The Political Breakdown team is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this week where the Republican National Convention is already underway and delegates from across the country have nominated Donald Trump for president. Wisconsin is a critical swing state that Trump narrowly won in 2016 and President Joe Biden narrowly carried in 2020. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss Trump's pick for VP, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Then, they're joined by Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson to talk about guns, contesting election resu...
Jul 16, 2024•32 min
In the final episode of Political Breakdown's weeklong series examining what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like, Marisa and Scott dig into the economy with Peter Coy, opinion writer for the New York Times. They discuss what the former president accomplished in his first White House stint and what his proposed tariffs, tax cuts and even immigration crackdowns could mean for your pocketbook. In August, Political Breakdown will do the same analysis of the Democrats’ agenda for 2025 th...
Jul 13, 2024•24 min
Political Breakdown continues our weeklong series looking at the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. Today, Marisa and Scott look into the impact on climate with Dharna Noor, fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US. In his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement and he’s promised to go farther in a second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 12, 2024•32 min
Political Breakdown continues our weeklong series looking at the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. Today, Marisa and Scott are joined by Franco Ordoñez, White House Correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk, to talk about what Trump 2.0 could mean for immigration enforcement, the NATO alliance and more. We will continue looking into policy areas in the coming days, including the economy and climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 11, 2024•34 min
Political Breakdown continues our weeklong series looking at the possibility of a second Donald Trump presidency. Marisa talks with Vann R Newkirk II, senior editor at The Atlantic and the host of the podcasts "Floodlines" and "Holy Week," about how Trump and his allies want to change the federal government and what his reelection would mean for civil rights and democracy. We will continue looking into several policy areas in the coming days, including climate, economy, foreign policy and immigr...
Jul 10, 2024•32 min
The Republican National Convention starts one week from today, and we will spend this entire week examining what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like based on what he and his allies have been saying and have laid out in public. Today, Marisa and Scott are joined by Philip Bump, national columnist for the Washington Post, to dig into Project 2025, the conservative playbook by Trump allies that aims to consolidate presidential power and sideline critics. We will continue looking into s...
Jul 09, 2024•35 min
Kevin Spillane is a Republican political consultant who’s spent a lot of time in the swing state of Nevada. What he’s seen there makes him think this presidential election is Donald Trump’s to lose. Marisa talks with Spillane about purple states, shifting voter demographics and ticket splitting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 04, 2024•31 min
The Bay Area town of Sunol is the latest to hold a school board recall election. The recall is aimed at two members who voted to ban the use of flags other than the state or federal ones — a policy widely seen as blocking the use of the LGBTQ Pride flag. Guy Marzorati joins Ericka Cruz Guevarra, the host of The Bay, to talk about how the issue bubbled up and how the town is feeling about it. In Sunol, a School Board Recall Divides the Town Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...
Jul 03, 2024•23 min
The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped up its term today with a controversial decision on presidential immunity — a ruling widely seen as a big victory for former President Donald Trump as he faces charges of trying to subvert the results of the 2020 election. In addition to that case, Scott analyzes the high court’s recent decisions on homeless encampments, abortion and the environment with Vikram Amar, professor at UC Davis Law School, and Jessica Levinson, professor at Loyola Law School and host of t...
Jul 02, 2024•33 min
Last night’s presidential debate was President Biden’s chance to make the case to the American public that he’s up for another four-year term. But did he succeed? Marisa and Scott dissect both Biden's and Trump’s performances, discuss why some Democrats are panicking and assess Vice President Kamala Harris’s role in the coming weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 29, 2024•32 min
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was sworn in to represent California in January 2021. Since then, he’s made a name as an outspoken advocate for immigration reform and reproductive rights — someone who’s not afraid to take on his own party over their rightward lurch on border policy. Senator Padilla joins Marisa just moments before the first 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump and shares what he's hoping to see in the debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...
Jun 28, 2024•29 min
Representative Robert Garcia made history two years ago by becoming the first LGBT immigrant elected to Congress, where he represents Long Beach. Garcia has quickly established himself as a rising star, and the self-described comic book nerd seems to relish taking on hard-right representatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia. Scott talks with Garcia at NPR headquarters in Washington D.C. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 27, 2024•25 min
Since getting elected to Congress in 2012, Jared Huffman has represented a sprawling district that stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border. Huffman recently co-founded a Democratic task force aimed at heading off the most authoritarian parts of Project 2025, the blueprint of extreme policies and plans for Donald Trump if he wins in November. Scott talks with Huffman about the task force's goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 26, 2024•29 min
In 1978, a California ballot measure known as the Briggs Initiative sought to ban openly gay teachers from the classroom. It seemed headed for an easy victory based on polls released months before the election, but a coalition of odd bedfellows — including gay Supervisor Harvey Milk in San Francisco, organized labor, Ronald Reagan and President Jimmy Carter — came together to crush the initiative. The rise and fall of the Briggs Initiative and the huge stakes the measure posed for a very young a...
