Whew; the news we awoke to today from Athens, where Athens-Clarke police laid out their findings that detailed a raucous night of drinking and street-racing on January 15th, leading to two UGA football-related deaths. For potential top NFL draftee Jalen Carter, it was not a good day for him. He bowed out of media time at the combine earlier today, likely because he'd be asked why he fled the scene of the accident only to return 90 minutes later.

Next up, there appears to be growing consensus that the "city of Buckhead city" movement will die a Senate floor death tomorrow (good). Even Brian Kemp's administration is crapping on it. Also some bad news for the North Fulton municipal folks eyeing detaching themselves from the rest of Fulton County when it comes to administering elections: it's too damned expensive. Also, a warning: Georgia Power already got a rate increase, and they're telling us - on top of that - we can expect a 17% increase come June to handle fossil fuel costs. In 2023. Sad.

Listen, I know folks fete the likes of Brad Raffensberger and Gabriel Sterling for fending off the illegal Trump meddling in Georgia's election results three years ago, but I maintain that "career Republicans" are only being attacked by the monsters they coddled and raised all along. Hear what Gabe had to endure whilst sitting next to Marjorie Taylor Greene at a "Georgia Election Integrity Caucus" last night. 

Lastly, some good news on the education front: Ben Hill County bigots only brought the rest of the county together to rally behind an out-lesbian superintendent candidate. Go figure! Also, Georgia's "Don't Say Gay!" bill is stalling out - mostly because religious school & camp folks are concerned the scrutiny may also come to their indoctrination offerings. Oops.

To recap, eight Georgia state senators from nowhere near Buckhead want Buckhead to become a city seceding from Atlanta, while a majority of Buckhead residents when polled, say "nah." General Assembly reps say the same, and now the Buckhead Coalition - an elite group of Buckhead movers & shakers - notably in the business realm - have spoken against it, too. Their leader is a former Sonny Perdue chief of staff. REPUBLICAN Sonny Perdue. 

Remember my rant yesterday over financial pundit pinheads & the Fed and all their inability to understand the economy anymore? Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich is right there with me.

Poor Marge; MTG (wrongfully, so far without proof) claims she was "attacked" (if anything she was verbally accosted) by a woman and her adult son while at dinner with her staff. The same MTG that stalked and yelled at David Hogg on the streets of Washington, mind you. Poor Marge, wanting to be treated better than she treats others.

Lastly, what a former Atlanta Fire Chief had to say about slavery and God's will might stun you; it did me. And he's black!

Despite being absolutely embarrassed by some pointed questioning by the likes of Sen. Jason Estevers - an ACTUALLY from Buckhead representative, Randy Robertson - state senator from not-even-nearby Cataula, Georgia - got his two bills (SB 113,114) passed along party lines out of Senate Committee in an effort to create a "city of Buckhead city." But for ish & giggles, listen to he and his cronies inability to answer some pretty basic stuff about their "three-year process." 

Speaking of conservatives overstepping, a GOP-drawn commission district map in the MIDDLE of Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson's term essentially would have left her with no district to represent were it not for a 3-2 vote to assert "home rule," late last year. Well now another commissioner, Keli Gambrill, has teamed up with a private citizen to file a lawsuit to get that over-reach enacted at the county level to wipe away the liberal 3-2 board majority ... for a county that's decidedly left of center, mind you. 

Financial wizards & pinheads still can't figure out inflation (duh, it's driven mostly by corporate greed!) so they're apparently just going to keep trying to do what hasn't worked for more than a year now. I've some thoughts. 

I definitely have a favorite Republican - Kasey Carpenter. He's going way further for DREAMERS than any Republican I can think of. Hear what his latest bill does for them. 

"School choice" is on the legislative agenda again, so a reminder what we learned about that earlier this week. 

Speaking of schools, the "anti-woke" rhetoric from the right is traumatizing kids, but lesbian & gay teachers, too. My guest today - Randy Fair - wrote the book "Southern. Gay. Teacher" and recently penned an op/ed on the dangers being faced by both for the AJC. He and I discuss those concerns.

It's my birthday! Let me tell you how I spent a good bit of my day, before diving into today's show.

