Political Breakdown

Progressive California lawmaker Aisha Wahab defeated BART Board President Melissa Hernandez in the special election to serve the remainder of former East Bay Representative Eric Swalwell’s term. Wahab’s victory comes despite millions spent by pro-Israeli lobbying group AIPAC to defeat her and support her more moderate Democratic opponent, Hernandez.

Marisa and Guy sit down with San Francisco Chronicle senior politics writer Joe Garofoli to talk about why this race got so much attention from AIPAC and what will happen when the two candidates face off again in November.

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American sports have always been political. But it seems like now more than ever, the WNBA has become a hyperfixation for the right wing. Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark have emerged as avatars for Conservatives, while the White House seems intent on stoking the flames of the culture wars that have erupted over race, gender and sexual orientation.

Marisa sits down with Howard Bryant, sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, to talk about the latest dustups, who’s to blame and whether it’s on the athletes to push back. 

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This November, California voters will consider Proposition 43 — a measure aimed at making it harder for cities and counties to raise local taxes. It’s sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. That’s the anti-tax group that brought California Proposition 13 in 1978, a landmark ballot measure limiting property tax increases.

Marisa sits down with the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Jon Coupal. They discuss Prop. 43 and California’s broader tax system. 

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New Berkeley IGS polling came out this week that sheds light on how Californians are thinking about November’s big ticket ballot items — including the controversial billionaire tax. Marisa is joined by Melanie Mason, California Bureau Chief and co-author of Politico’s California Playbook. They talk about the latest polling, plus Xavier Becerra’s lead over Steve Hilton in the governor’s race.
Then, they discuss the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which Attorney General Rob Bonta has blocked, and why it’s splitting Democrats.
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Silicon Valley’s most rich and powerful technologists are trying to end democracy in favor of a corporate-run authoritarian world order. That’s what Gil Durán warns in his new book “The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy.” 

Marisa sits down with the journalist and former Democratic political advisor to discuss how tech billionaires — including Peter Thiel and Elon Musk — are contributing to the rise of what he dubs “tech fascism,” and what we can do to fight back. 

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The Trump administration is facing increased scrutiny over its use of federal agencies, such as the FBI and DHS, to reshape how our elections are run. That’s raising concerns that it could be harder for some eligible Americans to vote in the midterm elections.

Marisa sits down with David Becker, a former federal prosecutor and Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, to talk about where things stand ahead of November and what voters can expect.

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The California billionaire tax measure picked up major endorsements this week from the state Democratic Party and the California Labor Federation. The proposal to issue a one-time, 5% tax on the assets of the state’s billionaires has split Democrats, echoing deeper divides in the party ahead of a consequential midterm election. Guy Marzorati and the San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer Joe Garofoli discuss Prop. 40’s growing momentum and what Gov. Gavin Newsom’s continuing opposition could mean for his presidential ambitions. 

Then, they assess why Newsom is heading to Michigan this weekend, fresh off progressive Democrat...

Marisa sits down with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who’s in his sixth year leading California’s second largest city. Gloria’s tenure has been marked by ambition, but it also shows how hard it is to implement the policies he previously pushed with colleagues in the state Legislature. 

Gloria was also recently elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, putting him on the front lines of battles between the Trump administration and local governments.

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Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America.

President Donald Trump repeatedly claims that the American election system is vulnerable and easily compromised. He has gone after electronic voting machines and ballot-counting systems, alleged that more than 250,000 noncitizens are on the voter rolls of four states and claimed foreign interference in the 2020 election from countries like China. 

Marisa is joined by NPR correspondent Shannon Bond to parse out the actual vulnerabilities. They discuss the difference between foreign interference and influence, AI’s growing role in political messaging, the loosening of online platform mod...

The state Legislature returns to Sacramento from summer recess on Monday, and they’ll face big questions about California’s messy energy transition. Who should bear the cost of damaging wildfires? How should the state prioritize its shrinking climate fund? What regulations should they impose on the rapid buildout of AI data centers? 

Guy discusses all that with two contributors to Politico’s California Currents newsletter: California environment reporter Camille von Kaenel and California energy reporter Noah Baustin. 

