Political Breakdown

Marisa and Scott discuss the latest on Gov. Gavin Newsom's push for a U.S. constitutional amendment on gun safety and Sen. Dianne Feinstein's family legal battle. Then, former State Controller Betty Yee joins to discuss working at her parents' laundry business, the desegregation busing debate that sparked her political involvement, working as a budget advisor for Gov. Gray Davis, her vision for California's fiscal future, and why she's launching a run for governor in 2026.

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City employees hit the picket lines in Los Angeles while government workers in San Jose plan to strike next week. Scott and Guy Marzorati discuss the politics of labor unrest at city halls and a new survey on voter participation in California. Then, state Assemblyman Evan Low joins to discuss barriers to civic participation, his groundbreaking rise in elected office, whether California should sunset its state-sponsored travel ban to states with anti-LGBTQ laws and his effort to remove Proposition 8 from the state constitution. 

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As Donald Trump faces his third criminal indictment, Scott and Guy Marzorati discuss changes to the state's Republican primary that could benefit the former president, with Los Angeles Times political writer Seema Mehta. Then, as mayors around the state push to clear homeless encampments, Scott and Guy share what voters in a recent San Jose focus group had to say about the issue.

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Scott and Marisa discuss Governor Gavin Newsom's plan to reform San Quentin State Prison — and Scott shares what inmates are saying about it. Then, Los Angeles Times reporter Mackenzie Mays joins to discuss school board fights in Southern California that have caught the attention of Newsom and other state officials.

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Marisa and Scott discuss the ongoing feud between the Temecula Valley Unified school board and Governor Gavin Newsom, after the board rejected instructional material referencing Harvey Milk. Then, tech executive and U.S. Senate candidate Lexi Reese joins to discuss her family's economic turmoil, her siblings' battles with addiction, what separates her from other Democrats in the race, how the Senate should regulate artificial intelligence and whether Congress should adopt Gusto's no-shoes policy.

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Scott and Marisa talk to Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle crime reporter, and Gabrielle Lurie, San Francisco Chronicle staff photographer, about their investigation into Honduran migrants selling drugs in San Francisco. They talk about the genesis and findings of the investigation, respond to criticisms of their story and analyze the political fallout in San Francisco.

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In the second part of their conversation at KQED Live, Scott and Marisa talk to former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown about his unorthodox strategy for winning an Assembly seat, what he learned from Jesse Unruh, forging bonds with San Francisco's LGBTQ community and his years in the crosshairs of the FBI.

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The Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions. Hours later, a California task force studying reparations for African-Americans delivers a groundbreaking final report. Marisa and Guy Marzorati discuss the political crosscurrents at play with Stephen Menendian, the Assistant Director and Director of Research at the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley. Plus, Alexei Koseff, State Capitol Reporter at CalMatters joins to discuss the final state budget deal.

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Anthony Rendon will soon step down as Assembly Speaker after the second-longest tenure in California history. Marisa and Guy Marzorati talk to Rendon about fatherhood and child care, the legislature's historic 2017 session, losing his speakership to Robert Rivas and his plans for the future.

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Marisa and Guy Marzorati discuss the legislature's budget agreement and Governor Gavin Newsom's interview with Sean Hannity. Then, Assemblywoman Liz Ortega joins to talk about her journey to America, interpreting for family members and neighbors as a kid, her career in organized labor, her reaction to the budget deal to aid public transit and her thoughts on labor disputes over CEQA and housing. 

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