President Donald Trump took federal control of the police force in Washington D.C. this week, deploying 800 National Guard troops. The president claims the city is plagued by violent crime despite data showing it at a 30-year low. 

This comes amid the three-day trial in San Francisco over Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles earlier this year in response to ICE protests. 

Scott is joined first by Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School and host of the podcast "Passing Judgment" to discuss Trump's authority to militarize the nation's capital. Then, he's joined by D.C. Senator Ankit Jain. 

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump’s push for Texas to redraw congressional districts to help Republicans in next year's midterm elections has mobilized Democratic governors, including Gavin Newsom, to do the same. But will California voters agree to let politicians draw their own lines when they put a stop to that practice years ago? 

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump Administration has suspended half a billion dollars in federal research funds from UCLA, alleging the school has ignored anti-semitism on campus. The school’s chancellor says the cuts would kill scientific research at UCLA. Now, the university will negotiate with the administration, just as Ivy Leagues like Columbia and Brown University have done. Scott is joined by the Los Angeles Times education reporter Jaweed Kaleem. 

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week marks 30 years since the death of Grateful Dead frontman and San Francisco native Jerry Garcia. Despite Garcia's disdain for government and politics, he navigated his band through the counterculture revolution of the 1960s and had a remarkable influence on American culture. 

In a new biography of Garcia, writer and former Los Angeles Times journalist Jim Newton describes how Garcia did his best to shun politics even as the band performed in support of political causes. Scott talks with Newton about his book, “Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead and an American Awakening." 

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New unemployment numbers show that California is tied with Nevada for the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Experts point to uncertainty over tariffs and trade policy, immigration raids and the rise of Artificial Intelligence as some of the main contributors. 

So what does a high unemployment rate mean for one of the world’s largest economies?  

Scott talks with economist Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, an independent research and consulting firm.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of speculation, Kamala Harris announced that she will not run for governor of California, which keeps her options open for a potential campaign for president in 2028. 

The decision has created a political earthquake throughout the state, as Democrats already running for governor step on the gas for campaign operations now that the biggest threat to their candidacy is removed. Scott and Guy are joined by Politico's senior political reporter Melanie Mason to discuss what's ahead for the 2026 California governor's race. 

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Texas Republicans move ahead on plans to redraw their congressional districts to boost GOP candidates for the House of Representatives, Governor Gavin Newsom is fighting back, saying California will follow suit. But can Newsom really overcome the legal obstacles to putting political gerrymandering back into practice? Scott is joined by Paul Mitchell, the vice president at Political Data Inc, which uses polling and other data to help Democratic campaigns.

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll shows that six months into San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s term, voters are very happy with his overall performance. But are his social media posts a little too positive given the city’s issues with ICE arrests and a budget deficit? Scott, Guy and KQED's Sydney Johnson discuss the mayor's popularity. Plus, they talk about a plan for "geographic equity" of shelter placement throughout the city. 

Read more: San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Is All Over Instagram. Is He Saying Enough?

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City's Democrat primary for mayor has energized the left while shaking up establishment Democrats. Scott is joined by Vox politics reporter Christian Paz to discuss the split within the party, the potential for a Democratic Tea Party moment and what Mamdani's victory means for the party's future. 

Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bilal Mahmood became the first Muslim American elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last year. Now, Mahmood is proposing controversial legislation to put homeless shelters in each supervisorial district throughout the city. Scott is joined in studio by Mahmood, who represents the city's fifth district including the Haight-Ashbury, Fillmore, Western Addition and Tenderloin neighborhoods.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices