Political Breakdown

The Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed — in part due to a surprising defection from a conservative House member from California. Plus, the congressional race to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is getting nasty in Kern County, as MAGA Republicans pile onto McCarthy's anointed successor, Assemblymember Vince Fong. Scott and Marisa chat about all that with Jeremy B. White, senior political reporter for POLITICO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latino voters are likely to play a big role in determining the outcome of races up and down the state and up and down the ballot this year. About a quarter of the Latinos who are eligible to vote in the entire nation live here in California. But for candidates trying to win over Latino voters, there are some obstacles. For a better sense of the state’s growing Latino electorate, Scott Shafer spoke with Matt Barreto of the Latino Policy and Politics Institute at UCLA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ballots for the March 5th primary election are arriving in mailboxes across the state this week. In California, the titles and summaries for ballot measures are written by the attorney general, but some say Democrats in the job too often put their thumb on the scale with skewed summaries to help their allies. Plus, the life and death of legislation in Sacramento. Why are some bills introduced knowing they'll never make it out of committee, much less to the governor's desk? Scott and Marisa chat about all this with CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal. Also: KQED has a voter guide! Check out our roadmap to voting in California at kqed.org/voterguide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New fundraising totals in the U.S. Senate race show Adam Schiff with a huge monetary advantage over fellow Democrats Katie Porter and Barbara Lee and Republican Steve Garvey. Plus, does the GOP have a Taylor Swift problem? Scott, Marisa and Guy take a look at some of the top stories bubbling up in the world of politics this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With migrants attempting to cross the U.S. southern border in record numbers, immigration is becoming one of the top issues in this year’s presidential campaign. President Biden is adopting some hard-line positions, even vowing to "shut down" the border if Congress passes a bipartisan deal. Marisa and Scott dig into the crisis at the border with Hamed Aleaziz, an immigration reporter for the New York Times who's covered the issue since former President Trump’s tumultuous term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dean of UC Berkeley’s Law School has signed onto a legal brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that Donald Trump is ineligible to be president due to his participation in the January 6th insurrection. Scott talks with Dean Erwin Chemerinsky about that issue and all the other legal perils Trump is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California’s high-speed rail project has been way over budget and way behind schedule since voters approved it in 2008. But progress is actually being made. Scott talks with KQED transportation editor Dan Brekke and CalMatters reporter Yousef Baig about the impact of the high-speed rail project in the Central Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris’ push to rally voters in San José around support for reproductive rights ran headlong into protests on Monday, demanding an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza. Scott talks about that with Guy Marzorati, who was there before and during Harris' appearance. Plus, President Joe Biden is facing major problems with younger voters. They’re upset his climate change policies haven’t gone further, and they're disaffected by his unwavering support for Israel in its war with Hamas. Some think a push for decriminalizing marijuana use could help Biden win back voters under 30. Scott talks to David Downs, senior editor and reporter with Leafly.com, an online publication that covers marijuana policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the New Hampshire primary in the rearview mirror, the presidential race is heating up. Next up? South Carolina. Plus, Vice President Kamala Harris stumps in California, keeping abortion rights at the top of Democrats' agenda. And, how California politicians are stepping up to help President Joe Biden. Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's news in politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Lee is the only woman of color and the most progressive candidate running for U.S. Senate in California. If elected, it would be the cap to a long career that started with Shirley Chisholm's groundbreaking 1972 presidential campaign. Marisa and Guy chat with Oakland Congresswoman Barbara Lee in the first of Political Breakdown's interviews with the candidates hoping to claim the seat held for more than 30 years by the late Dianne Feinstein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A wave of layoffs decimates the Los Angeles Times newsroom, with cuts hitting younger journalists of color especially hard and upending the billionaire owner's promise to expand the paper's coverage of L.A.'s diverse communities. Scott talks with Geeta Anand, the dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and L.A. Times columnist Gustavo Arellano about the threat to local journalism and how sweeping media layoffs will affect coverage of a high-stakes election year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last night the four leading candidates for the U.S. Senate once held by Dianne Feinstein squared off in their first debate. The candidates spelled out their positions on the Israel-Hamas war, Trump, the economy and abortion. Scott and Marisa dissect the debate with POLITICO's California Bureau Chief Christopher Cadelago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the latest Republican presidential candidate to drop out, a victim of bad poll numbers that show him far behind Donald Trump. Why do polls carry so much weight? And how do they shape voters' impressions of candidates? Scott talks with veteran pollster David Binder about the science of polling and the art of telling good ones from bad ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a new entry into the 2026 race for Governor of California. State Senate President Toni Atkins is seeking to become the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person to be governor. Plus, Scott, Marisa and Guy test out an AI bot made by Silicon Valley billionaires trying to get Dean Phillips elected as president. Relisten to past Political Breakdown interviews with some of the candidates running for California Governor in 2026: She Broke 2 Glass Ceilings in Sacramento. Will She Try for 3 Tony Thurmond on Culture Wars in California Schools Betty Yee on a Lifetime of Running the Numbers Eleni Kounalakis on the Lieutenant Governor's Role During the Coronavirus Outbreak and Lessons from Diplomacy in Hungary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a common complaint among Democrats: The GOP is winning the messaging war. So how can they do better? Marisa and Scott are joined by Democratic strategists Anat Shenker-Osorio and Jenifer Fernandez Ancona who released new research examining what economic messaging is most likely to work for Democratic