimally processed food versus today's ultra-processed. In the minimally processed plants, I recognize the ingredients as food. In today's plants, you don't recognize anything. There are powders, there's sludges, there's nothing that you would really recognize as food going into it. And to make that edible, they use the cosmetics and colors as a key piece of that. But here's the problem. It doesn't matter if the color is synthetic or natural. And a fruit loop made with natural colors is just as bad for you as one made with synthetics. And indeed, it's been alarming that the agency has fast tracked these natural colors and as replacements because, cyanide is natural. We don't want to use that. And the whole approach has been off and it like how is this going to get us there? How is this focus on color additives going to get us there. And it won't. Yeah, I agree. I agree with your interpretation of that. But the thing with Kessler you got part of it right but the main thing he did is say you don't have to really define ultra-processed food, which is another industry ploy to delay action. Let's focus on the thing that's making us sick today. And that's the refined carbohydrates. The refined grains in food. That's what's most closely linked to the obesity, the diabetes we're seeing today. Now in the 1980s, the FDA granted, let's set aside sugar and white flour, for example, but they approved a whole slew of additives that the companies came forward with to see what we can add to the white flour and sugar to make it shelf stable, to meet all the taste, cost, and convenience considerations we have. And profit-making considerations we have. Back then, heart disease was the driving health problem. And so, it was easy to overlook why you didn't think that the these additives were really harmful. That then you could conclude whether Generally Recognized as Safe, which is what the agency did back then. What Kessler is saying is that what he's laid out in his petition is self-executing. It's not something that the agency grants that this is GRAS or not GRAS. They were just saying things that have historical safe use that scientists generally recognize it as safe. It's not something the agency decides. It's the universe of all of us scientists generally accept. And it's true in the '80s when we didn't face the obesity and diabetes epidemic, people didn't really focus on the refined carbohydrates. But if you look at today's food environment. And I hope you agree with this, that what is the leading driver in the food environment about what is it about ultra-processed food that's making us so sick? It's these refined grains and the way they're used in our food. And so, if the agency takes up the Kessler petition and starts acting on it, they don't have to change the designation. Maybe at some point they have to say some of these additives are no longer GRAS. But what Kessler's saying is by default, they're no longer GRAS because if you ask the scientists today, can we have this level of refined grains? And they'd say, no, that's just not Generally Recognized as Safe. So, he's pointing out that status, they no longer hold that status. And if the agency would recognize that publicly and the burden shifts where Wiley really always meant it to be, on the industry to prove that there are foods or things that we would thrive on, but that wouldn't make us sick. And so that's the key point that you go back to when you said, and you're exactly right that if you let the industry use their political power to just ignore health altogether and substitute profits, then you're right. Their sort of fiduciary responsibility is just to maximize profits and they can ignore health. If you say you can maximize profits, of course you're a capitalist business, but one of the tests you have to clear is you have to prove to us that people can thrive when they eat that. Thrive as the standard, might require some congressional amplification because it's not in the statute. But what is in the statute is the food can't make you sick. If scientists would generally recognize, would say, if you eat this diet as they intend, if you eat this snack food, there's these ready to heat meals as they intend, you're going to get diabetes and obesity. If scientists generally believe that, then you can't sell that. That's just against the law and the agency needs them to enforce the law. Bio:   Jerold Mande is CEO of Nourish Science; Adjunct Professor of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University. Professor Mande has a wealth of expertise and experience in national public health and food policy. He served in senior policymaking positions for three presidents at USDA, FDA, and OSHA helping lead landmark public health initiatives. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama as USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. In 2011, he moved to USDA's Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, where he spent six years working to improve the health outcomes of the nation's $100 billion investment in 15 nutrition programs. During President Clinton's administration, Mr. Mande was Senior Advisor to the FDA commissioner where he helped shape national policy on nutrition, food safety, and tobacco. He also served on the White House staff as a health policy advisor and was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Health at the Department of Labor. During the George H.W. Bush administration he led the graphic design of the iconic Nutrition Facts label at FDA, for which he received the Presidential Design Award. Mr. Mande began his career as a legislative assistant for Al Gore in the U.S. House and Senate, managing Gore's health and environment agenda, and helping Gore write the nation's organ donation and transplantation laws.  Mande earned a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in nutritional science from the University of Connecticut. Prior to his current academic appointments, he served on the faculty at the Tufts, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and Yale School of Medicine.

Interview with Chancellor Sonny Perdue- former Governor of Georgia, US Secretary of Agriculture, agribusinessman, and grandfather

Sonny Perdue is now a member of the National Agriculture Hall of Fame, and over two dozen states have sued the Trump administration over its decision to suspend SNAP benefits.

Freedom vs. Independence | Chancellor Sonny Perdue | Patriotic Sunday July 6, 2025 at Harvest Point Church in Locust Grove, GA

Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp says he will not run for U.S. Senate next year;Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock told voters at a South Fulton town hall that he's deeply disappointed in his Republican colleagues’ unwillingness to push back on President Donald Trump; University System of Georgia chancellor Sonny Perdue is urging the Trump Administration to pursue UNESCO world heritage site status for the Okefenokee Swamp.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the HAT Podcast C.J. Miller has the news including former ag secretary Sonny Perdue talking about tariffs ahead of the second Donald Trump administration and more Indiana woodland owner tips on who to turn to for help. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin says will detail rain threats today through much of the weekend, and the grain and oilseed markets came back from the break with some strength Thursday. Andy Eubank has the closing numbers and Mike Silver has grain market analysis. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - experience banking built on heart, grit, and agriculture. Visit FFBT.com to learn more or stop by your local branch to talk about your ag operation today.

On the HAT Podcast C.J. Miller and Sabrina Halvorson have the news including former ag secretary Sonny Perdue's thoughts on the new USDA secretary-elect for the Trump administration. HAT Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin says cloud cover, moisture and mild to start the week, but how long will it last? Friday corn futures added a nickel to Thursday gains while soybean and wheat markets were steady to lower. Andy Eubank has the closing numbers and analysis from Brian Basting. It's all part of the #HATPodcast, made possible by First Farmers Bank & Trust - experience banking built on heart, grit, and agriculture. Visit FFBT.com to learn more or stop by your local branch to talk about your ag operation today.