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Dave Regan built his career fighting for the underdog. Now he’s taking on California’s billionaires. 

Regan leads SEIU-UHW, a union representing more than 120,000 healthcare workers in the state. He’s known for taking on the state’s most powerful interests and using ballot initiatives as leverage to force negotiations. 

His latest proposal is a controversial billionaire wealth tax on the November ballot that has split the labor community and Democratic party in California. The measure aims to offset looming MediCal cuts from President Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” by issuing a one-time, 5% tax on the asset...

This week, President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow him to implement an executive order aimed at making it much harder to vote by mail. The order would direct the Department of Homeland Security to create “state citizenship lists” of eligible voters and require the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to people on those lists. 

It’s part of the president’s ongoing attacks on the election system. 

Political Breakdown has been examining election integrity in America over the past few weeks, and today they revisit the first epis...

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order requiring state workers to return to office four days a week took effect this month. The governor says it’s about battling a “crisis of loneliness” and wanting people to “develop relationships, friendships, fall in love.” But the mandate has been met with protests and lawsuits, putting him at odds with California’s powerful public employee labor unions. Marisa and Guy talk with CapRadio politics reporter Laura Fitzgerald about why Newsom is picking this fight and how it could affect his political ambitions. 

Plus: the Trump administration withholds $867.5 million in Medicaid payments to Cal...

The party in power in Washington, D.C. typically heads into a midterm election at a disadvantage. Democrats are favored to retake the House this fall, but the Democratic party brand is still deeply unpopular with voters. Plus, a national redistricting battle and recent Supreme Court case changing how party committees can spend money chip away at the party’s advantage. Marisa sits down with Guy and CalMatters politics reporter Maya C. Miller to check in on the state of play for congressional races nationally and in California. 

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Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America.

Shasta County has been ground zero in California’s fight over election security. Election officials took control of the deep red county’s Board of Supervisors and elections office. Although some of those officials lost reelection bids in June, voters also passed a ballot measure to overhaul how the county runs elections, including eliminating mail-in voting and requiring voter ID and hand-counting ballots.

That measure is now tied up in court after the Secretary of State and Attorney General sued, arguing it it violates a nu...

President Donald Trump used a primetime speech Thursday night to cast doubt on the integrity of America’s election system. He claimed that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote in California and other Democratic-led states. He also attacked the Golden State's primary election for governor and Los Angeles mayor as an "example of the insanity." Marisa and Guy dig into the president's claims and the lack of evidence for them.

Then, they discuss a new statewide poll showing Californians say they care deeply about the environment but don’t want to pay more to prote...

Nearly half of U.S. House Democrats voted yesterday to eliminate $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Israel. Although the amendment failed 314-104, it revealed a sea change in the party’s views on U.S.-Israel relations. Marisa and Guy discuss the trends behind which members voted yes, no or present and how Republicans are capitalizing on this party split. 

Then, Marisa talks with Wired senior reporter Molly Taft about the politics of data centers. The construction of hyperscale data centers to power Artificial Intelligence have become a flashpoint in communities across the nation ahead of...

Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America. 

Marisa talks about the modern era of election integrity with Ese Olumhense, an investigative reporter and professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. They examine how President Donald Trump set the stage for the January 6th riot and the aftermath, including the proliferation of election crime legislation that are still reverberating today. 

If you missed it, you can listen to the first episode of our election integrity series examining the history of voting and election integrity in America. 

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Sexual assault allegations have upended high-profile political campaigns across the country. This week, Democrat Graham Platner, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, suspended his campaign following an accusation of rape. It comes months after former East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell’s California gubernatorial bid collapsed under similar allegations. Now, a sexual assault allegation has emerged against Manny Yekutiel, owner of Manny’s Café and candidate for San Francisco’s District 8 supervisor. KQED’s Lesley McClurg and Sydney Johnson discuss the fallout.

Then, Lesley talks with Hannah Wiley, senior politics reporter at the San Francisco Standard. She recen...

