Political Breakdown

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his running mate in Oakland today: Silicon Valley lawyer Nicole Shanahan. Guy and Marisa talk about what the Oakland native brings to a presidential ticket that's adding a wild card to the 2024 race for the White House. 

Plus, can California Democrats find a way to transition to clean energy while promoting equity and affordability? Guy talks with New York Times reporter Ivan Penn about the political question lurking beneath the skyrocketing energy bills facing Californians.

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How can young Californians prepare for today’s turbulent economy? Supporters of personal finance education say a mandatory class in pocketbook economics is the answer. Guy Marzorati talks with Tim Ranzetta, co-founder of Next Gen Personal Finance, who's pushing to place a personal finance measure on the November ballot.

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Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey owes at least $350,000 in back taxes. Plus, Gov. Gavin Newsom calls for a ceasefire and former Mayor of San Francisco Willie L. Brown Jr. celebrates his 90th birthday. Scott, Marisa and Guy talk about all that and other top political stories from the week. 

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More than two weeks after the primary election, Gov. Gavin Newsom's ballot measure to build housing and mental health treatment beds for Californians experiencing homelessness was narrowly approved by voters. Marisa, Scott and Guy talk about why it was such a close margin. 

Plus, Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna is a progressive stalwart who’s not afraid to take on his own party, but he’s all in on President Biden’s reelection. Marisa and Scott talk with Khanna about the 2024 election, the crisis in Gaza and why he voted against the TikTok ban.

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Behind the negative attack ads on candidates that we see on TV and social media is what’s known as opposition research — basically, digging up dirt on your opponent. 

Scott talks to campaign consultant Eric Jaye about how opposition research has changed in recent years and whether it still matters to voters.

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After House lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation to force China to sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S., the Senate seems to be putting the bill on a slower track. What would a ban mean for the economy and how could it affect tech companies in Silicon Valley? 

Scott is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Stu Woo to talk about the coming legal battle between national security interests and First Amendment rights for users of TikTok. 

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In 2020, Oregon voters passed a first-in-the-nation law to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. The idea behind Measure 110 was that the criminal justice system was not the place to steer people away from drugs and deal with a user's addiction. But now, Measure 110 is widely blamed for the spike in overdose deaths in Oregon and a worsening homeless crisis. Earlier this month, the legislature sent a bill to the governor to recriminalize drug possession. 

Scott is joined by Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Conrad Wilson to talk about Oregon's U-turn on decriminalizing drugs and what it might say about California's efforts to fight fentanyl use and overdose deaths. 

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The March primary signaled a shift toward the middle of the political spectrum, as San Francisco voters approved Mayor London Breed’s measures to empower the SF police and screen public assistance recipients for drugs.

Scott is joined by Marisa and KQED's Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez to talk about what this means for public safety and the San Francisco mayor's race, where Breed faces a growing field of challengers. 

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Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is coming up on one year as leader of the lower house. Rivas joins Marisa and Scott to talk about what he's learned and his priorities as the state faces a budget deficit.  

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President Joe Biden has been open about dealing with a stutter that sometimes trips him up during public speaking. But when former President Donald Trump mocked Biden’s stutter at a rally in Georgia this week, a San Francisco-based stuttering advocate launched a public relations campaign urging people with stutters to come forward

Marisa and Scott are joined by Maya Chupkov, a stuttering activist and host of the podcast Proud Stutter.

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