Ray Starling knows the US Ag industry well. After serving as a special ag advisor to President Donald Trump, and Chief of Staff to former US Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, Starling is now sounding the alarm on responding to critics that say our food system isn't safe. Starling says farmers are the best ones to push back against this misinformation.

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Chuck Zimmerman. Although Cindy and I got a little break from the agriblogging highway things got busy again. In this episode I'm going to share a few interviews that have a focus on a new Farm Bill. What do you think? Is it still possible this year or will it be sometime in 2025? You will hear different thoughts from Ted McKinney, NASDA, Sonny Perdue, University of Georgia Chancellor, Representative Austin Scott, (R-GA) and Representative Frank Lucas, (R-OK). After these interviews I'll provide you with a preview of this year's Ag Media Summit which will start August 3 through the 6th. This is the 25th AMS and it will be held in Kansas City, Missouri. I'll be taking lots of photos so keep your eye out for them throughout the event and feel free to download and share. That's the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

The AJC's Politically Georgia On the Road tour continues in Savannah, Georgia. On today's episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock joins the show live just hours after President Joe Biden ended his bid for reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.   Warnock was the fourth in a quartet of guests for the live show, following Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in Atlanta, Gov. Brian Kemp in Athens and former Gov. Sonny Perdue in Macon. More live events will soon be scheduled.     Links to today's topics Raphael Warnock on Kamala Harris' presidential bid: ‘She will win' Complete coverage: Biden leaving presidential race Future AJC Live events     Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297. We'll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode. Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”      Credits  Executive Producer- Shane Backler  Producer- Natalie Mendenhall  Engineer- Shane Backler, Charles Youngs Editor- Matt Owen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell, and Bill Nigut take the show to the Capitol Theatre in Macon where they talk to University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue about recent protests at the University of Georgia. But first, the hosts welcomed Macon Mayor Lester Miller and Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark. The middle Georgia leaders championed lawmakers' bipartisan push for the ancient Ocmulgee Mounds to become Georgia's first national park. Plus, hear answers to questions from the live audience. Links to today's topics UGA properly handled student protests, Chancellor Sonny Perdue says Georgia lawmakers back bipartisan push for Ocmulgee Mounds national park Have a question or comment for the show? Call the 24-hour Politically  Georgia Podcast Hotline at 770-810-5297.  We'll play back your question and answer it during the listener mailbag segment on next Friday's episode.   Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at ApplePodcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.” Credits Executive Producer- Shane Backler Producer- Natalie Mendenhall Engineer- Charles Youngs Editor- Shane Backler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GDP Script/ Top Stories for Oct 8th Publish Date:  Oct 7th From the Henssler Financial Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. Today is Sunday, October 8th and happy birthday to author R.L. Stine. ****Goosebumps Theme**** I'm Bruce Jenkins and here are your top stories presented by Peggy Slappy Properties. University system will not intervene in Georgia Gwinnett College 'no confidence' matter, Chancellor Sonny Perdue wants both sides to continue talks Gwinnett schools grappling with a rise in 'chronic absenteeism' Gwinnett police working to identify suspect accused of breaking into urgent care All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe!  Break 1: Peggy Slappy          Story 1: University system will not intervene in Georgia Gwinnett College 'no confidence' matter University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue has declined to intervene in the dispute between Georgia Gwinnett College President Jann Joseph and the college's Faculty Senate, which is on track for a no-confidence vote in November. Instead, Perdue is urging both parties to resolve the matter through conversation. The Faculty Senate had asked the university system to mediate the dispute, but Perdue and USG Chief Academic Officer Ashwani Monga rejected that request, stating that discussions should be directly between the Faculty Senate and GGC leadership. A no-confidence vote would signal dissatisfaction with the administration but doesn't have the power to remove Joseph from her position..........…..read more at gwinnettdailypost.com STORY 2: GCPS School Absenteeism Gwinnett County Public Schools has reported a doubling of chronic absenteeism across the district since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10% of enrolled school days during the year, regardless of whether the absences are excused or not. GCPS officials see it as a significant challenge to student performance and noted that students who are chronically absent perform significantly below their peers who regularly attend school. While chronic absenteeism is highest in high schools, Gwinnett's elementary schools also see high levels, particularly among kindergartners. Demographically, Hispanic students have the highest percentage of chronic absences, followed by American Indian, multiracial, Black, White, and Asian students. GCPS is implementing a multi-tiered approach to address chronic absenteeism, including preventative measures and awareness campaigns.   STORY 3: Gwinnett police working to identify suspect accused of breaking into urgent care Gwinnett County police are searching for a suspect who burglarized an urgent care facility and a neighboring business in Duluth. The break-ins occurred on September 28, with the suspect entering North Georgia Urgent Care and a nearby business, stealing approximately $7,200. The suspect, described as a black male wearing a gray hoodie and black sweatpants, remains at large. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact detectives at 770-513-5300 or report tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. A cash reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment. Tips can also be submitted at stop crime ATL dot com   We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info. We'll be right back   Break 2: MOG – TOM WAGES OBITS – CUMMING FAIR STORY 4: Hull Middle School special education teacher earns national recognition Celia Ayenesazan, a special education teacher at Hull Middle School, has been recognized as an EcoRise Teacher Ambassador for her dedication to sustainability education. The EcoRise Teacher Ambassador title is awarded to experienced leaders in sustainability education who demonstrate a strong commitment to elevating youth voices, expanding educational programs, advancing systems change, and promoting climate justice. In this role, Ayenesazan will provide support to teachers in Gwinnett County Public Schools, particularly within the Gwinnett Green and Healthy Schools program, encouraging students to address local environmental and social issues through advocacy, design thinking, and change-making. She plans to continue her work started at Radloff Middle School, where students repurposed leather seat covers from Southwest Airlines, saving 150 pounds of leather waste from landfills.   STORY 5: GA Power CEO Joins Rowen Foundation Kim Greene, the Chairwoman, President, and CEO of Georgia Power, has joined the board of the Rowen Foundation. With her leadership role at Georgia Power, Greene brings a strong commitment to emerging technologies, innovation, and STEM-related education to the foundation. In addition to her role at Georgia Power, she serves as a director for Valero Energy Corporation and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Greene is also on the board of trustees for the Morehouse School of Medicine and the Georgia Research Alliance and is a member of Atlanta Rotary. She has received various awards and honors, including being named one of Atlanta's Most Admired CEOs by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and induction into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.   We'll be back in a moment   Break 3:  ESOG – INGLES 8   STORY 6: 'Duluth is our home' — ACGO CEO enjoys hometown feel as he leads Fortune 500 company AGCO Corporation, a Fortune 500 agricultural machinery company, participated in Duluth's annual Fall Festival parade. The company's headquarters in Duluth, Georgia, employs 735 people and oversees its global operations. AGCO has a significant presence worldwide, with offices on six continents, 26,000 employees, and substantial annual revenue. The company manufactures farm machinery, grain bins, and farming technology, with a focus on enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Despite its global reach, AGCO maintains strong ties to its Duluth home. The recent completion of a $2 billion deal with Trimble further solidifies the company's position in the industry. AGCO's CEO, Eric Hansotia, has a deep connection to farming, having grown up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin.   STORY 7: Chefs to show off Big Green Egg skills Saturday at Gwinnett's Coolray Field Big Green Egg, known for its premier outdoor cooking system, is hosting the 26th annual EGGtoberfest at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Atlanta. This event showcases live-fire cooking with professional chefs demonstrating the versatility of Big Green Egg. Started as a way to thank loyal customers, EGGtoberfest has grown into a family-friendly weekend with over 200 EGGs cooking a wide range of dishes. Tickets cost $75 and include live-fired food, a T-shirt, swag bag, beverages, cooking demos, and more. Additionally, a BBQ throwdown is held on Friday for $50. EGGs used during the event are sold afterward, giving attendees a chance to purchase a freshly used grill. For details, visit EGG Toberfest dot com   We'll have final thoughts after this.   Break 4: Henssler 60 Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Gwinnett Daily Post podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties, or the Paulding County News Podcast. Read more about all our stories, and get other great content at Gwinnettdailypost.com. Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. www.wagesfuneralhome.com  www.psponline.com  www.mallofgeorgiachryslerdodgejeep.com  www.esogrepair.com www.henssler.com  www.ingles-markets.com  www.downtownlawrencevillega.com  www.gcpsk12.org  www.cummingfair.net www.disneyonice.com www.downtownlawrencevillega.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the podcast, Robin and Lester interview Georgia Supreme Court Justice Nels Peterson   Guest Bio Presiding Justice Nels S.D. Peterson was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to the Supreme Court of Georgia effective January 1, 2017. He was re-elected statewide for a six-year term in 2018. He previously served as a judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals, to which he was appointed by Governor Deal effective January 1, 2016.   Presiding Justice Peterson graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.S.in political science and a minor in economics. While at KSU, he served as President of Student Government and Chair of the Student Advisory Counsel to the Board of Regents, and was named KSU Student of the Year and Outstanding Senior in Political Science. Presiding Justice Peterson received his J. D. from Harvard Law School. At Harvard, he was Executive Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Executive Vice-President of the Federalist Society, and was a finalist in the Ames Moot Court Competition.   Upon graduation from law school, Presiding Justice Peterson served as a law clerk to Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Presiding Justice Peterson then practiced at King & Spalding LLP in Atlanta, where he focused on securities litigation, corporate governance litigation, merger-related litigation, and appellate litigation. Presiding Justice Peterson then moved to the Governor's Office, where he served as Executive Counsel and Deputy Executive Counsel to Governor Sonny Perdue.   In addition to his role as the Governor's chief legal advisor, Presiding Justice Peterson also served as a senior advisor on a broad array of policy issues, including water, natural resources, education, the judiciary, and criminal justice. At the expiration of Governor Perdue's term, Presiding Justice Peterson moved to the Attorney General's Office as Counsel for Legal Policy, where he oversaw major policy issues and litigation, as well as the rewrite of the state's Open Records and Open Meetings Acts.  In 2012, the Attorney General appointed Presiding Justice Peterson as Georgia's first Solicitor General. In that position, he oversaw all of the state's civil appellate litigation, played a lead role in all policy-related litigation, and served as a senior advisor to the Attorney General. Presiding Justice Peterson was then appointed Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and Secretary to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, a position he held until his appointment to the Court of Appeals. Presiding Justice Peterson has served on numerous government and non-profit boards and committees, has received a variety of honors and awards, lives with his wife Jennifer and two children in Cobb County, and is an active member of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. Links: Presiding Justice Nels S.D. Peterson – Supreme Court of Georgia (gasupreme.us) http://www.akintate.com/ https://www.gatriallawyers.net/ See You In Court (seeyouincourtpodcast.org) To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

