Political Breakdown

Senator Alex Padilla this week left open the possibility of a run for California governor during an interview at POLITICO's “The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit." Plus, a new poll shows former Rep. Katie Porter leading the race. Marisa and Guy are joined by Politico California Editorial Director Chris Cadelago to discuss the state of the 2026 governor's race and the latest news about current Governor Gavin Newsom.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As President Donald Trump threatens to send armed military troops to American cities beyond Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, critics are raising questions about the racial politics of the president's deployment. Marisa is joined by Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University and co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hospitals are pausing or ending gender-affirming care for transgender youth, even in blue states like California.  Stanford and Kaiser have both halted gender-related surgeries for minors, and Children's Hospital Los Angeles shut down its venerated Center for Transyouth Health and Development earlier this summer. Marisa is joined by the San Francisco Chronicle's Erin Allday to discuss the current state of trans youth healthcare and how families in the Bay Area are responding.  For more political analysis, sign up for Political Breakdown's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley's district currently covers a wide swath of eastern California, running from the Lassen National Forest through the Lake Tahoe region and down to Death Valley in the south. But under a new proposed congressional map approved by Democrats in the state Legislature this week, Kiley's district would shrink significantly and its constituency would become much more Democratic. Marisa is joined by Kiley to discuss the map's threat to his reelection prospects and his bill to ban mid-decade redistricting nationally. For more political analysis, sign up for Political Breakdown's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California lawmakers today approved a special election on newly drawn congressional districts that would help elect more Democrats to the House of Representatives. Voters will have the final say on approving or refusing the map in November. The state's gerrymander is to counter a similar Republican-driven effort in Texas at the request of President Trump. Marisa and Guy discuss the latest drama in the ongoing redistricting wars with Blaise Gainey, the KUT Texas Capitol reporter.  For more political analysis, sign up for Political Breakdown's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State lawmakers are negotiating the renewal of California's landmark climate program known as cap-and-trade. But after the closure of two oil refineries, how are they balancing climate progress with affordability? Guy discusses that challenge with State Senator Monique Limón and later, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, who are both working on plans to renew the cap-and-trade program.  For more political analysis, sign up for Political Breakdown's newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Democrats today released their proposed map to redraw the state's congressional districts, revealing the Republican seats they're targeting in next year's midterm elections. The map comes in response to the Texas redistricting plan to pick up more House seats for Republicans. Scott and Guy talk with Paul Mitchell, the man drawing these new lines in California in collaboration with Governor Newsom and the state legislature.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting with the Gold Rush, San Francisco has always been a boom and bust town. The latest boom is being driven by artificial intelligence, as AI companies and startups scoop up venture capital, real estate, office space and tech talent in the city. Scott talks with the Los Angeles Times technology reporter Queenie Wong about how the AI boom is affecting San Francisco's culture and economy. Then, he's joined by Jake Lahut, senior writer for WIRED, to discuss Silicon Valley's fluctuating influence in D.C.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump took federal control of the police force in Washington D.C. this week, deploying 800 National Guard troops. The president claims the city is plagued by violent crime despite data showing it at a 30-year low.  This comes amid the three-day trial in San Francisco over Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles earlier this year in response to ICE protests.  Scott is joined first by Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and host of the podcast "Passing Judgment" to discuss Trump's authority to militarize the nation's capital. Then, he's joined by D.C. Senator Ankit Jain.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump's push for Texas to redraw congressional districts to help Republicans in next year's midterm elections has mobilized Democratic governors, including Gavin Newsom, to do the same. But will California voters agree to let politicians draw their own lines when they put a stop to that practice years ago?  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump Administration has suspended half a billion dollars in federal research funds from UCLA, alleging the school has ignored anti-semitism on campus. The school's chancellor says the cuts would kill scientific research at UCLA. Now, the university will negotiate with the administration, just as Ivy Leagues like Columbia and Brown University have done. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times education reporter Jaweed Kaleem.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks 30 years since the death of Grateful Dead frontman and San Francisco native Jerry Garcia. Despite Garcia's disdain for government and politics, he navigated his band through the counterculture revolution of the 1960s and had a remarkable influence on American culture.  In a new biography of Garcia, writer and former Los Angeles Times journalist Jim Newton describes how Garcia did his best to shun politics even as the band performed in support of political causes. Scott talks with Newton about his book, “Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead and an American Awakening."  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New unemployment numbers show that California is tied with Nevada for the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Experts point to uncertainty over tariffs and trade policy, immigration raids and the rise of Artificial Intelligence as some of the main contributors.  So what does a high unemployment rate mean for one of the world's largest economies?   Scott talks with economist Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, an independent research and consulting firm. Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of speculation, Kamala Harris announced that she will not run for governor of California, which keeps her options open for a potential campaign for president in 2028.  The decision has created a political earthquake throughout the state, as Democrats already running for governor step on the gas for campaign operations now that the biggest threat to their candidacy is removed. Scott and Guy are joined by Politico's senior political reporter Melanie Mason to discuss what's ahead for the 2026 California governor's race.