Wait, so now right wing pundits want to disarm trans people - meaning the Second Amendment they fawn over doesn't apply to trans people? Isn't this LITERALLY "second class citizenship?" But does this surprise anyone, anymore? Republicans are like bigotry locusts, moving from one marginalized minority to the next when the clock expires on their previous target. Picking just on gay people doesn't poll well anymore, so they've moved on to just the trans community.

The haunting image of a (literally) shellshocked Nashville child - inconsolable while on a school bus - is the new face of America's youth. Is this the gun movement's "napalm girl?"

Ari Brennan Media Matters for America's LGBTQ+ beat writer, also a trans woman, is my guest today, to talk on the anti-trans legislation, steeped in ignorance, along with the anti-trans rhetoric right wing media is blurting out after the Nashville school shooting.

Lastly, I'm not big on social media influencers, but Nicole Benham struck a nerve when it comes to the discord in the American food, health, wellness & pharmaceutical industries.

I make it no secret I'm not a fan of Erick Erickson. The man's divisive and lacking in self-awareness on a grand scale - as most right wing pundits tend to be. Some of his most recent anti-trans rhetoric, however can't go unnoticed here. As we're learning more about the Nashville school shooting killer, Eric wants to play the false equivalency game while feigning innocence in doing some mis-characterizing of the trans community in the process, and I'm here to call him out on it.

The "if this were a Christian ..." argument is null & void because that conversation's almost never come up; but perhaps it's time to discuss the white supremacy issue as it relates to protestant evanglicism and their long history tied to one another. Wait; why now when the Nashville killer isn't (likely) a white supremacist and/or Christian? Well, actually, how do we know the killer wasn't a Christian? Is her identifying as trans somehow absolve her of having been raised Christian?

Do we point out that 80% of 2022's extremist-related murders were tied to white supremacists or nah?

Erick would have his flock ratcheting up their defenses (perhaps offenses, too?) for a "culture war" as if this "culture war" hasn't long BEEN in action - with the marginalized perpetually under assault all along.

Again, it's never about the access to guns, with them, though. The alleged shooter was a "highly functioning" autistic person. Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook) was, too. I'm not saying everyone on the spectrum should be denied the right to bear arms, but perhaps a conversation is warranted about some additional scrutiny, maybe?

Between severe weather rocking rural Mississippi, Alabama and even part of Georgia and today's mass school shooting in Nashville, Georgia legislative chicanery took a backseat for a bit.

Last week, the United Nations IPCC report - a pretty conservative commission, by the way - gave us a dire outlook. Can we correlate these "historic" tornado events? Well, it's not easy to but it's hard to ignore them in conjunction with all the other climate extremes being seen throughout the world.

Then - oh look - another mass schooting at an American school. One 28-year old Audrey Hale - allegedly a trans woman - brought two assault rifles and a handgun, using them to kill three children, two teachers and a custodian. Some will make this about the school - a Presbyterian private school. Others will make it about the alleged killer being trans. For those folks it's N-E-V-E-R about the guns. Here, until the guns are addressed with meaningful legislation, we'll keep reminding 'em.

We'll bounce around on some Georgia stuff, too, no doubt; like our Lt. Governor, penning an op-ed while wholly lacking in self-awareness when it comes to healthcare & "special interests."

Lots of 'Cop City' coverage today. New details coming out about the violent & deadly clash that killed an Atlanta forest defender, plus Dekalb County's shutting down nearby Entrenchment Creek Park, citing "traps."

Re-sharing yesterday's interview with environmental journalist Adam Federman to discuss the curious FBI hyper-scrutiny of environmental advocacy orgs even LOOSELY connected (in any way) to "Cop City" protests - eve if it's just an Twitter follow. 

A little legislative wrap-up and meet my new hero - Rep. Gerry Connolly from Boston - giving us all the history lesson we so desperately needed. Kudos, chap!

PS, where is "Lost Mountain?" 

First, something fun: the folks at Wander North Georgia have their "March madness" bracket out - sixteen of the best state parks in North Georgia to visit. I cast my votes - and some were tough calls to make - so feel free to do the same. More importantly, try to visit as many of them as possible!

We learned today that Governor Brian Kemp - now in his second and final term as governor and free of repercussion - went ahead and blithely signed SB 140, making gender-affirming care illegal for minors in the state of Georgia. Facts, data, science, medical consensus be damned with this batch of bigotry now emboldened in the general assembly and governor's mansion. 

Meanwhile, I'm joined today by reporter Adam Federman with Type Investigations, who wrote "How the FBI Used 'Cop City' Protests to Snoop on Activists in Chicago." Shades of J. Edgar Hoover's regime during the height of the civil rights movement, no? 