candidates this election year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Democrats are split on immigration and border security, according to a new poll. KQED's immigration editor Tyche Hendricks joins Scott to break down how this could affect the 2024 elections. Then, Scott is joined by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to talk about what security means in the age of AI and rising doubts about the integrity of our elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were no big surprises in Monday’s Republican Iowa Caucuses. Donald Trump grabbed more than half the votes, leaving Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley to fight over the crumbs. Now it’s on to New Hampshire, where those three will once again square off. Scott and Marisa talk to POLITICO's Brakkton Booker about the state of the presidential race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze the week's top political stories, including a fresh poll showing California's U.S. Senate race is still very much up for grabs and the very real possibility that the top two will include one Republican and one Democrat. Plus, they look ahead to next week, when Republicans will brave the snow and cold in Iowa to caucus for their candidate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toni Atkins is the only person in California to have served as both speaker of the Assembly and president of the Senate in the past 150 years. The San Diego Democrat has broken several glass ceilings as a woman and a lesbian. Will she try to break another by running for governor in 2026? Marisa and Scott chat with Atkins about her path from growing up in Appalachia to the top of the California State Legislature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom today rolled out his plan for solving California's budget deficit. And the good news is the deficit according to Newsom is $38 billion, far less than the $68 billion shortfall that had been expected by many. Scott is joined by Marisa, who is in Sacramento covering the governor's budget blueprint. Then, they're both joined by Chris Hoene of the California Budget and Policy Center to sort through some of the big spending decisions ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 election will be the first where artificial intelligence, or AI, could play a big role — and not necessarily a good one. Today in Sacramento, the head of California Common Cause announced proposals to address the potential problems from things like deepfakes intended to confuse voters. Scott Shafer is joined by Jonathan Mehta Stein, head of Common Cause, to discuss threats posed by technology for this election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED is launching a new daily version of Political Breakdown today! So what should you expect and why now? Co-hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos sat down to talk about it. Then the rest of the KQED politics team joins them to chat through the big political news of the day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 legislative session is just underway and in addition to agenda items like closing a massive $68 billion budget deficit, the governor and lawmakers face many big issues on the docket. Scott Shafer and Guy Marzorati check in with CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal, who is in Sacramento as the Legislature kicks off with a Gaza protest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown debuted in 2017 as a podcast and radio program that unpacked politics with a California perspective. The show is an essential part of KQED, especially during presidential election years. That’s why we’re launching a daily version of Political Breakdown — on the air and in your podcast feed. Political Breakdown will be informative, fact-based and focused on democracy. It will be a news-driven show, unflinchingly taking on the topics of the moment while providing context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa and Scott close out the year by looking back at two interviews recapping legislative highlights at the state Capitol. They revisit a conversation with labor leader Tia Orr on 2023's "hot labor summer" and historic accomplishments by and for organized labor. Then, they revisit a conversation with the governor's chief of staff Dana Williamson and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg about historic reforms on mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa, Scott and Guy wrap up 2023 by looking ahead into what's sure to be a wild election year. They're joined by KQED's Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez and Politico's Melanie Mason to chat about big issues and campaigns to watch and even make some predictions for the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American West used to be Republican territory. But in recent years, Democrats have gained ground in formerly red states like Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. Marisa and Scott chat with LA Times political columnist Mark Z. Barabak about his series "The New West" and how this political shift transpired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott talks to CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal about the state's $68 billion budget deficit and the petition from Capitol staffers calling for a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Plus, as the death toll in that war continues growing in the Middle East, a very different kind of toll is being felt at elite universities. Scott dives into how the war is roiling campuses across the country with LA Times columnist Robin Abcarian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is losing another high-profile power broker now that Kevin McCarthy has announced he is resigning from Congress at the end of the year. What does this mean for his hometown of Bakersfield and the half dozen vulnerable Republicans running for reelection in California? Scott is joined by KVPR's Joshua Yeager, Republican political consultant Mike Madrid and Washington correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle Shira Stein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Utility companies are bracing for a future affected by climate change and evolving energy markets. Marisa and Scott are joined by Patti Poppe, the CEO of PG&E. Poppe has been trying to navigate these challenges and more since her tenure started in 2021, after the company emerged from bankruptcy for the second time in two decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a special Tuesday edition of Political Breakdown, Scott Shafer and veteran political journalist Carla Marinucci give us the state of play in American politics. Then, they’re joined by KQED transportation reporter Dan Brekke to talk about whether public transit in the state is facing an existential crisis. Plus: Tune in to find out who’s already ordered their BART ugly holiday sweater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up with Governor Gavin Newsom debating a presidential candidate? Marisa and Scott break down Newsom's motivations for going head-to-head with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tonight. Then, KQED science reporter Danielle Venton joins to dig into the home insurance crisis in California, brought on by a changing climate and the resulting natural disasters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa revisit a pair of conversations about politics and family, with California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and political strategist Dane Strother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa are joined by KQED’s Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez to talk about the trial and verdict in the case of David DePape, who is accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with the hammer. Then, KQED politics and government correspondent Guy Marzorati joins to talk about protestors shutting down the Bay Bridge, Biden’s successful meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Guy’s weekend plans: covering the state Democratic Convention in Sacramento. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa discuss the role of abortion in Tuesday's elections in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Then, Eric Early, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, joins to discuss his background in the entertainment industry, why he joined striking actors on the picket line, why he believes former president Donald Trump's false claims about the 2020 election and how he would vote on abortion in the Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa and Scott talk to San Francisco Chronicle politics reporter Sophia Bollag about covering Governor Gavin Newsom's trip to China. Then, former governor Jerry Brown joins to discuss Newsom's trip, U.S.-China relations, the upcoming APEC conference and his work at the California-China Climate Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa analyze Governor Gavin Newsom's trips to Israel and China and discuss a state review of San Francisco's housing approval process. Then, Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California, joins to talk about her rise in the labor movement, wins for labor in this year's legislative session and the ballot measure fight she's focused on in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Laphonza Butler announces she won't run for a full term 2024. Scott and Marisa discuss the surprise announcement as well as Governor Gavin Newsom's trip to Israel and what the ongoing dysfunction in the House of Representatives means for vulnerable California Republicans. Then, in the second part of their conversation at KQED Live, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks to Marisa and Scott about her husband Paul's recovery, her decision to run for re-election, homelessness in San Francisco and the Grateful Dead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joins Scott and Marisa at KQED Live to talk about the Israel-Hamas war and the Republican scramble to find a new speaker of the House of Representatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa and Scott recap Dianne Feinstein's memorial service and hear Nancy Pelosi's memories of the former mayor and senator. Guy Marzorati joins to discuss Feinstein's legacy, California's new Senator Laphonza Butler and the choice facing Butler over whether to run for a full term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a champion of gun control who broke glass ceilings for women in local, state and national politics, died Thursday night. Marisa and Scott revisit their 2018 conversation with Feinstein about her life and career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa discuss the Republican presidential primary debate in California and preview this weekend's GOP state party convention. Then, San José Mayor Matt Mahan joins to discuss his childhood in Watsonville, the career advice he got from Mark Zuckerberg and his efforts to build temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness in San José. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa and Scott discuss the moves by Governor Gavin Newsom and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to shore up California's home insurance marketplace in the face of growing wildfire risk with Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy program at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment. Then, KQED Labor Correspondent Farida Jhabvala Romero joins to talk about the wins for organized labor in this year's legislative session. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the last day of the legislative session, Scott and Marisa head to Sacramento and recap the most controversial bills heading to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. Then, they talk about the governor's landmark reforms to mental health spending with Dana Williamson, Newsom's chief of staff and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. They discuss the history of the Mental Health Services Act, and share their personal connection to the issue and their response to criticisms of the reforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, talks to Marisa and Guy Marzorati about his uncle Jefferson Thomas and the Little Rock Nine, Proposition 47 and retail theft, his response to the fentanyl crisis, reparations for Black Californians, how he learned self-forgiveness and his "new journey" after a near-death experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, joins Marisa and Guy Marzorati to discuss the transgender reporting policies roiling local school districts. Thurmond also discusses the family members who helped him through childhood loss, his path to state office and education in California during the pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tax fights between business groups and the Democratic legislature intensify in Sacramento. Marisa and Guy Marzorati discuss the implications for 2024 and head to Turlock to talk with Republican Rep. John Duarte about his plant nursery business, why he split with the GOP caucus in recent votes on immigration and abortion and his thoughts on the Republican presidential primary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa and Scott discuss the latest on Gov. Gavin Newsom's push for a U.S. constitutional amendment on gun safety and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's family legal battle. Then, former State Controller Betty Yee joins to discuss working at her parents' laundry business, the desegregation busing debate that sparked her political involvement, working as a budget advisor for Gov. Gray Davis, her vision for California's fiscal future, and why she's launching a run for governor in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

City employees hit the picket lines in Los Angeles while government workers in San Jose plan to strike next week. Scott and Guy Marzorati discuss the politics of labor unrest at city halls and a new survey on voter participation in California. Then, state Assemblyman Evan Low joins to discuss barriers to civic participation, his groundbreaking rise in elected office, whether California should sunset its state-sponsored travel ban to states with anti-LGBTQ laws and his effort to remove Proposition 8 from the state constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Donald Trump faces his third criminal indictment, Scott and Guy Marzorati discuss changes to the state's Republican primary that could benefit the former president, with Los Angeles Times political writer Seema Mehta. Then, as mayors around the state push to clear homeless encampments, Scott and Guy share what voters in a recent San Jose focus group had to say about the issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices