Political Breakdown

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...

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 Susann...

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 majo...

President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech was an energetic and blunt performance, including many direct attacks on his political rival, former President Donald Trump. Scott breaks down the speech with KQED political correspondents Marisa Lagos and Guy Marzorati. Plus, updates on Super Tuesday election results for congressional races and Governor Gavin Newsom's Proposition 1. Learn more about...

The votes are still being counted, but Tuesday's primary is shaping up to be a low-turnout election. Who voted and who stayed home? Marisa and Scott talk about turnout and the voter enthusiasm deficit with Paul Mitchell, vice president at Political Data Inc. Plus, Mitchell explains why Adam Schiff boosting Steve Garvey boosted Republicans up and down the ballot.  Learn more about your ad choices....

Democrat Adam Schiff will face off against former baseball star Republican Steve Garvey in November, ensuring that California will soon be without a female U.S. senator for the first time in 32 years. Plus, Democrats seem to have avoided disaster in a Central Valley House district that they want to flip from red to blue. Scott and Marisa break down results from Tuesday’s primary election with San...

Both President Biden and former President Trump overwhelmingly win their party’s primary in California and most other Super Tuesday states. Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey will face off against Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for California’s coveted U.S. Senate seat this November. Marisa Lagos, Scott Shafer and LAist's Austin Cross are joined by a slew of guests to analyze the Super Tues...

Concerns over crime and public safety are the backdrop for a lively and very competitive race to be L.A. County’s top prosecutor. When he first ran for office four years ago, incumbent George Gascón promised to make big changes, like not seeking the death penalty, not charging juveniles as adults and getting rid of cash bail. Now he's facing an uphill battle, with 11 candidates challenging him — i...

For years, candidates for office in San Francisco have been allowed to include Chinese names to appear on bilingual ballots. But after complaints that some of those Chinese names are a little over the top, with Chinese characters symbolizing qualities like “virtue” or “power," local elections officials are cracking down. Scott talks with reporter Han Li, who has been covering this for the San Fran...

Days before the Super Tuesday primary, Governor Gavin Newsom joins Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer to talk about his ballot measure to build mental health treatment facilities and how he thinks the state should be handling retail theft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Los Angeles Congressman Adam Schiff built his reputation in Washington as former President Trump’s chief nemesis. Now he’s hoping to parlay that role into a U.S. Senate seat. Scott and Marisa talk to Schiff about his support for Israel, his evolution from a tough-on-crime Democrat to now embracing reform and what he wants to do if elected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

Two of the most competitive House races in the U.S. are here in California’s Central Valley, where two incumbent Republicans are locked in tight reelection races. Scott and Marisa are joined by KVPR's Joshua Yeager to analyze why the two districts are such a challenge for Democrats.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cook Political Report is the gold standard in covering campaigns. Its founder Charles Cook started it in 1984 to provide unbiased, nonpartisan analysis of every House and Senate race in the nation. One of the tools Cook developed is a shorthand for analyzing those races — a rating system that ranges from solid Republican to solid Democrat to “toss-ups," which are races that could go either way...

For most of the last three decades, California had two female senators – Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. But after the November election, there’s a chance we’ll have two men. Scott, Marisa and Guy are joined by Los Angeles Times reporter Benjamin Oreskes, who recently wrote about how women appear to be the reason why California's streak of female senators may be ending.  Learn more about your...

Katie Porter won the Orange County House seat in 2018, flipping a Republican district blue. Now, the self-described "mini-van driving mom" is in a tight race for the U.S. Senate seat once held by Dianne Feinstein. Marisa and Scott chat with Congresswoman Porter about her Iowa roots, consumer advocacy and the key differences between herself and fellow Democrats Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee.  Learn m...

While Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter is in a tough race for the U.S. Senate, two Democrats vying to replace her in the House are engaged in a knockdown, drag-out race. Plus, 15 candidates are vying to replace Congressman Adam Schiff. Scott and Marisa chat with POLITICO's Melanie Mason about the most competitive congressional races in Southern California.  We’ll continue covering the Cali...

Scott and Marisa  Protests over the Israel-Hamas War continue dividing Democrats, with disagreement over what the Biden Administration should do. Scott and Marisa talk about what this means as President Biden visits California this week to fundraise.  Then, Guy Marzorati joins Olivia Allen-Price, host of Bay Curious, to break down everything you need to know about Proposition 1. It’s the only stat...

Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's top stories in politics, including why labor won't take no for an answer in Sacramento and Democrats' big win in the New York special election to replace George Santos. Plus, is an intra-party primary squabble killing Democrats' chance to pick up a GOP House seat? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are billionaires taking over politics in the Golden State? Marisa and Scott sit down with longtime political insider and journalist Gil Duran to talk about the ongoing political plays by tech and finance elites in San Francisco, Solano County and beyond.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo is retiring after more than 30 years representing Silicon Valley, and several well-known Democrats are vying to replace her. Scott talks to Guy Marzorati, who lives in that congressional district and has been following the race closely.  We'll continue covering the most competitive congressional races in California over the next three weeks leading up to Super Tuesday.  Le...

The 2014 criminal justice ballot measure Prop. 47 has been the subject of discussion, debate, criticism and pushback for years. Critics blame Prop. 47 for what they say is a rise in property crimes like shoplifting — but is that real, or just perception? Would changing Prop. 47 to toughen penalties reduce high profile smash and grab crimes? Or does law enforcement already have the tools to prosecu...

Members of California’s Legislative Black Caucus released its list of priorities following recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force. They include 14 bills aimed at addressing inequities in education, healthcare, criminal justice and business … but no mention of cash payments.  KQED’s Scott Shafer and Annelise Finney discuss the process so far with LA Times columnist Erika D. Smith,...

The U.S. Senate race is heating up with battling TV ads ahead of next week's second candidate debate. Plus, the congressional race for Katie Porter's Orange County House seat gets down and dirty with two Democrats trading allegations. Scott, Marisa and Guy chat about the week's top political news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another day in court for former President Donald Trump — this time, the Supreme Court considers whether he can be taken off the Colorado presidential ballot. Marisa and Scott talk with Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School, about the oral arguments and other legal questions Trump is facing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed — in part due to a surprising defection from a conservative House member from California. Plus, the congressional race to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is getting nasty in Kern County, as MAGA Republicans pile onto McCarthy's anointed successor, Assemblymember Vince Fong. Scott and Marisa chat abou...