This week's podcast guest is Carl Guardino, head of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and a member of the California Transportation Commission. Carl Sat down with Capitol Weekly's John Howard and Tim Foster at K Street's bustling Ambrosia Cafe (trust us, it gets quieter after a minute or two) to offer insight into the battles over new housing in the Bay Area (including SB50) and the fierce fights over improving California's rail system, from High Speed Rail, electric trains and San Jose's future subway.

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Following the long and devastating drought that depleted the state's water reserves, California this year has seen heavy storms - and now boasts a historic snowpack. This week's snow measurement at Phillips Station, a site at 8000 feet in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe, indicates that the snowpack is over 160% of the norm. Chris Orrock of the California Department of Water Resources joins the podcast to talk about what this wealth of snow means for California's water reserves, flood dangers and implications for wildfires later in the year.

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These days, Sami Gallegos is the Communications Director for Lorena Gonzalez, the high-visibility Democratic Assemblywoman representing AD80; but before she went to work inside the building Sami covered the capitol as a journalist. Full disclosure - Sami was a Capitol Weekly intern and later worked as a full time reporter for Capitol Weekly before leaving nonprofit journalism for the glamour and glitz of TV's ABC 10. Sami sat down with the CW Podcast to talk about making the transition from journalist to political pro, and what it's like to run the communications shop for an elected official who gets plenty of attention all on her own.

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Lenny Mendonca, newly-appointed as Governor Newsom's Chief Economic and Business Advisor, wears a lot of hats: he is also Chair of California's High Speed Rail Commission, Senior Partner Emeritus of McKinsey & Company, and one of the founders and owners of the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. We caught up with Lenny in his 18th floor office on J Street to chat about High Speed Rail, taxes - and beer.

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California state senator Tom Umberg is one of the most prominent Democrats to break with Governor Gavin Newsom on his decision this week to put the death penalty on hold in the Golden State. A former federal prosecutor, Umberg argues that some crimes are so heinous that they deserve the ultimate penalty. We spoke with Senator Umberg about his stance on the issue and what to expect next from proponents and opponents of the Death Penalty.

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Sacramento lobby firm Capitol Advocacy celebrates 20 years this month - founder John Latimer sat down with the Capitol Weekly Podcast to talk about the nuts and bolts of the of lobbying business, the impact - or not - of term limits, and what's changed since he launched the firm two decades ago.

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With the new administration, the capitol has seen an influx of fresh staffers, many of whom are new to the Sacramento area. Where, they ask, does one go to eat, drink and be merry in this burg? If this describes you - no worries, Becky Grunewald has you covered. The longtime Sacto food critic offered a short list of favorites in a recent Capitol Weekly article (http://capitolweekly.net/newbies-eat-drink-sacramento/), which, like most lists, immediately came under fire from readers on social media. She sat down with the Capitol Weekly Podcast to talk about her choices and offer some other options for those willing to venture off the grid.

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Bob Wieckowski is more than just the Senator from California's 10th Senate District - he's also a bankruptcy lawyer, giving him unique insight into utility giant PG&E's recent bankruptcy declaration. John Howard and Tim Foster visited the Senator in his office to chat about the difference between federal and state bankruptcy laws, what happens to the companies with existing or pending contracts with PG&E and the status of fire victims' insurance claims. All that, plus the story behind all those framed photos of blues musicians on the walls of his office.

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Pacific Gas and Electric filed for bankruptcy protection on January 29, citing billions of dollars in potential liabilities from the utility giant's likely role in sparking a series of devastating California wildfires. San Francisco Chronicle reporter JD Morris has been covering the case and joins John Howard and Tim Foster to discuss the ramifications of bankruptcy including the possibility that the venerable California company may be broken up.

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Longtime California environmentalist Paul Mason sits down with Capitol Weekly's John Howard and Tim Foster for a wide-ranging discussion covering wildfires, the status of California's forests, Julia Butterfly Hill, John's 1980 Volkswagen Scirocco and the shifting focus of the state's environmental movement in the face of global climate change crisis. Also: a shameless plug for Capitol Weekly's internship program!

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