Politically Georgia: How did the government shutdown happen?

At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, after failed negotiations in the Senate, the U.S. government shut down.

Now, many services are at a standstill. Georgians could face longer lines at the airport and potentially extended wait times to renew passports, reach the IRS or sign up for veterans benefits.

On Thursday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalists Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell discuss how this shutdown could affect Georgians and if there could be implications for the Georgia’s congressional delegation in the 2026 midterm elections.

Later in the show, Mitchell recounts the highlights from last week’s Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.

Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour “Politically Georgia” podcast hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday Mailbag segment. You can also email your questions to PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com.

Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play ‘Politically Georgia’ podcast.”

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