Thursday concluded 'crossover day' in the Georgia General Assembly, so I spent a little time reviewing what did and didn't float from one chamber to the other, & eavesdrop on some 'night of' interviews from GPB's "Lawmakers" for some insights from lawmakers beneath the gold dome.

While listening in, it sounds like there's a realization from Georgia Senate Republicans that their new-fangled subpoena-powered committee will only be empowered to suggest new legislation in reaction to any findings vs having the power to remove a D.A. they don't care for. Also, hear Rep. Stacy Evans blister HB 1105 (the anti-immigrant legislation hastily concocted in recent days. She rightly points out that the thin veil over this bill doesn't hide the fact that women's safety is never a priority when it comes to enacting common-sense gun bills into law.

Jeff Graham, executive director at Georgia Equality, joined me to discuss the very real possibility that SB180 - the Religious Freedom Restoration Act - could become law, enshrining bigotry shrouded in "religious rights." We discuss the other wins and losses his organization and its allies racked up this session so far.

I'm admittedly a dope when it comes to knowing all that in vitro fertilization (IVF) entails - and was almost as clueless about the ramifications after Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are human beings (basically). That's I called on my reliable point-of-reference, Melita Easters, executive director at the Georgia WIN List to help me understand better how another "dog catches car" moment for conservatives has (unintended?) consequences for women in Alabama now, but perhaps in other states later if legislation doesn't address this.

Then, with Athens-Clarke County the focus of scrutiny in the wake of a 22-year old college student's murder, and with predictable anti-immigrant rhetoric spewing from the 10th Congressional district's representative - Mike Collins - I sought out a conversation with one of the two women vying for the Democratic nomination to unseat him. Meet Jessica Fore, and hear her give us a sense of the vibe on the ground in Athens after the death of Laken Riley.

Georgia Republican legislators are falling all over themselves racing to enact legislation that's likely illegal (but we won't call them "illegals") ... aiming to criminalize local law enforcement's handling of undocumented arrestees while providing no additional resources obviously needed. Also, the University of Georgia plans to spend $7.3 million for security upgrades that don't seem to address what happened to Laken Riley last week.

A retired professor and outspoken Michigan voter has Donald Trump pegged - "he's pretty much an a**hole," she said - highlighting his NATO-destroying rhetoric among other shortcomings. Her "person on the street" account and Michigan's "uncommitted" Democratic primary voters get a lot of headlines, but some perspective is called for, so I compare Obama's 2012 results here with President Biden's.

Last week, of all sources, The Daily Show and host Desi Lydic called into question this false notion that Nikki Haley is a "moderate." Good.

Terrance Bradley's tap-dance around his text messaging Mike Roman's attorney prior to testifying came into focus Tuesday. Also, how did Ashleigh Merchant forget to bring said text messages in to produce as evidence?

When tragedy occurs (allegedly) at the hands of an undocumented immigrant, the phrase "now's not the time" is non-existent to conservatives, unlike when a mass shooting occurs. Governor Brian Kemp and Georgia Republicans wasted little time politicizing the murder of a UGA college student over the weekend and into this week, ignoring their own party's role in how we're where we are on the subject of immigration. That's fine; I've gotten used to setting the record straight.

Georgia's one of only ten states to hold out - a decade plus later - on Medicaid expansion. The so-called "pro-life" party just can't budge - despite all the evidence and data bearing out its necessity and benefits - on an issue they've been wrong on since 2010. Georgia House Democrats showed a touch of frustration, but strident willingness to meet Republicans at the table when they ever eventually do "get it."

If I had to guess, I'd say the batch of Trump defense and co-defense attorneys came away from today's proceedings unsatisfied with their work, but bless 'em for trying.

The murder of a 22-year old UGA nursing student by an undocumented immigrant has political ideologues racing to their foxholes to turn this into a linchpin incident to discuss immigration policy and enforcement. The right wants to put blood on Pres. Biden's hands, but naturally leaves out key details - including Donald Trump's action the last full day he was in office, how Trump (like Biden now) sought Congressional action, or the many times the GOP has walked from reform legislation.

Trump defense attorneys are working had to try and prove Fani Willis and/or Nathan Wade perjured while under oath, citing cellphone location data. Whether it works or not is yet to be seen, but I got to speak with Chitra Ragavan, a CEO and c-suite coach, journalist and podcaster whose op/ed in the AJC last week discussing Fani Willis and the perils of being an ambitious "dominant" woman in the workplace caught my eye.

Hear us discuss Fani's dilemma, her mis-steps and how treacherous being a career-driven and successful woman in the workplace is. Follow Chitra on Twitter/X at @chitra_ragavan and read her latest blog expounding on her thoughts shared today and last week here.

