Political Breakdown

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Representative Adam Schiff called on President Joe Biden to step down from the presidential ticket, helping Vice President Kamala Harris ascend to where she is today – as the likely Democratic nominee for president. Scott talks with Rep. Schiff about his decision to make that call, how Trump's pick of J.D. Vance came at the perfect time for Democrats and his plan to reshape the U.S. Supreme Court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Vice President Kamala Harris quickly consolidated support in the Democratic Party for her campaign for president, and Republicans are already using her record as a prosecutor here in California against her. Scott, Marisa and Guy chew over this blockbuster week of news including the launch of Governor Newsom's podcast "Politickin'" with Super Bowl champion Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch and agent Doug Hendrickson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Kamala IS brat.” The tweet from British pop singer Charli XCX set the internet on fire. Marisa and Scott talk to Guardian features writer Alaina Demopoulos about the memeification of Vice President Kamala Harris and whether any of it translates into donations or votes in the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this month, President Biden said in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, "I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race." And then, Nancy Pelosi stepped in. The former House speaker played a big role in convincing the president to drop out of the presidential race – but why does Pelosi still have so much clout? Marisa talks with the SF Chronicle's Washington correspondent Shira Stein about Pelosi's hand in the 2024 presidential race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lateefah Simon worked for Vice President Kamala Harris two decades ago in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, and she's remained friends with Harris ever since. Simon, who serves on the BART board of directors and is running for U.S. Congress in Oakland, joins Marisa to talk about how the vice president's Bay Area roots have shaped her career and life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that President Joe Biden has ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as nominee, all eyes are on the Bay Area native and former state and local prosecutor. Marisa is joined by NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram to talk about Harris' reputation in D.C., where her policy views diverge from Biden's and her pitch to voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden announced he's dropping out of the 2024 election and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. It's a move that wholly upends this presidential race, which until now has been a contest between the two oldest nominees ever. This is all happening with just weeks left before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and just 107 days before election day. On this special edition episode of Political Breakdown, Marisa, Scott and Guy discuss reactions to this news, whether Democrats will coalesce behind Harris, who she might pick as a running mate and what to expect next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED's Political Breakdown team has been in Milwaukee all week for the Republican National Convention. Now that former President Donald Trump has accepted his party's nomination and the balloons have dropped, Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze his 93-minute speech and share their takeaways on the week, including the Democrats' turmoil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the final day of the Republican National Convention, where former President Donald Trump will accept his party’s nomination. The Political Breakdown team has been in Milwaukee for the RNC all week, talking with delegates, candidates, party leaders and elected officials. Today, Marisa, Scott and Guy share some of the interesting conversations they've had and their takeaways from an extraordinary week for both Republicans and Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa talk about the news of the day, including Rep. Adam Schiff joining a chorus of Democrats calling on President Joe Biden to drop his bid for reelection. Later, they're joined by Republican Congressman Vince Fong, who won the election to finish the rest of Kevin McCarthy's term in Washington, about his new job, gun control, California's toss-up House races and Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Political Breakdown team is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on day two of the Republican National Convention. Today, Scott and Marisa talk with the Chairperson of the California Republican Party Jessica Patterson after the delegation’s breakfast gathering, where Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin and Donald Trump’s son Eric both gave speeches. Then, Scott is joined by Milwaukee's Democratic Mayor Cavalier Johnson to talk about the RNC's impact on the city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 results and how to tone down political rhetoric to find common ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the week before they hold their nominating convention in Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 several policy areas in the coming days, including democracy, climate, economy, foreign policy and immigration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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/adchoices

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 the podcast "Passing Judgment." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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/adchoices

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

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

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 and fragile gay rights movement are documented in this season of Slate’s podcast "Slow Burn: Gays Against Briggs." Scott is joined by Slow Burn host Christina Cauterucci. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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 reporter for The Sacramento Bee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 candidates, you can send us an email: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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 about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 border issues might play out in the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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

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

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

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

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

Donald Trump’s legal fate is now in the hands of a jury in Manhattan, where the former president is facing 34 felony counts related to hush money payments made to former porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Scott is joined by legal scholar and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman to break down what he heard and saw in the courtroom these past weeks. Check out Litman's podcast Talking Feds, which analyzes cases before the federal courts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Governor Gavin Newsom calls Jason Elliott his "Swiss Army knife.” Elliott is Newsom's longest serving aide, and he's had his fingers in just about every major issue, from homelessness and housing to COVID, mental health care and regulating AI. As Elliott prepares to leave the administration, he joins Scott and Marisa to reflect on those many years of service in government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott, Marisa and Guy get into their Friday roundup of politics stories from the week, including a hearing Thursday in the House subcommittee looking into anti-semitism on college campuses. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block skated by without any tough questions about the violence that broke out when pro-Palestinian students were attacked by counterprotesters. Plus, a Silicon Valley billionaire will host a big ticket fundraiser for Donald Trump in San Francisco next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Assemblymember Laura Friedman is all but guaranteed a seat in Congress next year, after she beat out a very crowded field in Representative Adam Schiff’s LA district and landed a spot in the November runoff. She joins Scott and Marisa to talk about her career in politics, which she entered in her 40s after a career in film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic pollster Ben Tulchin helped guide the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020. Now he’s sounding the alarm about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent race for president and his concern that Kennedy could pull support — especially among young and Latino voters – from President Joe Biden. Scott and Marisa chat with Ben Tulchin about the Kennedy candidacy and what his own battleground polls tell him about the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The State Supreme Court today heard a case that could have a profound impact on app-based companies like Uber and Lyft as well as on their drivers. Proposition 22, which was passed by voters four years ago, allowed gig companies to reclassify workers as self-employed contractors, rather than employees. Now the state Supreme Court will decide whether to uphold the law, strike it down or strip out part and leave the rest intact. Scott and Marisa are joined by Brandon Stracener, an attorney in private practice and a senior research fellow at the California Constitution Center at Berkeley Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Republican Party wrapped up its state convention in Burlingame on Sunday. It was a low-key gathering that focused on winning congressional and state legislative seats that are in play while also trying to undo the impact of Donald Trump’s message that voting by mail can’t be trusted. State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones spoke with Scott and Marisa on Friday about his party’s struggle for statewide relevance, the loss of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Republican Party is holding a statewide convention this weekend in Burlingame. Scott, Marisa and Guy are at the convention talking with delegates, elected leaders and party officials about the fall election and their strategy for holding onto congressional seats in purple districts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco voters will choose their next mayor this November, and we are going to bring you interviews with all of the top candidates. Today, Marisa and Scott are kicking things off with District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. Safaí, an Iranian immigrant with a master's in city planning, was elected to represent portions of the Excelsior, Outer Mission and OMI neighborhoods in 2016. We want to hear your questions! If you have a burning question that you want us to ask the mayoral candidates, you can send us an email: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices