Political Breakdown

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NYU’s Melissa Murray Dissects Trump’s Trial and Presidential Immunity Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

The first criminal trial against Donald Trump got underway in New York Monday– a case where prosecutors say Trump engaged in a conspiracy to cover up a sex scandal with adult film star Stormy Daniels in order to get elected president in 2016.

The former president is facing dozens of felony charges and the possibility of prison time. The trial comes days before the U.S. Supreme Court considers the limits of presidential immunity as Trump also faces federal charges over his involvement in the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol and charges in another case over his handling of national security documents at his home in Florida.

Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University and co-author of The Trump Indictments joins Scott to explain what’s at stake and what’s ahead for the Republican presidential nominee.

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Newsom Promises to Get Tough With Local Homeless Programs Apr 20, 2024

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After a state audit slammed California for not carefully tracking outcomes of public money spent on homelessness programs, Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week, “I’m not interested in funding failure any longer,” and promised to hold local governments accountable.

And on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a major case that could change how West Coast cities police homelessness.

Political journalist Nikki Laurenzo joins Political Breakdown to discuss these and more developments in California's approach to homelessness.

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Meet the O.C. State Senator Guiding California’s AI Regulations Apr 19, 2024

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State Senator Tom Umberg from Orange County is a retired Army colonel, a former federal prosecutor and he once served as a deputy drug czar under President Bill Clinton. He’s known for his pragmatism, his ability to reach across the aisle and now, in his position of senate judiciary committee chair, as a gatekeeper of artificial intelligence regulations being proposed in Sacramento.

Sen. Umberg joins Marisa and Scott to talk about those regulations, the state's drug crisis and political sea change in Orange County.

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Ready or Not, Autonomous Vehicles Are Here. Lawmakers Try To Keep Up Apr 18, 2024

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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.

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Veteran Organizer of Women Voters on How Abortion Is Scrambling the 2024 Election Apr 17, 2024

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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.

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How Trump, Election Deniers and Barriers to Voting Threaten Our Democracy Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

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.

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At 90, Willie Brown Reflects on His Rise to Top of California Politics Apr 13, 2024

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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.

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Inside or Out of Government, Jessica Bartholow is an Advocate for Economic Equity Apr 12, 2024

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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.

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What’s Behind The Rightward Shift of Voters of Color? Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

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.

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Meet the 19-year-old From Silicon Valley Leading the Youth-Led Charge on AI Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

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.

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