Mike Collins

Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.

Supporters of U.S. Rep. Mike Collins hold banners as they watch him arrive on stage for his speech during the runoff election watch party in Jackson last month. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Today’s newsletter highlights:

Test your knowledge with our weekly news quiz.

Rick Jackson’s spending rivals national mega groups battling for control of Congress.

National Democrats are fretting that John Fetterman will switch parties.

Damage control

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins speaks to supporters following his victory in the U.S. Senate runoff election last month. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Mike Collins had two very different encounters this week with questions about his son-in-law’s antisemitic and white nationalist social media posts.

At a healthcare event Thursday, the Republican U.S. Senate nominee dismissed reporters’ questions, insisting the matter had been “fully addressed” before abruptly ending the news conference.

The night before, however, Collins quietly met with roughly 50 Jewish community members at the Sandy Springs home of businessman and philanthropist Kirk Halpern.

esohw etihw saw seiroeht eht decafrus ,wal-ni-nos laicos deludehcs dias stroper .adnagaporp ycilop fo tsilanoitan hcum aidem ,yregami gnirehtag derutaef detanimod .noissucsid noissucsid ysrevortnoc ycaripsnoc erofeb sa citimesitna dna stnuocca tuoba a s’yadsendeW ehT reehcS izaN ,II nreplaH divaD ’snilloC tuB nalA

esnesnommoc“ .seulav ”ycilop fo ,desserpmi rof degreme gnibircsed rednefed sa dna na etacovda a hsiweJ nreplaH snilloC

uoY“ I“ ruoy was .dias kcip ym nam ni ”,emoh eh doog ”.ylimaf t’nac a

citimesitna“ htiw htiw eht taht seires rotanes pihsnoitaler fo erom .gnikam si sih dleh eh sah tsrif stneve esolcsid sliated gnidnamed stsartnoc gninmednoc esac ”togib sa dna na tuoba a .S.U tahT .neS .reehcS ffossO noJ hsiweJ s’aigroeG citarcomeD snilloC

eH“ eH“ etihw rehtehw ot ot ot ot ot ot seit siht eseht eht yas ,dias thgir gnisufer ”,snoitseuq ,snoitseuq diap ro ”.izaN-oen izaN-oen sdeen sdeen msilanoitan wonk si ,ygoloedi sih sih eh eh evah evah rof sessenisub ezigolopa rewsna rewsna dna dna dna :gnidda a ffossO snaigroeG

gnikirts dereffo fo ,elihwnaem esnefed a ,nreplaH .snilloC

fI“ I“ .gnorw dluow htiw htiw yhw saw saw elbanu ot ot ot ot esoht gniht er’yeht s’ereht s’ereht ,meht eht taht taht taht llet yas .dias moor moor noitseuq noitseuq kcip kcip lacisyhp eno on on thgin sizaN-oen ym ym dnim dnim nem ”.em ,em nam ti si ni ni ni ni d’eh eh dah tog tsrif gnithgif ,thgif thgie thgie od ecnivnoc esuaceb eb eb dna dna edisgnola retfa a a yadsendeW ekiM ekiM ekiM d’I fI I I ”,snilloC snilloC

Friday news quiz

Florida sandhill cranes are seen at Georgia's Okefenokee swamp in 2025. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

uoy ?keew siht eht eht eht eht gnikat .ziuq tuo ruo fo .rettelswen swen !gninrom wollof dnif dne did ylesolc yb ta srewsna ll’uoY woH dooG dniF

ot ot siht eht eht teem ekam did ?noisiced eettimmoc dedda dlroW dlroW efildliW erehW OCSENU ehT egufeR eekonefekO lanoitaN .tsiL egatireH egatireH s’aigroeG eettimmoC

A) Paris.

B) Busan, South Korea.

C) Buenos Aires, Argentina.

D) Tunis, Tunisia.

erew dellornenu ot eht stneduts .trats tes detpmorp tsuj ?noisiced sessalc erofeb tahW ytisrevinU drawoH 205

A) The students refused to sign the code of conduct, which had been recently revised to remove diversity, equity and inclusion language.

B) The Trump administration canceled $50 million in federal grants for the school.

C) Building inspectors condemned an aging residence hall where the students were supposed to live.

D) The students missed the deadline to either pay tuition or make a payment arrangement.

ot ot eht eht tseuqer detcejer yramirp laitnediserp sti ni dloh og ?tsrif reilrae did eettimmoc esoohc .radnelac dna ohW ehT seluR lanoitaN s’aigroeG citarcomeD s’eettimmoC eettimmoC swalyB 8202

A) New Hampshire.

B) Iowa.

C) South Carolina.

D) Nevada.

.keew saw siht naicitilop ?reraebllap ni yraronoh larenuf remrof rof dednetta na a tahW notgnihsaW .S.U .neS srenruoM yesdniL maharG aigroeG

A) Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

B) Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

C) Former Gov. Nathan Deal.

D) Former U.S. Rep. Jody Hice.

