A GRAND LADY'S TIES TO GEORGIA: Former first lady Barbara Bush died at age 92 on Tuesday at her home in Houston, Texas. The Bush family matriarch — wife of a president and mother of a subsequent president — had been hospitalized numerous times while battling congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
For much of her life, Barbara Bush had Georgia on her mind. Her 73-year marriage began in 1945 with a honeymoon trip to the Cloister at Sea Island; she and George H.W. Bush were back in 1995 for their 50th anniversary. Her literacy foundation has partnered with programs across the state, and she was instrumental in helping Morehouse School of Medicine raise money in its early days. When her husband needed Georgia to ascend from the vice presidency to the Oval Office, she came to Atlanta to make a personal appeal.
“She was a tough lady. Great wit. Very authentic,” said Eric Tanenblatt, who served in the first Bush administration, later became Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue’s chief of staff and now chairs the U.S. Public Policy practice at the global law firm Dentons. “Whenever I was around her, I felt like I was with someone truly authentic and sincere. She was like everyone’s grandmother.”
Memories of matriarch: Nation mourns
Georgia on her mind: A place of love and legacy
Opinion: Barbara Bush's legacy of humanity, decency
CITY HALL PROBE: AJC reporters Dan Klepal, J. Scott Trubey and Stephen Deere last month raised questions about former Mayor Kasim Reed's spending on his city-issued credit card and prompted Reed to refund taxpayers $12,000. Earlier this month, the reporters explained how the city channeled $40,000 to a dormant nonprofit to cover expenses associated with Reed's travel to South Africa in 2017.
This past week, their reporting revealed an April 6 federal subpoena that seeks records related to these two developments. "Since the start of this investigation, my administration pledged full cooperation with our federal partners," Reed said in a statement. "My commitment has not changed and all documents requested in the April 6, 2018 subpoena will be provided. Many of these documents have been made available to members of the press previously and reflect legitimate expenses incurred as well as contributions made during the course of my service as Mayor of Atlanta."
Feds tracking money: The subpoenas obtained by AJC
Invest Atlanta votes for review: $40,000 payment in spotlight
Credit: Bob Andres
Credit: Bob Andres
McIVER MURDER TRIAL: Jurors in the murder trial of Tex McIver wrapped up deliberations Friday without a verdict for the fourth day in a row — for a total of more than 23 hours of debate so far. That's an eternity for for the attorneys in the case, of course, but even attorneys watching the trial from afar say four days of deliberation is, indeed, unusually long. The 75-year-old lawyer is accused of murdering his wife when his gun went off in their vehicle. McIver has said he fell asleep with the gun on his lap while riding in the back seat of the car and accidentally shot his wife through the seat in September 2016.
Jury takes its time: Expert analysis on what it could mean
Who's who: A look at the jurors in the case
Want to review testimony and closing statements in the case? Click here for our roundup of coverage