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Texas Republicans move ahead on plans to redraw their congressional districts to boost GOP candidates for the House of Representatives, Governor Gavin Newsom is fighting back, saying California will follow suit. But can Newsom really overcome the legal obstacles to putting political gerrymandering back into practice? Scott is joined by Paul Mitchell, the vice president at Political Data Inc, which uses polling and other data to help Democratic campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll shows that six months into San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's term, voters are very happy with his overall performance. But are his social media posts a little too positive given the city's issues with ICE arrests and a budget deficit? Scott, Guy and KQED's Sydney Johnson discuss the mayor's popularity. Plus, they talk about a plan for "geographic equity" of shelter placement throughout the city.  Read more: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Is All Over Instagram. Is He Saying Enough? Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City's Democrat primary for mayor has energized the left while shaking up establishment Democrats. Scott is joined by Vox politics reporter Christian Paz to discuss the split within the party, the potential for a Democratic Tea Party moment and what Mamdani's victory means for the party's future.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bilal Mahmood became the first Muslim American elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last year. Now, Mahmood is proposing controversial legislation to put homeless shelters in each supervisorial district throughout the city. Scott is joined in studio by Mahmood, who represents the city's fifth district including the Haight-Ashbury, Fillmore, Western Addition and Tenderloin neighborhoods.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump is pressuring Texas to redraw its political map to try and gain a few more Republican congressional seats. In response, Governor Newsom has threatened to gerrymander California's political lines to help Democrats win more House seats in next year's midterm election.  Plus, both parties are already shaping the narrative around Trump's huge domestic policy bill that, among other things, slashes health care funding. Scott and Guy are joined by the San Francisco Chronicle politics reporter Sophia Bollag.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Supreme Court this week cleared the way for President Trump to fast track the dismantling of the Department of Education. Plus, California and 23 other states are suing the Trump administration over nearly $6 billion in education funds they say are owed to them. Scott is joined by Politico education reporter Juan Perez Jr. to discuss who will be affected by the massive cuts underway and how it could play out politically.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump's massive domestic policy bill allocates an unprecedented amount of money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's budget, significantly expanding their ability to carry out Trump's aggressive deportation agenda.  Already, weeks of intensified raids by federal immigration agents have generated fear and panic among many immigrant communities in California. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Rachel Uranga to discuss the legal status of the raids and their impact on workers, their families and their employers. Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November, Orange County Congressman Derek Tran became the first Vietnamese American to represent Little Saigon in Washington, D.C. Tran barely defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel, helping Democrats flip three California House seats from red to blue. We revisit a conversation from May, when Scott and Marisa talked with Tran about representing a very purple district and his father's harrowing story as a refugee after the Vietnam War.   Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last election, voters with college degrees leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. But most voters without a degree backed President Trump. It's not just about policy. It's about pride, identity, and who feels like they're on your side. Republicans are speaking directly to working-class values like hard work, tradition, and loyalty, even while passing bills that slash healthcare and education. Meanwhile, Democrats often sound like they're talking down to people, using terms like “Latinx” or “climate denier” that might seem progressive, but to a lot of voters feels like a lecture. So how can Democrats reconnect and actually earn back trust? KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Joan Williams, the author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back. She's also Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Law San Francisco. Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.  Plus, take the Class Bubble Quiz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump's megabill is now law and it's sending shockwaves through California's healthcare system. The legislation makes major cuts to Medicaid, known here as Medi-Cal, which covers about one in three Californians.  Supporters say the bill reins in government spending. But critics warn it could shutter hospitals and force the state into painful budget choices. KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Angela Hart, senior correspondent for KFF Health News, to dig into what's at stake.  Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today marks the start of a new fiscal year in California, and the budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom is going into effect now that the legislature met his demands for a major overhaul of California's landmark environmental bill. Newsom and others have long seen the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, as a major impediment to building housing. Scott and Marisa are joined by Dustin Gardiner, the co-author of Politico's California Playbook, to analyze the potential impact and political fallout of changes to CEQA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's crunch time in the state Capitol, with a new fiscal year starting Tuesday. However, the legislature blew past its legally mandated June 15th deadline to approve a spending plan and is continuing to negotiate with Governor Gavin Newsom until the last minute. Marisa and Guy are joined by KCRA 3's California Capitol Correspondent Ashley Zavala to discuss what is in the budget and what's still being hashed out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's officially summer, which for many Americans means camping and hiking in national parks. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, there's been a lot of upheaval in and around our federal open spaces, from budget cuts to proposals to sell off public lands. Marisa is joined by the San Francisco Chronicle's enterprise reporter Kurtis Alexander to discuss how all this will affect California's parks and monuments.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, the United States entered the conflict between Israel and Iran, dropping never-before-used bunker-buster bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran. President Donald Trump is now trying to hold both sides to a ceasefire, but his own objectives in ordering American involvement seem unclear. Marisa is joined by Politico senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi to unpack why Trump chose to get involved and what could be ahead for the region and the U.S.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As immigration raids across the state disrupt workplaces and families, a new report describes the negative impact the federal raids and mass deportations could have on California's economy.  Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the report, plus the fallout from this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling to uphold a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming medical care for minors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump yesterday reversed his brief order instructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to stop raids on farms, hotels and restaurants. As federal immigration agents are told to increase the number of daily deportations, raids are stoking fear across California in workplaces, immigration courts, community flea markets and even churches. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Andrea Castillo to describe what's happening in these communities.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles, President Trump went over Governor Newsom's head to activate the California National Guard troops. This prompted the state to sue, and Thursday afternoon a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Trump acted illegally — a major victory for Newsom. But just hours later, an appeals court temporarily paused that decision until a hearing next week. Plus, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly pushed out of and handcuffed during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference in Los Angeles. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss a whirlwind week in California politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The showdown continues between President Donald Trump and California over the president's move to send troops to quell anti-ICE protests. Marisa and Scott discuss the legal and constitutional implications of the confrontation and the state's lawsuit, which had its first hearing today at a federal court in San Francisco. Late Thursday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a ruling instructing the Trump administration to hand back control of the National Guard on Friday at noon. Marisa and Scott are joined first by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who filed the suit, and later by Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Sunday in response to people protesting federal immigration raids. California is now suing the federal government, saying Trump is acting illegally by ignoring California's pleas not to inflame the situation by sending the troops. Scott and Marisa are joined by Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano to discuss the latest on what's happening, how we got here and where this might be heading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just in time for LGBTQ Pride month, the Pentagon appears ready to rename a naval ship named for gay rights icon Harvey Milk. Milk was the first openly gay official elected in California and a Navy veteran who was discharged during the Korean War because he was gay. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the latest in a series of attacks on the LGBTQ community by the administration.  Also in President Trump's crosshairs: California's troubled high speed rail project. The Department of Transportation announced this week it will pull $4 billion in federal funding for the project because they say it has no hope of being completed.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is upending the nation's public health system and he's found some staunch supporters for his cause right here in the Bay Area.  Marisa and Scott are joined by KQED health correspondent Lesley McClurg to talk about the Marin County town that's seen a political schism centered around distrust of government and public health.  Then, they're joined by Dr. Céline Gounder, a physician, epidemiologist and editor-at-large for Public Health at KFF News, to discuss what Kennedy is doing on vaccines, drug testing and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few books have captivated the nation's capitol like “Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” It describes in excruciating detail how a small circle of family and political insiders isolated and insulated President Joe Biden as his mental and physical condition declined throughout his term in the White House. Scott and Marisa are joined by the authors, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios national political correspondent Alex Thompson, who interviewed more than 200 people who described how Biden's true condition was hidden from his own cabinet, congressional leaders and donors.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 governor's race is still more than 500 days away, but there is already a crowded field of candidates. On the Democratic side, they're all waiting to see if Vice President Kamala Harris decides to jump in.  KQED's Marisa Lagos and Guy Marzorati are joined remotely by San Francisco Chronicle Senior Political Writer Joe Garofoli who is in Orange County where Democrats are gathering for their biannual state party convention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As San Francisco's elected assessor-recorder, Joaquin Torres' office decides the value of property in San Francisco, and tells you how much you owe in taxes.  But he's also spent the last dozen years as president of the San Francisco Housing Authority Commission, which oversees the city's public housing developments as well as its Section 8 program.  Torres joins Scott and Marisa on his last day as president to reflect on his time there and talk about what's next for both himself and the agency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buffy Wicks is a leading champion in Sacramento for building more housing in California. Her early political activities include working on both of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. Now she represents parts of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties in Sacramento where she chairs the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee. To get more housing built, Wicks is taking on a sacred cow in state politics, the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. Wicks joins Scott and Marisa to talk about why reforming CEQA is such a hot button issue, and why she thinks it's so necessary to increase housing production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco is looking for a new police chief after Bill Scott announced earlier this month that he is stepping down after eight years on the job through three mayoral administrations.  Although the city's civilian-led police commission will draw up a short list of candidates, Mayor Daniel Lurie will make the final decision.  Scott and Marisa are joined by KQED Politics Reporter Sydney Johnson to talk about that choice and what the next chief's success or failure may mean for the mayor.  They'll also talk about the recall effort against San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio after organizers announced this week that they've gathered enough signatures to put the recall question up to a vote.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two young leaders are making waves in the Democratic Party. Oakland Congresswoman Lateefah Simon joins Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, just hours after the House narrowly passed a sweeping policy bill that would cut trillions in taxes and slash safety net programs, including Medicaid and SNAP. Plus, Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg, who became a gun control activist after surviving the Parkland school shooting in 2018, explains his plan to bring fresh perspectives — and elect younger candidates — to the Democratic party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump's four-day visit to the Middle East featured splashy business deals, very little talk about human rights abuses and plenty of ethical questions – like ones raised by the gift of a lavish $400 million plane from Qatar for Trump to use as a temporary Air Force One. In many ways trip was a reset of relations – especially with Saudi Arabia, whose president was shunned by the Biden Administration, and Syria, whose new leader will benefit from Trump ending U.S. economic sanctions despite concerns over the country's new leader. NPR White House Correspondent Franco Ordoñez covered the trip and he joins co-hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices