Political Breakfast from WABE

This week on Political Breakfast, we've got a full spread of politics.  Strategists Tharon Johnson and Brian Robinson join host Lisa Rayam and start with the fallout in Washington, after Georgia GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to oust fellow GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson.  It was quite a sting for Greene when the House swiftly turned down her effort to remove Johnson. Tir...

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...

From Emory University, to Columbia, to Ole Miss, where's the line between a peaceful protest and when demonstrations start to go south?  On this week's Political Breakfast, the gang discusses the fallout of one recent protest at the University of Mississippi. Republican Georgia U.S. Congressman Mike Collins recently re-tweeted a controversial video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that has ma...

On this week's Political Breakfast, Nathan Wade is breaking his silence on his past romantic relationship with Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis, and the gang is back to talking about the prosecution team, and former lovers. The former special prosecutor in the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump is speaking out for the first time.  Wade resigned from the case after Ful...

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...

On this week's second helping of Political Breakfast, the gang talks about how early voting is underway for Georgia's primaries and non-partisan elections on May 21st. The early voting period ends on May 17th.  That's as elections officials and voters also face complications with lost mail and delays with the U.S. Postal Service.  Host Lisa Rayam, Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and...

This week on Political Breakfast, strategists Brian Robinson and Tharon Johnson talk with host Lisa Rayam about Vice President Kamala Harris' most recent visit to Atlanta. Hours before her arrival Monday the gang analyzed her timing, her target audience and above all, her messaging. Harris' visit comes amid a divisive time on college campuses nationwide as demonstrators gather to protest agai...

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.

On this week's second helping of Political Breakfast, the gang discusses opening statements that began this week for former president Donald Trump's hush-money trial in New York. The trial centers around allegations the former president falsified his company’s internal records when making alleged hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. Some folks in Georgia are wat...

Launching this Friday from the team behind " Gold Dome Scramble ," " 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. "Plugged In"  premieres on Friday, April 26. Episodes will publish here in the " Political Breakfas...

It's time for this week's Political Breakfast! Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of several GOP lawmakers threatening to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, now that he's voted with Democrats to send billions in aid to Ukraine, Israel and other nations. Greene recently filed a motion to vacate the Republican speaker. Johnson joined with Democrats on Saturday to advance a...

On this week's second edition of Political Breakfast, the conversation continues from news earlier this week about special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis being appointed to investigate Georgia GOP Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. The case is over Jones' role in former president Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.  In 2020, Burt Jones signed on as a fake elector for Donald Trump,...

This week on Political Breakfast, the team responds to a recent Newsweek article that has attorneys for former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows calling the Georgia election interference case "unglued." Meadows was indicted along with former president Donald Trump and others as part of the RICO case being prosecuted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Democratic Strategist Tharon...

Georgia first lady Marty Kemp recently said she would not vote for Donald Trump in November - and she'd "write Brian Kemp's name in. He'd make a darn good president." Trump has targeted Governor Kemp for declining to help interfere with Georgia's 2020 election result.  But despite that animosity, Kemp hasn't lashed-out - and pledged to support the GOP's ultimate nominee.  The Atlanta Civ...

On this week's first episode of Political Breakfast, A Biden/Harris campaign ad declares they're "putting the work in for Black America." In turn, are they forcing the Trump campaign to amplify it's putting in the work? The Atlanta Civic Circle's Saba Long and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson share their perspectives with host Lisa Rayam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's Political Breakfast, it's Republican strategist Brian Robinson, host Lisa Rayam and Atlanta Civic Circle director Saba Long, who's filling-in for Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson. The crew discusses former President Donald Trump returning to Georgia for a luncheon in Atlanta on Wednesday. Big Georgia money will flow into Trump's campaign from this luncheon. Just a photo with the...

On this week's Political Breakfast, the dust clears and the 2024 legislative session is over under the Gold Dome. But there's still business to hash through. The big question is, will Governor Brian Kemp sign all of the bills passed by the general assembly and sent to his desk? Some are of more interest to Republican strategist Brian Robinson, host Lisa Rayam, and Atlanta Civic Circle Director Sab...

Lawmakers pass a flurry of bills before the last day of the legislative session, sine die, but not every big ticket item made it to the governor's desk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're two days away from Sine Die, the last day of the 2024 Georgia legislative session. It's a chaotic race to the finish where lawmakers are reviewing and voting-on hundreds of bills.  Host Lisa Rayam is out this week. But Democratic Strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican Strategist Brian Robinson take us through a few bills they're focused on, and some insight they're getting from walkin...

With just a few days left in this year's legislative session, lawmakers are jamming through bills any way they can. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas discuss the proposals they're tracking as the session starts wrapping up. Plus, a conversation with WABE'S environment reporters Emily Jones and Marisa Mecke. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for this week's second edition of Political Breakfast, where strategists Tharon Johnson, Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam address Democrats' fears about President Joe Biden's chances in Georgia.  The Atlanta Journal Constitution published an article this week that cited several lawmakers voicing concerns, that Georgia won’t get the same focus as battleground voters in other states...

On this week's Political Breakfast, we're still seeing calls from the right for Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis to step aside from the Georgia election Interference case - even though her former special prosecutor Nathan Wade resigned from the case on Friday. A judge ruled one of them would have to go last week, because of a conflict of interest and their past romantic relationship. In a lett...

A judge ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could remain on the Georgia election interference case, but only if special prosecutor Nathan Wade stepped aside. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgia Republicans have passed public subsidies for private school tuition by the slimmest of margins. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas discuss all things education with WABE education reporter Juma Sei. Plus a look at a last minute move to ban puberty blockers and efforts to expand gambling in Georgia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have Donald Trump's divisive MAGA movement and Joe Biden's low approval rates driven former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan to potentially run for president?  Duncan could be running for president in November under the third-party, bipartisan movement 'No Labels.'  Multiple national news outlets report Duncan could be featured on the movement's so-called "unity ticket" and challenge the pr...