Fewer people are being held in county jails across California than a decade ago, and yet record numbers of incarcerated people are dying while in custody. Among the leading causes of death are drug overdoses and suicide. Scott talks with CalMatters reporter Nigel Duara, who spent the last nine months looking at the roots of these increased deaths in county jails and what's being done to address it. 
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Jail Populations Are Down. So Why Are Inmate Deaths Up?

Join hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos as they unpack the day in politics with a California perspective. Featuring interviews with reporters and other insiders involved in the craft of politics—including elected officials, candidates, pollsters, campaign managers, fundraisers, and other political players—Political Breakdown pulls back the curtain to offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics works today.

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The California Republican Party is holding a statewide convention this weekend in Burlingame. Scott, Marisa and Guy are at the convention talking with delegates, elected leaders and party officials about the fall election and their strategy for holding onto congressional seats in purple districts.
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At the California GOP Convention, Optimism About November

San Francisco voters will choose their next mayor this November, and we are going to bring you interviews with all of the top candidates. Today, Marisa and Scott are kicking things off with District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. Safaí, an Iranian immigrant with a master's in city planning, was elected to represent portions of the Excelsior, Outer Mission and OMI neighborhoods in 2016. 
We want to hear your questions! If you have a burning question that you want us to ask the mayoral candidates, you can send us an email: politicalbreakdown@kqed.org.
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Born in Iran, Educated at MIT, Now SF Supervisor Ahsha Safaí Wants to Be Mayor

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, has long been regarded as one of the most powerful advocacy groups in Washington. Their goal: support candidates who are strongly pro-Israel and oppose those they feel are are too critical. The October 7th attack by Hamas and Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza have intensified AIPAC’s political activities and its involvement in the 2024 election. Scott and Marisa discuss the role AIPAC plays in U.S. policy and politics with Joan Greve, senior political reporter for Guardian US.
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AIPAC: Israel's Political Enforcer in the U.S.

It’s day two of Michael Cohen’s testimony about Donald Trump’s hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. As the prosecution begins to dig into Cohen’s story and motivations, Scott and Marisa talk with Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson about the trial so far, the legal strategies on both sides and how the jury might be interpreting it all.
Check out Levinson's weekly podcast, Passing Judgment, wherever you get your podcasts.
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Trump Conviction Hangs on Cohen’s Testimony. So – How’d He Do?

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget tackles a total deficit of $45 billion, including cuts made earlier this year. The governor is proposing to spread the pain widely, with cuts to programs ranging from healthcare and scholarships for the middle class to climate change initiatives he supports. Scott, Marisa and Guy hash out the winners and losers in the May Revise budget.
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Jail Populations Are Down. So Why Are Inmate Deaths Up?

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