Political Breakdown

Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna has emerged as a leading voice in the Democratic party. Khanna was elected to Congress in 2016 and his district covers parts of Silicon Valley including the headquarters for companies like Elon Musk's Tesla factory. Khanna has emerged as a different kind of Democrat: an economic populist who criticizes his party for losing touch with its core principles while o...

Former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter is running for governor in 2026. The populist consumer advocate and law professor made a name for herself in Congress, grilling CEOs with her famous "Whiteboard of Justice." However, Porter lost last year's U.S. Senate race. Porter joins Marisa and Scott to share her pitch for governor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has threatened longtime allies north and south of the border and thrown into question trans-Atlantic relations with Europe. This is the fraught diplomatic environment that the United Kingdom’s new ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson has just stepped into. Scott and Marisa are joined by Ambassador Mandelson to discuss the U.K.’s emerging role in Europe and dealing wit...

A much anticipated entry into the 2026 governor’s race is making waves in California. Feisty Orange County Democrat and former congress member Katie Porter jumped into an already-crowded field this week, shaking up a race where President Trump looms large. And there’s a big unknown out there … will Kamala Harris also decide to run? Scott and Marisa talk it through with Politico senior politics rep...

San José Mayor Matt Mahan has made an aggressive push to tackle homelessness in his city, including a new proposal to let police arrest people who repeatedly refuse offers of housing. Scott and Marisa sit down with the Mayor to dig into his new plan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the closest House races in recent elections have been in the Central Valley. Many of those congressional districts are truly purple – including the one near Bakersfield where incumbent Republican David Valadao held on to win reelection in November. Scott and Marisa are joined by Valadao’s former chief of staff Tal Eslick, now a consultant in the Central Valley. Learn more about your ad cho...

A new podcast by Gov. Gavin Newsom made national headlines this week when Newsom, a longtime supporter of LGBTQ rights, told his guest, right wing talk show host and social media influencer Charlie Kirk, that he thinks it’s unfair for transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports. Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze the comment, the fallout and what it says about the Democratic party’s thoughts o...

During his campaign for president last year, Donald Trump consistently disavowed Project 2025, the right wing blueprint to remake the U.S. government. But since taking office, he’s been aggressively implementing many tenets of the controversial plan. Scott and Marisa discuss Trump's embracing of the plan and what it means for democracy with Ben Raderstorf, policy advocate at the nonpartisan organi...

KQED's newest podcast, Close All Tabs, is out now! Tech journalist Morgan Sung spends most of her day online—so you don’t have to. Each week, Morgan tackles a new topic that might seem niche on the surface but is destined to impact our lives—both online and off. She pulls from experts, creators, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browse...

Emergency shelters are often the first stop for unhoused people living on the streets. But a new investigation by CalMatters found shelters are unsafe and unsuccessful at getting residents into permanent housing. Their comprehensive review of shelter performance found a system often mired in chaos and scandals. Lead reporter Lauren Hepler joins Scott and Marisa to talk about what they found. Learn...

Voters in Oakland will face a big decision in April. A special election will determine who will be the city’s mayor following the recall of Sheng Thao last year. The candidates include former Congressmember Barbara Lee and former City Councilmember Loren Taylor, who almost beat Sheng Thao three years ago. They participated alongside several other candidates in a forum Wednesday night. Scott, Maris...

On the eve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House, Marisa and Scott check in on how a shift in U.S. policy is impacting the Ukraine-Russia War as well as Europe and America's allies more broadly. They're joined by Eric Bazail-Eimil, a national security reporter and co-author of Politico's "National Security Daily" newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Democrats have been struggling to respond to President Trump and Elon Musk’s rampage through the federal government. But California Representative Robert Garcia has become a leading critic of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and an example of one strategy to push back. Scott talks to Garcia about his approach.  Then, Scott is joined by Vox senior politics reporter Christian Paz to discus...

As the Trump Administration continues to slash federal funding, one of San Francisco’s crown jewels is in the crosshairs. Decades ago, the Presidio National Park was converted from an Army base to public open space, housing, restaurants and non-profit organizations. Scott and Marisa discuss why Trump is trying to dissolve the Presidio Trust, which oversees the park. Then, they're joined by Guy to...

One month into the new Trump administration, research funds have been frozen, data has been taken down and scientific discourse censored. Now, with vaccine skeptics in positions of incredible power, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the future of scientific research and healthcare access appears uncertain. Marisa and Scott discuss the state of American science wi...

House Republicans have laid out a blueprint for the first federal budget under President Trump’s second administration. It calls for massive tax cuts, lifting the debt ceiling and deep cuts to programs like Medicaid. Scott and Marisa talk with New York Times congressional correspondent Catie Edmondson about the politics of cutting programs for low-income Americans to pay for tax cuts for the riche...

As Kamala Harris considers her political future, including a possible run for governor of California, allies of President Trump are also weighing a bid for the Golden State's top job. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the campaign from Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and possibly Trump's national security envoy Richard Grenell.  Plus, are we seeing an inflection point on the Bay Area's response t...

As Kamala Harris considers her political future, including a possible run for governor of California, allies of President Trump are also weighing a bid for the Golden State's top job. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the campaign from Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and possibly Trump's national security envoy Richard Grenell.  Plus, are we seeing an inflection point on the Bay Area's response t...

President Donald Trump’s moves to consolidate power have some observers comparing the U.S. to Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has enacted an authoritarian playbook. Marisa and Scott talk with Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp, who's covered Orbán's rise. Later, they're joined by California's Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, who was the U.S. ambassador to Hungary when Orbán re...

The Federal Communications Commission, led by President Trump's appointee Brendan Carr, is investigating San Francisco radio station KCBS for its coverage of a recent immigration enforcement action in San Jose. Plus, Carr is calling for an investigation into NPR and PBS for allegedly airing commercials and suggested the public broadcasters could be stripped of their federal funding. Scott and Mari...

After years of attacking President Donald Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom heads to Washington D.C. with compliments, gratitude and a request for Los Angeles wildfire recovery money. Plus, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he won't run for governor, saying he's got his hands full taking on Trump. Scott and Marisa talk with Dustin Gardiner, co-author of Politico's California Playbook.  Learn more ab...

Since President Trump’s inauguration, Elon Musk has moved at breakneck speed to seize power, cut government spending and install loyalists in government. Journalist Zoë Schiffer wrote a book on Musk's track record transforming Twitter, Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter, and says he's following a similar playbook on the federal government.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Within the United States, San Francisco-based OpenAI, which released ChatGPT in 2022, is at the leading edge of AI technology. Until very recently the U.S. was seen as the clear global leader in artificial intelligence. But last week's release of a low cost, high performance AI model called DeepSeek by a Chinese startup sent the U.S. stock market reeling. Scott talks with OpenAI's Chief Global Aff...

Governor Gavin Newsom had called on the state legislature to add millions of dollars to the state budget for lawsuits against President Trump. But this week, that plan hit a snag in Sacramento. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss why Assembly Democrats decided to delay votes on this funding.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump made demonizing transgender people a core tenet of his political pitch, and his administration has wasted no time enacting a series of executive actions to strip trans people of their rights. Marisa and Scott talk to Imani Rupert-Gordon, the president of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, about how advocates are fighting back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...