Former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal drew national attention in 2016 when he vetoed a religious liberty bill that opponents said would lead to discrimination against LGBTQ people.

When a similar measure passed again this year, Governor Brian Kemp quickly signed it into law.

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss what’s changed over the past decade with WABE's Patrick Saunders, who has been leading WABE’s annual Beyond Pride series, which takes a close look at LGBTQ issues in Georgia.

Plus, Georgia Republicans and Democrats are charting the future of their parties as state lawmakers grapple with a heated political climate following the assassination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband.

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Political Breakfast went live this week, as Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam react to thousands flooding the streets of Atlanta for 'No Kings' protests, part of broader demonstrations across the nation.

They happened the same day as a military parade in Washington for the Army's 250th Anniversary -- which also coincided with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. 

Congressional Democrats and some Republicans have slammed the roughly $45 million dollar cost of the parade. 

Plus, primary elections for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission are today. The PSC regulates utilities, including Georgia Power rate increases and how the company generates electricity. Could Democrats gain control? 

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Data centers are growing faster in Atlanta than anywhere else in the country.

That rapid growth has left communities grappling with how these new developments will impact the environment and their neighborhoods.

WABE has been taking a closer look at data centers as part of our series, “Server South.”

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali are joined by WABE and Grist Climate Reporter Emily Jones and WABE Environment Reporter Marisa Mecke to talk about data centers’ massive demand for power and water and some possible solutions.

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 On this edition of Political Breakfast, strategists Tharon Johnson and Brian Robinson along with host Lisa Rayam, respond to the immigration crackdown taking place in Los Angeles. What message is it really sending to America?

  Plus, they analze an immigration raid that took place at home, inside a busy Marietta nail salon. A dozen undocumented workers were arrested. The PB team talks about how fear among the undocumented and even the documented is mounting.  

  Tharon, Brian and Lisa also address claims the Trump Administration has created a poisonous atmosphere that pitts "us against them".

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  On this episode of Political Breakfast, strategists Tharon Johnson, Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam discuss a hodge-podge of political news.

   What do they make of the so called breakup between Elon Musk and President Trump?  Plus, how Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger finds himself in a precarious situation after the GOP state Covention.

   Plus, political fatigue--what is it exactly and what can we ALL do about it?

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Data centers are growing faster in Atlanta than anywhere else in the country.

That rapid growth has left communities grappling with how these new developments will impact the environment and their neighborhoods.This week, “Plugged In” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali are joined by WABE Business Reporter Marlon Hyde and WABE Southside Reporter DorMiya Vance for the first of two episodes exploring WABE’s series, Server South.

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This week the Political Breakfast team was pleased to record the podcast in front of a live studio audience, alongside legends from Sesame Street and the Muppet Show at Atlanta's own Center for Puppetry Arts! It's home to more than 5 thousand puppets and artifacts. 

Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson and Republican strategist Brian Robinson joined host Lisa Rayam to answer questions from some of our loyal listeners. 

We discuss the most pertinent news from Washington that impacts our Georgia audience.

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Two Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) incumbents are on the ballot this year after a lengthy legal battle and their challengers are taking aim at the current commission’s performance.

Voting in the primary is already underway.

On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali speak with WABE and Grist climate reporter Emily Jones about the PSC and some of the challenges the statewide body is grappling with, like the influx of data centers, increasing energy costs and climate change.

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On this week's second serving of Political Breakfast, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is officially running to replace Governor Brian Kemp. But are Dems pleased?

Bottoms tells WABE that we are "facing chaos and uncertainty and anxiety" based on the policies that are coming out of Washington and "Georgians want and need a fighter.”
Democratic strategist Tharon Johnson, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and host Lisa Rayam also discuss the case of a north Georgia college student, 19-year-old Ximena Arias-Cristobal -- who is undocumented.

Her life changed recently, after she was pulled over by a Dalton police officer for allegedly making an illegal turn. She was arrested, turned over to ICE and detained for more than two weeks.

Turns out, dash cam video shows the officer stopped the wrong driver. The officer has resigned.

But that hasn't stopped the community backlash. And some Republicans in deep-red Georgia are taking a stand against the Trump Administration's immigration crackdowns. 

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On this week's live edition of Political Breakfast just after the Memorial Day holiday, strategists Brian Robinson, Tharon Johnson and host Lisa Rayam discuss the 2026 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff. 

Governor Brian Kemp decided not to run. He and President Donald Trump met recently in Washington earlier this month to mull-over who will face Ossoff. 

In the race so far: U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, from Georgia's coast, who was the first major Republican candidate to declare. Then came state Insurance Commissioner John King. 

Marjorie Taylor Greene also declined to challenge Ossoff.

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