TAKING PRIDE - The 'Lost-n-Found' story: combatting LGBTQIA+ youth homelessness

TAKING PRIDE - The 'Lost-n-Found' story: combatting LGBTQIA+ youth homelessness

Lost-n-Found Youth [https://www.lnfy.org/] - an Atlanta-based organization working to take LGBTQIA+ young adults off the streets, provide them shelter and guidance to find their way to sustainability, is guided by executive director Melanea Alvarez, who joined me today to share the organization's backstory, and give a thorough audio tour of all the organization - known in thrifting circles for its popular thrift store - does for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth. We also discuss the challenges an organization like LnFY faces in less-than-ideal political circumstances. GIVE TO LNFY [https://www.lnfy.org/donate] VOLUNTEER WITH LNFY [https://www.lnfy.org/community-engagement]

The Kemp-Dooley cash corruption loop, Collins staff woes & Keisha & Jon rally

Last Thursday, WXIA-TV's Doug Richards reported [https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/daniel-dooley-kemps-bestie-thrives-as-his-company-makes-millions-in-school-contracts/85-70dad236-da2e-4b03-8449-17d02a082cf0] on findings that showed a bit of a taxpayer cash corruption loop showing itself between Governor Brian Kemp and the Dooley family, where Brine influenced upwards of $27 million in school safety contracts, taking donations from Daniel Dooley and funneling it back to Daniel's brother Derek Dooley's Senate campaign. Meanwhile, Mike Collins had to cut ties (finally!) with Congressional staffer and campaign manager Brandon Phillips after a social media comment calling a Dooley staffer "Matt Lauer's sloppy seconds" and “a Yankee with poor judgment in women and GA politics.” That Dooley staffer - Brooke Nevils, came forward recently alleging being raped by former the former NBC and TODAY show host Matt Lauer and revealed attempting suicide afterwards. I mean, sure it's low, but Phillips LIVES "low." As Patricia Murphy pointed out in her AJC op/ed [https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/mike-collins-may-have-finally-cleaned-house-what-took-so-long/], Phillips has been involved in bar fights and dog-kicking allegations. He's scum, but he's popular GOP scum, having ties to GOP gubernatorial hopeful Rick Jackson and Rep. Clay Fuller from Georgia's 14th Congressional district, along with lieutenant gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Greg Dolezal. Meanwhile, the joint campaign appearance with former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Senator Jon Ossoff stood in stark contrast at the Tabernacle Sunday, giving both candidates an opportunity to tee off on those scandals and on the current state ot Trump 2.0. I have both speeches in the show to review.

Chidi on Democratic down ballot, the dents in Keisha's armor & more

Atlanta-based journalist George Chidi (The Atlanta Objective [https://theatlantaobjective.substack.com/], The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/profile/george-chidi]) penned a thorough Substack piece [https://theatlantaobjective.substack.com/p/a-2026-democratic-primary-guide-for] taking a deep dive into the 2026 Georgia Democratic primary - going way down the ballot to give voters as much information as needed. Plus, hear how he's intrinsically tied to the death of Secoriea Turner and how that still affects him to this day, and what that wrongful death case could mean to the Keisha Lance Bottoms campaign. Now that we know the results, it's kind of fun to listen back to, I suppose. Please do!

The 'Atlanta Voice' is heard: Donnell Suggs on Georgia's primary | the optics in Selma concern me

The Atlanta Voice - celebrating sixty years in publication [https://theatlantavoice.com/black-press-legacy-atlanta/] - is guided by editor-in-chief Donnell Suggs [https://theatlantavoice.com/author/donnell-suggs/], who's made himself available for this show on many occasions, and the Monday before the Georgia primary, it was great to catch up and get a sense where his readership and metro Atlanta's Black voting bloc is leaning on a handful of races. He recently sat down with former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms [https://theatlantavoice.com/keisha-bottoms-campaign-trail/], who is of course running for the Democratic nomination to be Georgia's next governor. Donnell and I discuss that race for second place, too. - - - This AL.com op/ed [https://www.al.com/news/2026/05/archibald-the-moment-i-cant-stop-thinking-about-from-saturday-in-selma.html] concerns me a bit. John Archibald covered protests in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, and noted the optics of the fleets of black SUVs and limousines swooping into Selma for quick stops and swoops back out, as well as one woman's reponse: “That’s too much,” a lady beside me said. “This should be for the people.”Activists and politicians have to tweak these optics, in my opinion. That said, the likes of Rev. Senator Raphael Warnock, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, Senator Cory Booker, did lend voice and wisdom to the moment. I have highlights to share.

Before hitting the road to Selma, former NAACP GA leader Gerald Griggs sounds off

Gerald Griggs, Atlanta-based attorney [https://www.geraldagriggs.com/about], advocate and activist - and former NAACP Georgia chapter President, joined me Friday morning to weigh in on the landscape in a post-'Callais' U.S. and Georgia. He and I discussed the near-immediate aftermath of fever-pitch GOP redistricting to dilute Black voter power in Congress and even at the state level. Georgia's governor, Brian Kemp, this week announced he, too, is reconvening the state legislature to further gerrymander the state. He and I also previewed what to expect in Selma on Saturday [https://blackpowerwarroom.com/dayofaction/].