Fred Davis only ended up in politics due to a family tragedy and then a family connection, and yet has become one of the most creative and controversial ad makers in America. His clients include a who's who of Republican elected officials...from Bush to Dole to McCain to Schwarzenegger among dozens of others. And despite electing Presidents and numerous Republicans up and down the ballot, he's most famous for his unique perspective on advertising that has led to some of the most memorable and controversials spots of the last few decades...the McCain '08 ad comparing Senator Barack Obama to Paris Hilton, introducing soon-to-be Michigan Governor Rick Synder as "one tough nerd", "Demon Sheep" in California, and introducing the phrase "I'm Not a Witch" into popular culture. Fred is a natural story teller with a great story of an accidental path and unconventional approach to politics.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODEHow family tragedy propels Fred into the PR at 19 years old & ultimately the ad business…The Senate race that put Fred on the national political map…Fred's connection the rise of Napa Valley wines…The stories behind some of Fred's most famous ads…- The “celebrity” ad against Barack Obama in 2008…- A colorful device for Governor Schwarznegger's 2006 re-election…- Branding Michigan Governor Rick Synder as “One Tough Nerd”…- The story behind the infamous Demon Sheep spot for Carly Fiorina's 2010 Senate race…- Fred's concept behind the Christine O'Donnell “I'm Not a Witch” ad from the 2010 Delaware Senate race…- The Jon Huntsman “motorcycle” announcement video…- Fred talks one of his favorite current clients, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy…- The story behind Fred's first viral video for Sonny Perdue against Georgia Governor Roy Barnes…How a high-profile conservative ad-maker is received living in liberal Hollywood…AND Jason Alexander, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, bell bottoms, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bon Van Inc, David Boren, Bottle Rocket, Barbara Boxer, Tom Campbell, Chateau Montelena, cheese boards, Bill Clinton, Robert Davi, Gray Davis, Dan Duckhorn, family disagreements, the Freitas Brothers, Gateway computers, good luck charms, gotcha ads, Kelsey Grammer, half-way houses, Mark Halperin, Jim Inhofe, large-format cameras, Rush Limbaugh, Lippincott, Mitch McConnell, Dave McCurdy, Dan McLagan, mirrored pedestals, Robert Mondavi, Sam Nunn, the NRSC, Ogilvy & Mather, Sarah Palin, pink tutus, Steve Schmidt, selling fishing bait, K. Wortham Smith, Steven Spielberg, J. Walter Thompson, Chuck Todd, Trinity University, True Lies, weathermen, the West End Grill, Meg Whitman, Wine Spectator & more!Links to ads cited in this episode: Prison dancing (Inhofe '94)Big Spender (Inhofe '94)Bug Zapper (Inhofe '98)Celebrity (McCain '08)Schwarzenegger Re-election ('06)One Tough Nerd (Rick Synder '10)Demon Sheep (Fiorina '10)I'm Not a Witch (Christine O'Donnell '10)Huntsman Motorcycle Presidential Announcement ('12)King Roy (Sonny Perdue '02)

Georgia lawmakers recently cut $66 million from the University System of Georgia's budget. Georgia House Rep. Tanya Miller joins the program to discuss a letter that Lt. Gov. Burt Jones sent to Sonny Perdue, the chancellor of the University System of Georgia, inquiring about how Georgia colleges are spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The City Schools of Decatur has a new leader. Dr. Gyimah Whitaker will take on her new role as superintendent in July. Whitaker talks with Rose about her career path and top goals for the district. For “Closer Look's” graduation series Rose talks with Tierra Grant. The 2023 graduate of Georgia State University's Perimeter College discusses overcoming domestic abuse, depression and anxiety and how it led her on a path to pursue a career in psychology. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Monday on Political Rewind: The Legislature's outcomes are still front of mind for Georgians. Chancellor Sonny Perdue decried a cut to the University System and mental health advocates mourn a failed expansion. Plus, CBS' "60 Minutes" is under fire for an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The panel: Edward Lindsey, @edlindsey14,former Republican state representative Kendra King Momon, professor of political science at Oglethorpe University Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, @mmo_mary, (D) Decatur Patricia Murphy, @MurphyAJC, political reporter & columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:00 - The dust has settled from the 2023 Legislature. Georgians are starting to see the impacts of what passed. 10:00 - A bill that would expand mental health care fell short of passage. 18:00 - USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue reacts to education budget cuts. 30:00 - A bill allowing greater oversight of district attorneys passed, marking a departure from "local control." 38:00 - Asa Hutchinson threw in his hat for a 2024 presidential run. 41:00 - CBS' "60 Minutes" took fire for an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 50:00 - Could the NYC case against Trump degrade public opinion in stronger cases? Tuesday on Political Rewind: The AJC's Tamar Hallerman joins the panel.

On the Thursday, March 30 edition of Georgia Today: Georgia representatives sponsor a bill aimed at producing more airline staff; Rising waters in South Georgia force residents out of their homes; and Sonny Perdue joins us to discuss the recent budget cuts in Georgia. 

To recap, eight Georgia state senators from nowhere near Buckhead want Buckhead to become a city seceding from Atlanta, while a majority of Buckhead residents when polled, say "nah." General Assembly reps say the same, and now the Buckhead Coalition - an elite group of Buckhead movers & shakers - notably in the business realm - have spoken against it, too. Their leader is a former Sonny Perdue chief of staff. REPUBLICAN Sonny Perdue. Remember my rant yesterday over financial pundit pinheads & the Fed and all their inability to understand the economy anymore? Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich is right there with me. Poor Marge; MTG (wrongfully, so far without proof) claims she was "attacked" (if anything she was verbally accosted) by a woman and her adult son while at dinner with her staff. The same MTG that stalked and yelled at David Hogg on the streets of Washington, mind you. Poor Marge, wanting to be treated better than she treats others. Lastly, what a former Atlanta Fire Chief had to say about slavery and God's will might stun you; it did me. And he's black!

Willy welcomes Dr. Larry Sabato. He is a political scientist, political analyst, and the Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. He is the founder and director of the university's Center for Politics, which publishes Sabato's Ball, his online newsletter where he writes electoral predictions and analysis. Dr. Larry Sabato begins by discussing remaining nonpartisan in an increasingly divisive environment. He is only interested in picking the winners and claims to have a good idea of where the upcoming results are going. He aims to get people involved and excited about politics. Research done by the Center of Politics interviewed 1,000 Donald Trump supporters and 1,000 Joe Biden supporters, which resulted in 51% of Trump supporters believing that Democratic states should secede from the union, and 42% of Biden supporters wish the same for Republican states. Nowadays, people feel strongly about their campaigns that even some Americans don't believe that Biden was legitimately elected despite zero evidence of fraud. People think they're entitled to facts and opinions in a no-facts era. Dr. Sabato calls for returning to basics and the civic education of young people. Although existing systems work, Dr. Sabato recommends voting on paper to eliminate questioning. Having computers with the Internet creates doubts and is at risk of hacking. It's difficult for a third party to emerge even though it can change political dynamics. The two major parties comprise most of Congress and wouldn't want a smaller slice of the pie. Gerrymandering is a big issue, with Democrats in Virginia making decisions that, in the end, favored Republicans. Dr. Sabato talks about open primaries where people vote for four candidates in order, and each candidate receives a certain number of votes based on how high they are ranked. This system can produce centrist results, and Dr. Sabato is open to this reform. Despite Donald Trump receiving a larger turnout than usual, Dr. Sabato still hopes more people will be voting this year. Moving on to the gubernatorial elections, he describes how "hypocrisy is the lifeblood of politics." He predicts Brian Kemp winning even without a runoff. He explains how split-ticket results are rare, as their parties determine 90% of voters. He says we shouldn't believe the Gallup polls, and split ticketing mainly happened in the 70s. An entirely Republican sweep isn't possible, one of the reasons being the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He foresees Republicans winning Oregon, Wisconsin, and Kansas. Although Massachusetts and Maryland are Republican, Dr. Sabato thinks they will lose in a landslide. He believes that Sonny Perdue leaning heavily in Trump's direction was a mistake that ended his career. He explains how the Republican party is divided into two halves: one is entirely dedicated to Trump, and the other is much more conservative than Larry Hogan. He predicts Jared Polis is not running against Biden, but reruns are possible. It's also expected that Kevin McCarthy will win as a speaker. He describes how every president will experience one or both Houses of Congress controlled by the other party, but veto power will be exercised to counter it.

This week Jim welcomes back friend of the show Eric Tanenblatt to discuss the tight US Senate race between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker in Georgia. They also assess the likelihood of a possible runoff between the two candidates. Eric Tanenblatt is the Global Chair of Public Policy and Regulation of Dentons, the world's largest law firm. He also leads the firm's US Public Policy Practice, leveraging his three decades of experience at the very highest levels of the federal and state governments. Mr. Tanenblatt, a renowned lecturer and political counselor who's widely regarded as one of the nation's preeminent public policy thought leaders, has served in the administrations of three US presidents and as a senior advisor to a US senator and governor, and held a US Senate-confirmable post governing a federal agency. He leads Dentons' global autonomous vehicles team and authors a popular weekly digest tracking the most consequential regulatory, political, and technical developments in the world of automotive autonomy. Mr. Tanenblatt's political and fundraising activities and experience are extensive. He served as chief of staff to Governor Sonny Perdue, Georgia's first Republican governor in 130 years, and later helped coordinate the 2004 G-8 Economic Summit, hosted by President George W. Bush at Sea Island, Georgia. He served in 2012 as a political advisor and National Finance Co-chairman for the presidential campaign of Governor Mitt Romney, with whom his relationship dates back to 2004, when he served as Finance Co-chair for the Romney-led Republican Governors Association (RGA). Earlier, in 2000, he served as the state chairman for President Bush's successful Georgia campaign and held senior positions in the 1996 Bob Dole and Phil Gramm presidential campaigns. He also served as a longtime advisor to the late US Senator Paul Coverdell (R-GA), including as vice chairman of the senator's reelection bid in 1998. Later, he served in the administration of President George H. W. Bush at the Department of Health and Human Services as a special assistant to the secretary, and as director of intergovernmental affairs at the Peace Corps. Mr. Tanenblatt is a prominent advocate for civic engagement, often writing and speaking on the subject. He was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the US Senate to serve on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, serving from 2008 until 2013. He was also the founder and chairman of Hands on Georgia, a statewide organization to promote volunteerism, and served as co-chair of the Host Committee for the National Conference for Service and Volunteerism in 2008 and 2018. Named one of Georgia's 100 most influential persons and a political legacy leader by the magazine Georgia Trend, which years earlier named him one of the state's "Forty under 40" rising stars, Mr. Tanenblatt is often quoted or cited by some of the most prestigious news and opinion services in the world, including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New York Times, US News and World Report, National Journal, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call, the Associated Press, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Help us grow! Leave us a rating and review - it's the best way to bring new listeners to the show. Don't forget to subscribe! Have a suggestion, or want to chat with Jim? Email him at Jim@ThePoliticalLife.net  Follow The Political Life on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for weekly updates.

Nick Ayers didn't enter politics for power or personal gain — he just wanted to serve. That's why he's worked for leaders such as Sonny Perdue, Mike Pence and others. We'll hear all about Nick's experiences — including his journey to the White House, the true cost of walking in God's plan, balancing work with family life, and having the right motivations to help others and effect change.   Keep up with Average Brad ~ http://www.averagebrad.com

It's a year of major milestones here at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning…Quality Rated celebrates a Decade of Stars now marking ten years as Georgia's Quality Rating and Improvement System…and this school year Georgia's Pre-K Program celebrates 30 years of high quality early childhood education for the state's four and five year olds.  But sandwiched in between all that is the 18th birthday of our agency as a whole.  Prior to 2004, the idea of a state department strictly for children under the age of five was unheard of…and yet it happened officially on October 1, 2004 with Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.  Joining us to talk about DECAL's 18th birthday is Ben Scafidi, a former education policy advisor to Governor Sonny Perdue. Today Ben is a professor of economics and director of the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University.   Support the show

The former governor and member of the Trump cabinet is now the chancellor of the University System of Georgia.In this wide-ranging conversation, Perdue talks about Columbus State University and its search for a new president, the West Point Kia plant he brought to Georgia, and the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary between Gov. Brian Kemp and Perdue's cousin, David Perdue.Perdue also weighs in on his relationship with the city of Columbus over the years.“Columbus is very much a unique town,” Perdue said. “It ought to be very proud of how they have been successful, but they haven't hoarded that money. They haven't kept it. They have invested it there locally and nationally in order to make a better community and a better life for its citizens.”Twitter: ChuckWilliamsInstagram: ChuckWilliams0999Catch The Chuck Williams Show live every Tuesday at 7/6 central. Watch Last Week's Episode here

It is that time of year again, and it is my pleasure to interview the American Star Finalists for this year's National FFA Convention.  What a great time of year, and what a fantastic guest to kick off this series of interviews with! I am always fascinated with the way the mind of the finalists in agriscience research work, and with Danae Westra that is very true!  Not only has Danae been doing research on her families dairy since her freshman year of high school, but she has been doing research with immediate, practical applications in the family dairy business.  In addition to that, Danae has a big personality, and that has show through in the names that she has given each one of her projects: Freshman Year: "Calves R Us" Sophomore Year: "Milk R Us" Junior Year: "Protein 4 Life" Senior Year: "Milk It 4 All It's Worth" Freshman Year Of College: "Mastitis Mishaps" In this interview with Danae you will hear a repeated theme - getting up at 6am to do research before school started.  Whether that was weighing calves, pulling blood samples or collecting urine, she was out there, everyday, getting it done before school even started.  This is what is so inspirational about FFA students, and this is why Danae has already been recognized as one of the top four agriscience researchers out of the 850,000+ FFA students in the nation! SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Agriscience Research HIGH SCHOOL: Central Valley Christian High School, Visalia, California MASCOT: Cavaliers FFA ADVISOR: Kelsey De Jong CONTACT INFORMATION FOR DANAE WESTRA: Click on the picture below to be taken to the Central Valley Christian High School website: Danae's FFA Advisor's Email Address: kdejong@cvc.org Central Valley Christian High School Telephone Number: 559-734-9481 FFA LINKS: National FFA Organization Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's) Support FFA  Donate to FFA - FFA students can start small businesses through an FFA grant of $1,000.  In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants.  With your donations, more students can get this head start - pay it forward. REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA: Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% and the rest of the world.  FFA provides the needed education, training, and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and ensure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food. Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation.  The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth. Farmers, ranchers, and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the food search is as simple as going to the grocery store: “The future of American agriculture depends on the involvement and investment in America's youth, In order to prepare for the population of tomorrow, we need to encourage America's youth today, and show that careers in agriculture are profitable, rewarding, and vital.”. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue   More Places You Can Listen to Off-Farm Income And Matt Brechwald:  

