Public Affairs

Early Christians, unsure if a stranger was a believer or persecutor, drew a line in the sand. If the stranger drew a corresponding line, forming a fish, conversation flowed. If not, they’d part.

Lunch with a former client and longtime friend was going well until conversation drifted toward macro topics. I proffered my biggest concern was the environment and what kind of world we’re leaving future generations – whether children will be able to play outdoors in future centuries.

Women have been talking amongst ourselves for years about the obstacles we face in our careers. That’s a major reason the #MeToo movement has exploded. Not every woman has been sexually assaulted at work – but every woman knows how it feels to be marginalized, ignored and disrespected.

CBS’ Steve Hartman goes On the Road with Kayla McKeon, Manager of Grassroots Advocacy for the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and the first registered lobbyist with Down syndrome. Kayla lobby’s U.S. Congress advocating for the passage of laws that would give individuals with disabilities the opportunity to earn fair and equal wages.

I used to think it unfortunate that Atlanta’s suburbs rushed to incorporate into individual cities, boxing in our city’s limits. However, as we suffer the weekly drip of financial misappropriations from the detritus of former Mayor Kasim Reed’s terms, I’m beginning to wonder if we shouldn’t be smaller.

I’ve worked for six daily newspapers, in small and big towns. They were important checks on local governments and set the agenda for community discussion. Recent events are accelerating their demise.

Traditionally for 4th of July, I quote Thomas Jefferson in this space. Given our nation’s hardening polarization, I thought it more appropriate this year to quote Abraham Lincoln.

Despite my lifetime interest in politics, I avoid conflict. Relationships are more important than winning arguments, but with America’s drift towards tribalism it’s becoming increasingly challenging – particularly with Facebook.

One thing not trending this June? “Dad bods.” June is National Men’s Health Month, and because it’s never too early to be proactive about your health, here are some ways you can take charge:

Democrat Stacey Abrams can rest easy after winning Tuesday’s “Battle of the Staceys” during the Georgia Primary Elections. Her next challenge? Attempting to become the first black female governor in US history. Opponent Stacey Evans was quick to offer support in hopes of turning Georgia into a blue state.

A couple years ago, I asked a journalist friend who had just taken a job with then Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed about news stories of the mayor’s blaring of blue lights and sirens to avoid traffic.

Growing up a block from Peachtree, I loved turning over rocks in our front yard creek to find snakes, salamanders and crawdads, as we called them. Then our city allowed builders and developers to have their way, polluting creeks and destroying our wildlife habitat.

Although it’s easy to be concerned by how polarized America appears to be today, perhaps now is the perfect time for counterbalancing compromises in Congress.

With a daily subscription to The Washington Post, I was an outlier in my first-year college dorm. I found its content more interesting than textbooks on which I perhaps should have focused. Then, I didn’t appreciate the courage of owner Katharine Graham, perfectly profiled by Meryl Streep in “The Post.”

Hi, my name is Chris. It’s been a year since I watched.

Our country veers deeper each day into a chasm of divisiveness. We don’t need to assess blame here (Gingrich, Clinton, Trump, media, etc.), because we are evenly divided on the origins of our disorder.

No one is immune to the firestorm of political controversies sweeping the country of late – opinions surrounding race, patriotism and more, resulting in many water cooler debates.

It’s painful to watch venerable Atlanta financial firm Equifax stumble down an all-too-familiar and faulty PR path: not coming clean with its many errors immediately. Instead, Equifax will learn the simplest PR lesson few ever seem to heed: It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.

A Trust for Public Land donor has offered a $20,000 matching gift for Rodney Cook Sr. Park, opening the floodgates for the next few days of fundraising.

I don’t sweat small stuff. With my granddaughter joining our planet, I worry about long-term issues – climate change and nuclear war.

A reporter once said to me, “Georgia’s Plant Vogtle is what’s left of the nuclear renaissance that never happened.” The world will soon look to nations like China and Russia for nuclear technology if the U.S. gives up. That in itself is good reason to persist and complete construction of Vogtle Units 3 and 4.

I was to fly into Charlottesville this week to repair a brick walkway I built 40 years ago at my alma mater and to call on potential clients, but after this past weekend’s tragedy, I canceled.

Last week, the High Museum of Art and more than a dozen metro Atlanta arts and culture organizations voiced their support for arts funding by initiating the #GAArtsFuture postcard-writing campaign.

When most people think of video games, they think of millennials and younger people; they don’t think of people 50 and older. Yet one in three Americans age 50-plus play video games regularly. Most of these gamers play for fun and the opportunity to stay connected with loved ones through online game communities.

I’ve been a TV political news junkie since age 11, watching any available local or national news.

This month, the House passed the American Health Care Act of 2017. As Congress considers next steps in passing critical health care legislation, we encourage both houses of Congress to consult the nation’s governors.

The 2016 election left many people who are concerned about the environment fearful that progress on climate change would come screeching to a halt. In “Climate of Hope,” Mike Bloomberg and I share our experiences from government, business and advocacy to offer an optimistic look at the challenge of climate change, the solutions we believe hold the greatest promise, and the practical steps necessary to achieve them.

An old Indian Chief once said, “The success of a rain dance depends a lot on timing.” That’s especially true of enacting major legislation such as tax reform.

Greater investment needs to be made in America’s infrastructure — smart investment to enhance goods movement, alleviate congestion and promote economic competitiveness.

Driverless aerial vehicles capable of carrying actual people are set to be buzzing through the skies of Dubai as soon as summer this year! No, we’re not kidding.