Political Breakdown

Despite bumps in the road, literally and politically, driverless cars and trucks continue expanding their reach even as critics – including organized labor, regulators and some local governments – say “not so fast.” KQED Transportation Editor Dan Brekke to joins Political Breakdown to talk about several bills being heard in Sacramento that aim to regulating the autonomous vehicle industry. That plus this week’s protester shutdown of Bay Area bridges and the impact on commuters and the overall make-or-break moment facing public transit in this post-pandemic moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, leaving abortion access up to the states, extreme legal decisions and abortion restrictions from Florida to Arizona have mobilized women and supporters of abortion access. Heidi Sieck, co-founder of #VOTEPROCHOICE, joins Scott and Marisa to discuss the changed political landscape and how it's impacting the 2024 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the U.S. Supreme Court decimated much of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, casting a ballot has become harder, not easier, in many states. Limits on how and where to vote, gerrymandered voting districts that diminish the power of voters of color, challenges to vote-by-mail laws and former President Donald Trump's lies that legitimate election results were not valid all contribute to the problem. Richard Hasen is a professor of Law and Political Science at UCLA Law School, where he directs the Safeguarding Democracy Project. His new book titled, "A Real Right to Vote" suggests the only way to really address these barriers to voting is an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The name Willie Brown is synonymous with power politics in California. He became the first Black Speaker of the State Assembly in 1980 and held the job for a record 14 years, often with help from Republicans. After term limits forced him to leave the legislature, he ran for mayor of San Francisco, serving 8 years in that job. Scott and Marisa sit down with Brown in his San Francisco office to discuss his path from segregated Mineola, Texas to the height of power in California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Bartholow has worked behind the scenes at the state capitol for years. She’s known for her fierce anti-poverty advocacy and budget expertise, as a lobbyist and more recently as Chief of Staff to East Bay State Senator Nancy Skinner. Bartholow now works for SEIU, the state's largest and most powerful union. She joins Scott and Guy to talk about the revolving roles she's played inside and outside of state government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are voters of color shifting toward Republicans, including Donald Trump? Black, Latino and Asian American voters have long been solid Democratic Party voters, but polls and voting trends show that is changing. Scott talks about why and how the trend might affect the 2024 elections with Brakkton Booker, a national political correspondent for POLITICO where he covers the intersection of race, politics, culture and power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sneha Revanur is quickly establishing herself as the leading Gen Z voice on generative AI. In 2020, at the age of 15, the San José native founded Encode Justice, a youth-led group pushing policymakers and AI companies to put people at the center of the AI revolution. Plus, a package of bills introduced Tuesday in Sacramento aims to target large scale retail theft operations. KQED's Guy Marzorati joins to explain the bills, how they would change theft prosecutions and how they fit within the context of California's Proposition 47. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco has long been a beacon for liberal politics and social causes. But lately a steady diet of viral videos of car break-ins and smash-and-grabs have put the city on something of a mid-course correction. Plus, the recalls of progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin and three members of the San Francisco school board, and the recent passage of measures bolstering police powers and requiring drug screenings, have added to the sense that something is shifting in San Francisco. Scott is joined by New York Times San Francisco Bureau Chief Heather Knight, who recently penned a profile of Garry Tan, the controversial leader of a well-known venture capital firm in the Bay Area, and Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle, who’s been reporting on an attempt to move the Republican Party in San Francisco toward more moderate positions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The race for mayor of San Francisco gets a new heavyweight contender as Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin throws his hat into the ring. Peskin is the most prominent progressive challenging incumbent Mayor London Breed. Scott and Marisa are joined by KQED politics reporter Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez to talk about the San Francisco mayor's race. Plus, in the race to replace retiring Congresswoman Anna Eshoo in Silicon Valley, Assemblyman Evan Low and County Supervisor Joe Simitian tied for second place, deadlocking at 30,249 votes each in the March primary. That means three Democrats will compete in a general election for Congress, in what's believed to be a first in California history. Guy Marzorati joins Scott and Marisa to talk about the unpredictable path to November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer travel season is approaching, but after months of headlines about safety issues on airplanes, some travelers may be questioning whether air travel is the best bet. Marisa and Scott are joined by East Bay Congressman Mark DeSaulnier who has some thoughts on the matter after years of digging into aviation safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday, Gov. Gavin Newsom surveyed the Sierra snowpack and outlined a new state water plan focused on climate change. Scott and KQED climate reporter Ezra David Romero are joined by California's former top water regulator Felicia Marcus. As the state’s top water czar, she navigated severe droughts, balancing demands for scare water by cities, farms, businesses and homeowners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After two years of work examining the legacy of slavery and racism, the California Legislative Black Caucus is prioritizing 14 bills aimed at addressing past wrongs. The bills range from ending involuntary servitude in prison to banning discrimination based on hair styles and a formal apology for the damage done by California’s role in supporting slavery before the Civil War. But one thing that's not on the agenda is cash payments for California residents who are descendants of slaves. Scott is joined by KQED's Guy Marzorati and Annelise Finney to talk about the importance of these bills as hearings get underway. Check out KQED's bill tracker following the progress of those 14 reparations bills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fewer people are being held in county jails across California than a decade ago, and yet record numbers of incarcerated people are dying while in custody. Among the leading causes of death are drug overdoses and suicide. Scott talks with CalMatters reporter Nigel Duara, who spent the last nine months looking at the roots of these increased deaths in county jails and what's being done to address it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As California grapples with how to reduce homelessness, Marisa and Guy sit down with Governor Gavin Newsom’s top housing official. Tomiquia Moss spent her career trying to chip away at the state's homelessness crisis, starting as a social worker in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood to now, as the Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court took up abortion access this week for the first time since overturning Roe v. Wade two years ago. This time, they're considering whether to restrict access to abortion pill mifepristone. Marisa talks with POLITICO health care reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein about what the conservative-led court might do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his running mate in Oakland today: Silicon Valley lawyer Nicole Shanahan. Guy and Marisa talk about what the Oakland native brings to a presidential ticket that's adding a wild card to the 2024 race for the White House. Plus, can California Democrats find a way to transition to clean energy while promoting equity and affordability? Guy talks with New York Times reporter Ivan Penn about the political question lurking beneath the skyrocketing energy bills facing Californians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can young Californians prepare for today’s turbulent economy? Supporters of personal finance education say a mandatory class in pocketbook economics is the answer. Guy Marzorati talks with Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance, who's pushing to place a personal finance measure on the November ballot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey owes at least $350,000 in back taxes. Plus, Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for a ceasefire and former Mayor of San Francisco Willie L. Brown Jr. celebrates his 90th birthday. Scott, Marisa and Guy talk about all that and other top political stories from the week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than two weeks after the primary election, Gov. Gavin Newsom's ballot measure to build housing and mental health treatment beds for Californians experiencing homelessness was narrowly approved by voters. Marisa, Scott and Guy talk about why it was such a close margin. Plus, Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna is a progressive stalwart who’s not afraid to take on his own party, but he’s all in on President Biden’s reelection. Marisa and Scott talk with Khanna about the 2024 election, the crisis in Gaza and why he voted against the TikTok ban. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the negative attack ads on candidates that we see on TV and social media is what’s known as opposition research — basically, digging up dirt on your opponent. Scott talks to campaign consultant Eric Jaye about how opposition research has changed in recent years and whether it still matters to voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After House lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation to force China to sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S., the Senate seems to be putting the bill on a slower track. What would a ban mean for the economy and how could it affect tech companies in Silicon Valley? Scott is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Stu Woo to talk about the coming legal battle between national security interests and First Amendment rights for users of TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2020, Oregon voters passed a first-in-the-nation law to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. The idea behind Measure 110 was that the criminal justice system was not the place to steer people away from drugs and deal with a user's addiction. But now, Measure 110 is widely blamed for the spike in overdose deaths in Oregon and a worsening homeless crisis. Earlier this month, the legislature sent a bill to the governor to recriminalize drug possession. Scott is joined by Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Conrad Wilson to talk about Oregon's U-turn on decriminalizing drugs and what it might say about California's efforts to fight fentanyl use and overdose deaths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The March primary signaled a shift toward the middle of the political spectrum, as San Francisco voters approved Mayor London Breed’s measures to empower the SF police and screen public assistance