Jun 25, 2024•29 min
In a big win for Democrats, the California Supreme Court says a ballot measure that would have fundamentally changed the way state and local governments impose taxes cannot appear on the November ballot. It’s the first time in decades that the state Supreme Court has removed a citizen initiative from the ballot before voting. Plus, it's crunch time in Sacramento as the deadline for ballot measures approaches. Scott, Marisa and Guy talk chew over this blockbuster week of news. Learn more about yo...
Jun 22, 2024•24 min
Authoritarianism is rising around the globe … but why? Marisa and Scott are joined by Ben Raderstorf, a policy advocate at Protect Democracy who helps direct policy and communications work around systemic threats to American democracy. They talk about the seven basic tactics used by modern authoritarians, how a Trump 2.0 presidency will bring the U.S. closer to autocracy and some reasons for hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 21, 2024•32 min
Kamilah Moore chairs California’s Reparations Task Force, which is charged with addressing the legacy of slavery and systemic racism in the Golden State. The task force is supporting a package of 14 bills aimed at education, health care, criminal justice and more, and the deadline for bill passage is quickly approaching in Sacramento. Scott is joined by Chair Moore and KQED's Annelise Finney, who covers reparations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 19, 2024•28 min
Republicans gather in Milwaukee one month from today, and between now and then Donald Trump will settle on a running mate. Scott and Marisa discuss the list of finalists, which includes several people of color, and what Trump needs to win in November with POLITICO's Brakkton Booker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 18, 2024•30 min
The state legislature passed its plan on Thursday to close a $45 billion budget shortfall, but negotiations continue with Governor Gavin Newsom on a final state spending plan. Plus, a controversial proposal to crack down on retail and drug crime by rolling back parts of California’s landmark criminal justice reform law is heading to the ballot … for now. Guy is joined by Lara Korte, state politics reporter and co-author of the California Playbook for POLITICO, and Lindsey Holden, legislative rep...
Jun 15, 2024•24 min
San Francisco voters will choose their next mayor this November, and we are going to bring you interviews with all of the top candidates. Marisa and Scott sat down recently with Daniel Lurie, founder of the nonprofit Tipping Point Community to talk about his roots in philanthropy, Tipping Point's initiatives to reduce homelessness and whether that work has prepared him for the mayor's office. We want to hear your questions! If you have a burning question that you want us to ask the mayoral candi...
Jun 14, 2024•31 min
The single largest cut in Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal is payments to health care providers who treat low-income Californians on the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal. Guy talks about that with CalMatters reporter Kristen Hwang, as well as how the back-room budget negotiations at the state capitol are closely linked to the ballot measure campaigns going before voters in November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 13, 2024•23 min
We continue our look at California’s budget shortfall and examine its impact on schools. K-12 education makes up the largest chunk of the budget. Guy is joined by Patrick O'Donnell, the government relations chief for the California School Board Association, to talk about how the shortfall might impact students and teachers, as well as the political turmoil roiling school boards up and down the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 12, 2024•23 min
It’s crunch time in Sacramento as the state faces a $45 billion shortfall — the result of declining tax revenue and some big misses in recent budget projections. After spending billions to reduce the state’s unhoused population during his time in office, Governor Gavin Newsom is not setting aside a new round of funding for Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program. Guy is joined by Chione Lucina Munoz Flegal, the executive director of the advocacy group Housing California. Learn more a...
Jun 11, 2024•26 min
In a week where both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris stumped for cash in California, there are signs of a growing split among Democrats over President Biden’s new crackdown at the southern border. The president is playing defense as images of migrants seeking asylum are creating pressure on the Administration to act. Scott is joined by KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati and Politico senior political reporter Melanie Mason to talk about how immigration and bo...
Jun 08, 2024•23 min
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joined the Biden administration as the COVID-19 vaccine was rolling out. Scott talks with him at the Ideas Festival produced by CalMatters about issues ranging from cannabis policy to abortion, health disparities and climate change as a health issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 07, 2024•32 min
An attempt to recall a conservative school board president in the Riverside County city of Temecula seems to be succeeding. It’s been a battle over issues also playing out nationally, like the rights of parents versus transgender kids, critical race theory and banning books with references to LGBTQ history. Scott and Guy talk about the implications of the recall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 06, 2024•29 min
Six years ago, Eleni Kounalakis became the first woman elected lieutenant governor in California. Now she's running for the top job, hoping to become the first woman elected governor of California after Gavin Newsom is termed out in 2026. Scott is joined by Lt. Gov. Kounalakis to talk about the Super PAC she recently launched aimed at promoting abortion rights and what she'd like to do as governor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 05, 2024•29 min
Direct democracy means that Californians are used to seeing a crowded ballot. This fall, voters could be weighing in on more than a dozen ballot measures. Marisa is joined by Politico's Emily Schultheis to talk about what initiatives may and may not appear before voters in the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 04, 2024•27 min
Now that Donald Trump will run for president as a convicted felon, the KQED politics team assesses the political implications for November. Trump will be sentenced on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where he's expected to be nominated, and serving time in prison is possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 01, 2024•22 min
Former President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 felony charges related to falsifying records to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Marisa and Scott are joined by longtime Republican operative Mike Madrid to digest this historic news. Madrid spent 25 years helping Republicans get elected, but in recent years he's emerged as one of Trump's harshest critics. He's the author of a new book, The Latino Century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 31, 2024•31 min
