The Peach State could be a deciding factor in the 2024 presidential election, as it was in 2020. But Georgia's status as a critical state in presidential history isn't new.

On this week's special Independence Day episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," politics reporter Sam Gringlas takes listeners on a summer road trip to a pair of towns that helped shape former presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Georgia's own Jimmy Carter.

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President Joe Biden faced Donald Trump in Atlanta on Thursday night during their first debate ahead of the November election. It was the first time the two have shared a stage since they last debated in October of 2020.

In this week's episode of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast," WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the debate and how it could shape the trajectory of the 2024 presidential election.

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LGBTQ voters are a highly engaged and growing voter bloc in Georgia and throughout the country. They’re also reliable Democratic supporters and a crucial demographic in tight elections.

On this week’s special Pride Month episode of the "Plugged In" podcast, WABE politics reporter Sam Gringlas and guest host Patrick Saunders – WABE’s Supervising Digital Editor – discuss the LGBTQ community and how they fit into the upcoming presidential election.

To learn more about the issues affecting LGBTQ people in Georgia, check out WABE's Beyond Pride.

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Thanks to a new law, SB 189, it could be easier for third party and independent presidential candidates to make it onto Georgia ballots. And since Georgia's last presidential race was decided by less than 12,000 votes, the presence of those candidates could shape whether President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump win in November. On this week’s episode of WABE’s “Plugged In,” politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss SB 189 and some of the candidates that could be joining Biden and Trump on the Georgia ballot.

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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is known for being a mayor who seems to be everywhere. But this week, he’s facing criticism over his being absent during the early hours of the city’s water emergency. That’s as Dickens has already faced protests over his support for the Atlanta Police Training Center. On this week's episode, politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss Dickens’ leadership and the spotlight the crisis has put on the city’s aging infrastructure.

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A jury in New York City has unanimously found former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 criminal counts for covering up hush money payments to an adult film star before the 2020 election. This is the first time in U.S. history that a former president has been convicted of felony crimes. On this week’s episode, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss the verdict and what it means for the 2024 election in Georgia. Plus an update on Trump's criminal case in Georgia.

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More than a million Georgians voted in the May primary and election officials are now gearing up for another round of voting as races where no candidate got more than 50% of the vote head to a runoff on June 18th. On this week’s episode, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali discuss one of those runoffs and explore whether any primary results provide clues about what's to come in November.

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Cherokee Rose Sporting Clays in Spalding County recently hosted a GOP debate featuring five primary candidates that are vying to represent Georgia's third Congressional district, which stretches from Atlanta's exurbs to the Alabama border. On this week's episode, WABE politics reporters Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali talk about this race and how it showcases former President Donald Trump's sway in the modern GOP. Plus a look at other Congressional and state house races ahead of Tuesday's primary.

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