President Trump’s H.R. 1 policy bill made deep cuts to Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid. After weeks of debate in Sacramento over how to fund the program, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget with a tax plan that could raise premiums by $100 a year for privately insured Californians. KQED’s Lesley McClurg and Guy Marzorati discuss why this has become such a political battleground. 

Then, Lesley talks with KFF’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner about the state of scientific research. The Trump administration is moving to give political appointees more power over who receives...

Since retaking office, President Donald Trump has attacked the election system, pushed voter ID laws, raided local election offices and claimed widespread voter fraud. 

As the midterm elections approach, Political Breakdown begins a new series examining election integrity in America. 

Host Marisa Lagos talks with historian Carol Anderson, a professor of African American Studies at Emory University and author of “One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy.” They take a look at the nation’s history of voting from Reconstruction and Jim Crow to the civil rights era and the recent gutting...

This 4th of July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Although we often remember the American Revolution as driven by anger over taxation and representation, journalist Rebecca Nagle says the country’s founding was also compelled by a hunger for Indigenous land. Nagle is the host of the new podcast First America, which unveils a history of our country’s founding that most Americans never learned. She joins Marisa to talk about how that history shapes the political moment we’re living through today. 

But first, Marisa and Guy discuss a filmed...

The Supreme Court term has come to an end with a flurry of blockbuster rulings. Today, the justices preserved birthright citizenship, striking down the executive order President Trump issued on the first day of his second term seeking to end it. They also ruled that states can bar transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports and loosened campaign finance restrictions by allowing candidates and political parties to coordinate their spending.

In earlier decisions, the court also undercut protections for immigrants and yesterday, it handed the president sweeping power to fire leaders of independent federal agencies.

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Californians will vote on 14 ballot measures this November, including a voter ID initiative, two housing affordability bonds and an overhaul of the California Environmental Quality Act. The most dramatic negotiations ahead of the ballot finalization were over a billionaire wealth tax and a measure that will make it harder to pass local taxes. Marisa and Guy talk with Politico’s senior politics correspondent Jeremy B. White to dig into the showdowns in Sacramento that shaped the final ballot. 

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The World Cup is in full swing across North America, and the U.S. men’s team faces Turkey in its final group round appearance on Thursday. But behind the cheering fans and nail biting matches, FIFA's commitment to political neutrality is put to the test. Marisa sits down with Tariq Panja, global sports correspondent at The New York Times. They dig into the politics behind the games, from restrictions on Iran’s team and President Trump’s unusually close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. 

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The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether states can count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. The decision could dramatically reshape how elections are administered in California and nationwide. Meanwhile, California’s slow vote-counting process continues to draw national criticism. Marisa is joined by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who spent nearly three decades as Santa Cruz County’s chief election official. Pellerin pushes back on criticisms of the state’s process, arguing it is working exactly as it should. 

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The feud between Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump escalated this week, with Newsom announcing the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating him and his wife. The decision to announce publicly before any official charges is unusual, but the investigation may help elevate Newsom as he weighs a possible presidential run. KQED’s Lesley McClurg and Guy Marzorati discuss what we know so far about the investigation and how it fits into Trump’s broader weaponization of the DOJ. 

Plus: the race for Los Angeles mayor is headed to a runoff between two Democrats, and some...

Silicon Valley spent big in California’s primaries. Venture capitalists, artificial intelligence executives and tech billionaires poured tens of millions of dollars into races up and down the ballot, trying to influence who will regulate them. For the most part, their preferred candidates fell short, a sign of growing anti-tech sentiment among voters. However, tech-backed super PACs managed to secure some notable victories. 

KQED's Lesley McClurg is joined by Politico's Silicon Valley reporter Christine Mui to assess the impact of Big Tech's big spending.

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Ballot counting in California is nearly complete and November matchups are coming into focus. Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off for governor. In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass will meet progressive City Councilmember Nithya Raman in the general election. Scott, Marisa and Guy dig into new endorsements, unpublished poll results and candidates’ paths to victory. 

Track the latest election results here.

