Political Breakdown

This week marks 30 years since the death of Grateful Dead frontman and San Francisco native Jerry Garcia. Despite Garcia's disdain for government and politics, he navigated his band through the counterculture revolution of the 1960s and had a remarkable influence on American culture. In a new biography of Garcia, writer and former Los Angeles Times journalist Jim Newton describes how Garcia did his best to shun politics even as the band performed in support of political causes. Scott talks with Newton about his book, “Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead and an American Awakening." Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New unemployment numbers show that California is tied with Nevada for the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Experts point to uncertainty over tariffs and trade policy, immigration raids and the rise of Artificial Intelligence as some of the main contributors. So what does a high unemployment rate mean for one of the world’s largest economies? Scott talks with economist Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, an independent research and consulting firm. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of speculation, Kamala Harris announced that she will not run for governor of California, which keeps her options open for a potential campaign for president in 2028. The decision has created a political earthquake throughout the state, as Democrats already running for governor step on the gas for campaign operations now that the biggest threat to their candidacy is removed. Scott and Guy are joined by Politico's senior political reporter Melanie Mason to discuss what's ahead for the 2026 California governor's race. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Texas Republicans move ahead on plans to redraw their congressional districts to boost GOP candidates for the House of Representatives, Governor Gavin Newsom is fighting back, saying California will follow suit. But can Newsom really overcome the legal obstacles to putting political gerrymandering back into practice? Scott is joined by Paul Mitchell, the vice president at Political Data Inc, which uses polling and other data to help Democratic campaigns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll shows that six months into San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s term, voters are very happy with his overall performance. But are his social media posts a little too positive given the city’s issues with ICE arrests and a budget deficit? Scott, Guy and KQED's Sydney Johnson discuss the mayor's popularity. Plus, they talk about a plan for "geographic equity" of shelter placement throughout the city. Read more: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Is All Over Instagram. Is He Saying Enough? Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City's Democrat primary for mayor has energized the left while shaking up establishment Democrats. Scott is joined by Vox politics reporter Christian Paz to discuss the split within the party, the potential for a Democratic Tea Party moment and what Mamdani's victory means for the party's future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bilal Mahmood became the first Muslim American elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last year. Now, Mahmood is proposing controversial legislation to put homeless shelters in each supervisorial district throughout the city. Scott is joined in studio by Mahmood, who represents the city's fifth district including the Haight-Ashbury, Fillmore, Western Addition and Tenderloin neighborhoods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump is pressuring Texas to redraw its political map to try and gain a few more Republican congressional seats. In response, Governor Newsom has threatened to gerrymander California’s political lines to help Democrats win more House seats in next year's midterm election. Plus, both parties are already shaping the narrative around Trump's huge domestic policy bill that, among other things, slashes health care funding. Scott and Guy are joined by the San Francisco Chronicle politics reporter Sophia Bollag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Supreme Court this week cleared the way for President Trump to fast track the dismantling of the Department of Education. Plus, California and 23 other states are suing the Trump administration over nearly $6 billion in education funds they say are owed to them. Scott is joined by Politico education reporter Juan Perez Jr. to discuss who will be affected by the massive cuts underway and how it could play out politically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump's massive domestic policy bill allocates an unprecedented amount of money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's budget, significantly expanding their ability to carry out Trump's aggressive deportation agenda. Already, weeks of intensified raids by federal immigration agents have generated fear and panic among many immigrant communities in California. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Rachel Uranga to discuss the legal status of the raids and their impact on workers, their families and their employers. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November, Orange County Congressman Derek Tran became the first Vietnamese American to represent Little Saigon in Washington, D.C. Tran barely defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel, helping Democrats flip three California House seats from red to blue. We revisit a conversation from May, when Scott and Marisa talked with Tran about representing a very purple district and his father’s harrowing story as a refugee after the Vietnam War. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last election, voters with college degrees leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. But most voters without a degree backed President Trump. It’s not just about policy. It’s about pride, identity, and who feels like they’re on your side. Republicans are speaking directly to working-class values like hard work, tradition, and loyalty, even while passing bills that slash healthcare and education. Meanwhile, Democrats often sound like they’re talking down to people, using terms like “Latinx” or “climate denier” that might seem progressive, but to a lot of voters feels like a lecture. So how can Democrats reconnect and actually earn back trust? KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Joan Williams, the author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back. She’s also Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Law San Francisco. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, take the Class Bubble Quiz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump’s megabill is now law and it’s sending shockwaves through California’s healthcare system. The legislation makes major cuts to Medicaid, known here as Medi-Cal, which covers about one in three Californians. Supporters say the bill reins in government spending. But critics warn it could shutter hospitals and force the state into painful budget choices. KQED Health Correspondent Lesley McClurg is joined by Angela Hart, senior correspondent for KFF Health News, to dig into what's at stake. Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today marks the start of a new fiscal year in California, and the budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom is going into effect now that the legislature met his demands for a major overhaul of California’s landmark environmental bill. Newsom and others have long seen the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, as a major impediment to building housing. Scott and Marisa are joined by Dustin Gardiner, the co-author of Politico's California Playbook, to analyze the potential impact and political fallout of changes to CEQA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s crunch time in the state Capitol, with a new fiscal year starting Tuesday. However, the legislature blew past its legally mandated June 15th deadline to approve a spending plan and is continuing to negotiate with Governor Gavin Newsom until the last minute. Marisa and Guy are joined by KCRA 3's California Capitol Correspondent Ashley Zavala to discuss what is in the budget and what's still being hashed out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's officially summer, which for many Americans means camping and hiking in national parks. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, there's been a lot of upheaval in and around our federal open spaces, from budget cuts to proposals to sell off public lands. Marisa is joined by the San Francisco Chronicle's enterprise reporter Kurtis Alexander to discuss how all this will affect California's parks and monuments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, the United States entered the conflict between Israel and Iran, dropping never-before-used bunker-buster bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran. President Donald Trump is now trying to hold both sides to a ceasefire, but his own objectives in ordering American involvement seem unclear. Marisa is joined by Politico senior foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi to unpack why Trump chose to get involved and what could be ahead for the region and the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As immigration raids across the state disrupt workplaces and families, a new report describes the negative impact the federal raids and mass deportations could have on California’s economy. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the report, plus the fallout from this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling to uphold a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming medical care for minors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump yesterday reversed his brief order instructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to stop raids on farms, hotels and restaurants. As federal immigration agents are told to increase the number of daily deportations, raids are stoking fear across California in workplaces, immigration courts, community flea markets and even churches. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times immigration reporter Andrea Castillo to describe what's happening in these communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles, President Trump went over Governor Newsom’s head to activate the California National Guard troops. This prompted the state to sue, and Thursday afternoon a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Trump acted illegally — a major victory for Newsom. But just hours later, an appeals court temporarily paused that decision until a hearing next week. Plus, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly pushed out of and handcuffed during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference in Los Angeles. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss a whirlwind week in California politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices