Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast

With a little more than a month left until election day, Georgia's State Election Board has approved several last-minute changes to the election process, despite opposition from Republican state officials and local election officials. Tensions on the board are growing as Republican members hint that their work is not done and criticize those who question their motives. On this week's episode of "P...

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a point this week and further cuts are expected between now and the end of next year. Mortgage rates have already started coming down in anticipation of the rate cuts, making it easier for many to buy a home, but home ownership still remains out of reach for millions of Americans. On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," p...

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump debated Tuesday for the first and possibly the only time before Election Day. On this week’s episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," the team shares their stories of watching the debate. Plus, an update on the fight to keep or remove third-party and independent presidential candidates on Georgia's ballot and a rundown of rece...

Two students and two teachers are dead after a 14-year-old student opened fire inside a Barrow County high school on Wednesday. The student, and his 54-year-old father, are now facing multiple charges. In this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss how elected officials are responding to the deadliest school shooting in Georgia histor...

Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up a campaign swing in coastal Georgia with a Savannah rally on Thursday. Harris, along with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, visited a marching band practice and a barbecue restaurant, among other local stops. The goal, campaign strategists say, is to show Democrats are serious about winning votes outside of Metro Atlanta, as political reporters...

Vice President Kamala Harris has officially accepted her party's historic nomination for president. Atlanta may have missed out on hosting the Democratic National Convention this year, but the city's culture was prominently on display. In this week’s episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss what happened at the DNC and introduce listeners to s...

Georgia’s maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the nation and health officials say the vast majority of pregnancy related deaths in the state are preventable. WABE Health Reporter Jess Mador has been reporting on the crisis and potential solutions. She joined WABE’s Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali for this week’s episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast." See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

A new rule approved by the Georgia State Election Board could open the door for local election boards to refuse to certify election results. The measure will go into effect ahead of the November presidential election. On this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," political reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the new rule, which is just one sentence long, and how oppone...

Thirty-three days after President Joe Biden’s ill-fated debate in Atlanta, Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Atlanta this week as the new presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. On this week’s edition of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," Reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss how Harris is trying to muster the coalition of voters of color, independents and disaffected Republ...

It's been yet another historic week in the 2024 presidential race as President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and backed Vice President Kamala Harris in his place. On this week’s edition of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporter Rahul Bali and photographer Matthew Pearson gauge political reactions in Georgia to the change at the top of the Democratic ticket. Plus a conversati...

Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp and Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance both have complicated relationships with former President and now Republican nominee Donald Trump. Plus, Black communities in swing states like Georgia could be one of the most important voting blocs in the upcoming presidential election, especially for the Democratic Party. WABE politics reporter Rahul Ba...

Georgia and Michigan moved in tandem during the last two presidential elections, elevating Donald Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.  But in the midterms, they elected governors who pushed their states in opposite directions and are now rising stars on the national stage at a time when many voters are unhappy with the choices for president. WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bal...

The Peach State could be a deciding factor in the 2024 presidential election, as it was in 2020. But Georgia's status as a critical state in presidential history isn't new. On this week's special Independence Day episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporter Sam Gringlas takes listeners on a summer road trip to a pair of towns that helped shape former presidents Franklin Dela...

President Joe Biden faced Donald Trump in Atlanta on Thursday night during their first debate ahead of  the November election . It was the first time the two have shared a stage since they last debated in October of 2020. In this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the debate and how it could shape the trajectory...

LGBTQ voters are a highly engaged and growing voter bloc in Georgia and throughout the country. They’re also reliable Democratic supporters and a crucial demographic in tight elections. On this week’s special Pride Month episode of the "Plugged In" podcast, WABE politics reporter Sam Gringlas and guest host Patrick Saunders – WABE’s Supervising Digital Editor – discuss the LGBTQ community and how...

Thanks to a new law, SB 189, it could be easier for third party and independent presidential candidates to make it onto Georgia ballots. And since Georgia's last presidential race was decided by less than 12,000 votes, the presence of those candidates could shape whether President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump win in November. On this week’s episode of WABE’s “Plugged In,” politics re...

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is known for being a mayor who seems to be everywhere. But this week, he’s facing criticism over his being absent during the early hours of the city’s water emergency. That’s as Dickens has already faced protests over his support for the Atlanta Police Training Center. On this week's episode, politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss Dickens’ leadership and...

A jury in New York City has unanimously found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 criminal counts for covering up hush money payments to an adult film star before the 2020 election. This is the first time in U.S. history that a former president has been convicted of felony crimes. On this week’s episode, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the verdict and what it mea...

More than a million Georgians voted in the May primary and election officials are now gearing up for another round of voting as races where no candidate got more than 50% of the vote head to a runoff on June 18th. On this week’s episode, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss one of those runoffs and explore whether any primary results provide clues about what's to come in Nov...

Cherokee Rose Sporting Clays in Spalding County recently hosted a GOP debate featuring five primary candidates that are vying to represent Georgia's third Congressional district, which stretches from Atlanta's exurbs to the Alabama border. On this week's episode, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali talk about this race and how it showcases former President Donald Trump's sway in th...

Former President Donald Trump, the top defendant in the Georgia election interference case, isn't the only one on the 2024 ballot. So is the judge, Scott McAfee, and the prosecutor, District Attorney Fani Willis. In this week's episode, WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas discuss these and some of the other big candidates you can expect to see on the ballot in Georgia's May electio...

Protests against the war in Gaza are continuing at Emory University and other campuses across the country. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas speak with criminal justice reporter Chamian Cruz, who was at Emory as law enforcement began removing protestors, and education reporter Juma Sei, who's been tracking the fallout at Emory and other colleges, where students are calling on the...

With less than 200 days until Election Day 2024, right-wing grassroots activists and progressive organizers are gearing up for the campaign ahead. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas bring listeners along as they attend two events, just forty miles apart but on polar opposites of the political spectrum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Launching this Friday, " Plugged In" is a Georgia politics roundup from the WABE newsroom. From under the Gold Dome or across the state, reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali talk to politicians and experts to break down each week’s biggest headlines in Georgia. Combining Sam and Rahul’s seasonal podcasts " Gold Dome Scramble"  and " Georgia Votes ," " Plugged In"  brings...

Senator Raphael Warnock won a full term in the U.S Senate by a slim margin and became the only Democrat to win a statewide race this election cycle. WABE's Susanna Capelouto, Rahul Bali, Sam Gringlas and Emma Hurt with Axios Atlanta talk about what the outcome of this year's elections means for Georgia going forward. They also talk about what they will miss or not miss about covering this long yea...