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The Democratic Party is still searching for a path forward after losses in the 2024 election. With the November midterms looming, Democrats are trying different strategies to win back the hearts and votes of the electorate. Do they focus on ideology, running more populist, progressive candidates? Or do they make the case that the party needs a generational shift in leadership?

Marisa and Scott are joined by two congressional candidates running on change who have made it through the primaries to take on longtime incumbents. Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang is challenging Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui in Sacramento...

California county election workers are still counting votes from last week’s primary, and President Donald Trump is once again alleging, without evidence, that the state’s election system is rigged. Scott and Marisa talk to David Becker, executive director and founder of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Election Innovation & Research.

Track the latest election results here.

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With primary week drawing to a close, San Francisco’s early returns suggest that two people not on the ballot have come out on top: Mayor Daniel Lurie and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Scott, Marisa, Guy and KQED’s Sydney Johnson turn to the races and ballot measures in San Francisco, analyzing what the results so far tell us, even with nearly half the votes still left to count. 

Track the latest election results here.

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Why does it take so long to count votes in California, and what do the results tell us so far? Marisa, Scott and Guy make sense of the primary election with Melanie Mason, Politico's California Bureau Chief and co-author of the California Playbook. They discuss President Trump's election fraud allegations, early returns in the governor's race, the first post-Proposition 50 redistricting maps in action and the Los Angeles mayor's race. 

Track the latest election results here.

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California’s primary election results are trickling in, but many races remain too early to call. KQED’s politics team digs into the early numbers in the governor’s race, where Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra lead with Democrat Tom Steyer in third place. Plus: competitive congressional races, the insurance commissioner’s contest and the Los Angeles mayor’s race. 

Track the latest election results here. 

For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out ⁠KQED’s Voter Guide⁠.

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Democratic activist and billionaire investor Tom Steyer has won support from progressives in his bid for governor. Although critics have questioned whether his tremendous wealth distances him from the concerns of everyday Californians, Steyer argues he has the independence to take on utilities and oil companies.

Earlier this week, Steyer took questions from a live audience at a KQED town hall moderated by Guy Marzorati.

For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out ⁠KQED’s Voter Guide⁠.

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California’s unpredictable race for governor is in the final stretch. Scott, Marisa and Guy dissect the final polls as an unusually high number of Democratic voters have yet to return their ballots. Plus, they spotlight a few other down-ballot races worth watching before voting ends.

For election information including our voter guide, go to kqed.org/voterguide.

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Democrats have long had their sights on Congressional District 22 in the Central Valley, where Republican Rep. David Valadao has managed to hold onto the Democratic-leaning district for most of the past 13 years. Cook Political Report lists it as the only toss-up House race in the state after last year’s redistricting measure flipped five Republican-held seats blue.

Now, two Democrats are competing for the chance to face Valadao in the November general election: moderate state Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains and progressive college professor Randy Villegas. CalMatters politics reporter Maya C. Miller joins Scott, Marisa and Guy to break do...

President Donald Trump and the Justice Department, led by his appointee Todd Blanche, have reached a settlement in a lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Services. The deal includes a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” for people who claim to be victims of government retaliation. It also includes an addendum providing widespread legal immunity to the president, his family and their businesses.

Critics are calling it a slush fund and government-sanctioned corruption. Marisa is joined by Danny Nguyen, a reporter at Politico covering the I.R.S., to explain why the deal is drawing bipartisan backlash. 

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Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco promises that if elected governor, he will cut taxes, shrink government and root out fraud. At a KQED town hall earlier this week moderated by Marisa Lagos, Bianco took wide-ranging questions from a live audience on topics including public schools, housing shortages, road conditions and immigration.

For more information on the races and ballot measures in California’s June 2 primary election, check out KQED’s Voter Guide.

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Marisa, Guy and KQED’s Sydney Johnson crack open San Francisco’s ballot and dig into the competing business-tax measures Proposition D and Proposition C, the Sunset District supervisor’s race and what an ideal election night would look like for Mayor Daniel Lurie, who’s weighed in on all of it. 

Plus, they discuss the race to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress and her endorsement this week of San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan.

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And join us for a town hall at KQED with Tom Steye...