Chris Joyner

Georgia adds 'American First' option to vanity license plates There are more than 100 specialty license plate designs for Georgia drivers. This year, state lawmakers added an 'America First' plate to the mix.

Georgia has more than 100 specialty license plates. Republican lawmakers added another this year.

Son of University of Georgia football legend may run for U.S. Senate Derek Dooley, son of famed University of Georgia football Coach Vince Dooley, is considering a run for the U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff

Scoop: Football coach Derek Dooley is weighing a run for Senate in Georgia as Republicans look for a "consensus candidate" to go against Democrat Jon Ossoff in 2026.
Reporting by @bluestein.bsky.social for @ajc.com

Betsy Jochum, star in baseball’s real ‘league of their own’, dies at 104 Ms. Jochum was the last link to the original players who took the field in 1943 in what became the All-American Girls Base Ball League.

Betsy Jochum, the last surviving player from the inaugural 1943 season of what became the All-American Girls Base Ball League, died May 31. She was 104.

Latest attack on U.S. Rep. David Scott? His age U.S. Rep. David Scott of Atlanta is facing a slew of ambitious primary challengers, who all say it's time for the veteran Democrat to make way for new blood.

Seems like Democrats may be a little less forgiving about the age and fitness for duty of some of their elder statesmen.
Column by @ajc.com's Patricia Murphy.

Accusations fly over how a county border moved around a Georgia sheriff's house Borders don't usually move without any votes or laws, but that's what happened in rural northeast Georgia when a county line shifted around the house of a sheriff.

Somehow the lines of a Georgia county shifted a few years ago, coincidentally they went right around the sheriff's home. Fascinating story about how seemingly immutable political boundaries are kinda fluid, often based on landmarks that don't exist anymore.

As hurricane season begins, Georgia still recovering from Helene Eight months after Hurricane Helene, farmers and cities in financial ruin are still recovering from one of the most expensive tropical storms in decades.

A really interesting story about how Georgia farmers and business owners are still waiting for relief from the federal government from last year's devasting hurricane. Reporting by @calebgroves.bsky.social from @ajc.com

What’s in the House reconciliation bill and how it will affect Georgia Ahead of a planned U.S. House vote on the reconciliation bill, we detail how the proposals would impact the people of Georgia.

What’s in the House reconciliation bill, and how will it affect Georgia?

Budget cuts close 23 Georgia parks before holiday weekend At least 30 facilities at federal lakes and reservoirs in six other states are closing or cutting hours amid President Trump's budget cuts.

Due to staffing shortages from federal budget cuts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing nearly two dozen parks around Georgia's Lake Lanier just ahead of Memorial Day.

Brian Kemp asks GOP Senate donors for more time to find a consensus candidate The governor has asked his biggest supporters for patience as he hopes to find a candidate that could unite the GOP and avoid a messy U.S. Senate primary.

Looks like Gov. Kemp and the president haven't agreed on a candidate to run against Sen. Ossoff. The Trump-Kemp detente is fragile, I'd wager.

Keisha Lance Bottoms enters Georgia governor race with pledge to fight Trumpism Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms entered the race for Georgia governor Tuesday, vowing to bring “battle-tested” leadership to the Capitol.

Bottoms is the latest entry into the 2026 race for Georgia governor. Reporting by @bluestein.bsky.social for @ajc.com

House budget bill advances, but Georgia’ lawmaker wants more changes U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde was among four hardliner Republicans who allowed a massive budget bill to advance in committee despite lingering concerns.

Ultra-conservative congressman and gun dealer Andrew Clyde voted "present" to let President Trump's budget reconciliation bill move ahead, but he wants deeper cuts in Medicaid and something else.

Georgia Tech provides a model for public schools to improve their safety plans In the aftermath of the shooting at Apalachee High School, Georgia will require schools to create safety plans. Georgia Tech's police department could provide a model.

Georgia lawmakers passed a law requiring K12 schools to gather and share more information about possible threats from students. Georgia Tech is already doing that.

Fertility clinic bombing reminds reproductive health workers of job dangers State Rep. Esther Panitch says of attacks on clinics: "You’d think the ability to create life would bring people together, but even that tears people apart."

Planned Parenthood Georgia held its annual gala just hours after a California clinic was bombed.

Family: Georgia woman kept on life support to comply with abortion law The 30-year-old nurse was declared brain-dead by physicians three months ago, mother told an Atlanta television station.