recipients for drugs. Scott is joined by Marisa and KQED's Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez to talk about what this means for public safety and the San Francisco mayor's race, where Breed faces a growing field of challengers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is coming up on one year as leader of the lower house. Rivas joins Marisa and Scott to talk about what he's learned and his priorities as the state faces a budget deficit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden has been open about dealing with a stutter that sometimes trips him up during public speaking. But when former President Donald Trump mocked Biden’s stutter at a rally in Georgia this week, a San Francisco-based stuttering advocate launched a public relations campaign urging people with stutters to come forward Marisa and Scott are joined by Maya Chupkov, a stuttering activist and host of the podcast Proud Stutter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2024 has been a very mixed year for women in state politics. California is poised to have two male U.S. Senators for the first time since 1992, and men are replacing several women in the state’s congressional delegation. However, women still made gains in Sacramento. Scott and Marisa talk about the record numbers of women representing their districts in the California State Legislature with Susannah Delano, executive director of Close the Gap, which helps elect women to office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The process of creating laws is under new scrutiny after a political ally of Gov. Gavin Newsom – the owner of the Panera Bread chain – appeared to benefit from an exemption in a new state law taking effect next month that will raise the hourly wages of fast food workers to $20 an hour. Finding out exactly how the exemption got into the legislation was complicated after it was revealed that a major labor union required negotiators working on the bill to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Now a Republican lawmaker is trying to ban NDAs in lawmaking. Scott talks with Chris Micheli, a registered lobbyist and former general counsel for the California Manufacturers Association, about the use of NDAs in drafting state legislation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech was an energetic and blunt performance, including many direct attacks on his political rival, former President Donald Trump. Scott breaks down the speech with KQED political correspondents Marisa Lagos and Guy Marzorati. Plus, updates on Super Tuesday election results for congressional races and Governor Gavin Newsom's Proposition 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The votes are still being counted, but Tuesday's primary is shaping up to be a low-turnout election. Who voted and who stayed home? Marisa and Scott talk about turnout and the voter enthusiasm deficit with Paul Mitchell, vice president at Political Data Inc. Plus, Mitchell explains why Adam Schiff boosting Steve Garvey boosted Republicans up and down the ballot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrat Adam Schiff will face off against former baseball star Republican Steve Garvey in November, ensuring that California will soon be without a female U.S. senator for the first time in 32 years. Plus, Democrats seem to have avoided disaster in a Central Valley House district that they want to flip from red to blue. Scott and Marisa break down results from Tuesday’s primary election with San Francisco Chronicle political writer Joe Garofoli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Both President Biden and former President Trump overwhelmingly win their party’s primary in California and most other Super Tuesday states. Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey will face off against Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for California’s coveted U.S. Senate seat this November. Marisa Lagos, Scott Shafer and LAist's Austin Cross are joined by a slew of guests to analyze the Super Tuesday results so far. From our California Newsroom live special coverage of California’s primary election, which aired at 9pm PST. Read more live updates: Primary Election 2024 Live Updates: Bay Area and California Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Concerns over crime and public safety are the backdrop for a lively and very competitive race to be L.A. County’s top prosecutor. When he first ran for office four years ago, incumbent George Gascón promised to make big changes, like not seeking the death penalty, not charging juveniles as adults and getting rid of cash bail. Now he's facing an uphill battle, with 11 candidates challenging him — including three of his own deputies. Scott and Marisa are joined by LAist correspondent Frank Stoltze to talk about the dynamics of the race, the stakes for criminal justice reform and Gascón's chances for political survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, candidates for office in San Francisco have been allowed to include Chinese names to appear on bilingual ballots. But after complaints that some of those Chinese names are a little over the top, with Chinese characters symbolizing qualities like “virtue” or “power," local elections officials are cracking down. Scott talks with reporter Han Li, who has been covering this for the San Francisco Standard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days before the Super Tuesday primary, Governor Gavin Newsom joins Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer to talk about his ballot measure to build mental health treatment facilities and how he thinks the state should be handling retail theft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles Congressman Adam Schiff built his reputation in Washington as former President Trump’s chief nemesis. Now he’s hoping to parlay that role into a U.S. Senate seat. Scott and Marisa talk to Schiff about his support for Israel, his evolution from a tough-on-crime Democrat to now embracing reform and what he wants to do if elected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of the most competitive House races in the U.S. are here in California’s Central Valley, where two incumbent Republicans are locked in tight reelection races. Scott and Marisa are joined by KVPR's Joshua Yeager to analyze why the two districts are such a challenge for Democrats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cook Political Report is the gold standard in covering campaigns. Its founder Charles Cook started it in 1984 to provide unbiased, nonpartisan analysis of every House and Senate race in the nation. One of the tools Cook developed is a shorthand for analyzing those races — a rating system that ranges from solid Republican to solid Democrat to “toss-ups," which are races that could go either way. On today's Political Breakdown, Scott chats with Cook about how analyzing political campaigns has changed, and his decision to step back and have Amy Walter be the lead face of the Cook Political Report. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of the last three decades, California had two female senators – Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. But after the November election, there’s a chance we’ll have two men. Scott, Marisa and Guy are joined by Los Angeles Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes, who recently wrote about how women appear to be the reason why California's streak of female senators may be ending. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie Porter won the Orange County House seat in 2018, flipping a Republican district blue. Now, the self-described "mini-van driving mom" is in a tight race for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Dianne Feinstein. Marisa and Scott chat with Congresswoman Porter about her Iowa roots, consumer advocacy and the key differences between herself and fellow Democrats Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter is in a tough race for the U.S. Senate, two Democrats vying to replace her in the House are engaged in a knockdown, drag-out race. Plus, 15 candidates are vying to replace Congressman Adam Schiff. Scott and Marisa chat with POLITICO's Melanie Mason about the most competitive congressional races in Southern California. We’ll continue covering the California congressional races over the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa Protests over the Israel-Hamas War continue dividing Democrats, with disagreement over what the Biden Administration should do. Scott and Marisa talk about what this means as President Biden visits California this week to fundraise. Then, Guy Marzorati joins Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious, to break down everything you need to know about Proposition 1. It’s the only statewide ballot measure in the March primary, and it's meant to address homelessness, drug addiction and mental illness. Bay Curious Breaks Down Prop. 1 Transcript: Proposition 1 — Behavioral Health Funding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's top stories in politics, including why labor won't take no for an answer in Sacramento and Democrats' big win in the New York special election to replace George Santos. Plus, is an intra-party primary squabble killing Democrats' chance to pick up a GOP House seat? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are billionaires taking over politics in the Golden State? Marisa and Scott sit down with longtime political insider and journalist Gil Duran to talk about the ongoing political plays by tech and finance elites in San Francisco, Solano County and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is retiring after more than 30 years representing Silicon Valley, and several well-known Democrats are vying to replace her. Scott talks to Guy Marzorati, who lives in that congressional district and has been following the race closely. We'll continue covering the most competitive congressional races in California over the next three weeks leading up to Super Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2014 criminal justice ballot measure Prop. 47 has been the subject of discussion, debate, criticism and pushback for years. Critics blame Prop. 47 for what they say is a rise in property crimes like shoplifting — but is that real, or just perception? Would changing Prop. 47 to toughen penalties reduce high profile smash and grab crimes? Or does law enforcement already have the tools to prosecute that? Marisa Lagos joins Scott Shafer to discuss what she found after months of reporting. Read more: Prop 47's Impact on California’s Criminal Justice System Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Members of California’s Legislative Black Caucus released its list of priorities following recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force. They include 14 bills aimed at addressing inequities in education, healthcare, criminal justice and business … but no mention of cash payments. KQED’s Scott Shafer and Annelise Finney discuss the process so far with LA Times columnist Erika D. Smith, who calls the recommendations “half-baked and disorganized.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Senate race is heating up with battling TV ads ahead of next week's second candidate debate. Plus, the congressional race for Katie Porter's Orange County House seat gets down and dirty with two Democrats trading allegations. Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's top political news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another day in court for former President Donald Trump — this time, the Supreme Court considers whether he can be taken off the Colorado presidential ballot. Marisa and Scott talk with Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School, about the oral arguments and other legal questions Trump is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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