Political Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

The Sonoma Ballot Measure That Could Change the Farm Industry Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

A controversial ballot measure in Sonoma County could reshape agriculture in the region and beyond. Measure J would ban so-called “concentrated animal feeding operations" — essentially a prohibition on large farms, which proponents of the measure derisively call factory farms. It has split the historic agricultural community, pitting, as Politico put it, “people who shop at farmers markets against those who supply them." Marisa and Guy talk with The Press Democrat's Phil Barber and University of Iowa professor Silvia Secchi about how Measure J could affect farming far beyond California's borders.

Learn more about Measure J and everything else on your ballot with the KQED Voter Guide.

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

Barbara Boxer Is Retired, But Still Deeply Engaged in Politics Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

Barbara Boxer retired from the U.S. Senate in 2016, but she’s still actively engaged in politics. Part of that includes supporting the Democrat Will Rollins against incumbent Republican Rep. Ken Calvert in one of the hotly contested congressional races in California that could determine control of the House. Scott talks with Boxer from her home in Rancho Mirage about that race, the historic 2024 election, thoughts about her friend Joe Biden dropping out and what's at stake in November.

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

Can Democrats Flip Enough House Seats in California to Retake the House? Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Everyone knows that California is not a swing state when it comes to presidential races, but the state could decide which party controls Congress. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists 69 competitive House races across the country and 10 of them are in California.

Marisa, Scott and Guy analyze a new poll this week that shows incredibly tight races in six of those California congressional districts. Democrats seem to have the edge, but the survey shows all the races within the margin of error.

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

Lessons from Two Failed Attempts to Kill Donald Trump Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

The two recent assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump raised troubling questions about why the U.S. Secret Service failed. Scott and Marisa talk with The Washington Post's national investigative reporter Carol Leonnig about how the agency works, its past failures and what we've learned in the past three months. Leonnig is the author of "Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service."

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

Highlights and Takeaways From KQED’s Lively Mayoral Debate Sep 21, 2024

Show notes

The dust has settled on last night’s debate — sponsored by KQED and The San Francisco Chronicle — with the leading candidates for mayor of San Francisco. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss highlights and takeaways from the debate, where incumbent London Breed was regularly in the hot seat.

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

Panelists for the KQED/SF Chronicle Mayoral Debate Assess the State of the Race Sep 20, 2024

Show notes

KQED and The San Francisco Chronicle host a live debate with the top five candidates for mayor of San Francisco tonight at 7 p.m. Scott, Marisa and the Chronicle's Joe Garofoli preview the debate and discuss the state of the race and how it could be affected by ranked choice voting.

The debate will be available live, streaming online and broadcast on 88.5FM and KQED 9 TV

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

Pension Amnesia? Two SF Measures Would Reward Police and Firefighters Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

In the 2000s, ballooning pension costs were blowing up city and state budgets in California, leading cities like San Francisco to raise the retirement age for firefighters and abandon a program that let police collect a salary and a pension at the same time. Now, San Francisco voters will consider two ballot measures to reinstate those benefits. Marisa talks with Joe Eskenazi, the managing editor at Mission Local, about why these measures are on the ballot and what they would mean for the city budget.

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

Black Sororities and Fraternities: Kamala Harris’ Secret Weapon? Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

A national network of Black sororities and fraternities might just be Vice President Kamala Harris’ secret weapon. Known as the Divine Nine, with more than 2.5 million members nationwide, they're in high gear to help usher Harris into the presidency. Scott talks with one member: Los Angeles Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.

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

Why the Media is Still Falling Short in Covering Trump Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have doubled down on false claims that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets. Over the weekend, Vance said on CNN that he was willing "to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people." In an era of misinformation, how should the media be covering claims like these? And are political journalists doing enough to hold Trump, Vance and even Kamala Harris accountable?

Scott talks with Dan Froomkin, who founded Press Watch, an independent non-profit site devoted to political journalism. They analyze this year’s media coverage of the presidential election and what political journalists can and should do better to ensure that the electorate has an accurate sense of the candidates and the stakes in this election.

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

Ethics Questions Swirl as SF Mayor’s Race Heats Up Sep 14, 2024

Show notes

The San Francisco mayor’s race is heating up, as a scandal over the misuse of city funds lands on Mayor Breed’s desk and another candidate is hit with questions about ethics.

Plus, former President Donald Trump is collecting campaign cash in California while tying the state's problems to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Next Thursday, September 19th at 7 pm, KQED is teaming up with the San Francisco Chronicle to host a debate with the top candidates for mayor of San Francisco. It'll be available live, streaming online and broadcast on 88.5FM and KQED 9 TV.

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