Thursday on Political Rewind, coronavirus case numbers soar in Georgia and across many U.S. states even as some facet of American life begin to reopen.

While the mortality rates reported for the virus have gone down, Georgia has now broken 100,000 cases with a rate of new infection doubled from just two weeks ago.

We discussed the latest with two top public health experts from Georgia State University.

Wednesday on Political Rewind, a busy week of Georgia politics.

Following a weekend of violence in Atlanta, Republicans have criticized Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Professor of political science at Emory University Andra Gillespie said the situation is being used as political fodder.

"We will wait and see how much of this is about peformance and how much is about public safety," she said.

Tuesday on Political Rewind, uncertainty over the coming school year. Many families are wondering what schooling will look like in just a few months.

Under a cloud of the pandemic, school systems are asking parents to make the decisions on whether to send their children back to classrooms or continue online learning.

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Political Rewind: Uncertainty For Families, School Kids Looking Ahead to Fall

By BILL NIGUT & SAM BERMAS-DAWES • 4 HOURS AGO

Political Rewind

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SAM BERMAS-DAWES / GPB NEWS

Tuesday on Political Rewind, uncertainty over the coming school year. Many families are wondering what schooling will look like in just a few months.

Under a cloud of the pandemic, school systems are asking parents to make the decisions on whether to send their children back to classrooms or continue online learning.

The American Academy of Pediatrics “strongly advocates" for students to be "physically present in school" this fall, but only “if it’s safe.” Some school districts have released their reopening plans, with many including a hybrid plan of students in school and home learning virtually.

Listen to the full episode here:

ListenListening...50:58

But Ty Tagami, education reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said students in many counties outside of the metro Atlanta area face challenges when it comes to those who learn from home.

Said Tagami, “A lot of school districts don’t have some of the advantages we have in Metro Atlanta, namely technology, broadband access, so many school districts don’t have it.”

Dr. Stephen Owens said budget cuts risk excasterbating the situation.

"The uncertainty of how many students will be in the classroom is compounded by the uncertainty for schools caused by a nearly $1 billion cut in K-12 education," Dr. Owens said. “This is a crisis that will be with our schools for a number of years."

Panelists:

Margaret Ciccarelli —Professional Association of Georgia Teachers

Amy McCoy Dees — Chait of Coweta County School Board

Dr. Stephen Owens — Senior Policy Analyst, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute

Ty Tagami — Education Reporter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Today on Political Rewind, discussion on the reforms mandated by the state for senior care homes following a year-long investigation into the industry by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In late June, the state legislature passed HB 987, which provides expanded protections for Georgians living in senior care homes.

Thursday on Political Rewind, as public health officials battle the ongoing public health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we look back at previous efforts to contain outbreaks.

Join us for a conversation with former epidemiologist Bill Foege, where we discuss the central role the physician played in successfully tackling one of the most devastating viruses in history: smallpox.

Wednesday on Political Rewind, a discussion with On The Media host Brooke Gladstone and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's editor Kevin Riley about the responsibilities of journalism in today’s challenging environment.

How should journalists cover the hyperbolic statements, half-truths and bad-faith arguments that have become common place in our national discourse?

Is our understanding of objectivity relevant in today’s reporting? Join our discussion on journalism in the era of Donald Trump and “post-truth.”

Panelists:

Brooke Gladstone — Co-host and Managing Editor, On The Media

Kevin Riley — Editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tuesday on Political Rewind, new data shows increasing rates of COVID-19 infection in Georgia and across the country. And new polling shows Americans are concerned about the leadership tasked with handling this public health crisis.

How will public opinion continue to shift through the pandemic in the lead up to important federal and state elections in just a few month?

Monday on Political Rewind, Confederate monuments across America have become a flash point during ongoing protests over police brutality and systemic racism.

Central to the issue is a disagreement about what monuments to the Confederacy represent; history or mythology.

Panelists:

Jim Galloway — Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Lead Political Writer

Sheffield Hale — President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlanta History Center

Mary Margaret Oliver — State Rep. (D-Decatur)

Michael Thurmond — DeKalb County CEO

Today on Political Rewind, host Bill Nigut spoke with GPB News' Stephen Fowler, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tia Mitchell and Adam Van Brimmer of the Savannah Morning News.

The phrase ‘Sine Die’ will echo through the halls of the state Capitol soon as the legislature ends the 2020 session. It is the last chance for action on several pieces of legislation, including bills governing tax breaks and elections.

Thursday on Political Rewind, the big headline out of the legislative session's final days is the passage of hate crime law in Georgia, but negotiations over the budget remain a crucial and consequential issue this week.

Gov. Brian Kemp has said he will reduce cuts to areas of the budget, including education.

How are the other parts of the budget shaping up in these last days of the session?