The calls for police reform after the killing of George Floyd moved from the streets to the ballot box in California this year, as voters approved changes to oversight and funding from San Diego and Los Angeles to Oakland and San Francisco. Scott and Marisa revisit two interviews from earlier this year with BART Director and activist Lateefah Simon and former police chief Ron Davis, who are serving as policing advisors to Governor Gavin Newsom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...
Nov 27, 2020•32 min
With cases of COVID-19 spiking across the state, the Newsom administration announces a curfew for counties with the highest rates of transmission. Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine, joins Marisa and Guy Marzorati to react to the announcement, and shares his thoughts on Governor Newsom's leadership, coronavirus response during the presidential transition, vaccine development and weighing joy and risk during the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
Nov 20, 2020•32 min
Orange County maintains its status as a purple county, as Republicans appear likely to flip two Congressional seats while Democrats are poised to knock off two Republican state legislators. Marisa and Guy Marzorati discuss the latest Congressional results and how California's successful election could set the stage for future voting changes. Then, Congresswoman-elect Nikema Williams joins to discuss her relationship with the late Rep. John Lewis and how it feels to succeed him in the House, how ...
Nov 13, 2020•32 min
As vote counting continues in California and across the country, Scott and Marisa talk with KQED's Katie Orr and Politico's Carla Marinucci about the results of Calfornia's propositions, Congressional and state legislative races, early U.S. Senate speculation and some down-ballot surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 06, 2020•31 min
With less than a week until Election Day, Marisa and Scott take a (virtual) trip to the bordering battleground state of Arizona. First, Arizona Republic editor Wyatt Buchanan joins to talk about the changing politics of the Grand Canyon State and how transplanted Californians are playing a role. Then, former Arizona governor and University of California president Janet Napolitano shares how she won statewide office as a Democrat, how Arizona has become a swing state and her thoughts on Propositi...
Oct 30, 2020•32 min
With less than two weeks until Election Day, Scott and Marisa discuss the latest on the record-breaking Proposition 22 with KQED's Sam Harnett. Then, Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee joins to share her thoughts on Prop 22, her recent campaign trip to Arizona, Gov. Gavin Newsom's potential Senate pick and what she hopes to hear from Joe Biden in Thursday night's debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 22, 2020•32 min
California's Republican Party defends its operation of unofficial vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes across the state in the face of potential legal action. Marisa and Scott are joined by KQED's Guy Marzorati to discuss the dispute and the politics of vote-by-mail in California. Then, UC Berkeley and USC professor Dan Schnur joins to talk about voting and whether California's Secretary of State should be nonpartisan. Finally, Scott and Marisa end the show with their thoughts on the performances of C...
Oct 16, 2020•32 min
Scott and Marisa analyze California Senator Kamala Harris' performance in Wednesday night's vice presidential debate, and KUER politics and government reporter Sonja Hutson joins from Salt Lake City to share her experience at the debate and discuss politics in the Beehive State. Then, María Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino shares what was missing from the debate, her journey into civic work, Latinx enthusiasm for Harris' addition to the Democratic ticket, and Voto Latino's voter re...
Oct 09, 2020•32 min
As California ballot measure campaigns heat up, CalMatters reporter Laurel Rosenhall joins Marisa and Scott to discuss her story about the ballot endorsements of Alice Huffman, the California NAACP President who is also a professional campaign consultant. Then, San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar joins to discuss her family's law enforcement background, the barriers to reform among prosecutors, the new progressive Prosecutors Alliance of California, and her thoughts on Propo...
Oct 02, 2020•32 min
President Trump nears a nomination for a successor to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Scott and Marisa preview the roles of California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris in a potential confirmation hearing. They also discuss why so many Californians are undecided on key state ballot measures. Then, California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu joins to share his memories of clerking for Ginsburg, his childhood as a first-generation American, the importance of diversity on the bench and ...
Sep 25, 2020•32 min
President Trump visits California as the state deals with a historic wildfire year. Marisa and Scott discuss the president's visit with Katie Orr, along with new polls on Proposition 15 and Proposition 16. Then, California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot shares the story behind his confrontation with the President over climate change and wildfires, the future of forest management in California, the Newsom administration's fracking policy and open streets during the pandemic. Learn ...
Sep 18, 2020•32 min
The finger-pointing continues at the state Capitol after a frantic end to the legislative session. Katie Orr joins Scott and Marisa to talk about Senate vs. Assembly feuding, Anthony Rendon's leadership and how criminal justice reforms fell short. Then, former Assemblyman Mike Gatto joins to talk about legislative leadership styles, parenting in office, running for Assembly while in college, his father's murder in 2013 and his vote on California's prison realignment law. Learn more about your ad...
Sep 11, 2020•32 min
After a wild end to the legislative session, Marisa and Guy Marzorati talk with Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, who voted on the floor with her four-week old baby. They also provide an update on Proposition 20, and former governor Jerry Brown opening his wallet to defeat the measure. Then, actor and activist Jamal Trulove joins to talk about being framed and wrongfully imprisoned for murder in San Francisco and why he's still supporting then-District Attorney Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket....
Sep 04, 2020•32 min
A COVID-19 infection derails the state legislature just days before the final recess of the session. Marisa and Guy Marzorati get the latest from KQED politics reporter Katie Orr on how the Senate and Assembly are planning to finish the year's work. Then, Joseph Rodota joins to discuss his podcast "The Oppo File" about campaign opposition research. Rodota shares stories from his time as an opposition researcher on Republican presidential and gubernatorial campaigns and discusses how oppo researc...
Aug 27, 2020•32 min
Before the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Scott and Marisa discuss the week's program and Senator Kamala Harris' vice presidential acceptance speech. Addisu Demissie, senior advisor for the convention, joins to talk about his work planning the unprecedented virtual event and Rep. Ro Khanna discusses the party platform debate and Harris' speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 20, 2020•32 min
California Senator Kamala Harris is Joe Biden's pick for vice president. Marisa and Scott discuss the selection and the rollout of the Democratic ticket. Then, former Congresswoman Katie Hill joins to discuss her resignation from Congress last fall, her political action committee to elect more (Democratic) women to office, the media's coverage of female candidates, and why she decided to stay in Washington D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 14, 2020•32 min
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks with Scott and Marisa about the re-started NBA season and the league's response to the Black Lives Matter movement. He also discusses this week's deadly explosion in his birthplace of Beirut, his family's long history in the Middle East, and how he continues to learn from his players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 07, 2020•32 min
As Joe Biden nears his decision on a vice presidential pick, Marisa and Scott discuss the contenders on his shortlist and the latest on negotiations to extend COVID-19 unemployment aid. Then, political strategist Joe Trippi, host of the new podcast That Trippi Show joins to discuss his career running Democratic presidential campaigns, pioneering 'netroots' on the 2004 Howard Dean campaign for president, the overlooked lessons of Doug Jones' 2017 Senate victory in Alabama, and his thoughts on Bid...
Jul 31, 2020•32 min
L.A. Congresswoman Karen Bass joins Scott and Marisa to discuss the legacy of Congressman John Lewis, volunteering for Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign, coalition building after the L.A. Riots, the status of police reform in Congress, talking with Joe Biden about grief and personal loss, and reclaiming the name 'Caren.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 24, 2020•32 min
California schools take center stage in the state's reopening debate, as Marisa and Scott discuss Governor Gavin Newsom's handling of the accelerated spread of COVID-19. Then, Jay Jordan, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, discusses his childhood in Stockton, his own experience going through the criminal justice system and spending time in state prison, what's at stake with Proposition 20 on the November ballot, and why the outbreak of coronavirus in state prisons could b...
Jul 17, 2020•32 min
With unemployment claims again rising as states struggle to contain the spread of COVID-19, Scott and Guy Marzorati talk with KQED's Sam Harnett about his new series "How We Got Here" about the decline of worker power in America. Then, Los Angeles Supervisor Hilda Solis joins to talk about her parent's union experiences, her fights for environmental justice in the state legislature, the upset win that sent her to Congress in 2000, how she became President Obama's Secretary of Labor, and how the ...
Jul 10, 2020•32 min
With the spread of COVID-19 increasing throughout the state, Governor Gavin Newsom orders many counties to halt their reopening. Scott and Katie Orr discuss the governor's actions and the newly signed state budget. Then, Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles) shares why she felt concerned about the pace of reopening, her proposal to remove police from some crisis response situations, her #WatchWednesdays Twitter videos, and her 1997 "Money Makeover" in the Los Angeles Times. Learn more ab...
Jul 03, 2020•32 min
With COVID-19 cases growing rapidly in California and Florida, Scott and Marisa are joined by WLRN reporter Caitie Switalski to explore how officials in the Golden State and the Sunshine State have responded to the ongoing pandemic, and how prepared the two state's hospitals are for the surge in cases. Then, Nicole Gill, executive director of Accountable Tech, joins to discuss how the new group plans to fight misinformation on social media platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Jun 26, 2020•32 min
Governor Gavin Newsom announces a requirement for face-coverings in high-risk settings, as masks become a political flash point in some California counties. Marisa and Scott also discuss the differences in how officials in California and Florida have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, University of California Board of Regents Chair John Perez, the former Assembly speaker, joins to discuss the Supreme Court's decisions on the DACA program and LGBT workplace discrimination. He also talks ab...
Jun 19, 2020•32 min
Ron Davis, former Director of the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services under President Obama, talks with Scott and Marisa about reimagining public safety after the killing of George Floyd. He also discusses his current advising of the Newsom administration and reflects on following his father's footsteps into law enforcement and his years with the Oakland and East Palo Alto police departments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Jun 12, 2020•32 min
BART Director Lateefah Simon joins Scott and Marisa to discuss the protests against police violence, steps cities can take to reform policing, the re-entry programs she created with Kamala Harris, her Bay Area roots and her late husband Kevin Weston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 05, 2020•32 min
Tom Steyer, chair of Gov. Gavin Newsom's Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery, talks with Scott and Marisa about the work ahead to rebuild California's economy. He also discusses what he learned on the presidential campaign trail and shares the story behind his bulk purchase of tartan ties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 28, 2020•32 min
The Legislature delves into Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal, and Marisa and Scott talk with KQED's Katie Orr about how lawmakers are pushing to reassert themselves in spending negotiations. Then, Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, joins to discuss the financial hit hospitals are taking during the coronavirus pandemic, the outlook for support in the state budget, how hospitals are preparing for a future surge of patients and how the crisis could change th...
May 22, 2020•32 min
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans massive cuts to California's budget unless Congress approves more aid. KQED's Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos discuss the governor's May Revise and the budget process ahead with KQED's Katie Orr. Then, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, joins to share his thoughts on the governor's proposal, Assembly Bill 5, how to manage cuts to public education and the Legislature's response to the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 15, 2020•32 min
California's contracts for protective gear draw increased scrutiny, and the Newsom administration projects a $41 billion drop in revenues. Marisa and Scott discuss those developments with KQED's Guy Marzorati, along with a preview of next week's special election in the 25th Congressional District. Then, Stephanie Valencia, president of Equis Labs, joins to discuss her extensive surveying of Latinos in 2020 battleground states, what she's watching for in pandemic polling and her time working in t...
May 08, 2020•32 min
