Political Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

How Immigrant Communities are Bracing for ICE Expansion Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

President Trump's massive domestic policy bill allocates an unprecedented amount of money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's budget, significantly expanding their ability to carry out Trump's aggressive deportation agenda.

Already, weeks of intensified raids by federal immigration agents have generated fear and panic among many immigrant communities in California. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Rachel Uranga to discuss the legal status of the raids and their impact on workers, their families and their employers.

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

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

Derek Tran: First Vietnamese American to Represent Little Saigon in D.C. Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

In November, Orange County Congressman Derek Tran became the first Vietnamese American to represent Little Saigon in Washington, D.C. Tran barely defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel, helping Democrats flip three California House seats from red to blue. We revisit a conversation from May, when Scott and Marisa talked with Tran about representing a very purple district and his father’s harrowing story as a refugee after the Vietnam War.

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

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

How To Win Over The Working Class Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

In the last election, voters with college degrees leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. But most voters without a degree backed President Trump. It’s not just about policy. It’s about pride, identity, and who feels like they’re on your side.

Republicans are speaking directly to working-class values like hard work, tradition, and loyalty, even while passing bills that slash healthcare and education.

Meanwhile, Democrats often sound like they’re talking down to people, using terms like “Latinx” or “climate denier” that might seem progressive, but to a lot of voters feels like a lecture. So how can Democrats reconnect and actually earn back trust?

KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Joan Williams, the author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back. She’s also Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Law San Francisco.

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Plus, take the Class Bubble Quiz.

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

How Healthcare Cuts In Trump's Megabill Will Hurt Californians Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

President Trump’s megabill is now law and it’s sending shockwaves through California’s healthcare system. The legislation makes major cuts to Medicaid, known here as Medi-Cal, which covers about one in three Californians.

Supporters say the bill reins in government spending. But critics warn it could shutter hospitals and force the state into painful budget choices. KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Angela Hart, senior correspondent for KFF Health News, to dig into what's at stake.

Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

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

Will Rolling Back California’s Landmark Environmental Law Jumpstart Housing Construction? Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Today marks the start of a new fiscal year in California, and the budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom is going into effect now that the legislature met his demands for a major overhaul of California’s landmark environmental bill. Newsom and others have long seen the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, as a major impediment to building housing. Scott and Marisa are joined by Dustin Gardiner, the co-author of Politico's California Playbook, to analyze the potential impact and political fallout of changes to CEQA.

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

What's In California's Budget Deal? Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

It’s crunch time in the state Capitol, with a new fiscal year starting Tuesday. However, the legislature blew past its legally mandated June 15th deadline to approve a spending plan and is continuing to negotiate with Governor Gavin Newsom until the last minute. Marisa and Guy are joined by KCRA 3's California Capitol Correspondent Ashley Zavala to discuss what is in the budget and what's still being hashed out.

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

How Trump's Policies Could Impact Your Summer National Park Plans Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

It's officially summer, which for many Americans means camping and hiking in national parks. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, there's been a lot of upheaval in and around our federal open spaces, from budget cuts to proposals to sell off public lands. Marisa is joined by the San Francisco Chronicle's enterprise reporter Kurtis Alexander to discuss how all this will affect California's parks and monuments.

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

Trump Pushes an Israel-Iran Ceasefire Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Over the weekend, the United States entered the conflict between Israel and Iran, dropping never-before-used bunker-buster bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran. President Donald Trump is now trying to hold both sides to a ceasefire, but his own objectives in ordering American involvement seem unclear. Marisa is joined by Politico senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi to unpack why Trump chose to get involved and what could be ahead for the region and the U.S.

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

ICE Raids, Deportations Could Cripple California’s Economy Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

As immigration raids across the state disrupt workplaces and families, a new report describes the negative impact the federal raids and mass deportations could have on California’s economy.

Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the report, plus the fallout from this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling to uphold a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming medical care for minors.

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

Fear and Panic as Immigration Raids Accelerate Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

President Donald Trump yesterday reversed his brief order instructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to stop raids on farms, hotels and restaurants.

As federal immigration agents are told to increase the number of daily deportations, raids are stoking fear across California in workplaces, immigration courts, community flea markets and even churches. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Andrea Castillo to describe what's happening in these communities.

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