Trump on Afghanistan; Arizona rally; how Georgia spends its money

Here's what's trending in politics in Georgia and around the nation.

President Donald Trump on Monday reversed his previous calls to drop the war in Afghanistan and announced he was sending more troops to the war-torn country. Trump said U.S. troops must "fight to win" the longest war in American history. Trump also stressed that the Afghan government would have to cooperate more with U.S. forces and that Pakistan would have to stop harboring Taliban operatives.

2. Trump heads to Arizona Tuesday

The president is heading to Phoenix on Tuesday, despite the fact he was asked by the city’s mayor to cancel the trip. Two people who won’t be at what is being described as a campaign-style rally are Sen. John McCain and Sen. Jeff Flake. Some believe that Trump may announced a pardon for former sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for failing to stop immigration patrols.

3. How does Georgia spend its money

Georgia spends a little more than half of every dollar collected in state taxes on education, according to a column from Charlie Harper, executive director of PolicyBEST. Of states in the Southeast, Georgia spends the lowest on Medicaid, according to Harper, who is also publisher of GeorgiaPol.com.

4. Vogtle’s future

Tim Echols, the vice chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission, tells Politico that payments from Toshiba are “far more important” than a loan guarantee from the federal government when it comes to the Vogtle nuclear project. "I'm not sure that the loan guarantee piece of the project equation is a make or break issue for us," Echols said in an email. The project has been delayed many times and its lead contractor – Westinghouse – filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

5. Expanding the dragnet

The New York Times is reporting that the Trump administration plans to expand deportation “dragnets” at local jails. The Times reports that federal officials are working with sheriffs to secure a legal maneuver that would allow them access to undocumented immigrants.

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About the Author

Debbie Lord for The Atlanta Journal Constitution

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