The NTSB report seems to indicate the rail industry's push for less regulatory oversight under Trump (aka "the waterboy") has - surprise- come back to haunt Ohioans. Even FOX NEWS' Steve Doocey acknowledged this ON THE AIR. Hear it for yourself; but this also goes to show that preventative measures can't always bear statistical data unless they're taken away. Except in Texas, where shunned gun legislation would've prevented multiple mass shootings and casualties. Hear me out ...

The "city of Buckhead city" is getting undeserved time spent on in the General Assembly - thanks to Republicans who live far FROM the city of Atlanta AND Buckhead/Atlanta. What gives? Also, I'm curious if one key facet - their portion of Atlanta's debt - would be immediately repaid to the city upon exit or nah? Also, why is it suddenly a right-wing staple to want to "take their ball and go elsewhere?" Grow up.

Oh, and I (and all of us) need the Fulton grand jury forewoman to pipe down. She's potentially derailing Fulton DA Fani Willis' work. Barbara McQuade spells out (quite well) how she's doing this. 

I'm not sure who wants Marjorie Taylor Greene silenced more - the left or GOP establishment types. First, earlier this week, she tweeted her wet dream of a red state/blue state "national divorce" - ya know - SEDITION. Now, she's blatantly calling for voter disenfranchisement. So hear me out: what if we did that at the congressional district level? We'd HAVE no Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. Bloop.

Then there's some grousing about the Georgia Bulldogs not getting a White House invite - yet. History says "calm down; you're still (mostly) early - unless you want lukewarm fast food. 

My guest today is Jonny McCoy, founder of the White Flag app, which - once you download - is there for you 24/7/365 at any point you find yourself in a mental wellness deficit. Hear Jonny's journey to accepting his needs and how the White Flag app can be there when you need someone who's "been there" to talk it through with you, too - free of charge.

First, a little headline catch-up, what with the Atlanta City Council putting some American Recovery Program dollars to work to aid in police, fire & correctional officer retention. The use? $500,000 will be distributed to aid in those employees renting apartments. The problem? I mean, it's nice and all, but home ownership allows employees & their families to put down ROOTS in the city - and THAT aids retention, along with familial & generational wealth - FAR more.

My guest today is Dr. Stephen Owens with the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute. It's his tweet that caught my eye last week as he noted the side-stepping of reason in a guest op/ed in last week's AJC entitled "Increase choice as public schools can't meet al kids' needs." Well no kidding; so less funding's going to help? 

On this President's Day, we give props to our current POTUS for having some major kiwis - flying into war-torn Kyiv as air raid sirens blast overhead - while paying some respects to the gentile Georgian Jimmy Carter, too. 

Of course, Marjorie Taylor Greene can be counted on to do or say something utterly stupid, so hear what she's tweeted now, and listen as I'm joined by my good friend, professor of sociology at Coker University, Mal Hyman, as we discuss the Jimmy Carter legacy and Nikki Haley's viability in the GOP primary & beyond. 

Great piece in today's AJC entitled "Black Communities Burdened By Air Pollution May Finally Get Answers," spotlighting efforts by the EPA - in conjunction with dozens of local organizations throughout the US, to monitor air quality in marginalized communities. Locally, the EPA is teaming up with ECO-ACTION to monitor air quality in at least five metro areas. Wanted to give this important work some attention.

Tucker Carlson warrants some attention, too. Wait'll ya hear the INSANE response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's statements earlier this week in the aftermath of yet another on-campus mass shooting - this time at Michigan State University. Hear his crazy response to her. 

Speaking of Fox News, surely by now you've seen the SALACIOUS in-company exchanges now coming to light as Dominion lawsuit details are coming out, yeah? Media Matters for America's been covering that story [HERE] and I discussed this with MMFA's news director John Whitehouse. 

Well, was it everything you dreamed it would be?

The Fulton County grand jury report (sorta) came out and all we got was "perjury," perhaps by some unnamed people. Trump thinks he's vindicated, but ... not so fast.

Then, let's review those Trump campaign call logs to see which Georgia legislators were licking his boots and how much saliva they applied.

Gotta hand it to the Eric Erickson, Neal Boortz, Tuckums & Shapiro crowd - they're comedy gold. I and my gal pal Chelsea Handler seem to know who makes people miserable, and suffice to say Eric and we disagree.