Phil Matier

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie delivered his first State of the City Address this week. To tell us more KCBS anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

After the flames are gone, a new crisis begins. This episode pulls back the curtain on the invisible aftermath of disaster; the paperwork, permits, insurance battles, and endless waiting that stall recovery. Through conversations with her brother, Nataly explores why rebuilding takes so long and how resilience is tested long after the headlines fade.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie delivered his first State of the City speech today saying the City is continuing its recovery, and he's now setting his sights on making it more affordable. For more on this KCBS Radio news anchor Rebecca Goodeyon spoke to KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced a 9 percent drop in unsheltered homelessness during last week's "State of the State" address. For more on this KCBS Radio news anchor Steve Scott spoke to KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Donald Trump visited Detroit this week to highlight the auto industry and ended up embroiled in a sideshow when he gave an automaker the finger and told him to F off when he heckled him about Jeffrey Epstein. Here's more on the auto industry, Trump, California's new play to promote EVs, and the new jobs report that will dictate whether people can buy a car at all.

In this episode, Nataly confronts what happens when professional distance disappears and grief becomes public. As media attention intensifies, she reflects on the emotional toll of telling her story again and again, and how reporting became both a survival mechanism and a container for pain she didn't yet know how to carry.

A three-judge federal panel has ruled that California's recently voter-approved Congressional District map were drawn legally. Republicans had sought to have the map tossed, saying Democrats used race as a factor while putting it together. For more, KCBS's Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

What's it like to lose everythign in a wildfire? A KNX reporter knows first-hand, and draws us into her heartbreaking story as KCBS reports on insurance company moves to remove coverage in some states and WWL reports on Chevron fighting a $74 million payout for alleged destruction of wetlands.

As we've been reporting the proposal to put the Upper Great Highway back on the ballots of San Franciscans has failed. For more, KCBS's Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Vanderbilt University has bought the former California College of the Arts campus in San Francisco. KCBS Radio news anchor Margie Shafer discusses what this change will bring to the city with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

The United States did not completely destroy Iran's capability to create a nuclear weapon with strikes this summer, but is President Donald Trump ready to get involved as thousands are killed in nationwide protests in Iran?

The EV market has cooled as incentives like federal tax credits have expired but California governor Gavin Newsom's new budget aims to bring back the state's EV rebate program. To tell us more, KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

It's time for our daily chat with KCBS Insider Phil Matier, hosted by KCBS Radio news anchor Margie Shafer. San Franciscans found a lot to complain about in 2025. The San Francisco Chronicle found nearly 800,000 reports on the City's 311 app and phone number.

The government announced a new health schedule for childhood vaccines, and then released new guidelines for the American diet that added a heavy emphasis on meat and fats. Here's the latest.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced he WON'T be running for governor Meanwhile there's a Bay Area mayor mulling a run of his own and for more, KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier

Episode three turns inward, focusing on family, memory, and the long road toward rebuilding. Through conversations with her mother at the property site, Nataly captures the emotional complexity of losing not just a house, but a home built over decades - and the life that existed inside it. The episode highlights the generational impact of loss, the challenge of accepting a “new beginning,” and the strength required to move forward without erasing the past. It also introduces moments of unexpected hope, including community support and symbolic items recovered from the rubble that helped the family keep going. Episode 3 explores how grief can isolate - and how family and community help restore a sense of grounding when everything familiar is gone.

President Trump often likes to mention his cognitive tests, both in boasts and insults to other politicians. This past week, Governor Gavin Newsom decided to join the conversation. Newsom posted on social media challenging President Trump to a cognitive test on live TV. For more KCBS Radio news anchor, Steve Scott, spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

Episode two picks up in the quiet aftermath of the fire, when the adrenaline fades and reality sets in. Nataly Tavidian reflects on the moment she learned her family home was gone—a phone call from a close colleague/TV reporter who was reporting live from the property. The episode centers on the shock of seeing what remains for the first time and the emotional weight of hearing devastating news from someone who knew the house, the family, and its history. Through archival audio and a year-later one-on-one conversation with her friend, the episode explores how grief shows up in unexpected ways, even for journalists trained to stay composed. Episode 2 examines the human side of disaster reporting, the role of compassion in moments of loss, and the difficult transition from breaking news to personal reckoning.

Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his last State of the State today, lamenting the State of the Nation, while celebrating California's accomplishments. For more, KCBS Radio Anchor Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

A 37 year-old old mother is dead. That part we know. But lots of questions remain about the ICE shooting of a Minneapolis woman, a U.S. citizen, on a public street in broad daylight. Here's analysis from Audacy stations around the country and on-the-ground reporting from the WCCO at the scene.

