The federal government shutdown could end today. The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill that would fund the government through Jan. 30. Tia Mitchell will have all the details after the vote over at AJC.com.
Here are today’s top three political stories from the AJC.
1. That Jon Ossoff video on X isn’t real.
You might have been surprised to see a video of Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff saying he doesn’t care about people getting federal food benefits. But that’s because he never said it. The video was a fake, made using artificial intelligence by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins’ Senate campaign. Political columnist Patricia Murphy writes about what it all means.
- Saw it coming. The real Ossoff warned this could happen. Back in 2023, he told the Senate Rules Committee that anyone could use AI to “willfully, knowingly and with extreme realism falsely depict you or any one of us.”
- No apologies. A small disclaimer notes the video was made by AI, but it’s easy to miss. The Collins camp stood by the video, saying it represents evolving technology. “The Collins campaign will be at the forefront embracing new tactics and strategies that pierce through lopsided legacy media coverage and deliver our message directly to voters,” a spokesperson said.
- AI warning. Republican state Reps. Todd Jones and Brad Thomas, who have endorsed Collins, have twice introduced legislation to require clear disclosure of AI content and ban AI videos 60 days ahead of an election. “The electorate has to know,” Jones said.
2. Georgia’s international student enrollment is slowing.
The U.S. has long been a top destination for international students. But recent changes in U.S. immigration policy appears to have cooled that trend. Jason Armesto writes about how it is impacting Georgia.
- Slow growth. The University System of Georgia typically sees its international enrollment grow by at least 1,200 students each year. This year, it grew by just 295 students.
- Why? USG officials did not say. But data from IDP, an international student recruiting company, shows the perceptions about studying in the U.S. have declined since President Donald Trump intensified the visa vetting process and terminated the immigration status of thousands of students.
- The impact. International students are valuable to universities because they often pay higher tuition. International students contribute $1.1 billion to the state economy, according to an estimate from NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
3. How Marcie Collier Overstreet won the Atlanta City Council president race.
The Atlanta City Council president typically doesn’t get a lot of attention. But this year’s race ended up being the marquee contest of 2025 in Atlanta. Riley Bunch writes about how it happened.
- Southwest support. Marci Collier Overstreet and Rohit Malhotra were neck-and-neck during most of the counting on election night. But Overstreet dominated the late-arriving Southwest Atlanta votes to push her over the top.
- Home cooking. It makes sense Overstreet would do well there. She has represented the area on City Council since 2018. She won 89% of the ballots at Anthony Flanagan Memorial Recreation Center at West Manor Park, which is a little more than a mile away from where she went to high school.
- Malhotra Strongholds. Malhotra was strong in DeKalb County precincts, capturing 70% of the vote. He also won 60% of votes among neighborhoods in Midtown, Old fourth Ward, Virginia Highlands and Grant Park, where he lives. But it wasn’t enough.
Looking ahead
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