Eric Tanenblatt is the Global Chair of Public Policy and Regulation at Dentons, the world's largest law firm. He also leads the firm's US Public Policy Practice, leveraging his three decades of experience at the very highest levels of the federal and state governments. Eric also heads up the firm's 50-state practice. To name just a few of his accomplishments, Eric has served in the administration of three U.S. Presidents, as senior advisor to U.S. Senators and Governors, and helped coordinate the 2004 G8 Economic Summit, which was hosted in Sea Island, Georgia. In Georgia, Eric also served as chief of staff to the former Governor Sonny Perdue. Because of his deep roots in Republican politics in the state, Eric updated Jim on recent activity in the Georgia state legislative session, and provided some insight into the gubernatorial and senate races there. This is part one of a two part conversation, and next week Jim and Eric will chat about Eric's past work helping disruptive companies navigate the complicated laws and regulations surrounding the innovation economy – with a particular focus placed on Eric's work and writing around autonomous vehicles. Have a suggestion, or want to chat with Jim? Email him at Jim@ThePoliticalLife.net  Follow The Political Life on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for weekly updates.

Friday on Political Rewind: It is the end of the final full week of this year's General Assembly, with the session's last day on Monday. What is going on with last-minute legislation? Among the bills that could still make it to the governor's desk is controversial legislation to allow Georgians to carry concealed weapons without a permit. Plus, is former President Donald Trump hedging his bets on David Perdue's run for governor? The panel: Patricia Murphy — Politics reporter and columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Dr. Andra Gillespie — Political science professor & director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University Dr. Tammy Greer — Political science professor, Clark Atlanta University Timestamp: :00 – Introduction 2:40 – “Constitution carry” bill closes in on passage 19:20 – David Perdue in gubernatorial race 29:40 – Herschel Walker's conservative opponents spending millions 40:00 – Sonny Perdue's chancellorship application 45:50 – DOJ to investigate those behind 2020's fake electors, including GA GOP chairman Subscribe to the new Political Rewind newsletter at GPB.org/newsletter for the latest on Georgia politics in your inbox on Wednesdays.

In less than 20 years, Sonny Perdue has gone from being the first Republican Governor of Georgia since Reconstruction, to Secretary of Agriculture, to now the only candidate to become the next chancellor of the University System of Georgia. In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, political insiders Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy are joined by AJC senior reporter Tamar Hallerman to look at how Perdue will handle the transformation into education. Our team will also discuss the changes that he could make, the problems he could encounter, and the impact this could have on the 2022 campaign. Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”

Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue chancellor of University System; Federal judge upholds Georgia redistricting for 2022 elections; Former Brookhaven sex toy shop owner avoids jail sentence, $420K fine; Georgia Senate votes to let parents opt kids out of school mask mandates

Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue chancellor of University System; Federal judge upholds Georgia redistricting for 2022 elections; Former Brookhaven sex toy shop owner avoids jail sentence, $420K fine; Georgia Senate votes to let parents opt kids out of school mask mandates

Senate passes bill eliminating need for Georgians to get a license to carry handguns; Kemp's office says Georgia will ‘fully divest' from Russian funds; What will Sonny Perdue do if he becomes Georgia system's chancellor?; UGA police investigating alleged fraud within athletics fundraising; Black students in Gwinnett schools face highest rates of discipline

Senate passes bill eliminating need for Georgians to get a license to carry handguns; Kemp's office says Georgia will ‘fully divest' from Russian funds; What will Sonny Perdue do if he becomes Georgia system's chancellor?; UGA police investigating alleged fraud within athletics fundraising; Black students in Gwinnett schools face highest rates of discipline

Friday on Political Rewind: Former Gov. Sonny Perdue is one step away from the top job overseeing Georgia's public universities and colleges. Meanwhile, the latest from the federal hate crimes trial in Brunswick. The prosecution presented evidence to proves racial animus lead to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery by Gregory and Travis McMichael and William "Roddie" Bryan. The Panel: Rene Alegria — CEO, Mundo Hispanico Digital Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of political science and director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University Patricia Murphy — Politics reporter and columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Timestamps: :00- Introductions 3:41- Sonny Perdue closes in on chancellorship 16:08- Kemp, Walker lead in new poll 28:50- From East Cobb to Buckhead cityhood movements dominate the legislative session 39:31- Biden gets rid of Trump-era rule on green cards 41:59- Prosecutor's reveal Ahmaud Arbery's murderers used racial slurs 48:47- Rep. Terry England won't run for re-election Be sure to tune in for Political Rewind on GPB TV on Fridays at 7 p.m.

Wednesday on Political Rewind: Sonny Perdue will become the next chancellor of the state's university system. Meanwhile, Dems are fuming at GOP maneuvers during redistricting. And on the coast, testimony is underway in the trial of the men accused of murdering Ahmaud Arbery. The panel: Greg Bluestein — Political reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Margaret Coker — Editor-in-chief, The Current Stanley Dunlap — Reporter, Georgia Recorder Stephen Fowler — Political reporter, GPB News Timestamps :00- Introductions 3:40- Sonny Perdue sole finalist for the chancellorship 12:06- Andrew Pinson nominated for state supreme court 17:23- Testimony heard in Brunswick 25:47- Tempers flare over redistricting 41:08- Show announcements 42:25- Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds press conference on election safety 47:13- New social media bill introduced Please be sure to download our newsletter: www.gpb.org/newsletters. And subscribe, follow and rate this show wherever podcasts are found.

