Political Breakdown

President Donald Trump is using National Guard troop deployments to pressure cities and counties into following his conservative agenda. But attorney Jill Habig says he is also using the federal pursestrings to bend them to his will. That's why she founded the Oakland-based Public Rights Project to take on the administration, fighting in court on behalf of those cities and counties that have seen their policies challenged, funding cut or even troops deployed to their streets. Habig joins Marisa and Scott in studio to discuss their lawsuits and strategy. 

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The Trump administration is cracking down on street homelessness by directing funding away from permanent supportive housing toward short-term programs with work and employment requirements. If the funding cuts go through, it would be a major setback for the Housing First movement, which prioritizes getting people into housing without preconditions. Policy experts also worry about the impact on agencies that recognize transgender people and use harm reduction practices. 

However, lawsuits filed by cities, states and non-profit organizations seem to be giving the administration second thoughts. Scott is joined by Erin Baldassari, KQED's senior editor of housing affordability.

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In the first meeting since billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer joined the race, the top candidates for governor of California participated in a forum hosted by the California State Association of Counties. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the highlights from the forum, which Marisa moderated. 

Then, they discuss a major step forward in Mayor Daniel Lurie's plan to jumpstart housing construction in San Francisco. 

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What does femininity look like in the Republican MAGA world? Every presidential administration has its own aesthetic style, and in President Donald Trump's administration, female allies and cabinet members have embraced what's called Mar-a-Lago face. Marisa and Scott are joined by Vox senior correspondent Constance Grady to discuss what the MAGA aesthetic is, where it came from and how it fits in with the traditional role many conservatives say women should play. 

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Since President Trump appointed him as the White House artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar, Silicon Valley venture capitalist David Sacks has been in a position to drive policy in both emerging technologies. And according to recent reporting by the New York Times, Sacks has helped formulate policies that benefit him and his tech friends. Scott and Marisa are joined by New York Times reporter Ryan Mac, who was part of the team revealing Sacks' conflicts of interest. 

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Loud disagreements within the conservative movement are spilling out into the open over issues ranging from the Epstein files to anti-semitism on the right. Scott is joined by Vox senior correspondent Zack Beauchamp to discuss what has caused the internal strife at the Heritage Foundation, the influential right-wing think tank that developed Project 2025. 

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The 2026 race for governor of California is heating up, with East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell announcing his bid on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last night. Swalwell enters an increasingly crowded race that billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer also jumped into this week. Plus, Attorney General Rob Bonta told KQED that people are urging him to join, leaving the door open to a possible run. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the status of the race as 40% of voters remain undecided. 

They also take a look at the contest to fill Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, as San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan becomes the latest candidate joining state Sen. Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, the former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office has filed 46 lawsuits this year against the Trump administration, many of them challenging what Bonta considers the president’s overreach. Almost a year into Trump’s second term, Bonta joins Marisa and Scott in studio to give an update on California's resistance. They also discuss if he's reconsidering a run for governor of California and his campaign spending nearly half a million dollars on legal fees amid a corruption case against the Duong family. 

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After years of controversy and delays by the Trump administration, the House of Representatives voted near-unanimously today to release Department of Justice files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Scott and Marisa are joined by U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee and helped lead the push to release the files.

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Following voter approval of Proposition 50 which redraws California's congressional maps, the Department of Justice this week joined a federal lawsuit to block the maps from taking effect. Scott and Guy discuss the suit and which California politicians are launching campaigns in the new congressional districts. 

Then, they're joined by KQED's Sydney Johnson to talk about the remarkably short term for San Francisco Supervisor Isabella "Beya" Alcaraz, who resigned last night after just a week of representing the Sunset District. Her resignation comes after a wave of media reports described mice infestations and questionable financial practices at her former business.

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