Several California lawmakers have condemned the ICE shooting of 37-year old Renee Good in Minneapolis yesterday. This as communities across the country are now asking themselves the question, could it happen here? For more on what this means for sanctuary cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

In the first episode of Rising from the Ashes, KNX News reporter Nataly Tavidian recounts the day Southern California's wildfires stopped being a story she was covering - and became the one she was living. While reporting on the Palisades Fire, Nataly was sent to cover a new blaze threatening Pasadena and Altadena: the neighborhood where she grew up and the home her parents built after immigrating to the U.S. As evacuation orders spread, she rushed home while still on the air, trying to reach her family and rescue what mattered most. The episode captures the collision between professional duty and personal loss, as Nataly and her brother returned to their property under extreme conditions, salvaging family photo albums and home videos while unsure if they would ever see the house again. Episode 1 sets the foundation for the six-part series, exploring survival mode, adrenaline, and the moment a reporter becomes part of the disaster she is documenting - marking the beginning of a year-long journey through grief, recovery, and rebuilding.

Protestors have gathered in Minneapolis after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman driving away from officers. While the Trump administration has deployed agents across the country, the number of arrests here in the Bay Area is the lowest in any of the areas they're covering. For more, KCBS Radio Anchor Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

The U.S. now controls Venezuela, which is not something anyone had on their 2026 Bingo card. But what does it mean for us, and what's next?

We've seen mixed reactions to the idea of a one-time "billionaire tax" in California. In the cradle of Silicon Valley San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan worries it could stymie innovation but when asked by Bloomberg this week, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang shared a different message

Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa has passed away at the age of 65. LaMalfa died last night after suffering a medical emergency and being rushed to the hospital. He represented a stretch of rural California in the northeastern part of the state, which just had its Congressional lines redrawn after voters approved Prop 50. For more, KCBS Radio Anchor Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6, and here's the latest on how to occasion is being marked. Plus, an independent Hilton Hotel refused reservations from ICE in Minneapolis as agents swarm Minneapolis on the heels of a federal funding fraud tied to Somali immigrants.

The relationship between the city of San Francisco and PG&E has once again fallen on tough times. The electric grid faltered in a series of high profile outages and it has angry residents and officials calling for a breakup. To break down the possibilities KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is continuing to try to get the message out that the City is on the rebound. Lurie appeared in a segment on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopolous over the weekend. For more, KCBS's Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Progressive politics are on the rise in New York City as the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani opens the door to ideas like housing and tax reform. Meanwhile politicians here in the Bay Area have rallied around the moderate message of "common sense" governance a notable departure from the region's liberal legacy. For more on this KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier

Donald Trump faced down leaders of several major American cities, then backed down. Here's what's going on with the National Guard in Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles and more Plus, analysis of how mom and pop investors beat Wall Street in 2025 and how to keep it going in 2026.

Could there be two high profile politicians from the Bay Area vying for the Presidency in 2028? In a possible preview of the '28 Presidential primary, Silicon Valley congressman Ro Khanna and Governor Gavin Newsom have been trading barbs over the proposed billionaires tax initiative. For more, KCBS's Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Getting around the Bay is going to cost even more come the New Year with rate hikes going into effect on public transit and bridge tolls. For more, KCBS's Rebecca Goodeyon spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

California's proposed 2026 "billionaire tax act," intended to fund social services by increasing taxes on the wealthy, has encountered resistance from the business community. Will the proposed "Billionaire Tax Act" cause companies to move outside of California For more KCBS Raidio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

It turns out that a bill that would have protected Californians from rising electric bills due to AI data centers won't be doing that for now at least. This after major changes were made before the bill was finally passed. For more on this KCBS Radio News Anchor spoke with KCBS insider Phil Matier

Customers are growing increasingly frustrated with PG&E as thousands of residents in San Francisco's Richmond and Sunset districts were without power for a second Saturday in a row. This weekend's outage was the fifth in Sunset in recent weeks. For more KCBS Radio News Anchor, Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

We're breaking down the messy Politics following a massive PG&E power outage in San Francisco over the weekend. For more KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

Data shows fewer people coming to California. Immigration rates have been cut in half within the last year and it's largely linked to the current administration. For more, KCBS's Rebecca Goodeyon spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

This past weekend's massive power outage left Waymos stalled across the city raising concerns about how the autonomous vehicle company could handle a major disaster like an earthquake For more KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Scott spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier

State Senator Scott Wiener says he plans to introduce legislation that will let San Francisco and other cities break away from PG&E and run their own power grids. For more, KCBS's Margie Shafer spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier.

2025 was a year of extremes in terms of weather patterns and natural disasters, from deadly floods in Texas, to Canadian wildfire smoke blanketing the Midwest and California's record-setting wildfires. Plus, it marked the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Here's the year in natural disasters.

Here's a snapshot of what happened in every sector of the US economy in 2025, from housing to retail, interest rates to unlikely breakout businesses.