Rivian's planned Georgia EV plant sparks local environmental scrutiny; Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue finalist to lead University System; Police ID man accused of setting fire at Atlanta Federal Reserve building; Republicans block Senate vote on Biden nominees to the Fed, including Ga. native

Friday on Political Rewind: This year's session of the General Assembly might be defined by efforts to control what is taught in the state's schools. GOP bills banning “critical race theory” and “obscene” books are in the mix. Our panel looks at the potential impact. Meanwhile, one defendant in the federal trial of the murderers of Ahmaud Arbery withdraws his guilty plea, ensuring the hate crime trial will go forward for at least one of the three men convicted in the state trial. The panel: Dr. Andra Gillespie — Professor of political science and director, James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference, Emory University Patricia Murphy — Politics reporter and columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Rene Alegria — CEO, Mundo Hispanico Digital Timestamps :00- Introductions 4:10- McMichaels will not take a guilty plea in the federal trial for Arbery killing 11:11 Education issues dominate the legislator 32:50- Sonny Perdue back on track to become chancellor 39:29- Gov. Kemp releases attack ad for David Perdue, countering Perdue's Trump endorsement 46:03- Stacey Abrams raises $9.2 million 48:19- Stacey Abrams' sister considered for SCOTUS nomination Please be sure to download our newsletter: www.gpb.org/newsletters. And subscribe, follow and rate this show wherever podcasts are found.

Tuesday on Political Rewind: A judge rejected a plea deal in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Meanwhile, the Fulton County district attorney asked the FBI for security help as she investigates former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election. Sonny Perdue could be back on track to become the next chancellor for the Georgia university system. And a Senate committee takes up constitutional carry today at 4 p.m.  The Panel Emma Hurt— Reporter, Axios Atlanta Steve Fennessy — Host, Georgia Today for Georgia Public Broadcasting Tamar Hallerman — Senior reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tia Mitchell — Washington reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Timestamps :00- Introduction 3:19- Federal Judge denies plea deal for McMichaels in the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery 12:11- Fani Willis ask for FBI security as she investigates President Donald Trump 18:30- David Perdue has first campaign video featuring Donald Trump 23:00- Sonny Perdue back on track for chancellorship 27:26- Axios' Emma Hurt joins the panel 32:29- HBCU bomb threats continue 35:05- Vernon Jones may drop out of the race for governor 46:31- Bill 319 regarding constitutional carry will be heard by the Senate Judiciary committee 48:12 - Guaranteed Income preview from Tamar Hallerman Please be sure to download our newsletter: www.gpb.org/newsletters. And subscribe, follow and rate this show wherever podcasts are found.

Fannin County deputy killed in car crash; Stetson Bennett returns home for championship celebration; Kemp's latest shuffling of regents could clear way for Sonny Perdue to become chief; Inside a Georgia hospital's ICU, medical staff wages war against omicron

Sonny Perdue does Brian Kemp a solid at GOP rally; Man shot by officer after wielding metal pipe in Midtown; National Guard to help Cobb County hospital at center of COVID storm; Tax break could bring 3,000 new jobs to Cobb's Lockheed plant

Ever wonder what ol' Tom Vilsack is doing? All the time you say? Well that's great! He's basically the Thanos of the modern agricultural world…though I'll admit, he is a tad bit nicer than Marvel's big bad. Pretty decent politician actually…Sonny Perdue however, hoo boy.

In this Podcast, Paulette and I discuss Sonny Perdue for Chancellor of the USG, Texas AG Paxton Reveals Only Reason NY Prosecutors Are Going After Trump Organization, Maxine Waters Criticizes Declaration of Independence on Fourth of July, College students NOT proud to be American, Democrats Reportedly Worried Kamala Harris Can't Beat Any Republican In 2024, Including TrumpYou can find Rich McCormick at https://www.richmccormick.us/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The panel kicks off the show discussing the Biden justice department's lawsuit over Georgia's new elections bill, Senate Bill 202. In a statement they allege that the bill was passed with “discriminatory purpose.” Governor Kemp quickly condemned the suit, calling it a “politically motivated assault on the rule of law.” There is also of course Candidate Corner, where the discussion involves Rudy Giuliani's fundraiser for Republican candidate for Governor, former State Senator, Vernon Jones. Also, State Senator Bruce Thompson announced he is running for Labor Commissioner, which makes for a crowded field to challenge incumbent Republican Mark Butler. And the last subject before Overhyped/Underhyped is about the news that the agribusiness company Archer-Daniels-Midland reportedly sold Sonny Perdue, the University System of Georgia's proposed candidate to be its new chancellor, property worth over 5.5 million dollars for just 250,000 just before he was appointed commissioner of agriculture. All that and more on this episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast. Connect with The Georgia Politics Podcast on Twitter @gapoliticspod Megan Gordon-Kane @meganlaneg Preston Thompson @pston3 or by emailed preston(a)appenmedia.com Proud member of the Appen Podcast Network. #gapol

Thursday on Political Rewind: As the Peach State seeks a new permanent chancellor for its public universities and colleges, leaders of North Carolina's public university system find themselves embroiled in a national debate over race, journalism and academic freedom. The attention came after trustees of the University of North Carolina system initially denied tenure to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Hannah-Jones is a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter widely known for her work on the New York Times' 1619 Project. The initiative, led by Hannah-Jones, sought to study the lasting legacy of slavery in U.S. society. On June 30, the university's trustees voted to give tenure to the reporter after mounting pressure to reconsider their decision. In Georgia, Sonny Perdue is seeking the top position over the state's system of public universities and colleges. The former Georgia governor and Agricultural Secretary under President Donald Trump told reporters he would bring "stability" during a period of "cultural revolution" to Georgia's public institutions of higher education. Perdue also said he would like to promote conservative values if chosen to be chancellor. Perdue's comments, and the debate over tenure for Hannah-Jones, is spurring debate about academic freedom over education curriculum. In related news, Perdue finds himself under scrutiny for potential ethics violations. Calls for an ethics investigation from leading Democratic senators could threaten Perdue's chances of gaining the chancellorship. The move comes following an investigation by the Washington Post. Also, reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows Gov. Brian Kemp received an immense fundraising haul as he gears up for his reelection campaign. Is it enough to keep out a credible Republican primary challenge? Panelists: Dr. Audrey Haynes — Professor of Political Science, University of Georgia Dr. Adrienne Jones — Professor of Political Science, Morehouse University Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Donna Lowry — Host, GPB's Lawmakers