A pregnant Georgia woman was pronounced brain-dead by physicians but she is being kept on life support against her family's wishes to comply with Georgia's restrictive abortion law. Read more:

Will taxpayers pay Donald Trump’s Georgia legal bills? A new Ga. law allows criminal defendants to recoup legal costs when a prosecutor is disqualified for misconduct and the case is dismissed. What does it mean for Trump's case?

A Georgia bill signed into law this week could put Fulton County taxpayers on the hook for millions in legal fees from Trump's election interference case.

‘America First’ license plates will soon be for sale in Georgia A new Georgia license plate with the phrase "America First" will soon be available, but some lawmakers say the slogan is racist and antisemitic.

The sponsor of the bill said the plates will create "pride in the nation’s values, history and achievements while also fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals.”

Georgia voters will choose Public Service Commission in first elections in years Elections are resuming after years of delays amid a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in Georgia's statewide voting method for the Public Service Commission.

Georgia hasn't held elections for the Public Service Commission in years. The PSC seats are elected statewide but members run in geographic districts, which civil rights groups makes it hard for a minority candidate to win. That's still the case, but elections are happening anyway.
Read more:

A bill awaiting Kemp's approval could delay a tax on EV charging stations As more consumers are purchasing EVs, Georgia is seeking to tax EV charging stations. But now lawmakers want to push back the tax's implementation date.

Georgia wants to charge a "charging tax" on electric vehicles, but can't figure out how to do it.

Georgia’s tax-cutting binge may come with a cost Georgia Republicans want to continue cutting the state's income tax. But that could mean adding sales tax on services, from haircuts to healthcare.

Georgia is trying to compete with neighboring states by hurrying to lower the state income tax rate. But will that mean you will pay more in sales tax?

Brian Kemp will not run for U.S. Senate, igniting a Republican scramble in Georgia race Gov. Brian Kemp will not run for U.S. Senate in 2026, dashing the hopes of Republicans in Georgia and Washington who saw him as their strongest shot to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

The GOP side of this 2026 race is wide open now.

Memo to Georgians, from the GOP Department of ‘Everything’s Fine!’ A majority of Georgians may disapprove of Trump's first 100 days, but we in the Department of “Everything’s Fine!” are here to tell you that, yes, everything’s fine.

Feeling yippy? Everything is fine.
The AJC's political columnist Patricia Murphy's memo from the GOP Department of Everything's Fine.

Trump’s support sinks in Georgia as economic fears rise A new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll shows a majority of Georgia voters disapprove of Donald Trump's leadership at the 100-day mark, but Republican loyalty remains strong.

Trump is underwater in Georgia with just a 43% approval rating in @ajc.com's latest opinion poll as independent voters flee the president's agenda. "It's worse than I thought," one poll respondent said.
Reporting by @bluestein.bsky.social

After layoffs, federal employees navigate uncertain job market After mass layoffs across the federal government, employees who were fired or quit their jobs are now navigating the job market, some with narrowly tailored sets of skills.

It turns out that having a very particular set of skills doesn't translate well to the job market, as CDC and other federal workers who spent years in federal service look to the private sector for work.
Reporting by @ajc.com's @calebgroves.bsky.social

Critics of Georgia’s voting technology will have to wait a year — or more — for fixes Election security proposals stalled in the Georgia General Assembly, leaving the same voting technology in place for the 2026 election. Election advocates say they're worried.

Advocates on the left and the right wanted changes to the way Georgia conducts elections, but state lawmakers left that work undone as the state prepares for midterms in 2026.
Reporting by @ajc.com's @markniesse.bsky.social

Universities unite against government 'interference' but few from South join in Hundreds of universities across the United States are speaking out for academic freedom, but few schools in the South have joined the opposition to the Trump adminsitration.

Academics across the nation are pushing back against what they see as threats to academic freedom, but few in the South are signing on.

Warnock: People in despair about politics should not give up hope U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Thursday to talk about the current state of politics and promote his new children's book.

For those who didn't stay up late.

Georgia murder charges dropped after 73 years and 3 overturned convictions On the afternoon of Jan. 30, 1950, Clarence Henderson sat in the witness box in a cavernous courtroom in Carrollton and pleaded for his life.

It's a good book, but I'm proudest that it led to the posthumous exoneration of the title character, Clarence Henderson.

I have a new shipment of my book. DM me for a signed copy. Happy to ship.

Here are the best-dressed* Georgia lawmakers of 2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's completely subjective list of the best dressed Georgia legislators of 2025.

The @ajc.com's annual list of the best dressed Georgia legislators is out. Fashion maven @mayatprabhu.bsky.social breaks it down.

Organizers go into anniversary of Bloody Sunday concerned about losing gains This weekend will mark the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

The good and great Ernie Suggs writes in advance of the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.