Fetterman’s take

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks to supporters at a rally in Savannah last month. (Sarah Peacock for the AJC)

lliw taht hctiws ytrap seitrap netfo fo fo .pihsredael sih hsrah nevig gnitterf msicitirc era .S.U .neS ainavlysnneP lanoitaN nhoJ namretteF starcomeD

ot s’ereht eno sevol :dual .ffossO noJ namretteF tarcomeD tuB

doog“ dluow niw saw siht eht .noitceleer eno no no fo .htnom detsil eh reilrae gnirud tnedifnoc sa ecnaraeppa na ,yadsruhT ffossO ffossO sweN xoF namretteF ”starcomeD dnA

… s’ffossO“ s’tI“ tnaw ot ot ot ”,meht rieht eht eht ”.setaks ,dias retroper yalp ssip fo fo ton pom yenom ni ni fi gniog roolf yawa yna gnidrocca snacilbupeR ffossO SUTON rogI ,aigroeG namretteF .ciboB

Big spender

Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson speaks at President Donald Trump's rally at Wheeler High School in Marietta earlier this month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

eht taht gnidneps slavir fo won lanoitan agem level tsuj t’nsi spuorg rof gnidoolf lortnoc gnilttab ta .sevawria a kciR noskcaJ s’eH s’aigroeG .ssergnoC

— latot siht eht eht tsehgih-htxis snoitavreser fo eenimon noillim ,dedulcni ni sah ronrevog erutuf rof noitcele .elcyc dekoob era yna gnisitrevda resitrevda nehW nacilbupeR 9.101$

gnikcart ot eht deiferar stup aidem ni .mrif ,ynapmoc gnidrocca tahT noskcaJ tcapmIdA

ohw degaw owt owt eht repus ro ylno fo fo s’noitan rojam gnidael mih spuorg spuorg .ronrevog rof deliaf lanoissergnoc setadidnac erianoillib dib era dna daeha a a moT ehT ,reyetS ,sCAP citarcomeD ainrofilaC

Dr. Dawg, M.D.

Officials gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the University of Georgia's School of Medicine in April 2024. (Fletcher Page/AJC)

sraey gnipparw .keew pu owt ot siht eht eht stneduts loohcs loohcs noitatneiro fo fo wen noillim lacidem lacidem srekamwal sti si rof tsrif etaerc ssalc ta devorppa retfa a ytisrevinU tsuJ ,aigroeG 05$

elihw t’nsaw etaudargrednu ot ot ot rieht eht eht eht naht stneduts tops ,stnediser deviecer .snaicisyhp elpoep fo erom .snoitutitsni laruguani etats-ni ni ni puorg teg morf tsrif ysae seerged .ssalc eb gniripsa era deilppa ,detpecca a ehT deR fO tI aigroeG ,kcalB gnidroccA %59 %08 46 000,2 ;pma&

deniart ot ot eht eht eht s’etats etats dnoces loohcs loohcs cilbup trap fo fo rebmun wen lacidem dem ’srekamwal si si ni .ereh erachtlaeh gnidnapxe stroffe srotcod yb nedaorb dna ssecca AGU ehT

ot eht loohcs nepo fo wen lacidem si ni ni depleh dnuorg rof detcepxe noitcurtsnoc gnidliub kaerb pmeK tI .voG .rebmeceD nairB .4202

Listen up

yllacitiloP“ uoy nehw ll’ew .yadot ees snoitseuq tsacdop ffo .srenetsil si morf gnirewsna ll’eW ehT ,yadnoM ”aigroeG

yllacitiloP“ ruoy uoy reverehw ot ebircsbus .stsacdop ro no netsil teg eerf rof nac dna ebuTuoY uoY ,yfitopS ,stsacdoP ”aigroeG elppA

uoy su su eht ?wohs noitseuq moc.cja@aigroegyllacitilop ro ro no evig erutuf rof derutaef .edosipe dluoc tnemmoc llac eb ta ta dna a a a evaH liamE 7925-018-077

New CDC chief

Dr. Erica Schwartz testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee confirmation hearing earlier this month to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

ot eht pets dengis .stroper eno no ffo ,noitanimon si reh rof rof rotcerid eettimmoc resolc gnimoceb dna retfa a aiT etaneS ztrawhcS noitneverP llehctiM acirE .rD esaesiD lortnoC sretneC

etov ot fo :reh tog rof neve a .ainigriV .S.U miT .neS ztrawhcS eniaK tarcomeD

htiw .etov pot ot eht eht eht yltcirts emas elor tnediser dessap enil-ytrap fo noitanimon gniteem ni gnirud eettimmoc dna a a kcotsdooW .S.U yadsruhT secivreS naeS s’namfuaK namuH htlaeH tnemtrapeD

.keew etov eht noos no snoitanimon txen dluoc sa sa ehT etaneS

Today in Washington

President Donald Trump will host a Cabinet meeting at Camp David.

The House is out until Aug. 31.

The Senate is out for the week with next votes scheduled for Monday evening.

Shoutouts

State Rep. Carl Gilliard, D-Savannah, seen here at the state Capitol in February. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

:syadhtrib s’yadoT

State Rep. Carl Gilliard, D-Savannah.

Johnnie Booker, former global director of Coca-Cola Co. and former vice president of Resolution Trust Corporation.

:syadhtrib gnimocpU

State Sen. Harold Jones II, D-Augusta. (Saturday)

State Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway. (Sunday)

Vice President JD Vance. (Sunday)

John Gibson, a faithful reader of this newsletter. (Sunday).

eht .taht tuotuohs ton ?rettelswen wen tsuj ,sboj detseretni ni ni mrof rof .cte ,stnemegagne .syadhtrib yadhtrib htrib ,stnemecnuonna osla a a er’eW tnaW s’erehT yllacitiloP s’tI aigroeG

Before you go

Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, seen here at an event in Savannah in 2014. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

s’keew ot siht :ziuq swen srewsnA

B) Busan, South Korea. The AJC’s Drew Kann traveled there to report on the meeting.

D) The students missed a deadline to pay or make arrangements to pay tuition. University officials said the prospective students could apply to Howard as transfer students.

C) South Carolina. Iowa, the traditional starting point for presidential nominating contests, did not make the list of early states.

A) Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss. Chambliss and Graham first met in 1994 when they were both campaigning for Congress.

ruoy uoy su .yadot ot ,[email protected] dnes ,spoocs [email protected] ti redisni noitamrofni ,[email protected] pissog rof od nac tseb dna dna ,syawla [email protected] ll’tahT sA