Monday on Political Rewind: Georgia lawmakers and politicians sound off on a new federal lawsuit challenging state election law. Georgia Republican leaders criticized the Department of Justice decision to file a lawsuit challenging the state's new voting laws. They insist the lawsuit is a partisan effort to upend provisions designed to stop voting fraud.  Also, the state has announced it will halt the rollout of a limited expansion of Medicaid as officials here continue to tussle with the Biden administration over Georgia's proposed work requirement for recipients. In the meantime, Georgia halted the $300 weekly supplemental federal unemployment benefit to residents in the state who are out of work. Finally, panelist Jim Galloway discussed a story related to the current effort to name Sonny Perdue chancellor of the University System of Georgia. A look back into history reveals it's not the first time state leaders have played politics with higher education. Panelists: Dr. Karen Owen — Political Science Professor, University of West Georgia Julianne Thompson — Republican Strategist Dr. Kurt Young — Political Science Professor, Clark-Atlanta University Jim Galloway — Former Political Columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday on Political Rewind: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced that she will not run for reelection. In a letter, Bottoms highlighted her proudest accomplishments in office, but gave no reason for her decision not to seek a second term. We'll look at what her withdrawal means for the race for mayor of Georgia's most influential city. Plus, another significant withdrawal is in the news today: The search firm hired to find candidates for chancellor of the University System of Georgia has resigned from the job. The company gave no reasons for its decision, but controversy over reports that the position of chancellor may be offered to former Gov. Sonny Perdue has clouded the search from the start. Panelists: Stephen Fowler – Political reporter, GPB News Patricia Murphy – Political reporter and columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday on Political Rewind: The governing body behind Georgia's public universities and colleges is on the search for a new chancellor. But appointed members of the Board of Regents are facing criticism after former Gov. Sonny Perdue was reported to be among the final candidates for the role. A college accrediting agency warned the board to keep politics out of the search. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a letter to Regent chair Sachin Shailendra from The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges advised the board pick a candidate based on their skills and abilities to avoid "politicizing" the search. Perdue has no experience in education administration. Also, President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Georgia tomorrow following his first speech to a joint session of Congress later tonight. His speech will serve as a review of his first 100 days in office. Biden's Thursday trip to Georgia reflects the new importance of the Peach State in national politics following the 2020 election of Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. The pair of Georgians gave Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate, bolstering the president's abilities to pass his progressive agenda. Panel: Greg Bluestein — Politics Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In today's episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott welcomes Page Siplon, John Heard, and Yinka Ajirotutu to the podcast.   Prior to joining TeamOne Logistics, Page Siplon served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, the State's leading consulting resource for fueling logistics industry growth and global competitiveness. For over a decade, he directly assisted hundreds of companies to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities related to the movement of freight. During this time, Siplon was also appointed to concurrently serve the State of Georgia as Director of the larger Centers of Innovation Program, in which he provided executive leadership and vision for all six strategic industry-focused Centers. As a frequently requested keynote speaker, Siplon is called upon to address a range of audiences on unique aspects of technology, workforce, and logistics. This often includes topics of global and domestic logistics trends, supply chain visibility, collaboration, and strategic planning. He has also been quoted as an industry expert in publications such as Forbes, Journal of Commerce, Fortune, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, American Express, DC Velocity, Area Development Magazine, Site Selection Magazine, Inbound Logistics, Modern Material Handling, and is frequently a live special guest on SiriusXM's Road Dog Radio Show. Siplon is an active industry participant, recognized by DC Velocity Magazine as a “2012 Logistics Rainmaker” which annually identifies the top-ten logistics professionals in the Nation; and named a “Pro to Know” by Supply & Demand Executive Magazine in 2014. Siplon was also selected by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” for 2013, 2014, and 2015. He also serves various industry leadership roles at both the State and Federal level. Governor Nathan Deal nominated Siplon to represent Georgia on a National Supply Chain Competitiveness Advisory Committee, where he was appointed to a two-year term by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was then appointed to serve as its vice-chairman. At the State level, he was selected by then-Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as lead consultant on the Commission for New Georgia's Freight and Logistics Task Force. In this effort, Siplon led a Private Sector Advisory Committee with invited executives from a range of private sector stakeholders including UPS, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Georgia Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. Siplon honorably served a combined 12 years in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. During this time, he led the integration of encryption techniques and deployed cryptographic devices for tactically secure voice and data platforms in critical ground-to-air communication systems. This service included support for all branches of the Department of Defense, multiple federal security agencies, and aiding NASA with multiple Space Shuttle launches. Originally from New York, Siplon received both a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical and computer engineering with a focus on digital signal processing from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned an associate's degree in advanced electronic systems from the Air Force College and completed multiple military leadership academies in both the Marines and Air Force. Siplon currently lives in Cumming, Georgia (north of Atlanta), with his wife Jan, and two children Thomas (19) and Lily (15). Oluyinka Ajirotutu (Yinka) is an accomplished healthcare leader, established public speaker and mental health advocate. With over 12 years of experience, Yinka has worked at some of the top healthcare organizations in the country such as Mayo Clinic and the University of Chicago Hospitals. She also served as a healthcare consultant for government health agencies such as the Veterans Health Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid. The importance of health and wellness

We salute the truckers and the grocery store staffers keeping our refrigerators filled!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Political Rewind , Kelly Loeffler's success in business is an asset Gov. Brian Kemp trumpeted when he named her as Sen. Johnny Isakson's successor. But do her far flung interests pose ethical questions as she assumes her position in the Senate? Our panel weighs in. Some 55,000 Georgians face a loss of their food stamps as Sonny Perdue's USDA sets in motion tougher work requirement rules for SNAP recipients. We'll look at what's behind the changes.