The GPR Digest - October 25, 2023
Former Trump lawyers flip in Georgia election interference case, Argentinian presidential election heads to runoff, and more
GPR FEATURES
Events
The Great Debate
The Georgia Political Review is hosting the Great Debate between the Young Democrats of UGA and the College Republicans at UGA. The debate will be held TODAY, October 25th, from 7:00-9:00pm in the UGA Chapel.
SPIASU Human Rights Panel
Join the SPIA Student Union for their Human Rights Panel TODAY, October 25th, at 4pm in the Baldwin Hall Pinnacle Room.
GEORGIA
Local government could prioritize cheaper, speedier, and smaller-scale transportation projects
At an October 10 work session, Athens-Clarke County’s interim Transportation and Public Works Director Rani Katreeb remarked (Flagpole) that while waiting on advancement for some of the local government’s more ambitious projects, such as a multi-use path along Barber Street, ACC can in the meantime shift its focus to smaller projects that can be completed quickly. Such improvements would include filling bike lane and sidewalk gaps and improving Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility.
According to Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coordinator Daniel Sizemore, bridging a gap in sidewalks could cost as little as $50,000, but would pose a significant benefit to residents. The Transportation and Public Works Department plans to collect data on six individual small-scale programs before presenting them to the Mayor and Commission.
Both small road improvements and large-scale projects such as the Barber St. path and the planned “reimagining” of North Avenue are part of the greater Athens in Motion Plan. Athens in Motion, which was approved by the Mayor and Commission in 2018, is the city’s master plan for creating a safe and accessible network of bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Past Athens in Motion projects include the North Oconee Greenway and the new bike lanes on Prince Avenue.
Former Trump lawyers flip and agree to plea deals in Georgia election case
Three key defendants in the Fulton County election interference case, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis, accepted plea deals and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Powell, one of President Trump’s former lawyers and a vocal supporter of the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, was the first defendant to flip (BBC), with Chesebro and Ellis following (AP) soon after. As a part of the election interference case, the three were initially charged with violating Georgia’s RICO Act, but each pleaded down to more minor crimes.
At this point, it is unclear if Powell, Chesebro, or Ellis will be called to testify against Trump in his own case. Trump has been charged (New York Times) with 13 crimes, including violating RICO and filing false documents, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Employees at Creature Comforts vote against unionization
On October 3, the employees of Creature Comforts Brewing Company voted (Atlanta Business Chronicle) 32-21 against the unionization of the workplace in an election administered by the National Labor Relations Board. According to a company spokesperson, 90% of eligible employees participated. The union which would have represented Creature Comforts workers, the Brewing Union of Georgia, is challenging the results of the election.
Creature Comforts employees sought to form a union in January 2023, but company management refused to voluntarily recognize the union. Union organizers and management clashed over how many company facilities the union would represent and which employees would be eligible for union membership. After several months of hearings, the NLRB ruled in September that the workplace would proceed (WUGA) with a union election.
NATIONAL
House of Representatives without a Speaker for a third week as GOP vacillates
The House of Representatives remains at a standstill as Republicans struggle to find a candidate who can unite the GOP delegation. Last week, the GOP chose House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) as the second Republican nominee for a speaker. Jordan proceeded to lose (BBC) three successive floor votes, after a number of his own party’s members vowed to not support the far-right Trump ally. A majority of Republicans then voted to remove Jordan as the nominee after it became clear that he had no path to victory.
Republicans next selected Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), the third-highest ranking Republican in the House, as the third Speaker nominee. President Trump voiced (Politico) his disapproval of Emmer, labeling him a “Globalist RINO.” Just hours after his nomination, Emmer dropped out of the race.
House Republicans scrambled Tuesday evening to choose a fourth nominee, settling on (New York Times) Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA). Johnson is a minor Republican leader, serving as the Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, evangelical Christian, and strong social conservative. He strongly opposes (The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate) access to abortion, same-sex marriage, and has voted against providing aid to Ukraine. In 2021, Johnson voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Pennsylvania.
Johnson hopes to hold a floor vote for Speaker today, Wednesday, at noon. The House cannot proceed with any other legislative matters until a Speaker is elected. President Biden plans to request a $100 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, but lawmakers cannot vote on the request while the chamber remains Speaker-less.
INTERNATIONAL
Brazilian congressional panel says Bolsonaro should be charged with attempting a coup
A panel of Brazilian senators and representatives voted (AP) 20-11 to condemn former President Jair Bolsonaro for instigating riots on Jan. 8, 2023, and attempting to stage a coup after his loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Prior to the presidential election in October of last year, Bolsonaro frequently doubted (Economist) the electoral process and warned of potential fraud. After Lula’s victory, many Bolsonaro supporters refused to accept the far-right president’s defeat. A week after Lula’s inauguration, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, Congress, and the Supreme Court. Bolsonaro denies any involvement with the riots, but the panel accuses him of orchestrating the unrest.
The panel’s vote is mostly symbolic, as it is just a recommendation to law enforcement and prosecutors. Federal investigators have already been inquiring about Bolsonaro’s potential role in the Jan. 8 riots.
Argentinian presidential election headed to runoff
Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian economist, came in second place (Guardian) in the first round of Argentina’s presidential election, after leading polls for months. Milei will now face Sergio Massa, Argentina’s center-left economy minister, in the runoff election in November. Milei campaigned as an outsider that could fix the economy of the current administration of which Massa is a part. Milei also called for the central bank of Argentina to be eliminated, and the adoption of the U.S. dollar as its official currency.
Milei has campaigned with tactics similar to other far-right candidates in the Americas, such as President Donald Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, by attacking the media, his rivals, and climate change.
The Argentinian Peso currently faces a record 140% inflation as the country is in one of its worst recessions in years, putting the economy at the forefront of the campaign.
CULTURE
Annual Europe Music Awards canceled due to the Israel-Hamas conflict
The MTV Europe Music Awards are presented each year by the film/TV production company, Paramount International, to honor prominent music artists across the globe. This year’s ceremony was set for November 5th at the Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center in Paris, France.
The Music Awards are a product of global cooperation, seeing thousands of crew members, performers, and fans flock to be part of the ceremony and celebration. However, Paramount has chosen (Guardian) not to continue with the ceremony, citing the “volatility of world events” as their reason. They directly referred to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has already taken thousands of lives in Israel and Gaza, as the main concern.
Paramount hopes to give the proper respect and time for the world to grieve these losses, choosing to reschedule the ceremony for a later date. As of now, the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards are now set for next year, in November 2024.
Halloween creates difficulty for SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) represents over 150,000 actors in a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Since July, they have sought higher wages and protection from artificial intelligence use in the entertainment industry, and although both sides have entered negotiations, tensions are still high.
This Halloween is no exception, as SAG-AFTRA has released new guidelines for strikers (New York Times) to follow when picking their costumes. Members are encouraged to avoid publicly dressing as characters from companies like Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros with whom they are negotiating. Such costumes could be seen as promotion for the studios’ films, in which striking actors are not supposed to engage. Generic costumes, such as zombies or skeletons, and characters from non-struck animated shows are preferred to show support for the guild as they continue their demand for rights. Actors who do not follow the guideline, even if not publicly seen, invite risk of “scabbing”— or disregarding the strike altogether.