Marisa Pyle is a registered lobbyist, advocating for several grassroots organizations, as well as a political organizer and formerly with Fair Fight Action. She's been diligently reporting from inside the bowels of the Georgia State Capitol's various chambers and subcommittee rooms on social media to keep all who dare to follow abreast of the bills being bantied about as well as much of the public comment as she can keep up with.

To say it's unrelenting work is an understatement. For my part, I'm appreciative. She joined me today to discuss the latest wave of anti-gay, anti-trans "red meat" legislation circulating beneath the gold dome, and the tough slog the 2024 cycle may be for Democrats in Georgia when taking "Cop City" and Israel/Gaza into consideration.

Nice outage this morning, eh? Seriously, just months after we loved or hated the Obamas-produced "Leave the World Behind," we got a hint of a taste of the premise. Had to be a nightmare for rideshare-reliant commuters or those arriving at airports needing an Uber or Lyft.

Speaking of our reliance on cars, the Georgia Department of Transportation's social media is not only tone-deaf; it's roast-worthy. As they boast - literally boast - of the progress made on a $500 million interchange in Macon, it begs the query: "how loud would people howl about a $500 million commuter rail project?" and "why is money no object for highway expansion when it never solves our traffic woes?"

Back into the Georgia Senate subcommittee on education & youth, it's those sick, twisted and evil librarians Republicans are coming for; oh and anything with gay characters or thematics in it, because just the existence of "homosexuality" is akin TO a 'sex act" according to a passed out of committee bill to codify why more books can be banned - oh and librarians charged with crimes. Also notable when legislators pursuing homophonic legislation bristle at being labeled 'homophobic.' Like Ed Setzler.

Tuesday's Georgia Senate education & youth subcommittee meeting got slightly bonkers when a bill - almost verbatim lifted from Heritage Foundation "Project 2025" guidance - felt "off" for some on the panel. Sen. Clint Dixon - when challenged to explain just three lines in the bill - couldn't really define it's meaning. Perhaps it's because he didn't write it? Hear the subtleties & nuance in trying to define what "upright and desirable citizenry" are and what exactly "preserving and defending the blessings of liberty inherited from prior generations" is referring to when our nation's history is rife with eras where "liberty" was denied several subsets of our nation's population. Hear the awkwardness.

Former Senator Kelly Loeffler, the disgraced former WNBA Atlanta franchise owner, felt it appropriate for she, of all people, to pen an op/ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution to adjudicate for us all that Fani Willis should be removed from the Georgia 2020 Election cases - oh and that all those cases be thrown out. Her rationale is as thin as her eyebrows. Hey, at least she now believes votes should matter, as she insists voters weigh in to remove Willis. That's a step in the correct direction from her 2020 post-election posturing.

A different op/ed, penned by executive coach Chitra Ragavan, took a different tact, surmising that ambitious and "dominant" women have to live by different rules than their male counterparts. She didn't absolve Willis entirely, though.

Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens told the AJC editorial board last Friday he's running for re-election - while insinuating the Biden administration might be eyeing him for something else (but the job he has is the one he's always wanted, he says). He also notes his importance to aiding Democrats in Georgia in 2024 while dismissing the impact his actions pursuing the public safety training facility have had on grassroots activism.

We'll all see how that goes.

We live in wild times, y'all; all of a sudden "Dukes of Hazard star "John Schneider is grousing about Beyonce wandering into country music - because he knows a thing or two about country music. Those things don't include country music's roots in black culture, apparently.

Don't shoot the messenger: Joe Biden is old and there's no point talking around it. Then again, an opinion piece by Jacob Fischler in the Georgia Recorder insists that 'aging experts" tell us not to worry so much about Biden's (or Trump's) age. Okay, but ...

Another OP by WABE-FM political host Bill Nigut appeared last weekend in the AJC comparing (somewhat) Trump's back-channel sabotaging of immigration reform - to boost his campaign prospects - to Nixon's similar mischief in elongating the Vietnam War.

Fani Willis shocked the US political world when she charged into Judge Scott McAfee's fifth floor courtroom yesterday to take the stand While she came in fire-hot and had more than half the country cringing, fearful she'd blow her office's work up by being too emotional, the embattled Fulton D.A. availed herself and gave us all a glimpse into what it's like to BE Fani Willis. She also gave key details into her relationship with Nathan Wade, including clarifications on their timeline and how they handled expenses - most notably reminding us all that she's a financially independent woman.

In the aftermath, I spoke with Georgia WIN List Executive Director Melita Easters and Georgia Recorder opinion columnist Jay Bookman to get their takes on her breathtaking performance.