Political Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

Garvey’s Huge Tax Bill, Newsom Calls for a Ceasefire and RFK Jr’s Running Mate Mar 23, 2024

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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.

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Prop. 1’s Razor Margin, Plus Ro Khanna on TikTok, Gaza and Biden Mar 22, 2024

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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.

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Oppo Research: Digging Up Dirt on Your Political Opponents Mar 21, 2024

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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.

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The Unpredictable Politics of Banning TikTok Mar 20, 2024

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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.

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Oregon Decriminalized Drug Possession. Now It’s Reversing Course Mar 19, 2024

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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.

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SF Voters Give Police More Power – How Will That Affect Public Safety? Mar 16, 2024

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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.

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How Assembly Speaker Rivas’ Rural Farmworker Background Affects His Leadership Style Mar 15, 2024

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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.

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Trump Mocks Biden’s Stutter, Prompting Advocates Into Action Mar 14, 2024

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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.

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Why Women Are Making Big Gains in the State Legislature Mar 13, 2024

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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.

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Is “Panera-Gate” a Real Scandal Or Politics As Usual? Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

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.

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