Political Breakdown

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LIVE from California Democratic Party Convention Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

The California Democratic Party Convention kicks off today at San Francisco's Moscone Center, where the many candidates running in races from governor and U.S. Congress to the California Assembly are hoping to win the party's coveted endorsement. Tensions within the party are surfacing over whether to label Israel’s attacks on Gaza as genocide and over a proposed one-time tax on the state’s billionaires.

Scott and Guy are at the convention center to examine what this weekend might signal about Democrats’ strategy heading into the November midterms.

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California’s First Millennial Lawmaker Ian Calderon Makes His Case for Governor Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Former Los Angeles Assemblyman Ian Calderon made history in 2012, becoming the first millennial elected to the California State Assembly at age 27. He stepped away from politics in 2020 to focus on his growing family, and now at age 40 he is running for governor.

He joins Marisa to frame his pitch to voters, casting himself as part of a new generation of leadership and calling for increased funding for education, expanded access to child care and greater government accountability. He also expressed support for cryptocurrency, suggesting the state invest in it as a way to help manage budget shortfalls.

This interview is part of a series of conversations with the 2026 gubernatorial candidates for California. The primary election is June 2.

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Inside California’s CARE Court: A Mother’s Fight to Get Her Son Into Treatment Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

When Gov. Gavin Newsom launched CARE Court two years ago, it was envisioned as a new solution to get homeless people with severe mental illness off the streets and into treatment. Newsom’s administration predicted the program could serve 7,000 to 12,000 Californians, but it has failed to meet those projections. Scott and Marisa speak with The San Francisco Chronicle’s politics reporter Sophia Bollag, who recently wrote about a mother’s urgent effort to secure a CARE Court treatment plan for her son.

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How the Historic SF Teachers Strike Ended Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

After four days on the picket line, the San Francisco teachers union reached an agreement with the city’s school district. The union received much of their demands, including fully employer-paid family health care benefits and wage increases. Scott, Guy and KQED digital reporter Katie DeBenedetti discuss what led to the strike and agreement, what role Mayor Daniel Lurie played and how the district will afford these demands while projecting a $100 million deficit.

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The Fiscal Candidate: Betty Yee’s Pitch for Governor Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Former State Controller Betty Yee is running for governor on a platform of competent and accountable leadership. She joins Marisa to discuss why she believes she’s the best candidate to fix California’s major fiscal challenges, having managed the state’s finances and tax system as controller and a member of the Board of Equalization. Yee shares her plan to implement spending cuts and grow the economy but said she opposes a proposed tax on California billionaires.

She also tells Marisa about her upbringing in San Francisco as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, working at her parents’ laundry and dry cleaning business, where she helped manage the books from an early age.

This interview is part of a series of conversations with the 2026 gubernatorial candidates for California. The primary election is June 2.

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Pro-Trump Social Media Influencers Emerge as Washington’s New Lobbyists Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

For decades, paid lobbyists have worked to sway politicians into voting their way on legislation. But now young, conservative social media creators are exerting their own influence, largely without regulation or oversight. Scott and Marisa are joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Maggie Severns to discuss how corporate and foreign interests are paying pro-Trump social media influencers to promote their political causes.

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As Super Bowl Nears, ICE Anxiety in the Bay Feb 07, 2026

Show notes

As tens of thousands of visitors arrive in the Bay Area for the Super Bowl, some of the excitement is being tempered by concerns over immigration enforcement, despite federal officials and the National Football League insisting there are no planned operations.

Marisa and Guy are joined by The New York Times reporter Sheera Frenkel to examine the role the Department of Homeland Security will play during the event and how local leaders and businesses are preparing.

Then, they turn to the California governor's race, breaking down the latest developments including the first televised debate and newly released campaign finance reports.

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Steve Hilton Wants to End California’s One-Party Rule in Bid for Governor Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host who previously served as a political advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron, sat down with Marisa and Scott to discuss his vision for California if elected governor. Hilton argues the state has been broken by one-party Democratic rule and is attempting to become the first Republican to win statewide office in 20 years.

The conversation covers his upbringing in the U.K. as the son of Hungarian immigrants, his business and political background and how he would approach key gubernatorial challenges, from balancing the budget, reforming the education system, addressing housing and homelessness and improving the state's current adversarial relationship with the Trump administration.

This interview is part of a series of conversations with the 2026 gubernatorial candidates for California. The primary election is June 2.

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Trump and Newsom Align on Wall Street Home Buying Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

In a rare moment of political alignment, President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom are both calling for restrictions on large institutional investors buying single-family homes, arguing they drive up housing prices and put individual homebuyers at a severe disadvantage.

As the shortage of affordable housing pushes the American Dream further out of reach, Scott and Marisa are joined by The New York Times Magazine contributing writer Francesca Mari to take a closer look at the role Wall Street investors play in rising housing costs and how much power state and federal governments actually have to reign them in.

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Can a Centrist Democrat Win the Governor's Race? Jan 31, 2026

Show notes

With more than half a dozen Democrats already running for governor, San José Mayor Matt Mahan added his name to the field this week. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss whether the centrist Silicon Valley Democrat and outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom's social media tactics can break through an already competitive race. They also dig into an effort in Sacramento to make it easier for residents to sue U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who use excessive force.

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