the panel
Tamar Hallerman, @TamarHallerman, senior reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Peter Biello, @PeterBiello, host, All Things Considered, GPB News
Bernard Fraga, @blfraga, professor of political science at Emory University
Jim Galloway, @JimJournalist, former political columnist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
the breakdown
1. The Atlanta city council approved funding for a controversial police training center.
After a 14-hour marathon of scathing public comments, the Atlanta City Council voted to approve what could be almost 67 million dollars for the public training center. Since the proposal of the site, controversies have been generated around the site. In January, activist Manuel Terán, or Tortuguita, was killed by Georgia State Patrol agents, who say they shot first. Last week, three organizers with the Atlanta Solidarity Fund were charged with financial crimes related to their fundraising activity in bail bonds and protests. At a bond hearing for the three, the judge appeared to doubt the strength of the state’s case.
LISTEN: Jim Galloway on vote for Atlanta police training center.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will likely use Georgia’s RICO law against Donald Trump and his associates to prosecute crimes related to the 2020 election. Two companies outside of Georgia allegedly sought election fraud, and when they didn’t find it, they buried their findings. Willis could announce his accusations in just a few months.
3. Three more Republicans enter the ring before 2024.
Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence and Chris Christie are expected to officially announce their candidacy for the White House shortly. All three are well behind Trump. While Christie’s bid may be a long shot, DeSantis and Pence have angles they could pursue. Pence was closely affiliated with the Trump administration’s agenda, but has come under fire from his former executive. DeSantis has rallied behind Trump for months, with the gap between the two only widening.
Wednesday at Political Rewind: The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Greg Bluestein joins the panel.
