Here is what is trending in politics around Georgia and across the nation on Friday.
1. Nick Ayers sworn in as Mike Pence's chief of staff
Georgia political operative Nick Ayers was sworn in as Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff on Friday. Ayers, 34, was Pence's chief political strategist when President Donald Trump picked Pence to be his running mate. Ayers helped lead the political action committee America First Policies and had been encouraged to run for governor of the state. "I have such deep respect and admiration for the Pences and believe so deeply in the policies the Vice President and the President are fighting for. Leaving Georgia –- albeit temporarily -– was only possible because of how important my wife and I believe this mission is. I am honored with the trust the Vice President has in me and excited to serve in this capacity."
2. What are Georgians saying about the failure of the health care vote
CBS News interviewed three Trump supporters in Georgia about the failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Here's what they said about how the party should move forward.
3. Johnny Isakson says Trump decision on transgender 'came out of left field'
In an interview with the Marietta Daily Journal, Sen. Johnny Isakson, (R-Georgia), said he President Donald Trump's decision to ban transgender people from serving in the military "came out of left field." "We had already dealt with that issue in the Congress. I don't know what the president — he must have run out of things to do that morning. That was totally unexpected by everybody." Isakson said he was going to wait until the nation's top generals weigh in on the issue before moving forward.
4. A look at mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles
A report from The Associated Press shows how states are looking at mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles across the country. In light of a United States Supreme Court ruling early this year, teenagers who were sentenced to life without the chance to ever be paroled now have a chance to have their sentences reviewed. In Georgia, there are 25 inmates serving life without parole for crimes they committed when they were minors. Georgia requires that inmates given life sentences for violent felonies serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.
5. Senate considers bill to require mandatory alarms to alert when children are left in cars
A U.S. Senate bill that would make it a requirement for carmakers to build alarms that would warn drivers if a child has been left in a back seat is being supported by child safety advocates. The technology would alert a driver if a child is left in a car seat after the vehicle is turned off. Included in the law, is the streamlining of the criminal process against the caregiver who leaves a child in a hot car. A Georgia woman faces charges in the death of her child who was left in a hot car. DiJanelle Etta Fowler, 25, left her 1-year-old child in a car while she had her hair done.
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