Lastly, North Carolina's getting. Medicaid expansion while we might get more rural hospitals so our Lt. Governor's dad can enrich himself on a land sale. The "good ol' boy network" is alive and well. Cue Senator Randy "Cataula ain't Buckhead" Robertson who smears a Council on American Islamic Relations representative - in person - by insinuating her and her organization has ties to Hamas. Cringe. 

Believe it or not, as contentious as the rhetoric was between Republicans and Democrats in the SB140 (anti-trans "gender-affirming care" ban), a big group of legislators and staffers still thought it would be cool to leave that Senate vote for a kickball game between the House and Senate. Poor optics. I've an idea, though: how about we get these two teams to take on a couple of LGBTQ+ Atlanta-area kickball teams, instead? It's CLEAR some conservatives need to hang out with people they're not used to mingling with so they're more aware people of different stripes exist and aren't all that bad.

Just a thought.

Then ANOTHER big thought hit me: with the ACLU about to POUNCE on that bill if it's signed into law, how about we start making it so that only the legislator (personally or through his or her campaign fundraising) pay for the cost to defend these laws in court, if they're found to be unconstitutional? I mean, why should the Georgia taxpayer have to foot that bill? ESPECIALLY a bill that the majority of Georgia voters are against? Hear me out ...

Beyond that, the show's a lot of potpourri ... like me banging on the Fed and Norfolk Southern.

After a vote last night to audit MARTA, Atlanta city council members went before the media today to explain why. MARTA released a jaw-dropping statement, by the way. This line in particular: "The best thing the politicians on council can do for their constituents in the City of Atlanta is to get out of the way ..." is audacious!

We'll go over legislative measures SB 233 (school vouchers) and SB140 (trans youth gender-affirming care ban) today, before welcoming back Jeff Graham from Georgia Equality to explain what can be done to convince the governor not to sign SB140. 

Lastly, Fox News doesn't have enough lawsuits filed against 'em so former producer Abby Grossberg threw another one the wood pile, earlier this week. This one alleges violations of equal pay laws, gender discrimination, religious discrimination, retaliation, failure to accommodate disability, and aiding and abetting unlawful discrimination and retaliation. Some of her behind-the-scenes stories will either shock you or .. because it's Fox News ... won't.

Don't fall for the bait, liberal friends; don't cancel your plans and call out from work to sit around waiting to see video of DJT being cuffed and stuffed into the back of a squad car, just yet. Just because he says it's soon to happen doesn't mean it'll happen. For all we know, it's just another in a LONG line of campaign fundraising gambits. Lord knows his Truth Social timeline is FILLED with those. 

Focusing more on what is and isn't moving along in the final week of the Georgia legislative session, we note the stillness around SB140 (the anti-trans youth measure) while noting the passage of SB44, a bill imposing mandatory minimums on gang activity convictions. Also, mandatory minimums don't work. 

Hard not to notice that, with record-low unemployment and legitimate wage growth the last two years, everyone in positions of economic power are doing all they can to ensure that any measures to avoid a recession can only hurt the working class and in no way can be painful to the wealth class or corporation America. You're seeing this, too, right? Well, the small spate of bank failures may have given us working stiffs a break. Hear me (and Jon Stewart) out.

Lastly, if you see a headline that makes you think "wow, a Republican doing a GOOD thing!" ... just wait. That other shoe inevitably drops. In Lt. Governor Burt Jones' case, it's his father's shoe, but still. A Burt Jones-backed hospital overhaul draws scrutiny. Why? Because his dad's company stands to benefit. 

I'm unsure how metro Augusta conservatives think their poorly-contrived de-annexation idea will fare better under the Gold Dome, but bless those idiots for dreaming. Speaking of, finally some hard data on public opinion and - lo and behold - the PEOPLE of Buckhead didn't want to leave Atlanta OR form their own city - oh and "cop city" isn't at or above 50% with respondents, either. Oops. 

Our buddy Jay Bookman stings the latest school voucher bill with a steady dose of reality. 

Confession: I've long been drawn to smart, driven women, and I'm keeping my eye on Dr. Michelle Au - and Stacey Abrams, too - for 2026. Hear me out.

Professing to be "protecting kids" (just not from guns), Georgia legislative Republicans ignored medical consensus and rammed through SB-140, the bill limiting trans youth medical options. It heads back to the Senate for what's likely to be another party-line vote to the governor's desk. 

Seems like a good time to revisit my conversation with Brock, a friend of mine who's "just a dude," but wasn't always.