The Jackie Rae Show

Rhonda Haymon, candidate for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Seat 64, joins Jackie Rae to discuss why she’s running, her work as a public defender, and what she believes needs to change in LA County’s courts.Known as “Ms. Acquittal,” Haymon shares the courtroom experience she says inspired her to seek a seat on the bench. She explains why she believes public defenders bring an important perspective to judicial leadership—and why understanding the people who enter a courtroom matters.In this episode of The Jackie Rae Show, we discuss:Her journey from Gardena and Tuskegee University to public defenseWhat defending people accused of crimes actually involvesHer account of being held in contempt and how it shaped her decision to runRacial bias, representation, and diversity on the benchJury selection, implicit bias, and the presumption of innocenceRehabilitation, employment opportunities, and breaking the cycle of incarcerationWhy voters should pay attention to judicial electionsWhat experience and qualities do you want a judge to bring to the courtroom? Share your thoughts in the comments.Subscribe to The Jackie Rae Show for candidate interviews, community conversations, and reporting on the issues that affect your life.#RhondaHaymon #LosAngeles #JudicialElection

What makes a good judge—and how can courts better serve the people who enter them?Los Angeles County deputy public defender Justin Clayton joins Jackie Rae to discuss his run for Superior Court Judge, Office 65. Clayton, who supervises the Public Defender’s Office’s Inglewood branch, shares how growing up in South Central Los Angeles shaped his views on justice and why he believes temperament, impartiality and community understanding matter on the bench.Learn more about Justin at: https://www.claytonforjudge2026.com/Follow him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/clayton4judge#JustinClayton #LACounty #JudicialElection #JackieRaeTV

California Assembly candidate Carolyn Essex explains why she’s challenging Josh Lowenthal and what she believes needs to change for Long Beach and the 69th District. We discuss infrastructure, government accountability and her vision for more accessible leadership.#CarolynEssex #LongBeach #CaliforniaPolitics #JackieRaeShow

Residents showed up. They signed petitions. They urged the Long Beach City Council not to limit public comment. The council moved forward anyway.

In this episode, Jackie Rae breaks down the October 13 vote, highlights residents’ testimony, and challenges council members’ explanations for changing the public comment rules.

From meeting length and accessibility to arguments over decorum, the debate raises a bigger question: Are these changes making City Hall more accessible—or making it harder for engaged residents to be heard?

I also explain why I believe the council’s reasoning deserves more scrutiny, recognize Kristina Duggan, Megan Kerr, and Cindy Allen for opposing the changes, and spotlight the residents who continue showing up for their community.

This is about accountability, public participation, and whose voices matter in Long Beach.

In a 6–3 vote, the Long Beach City Council approved an ordinance that reshapes how public participation works at City Hall. Despite vocal opposition from dozens of attendees—including residents who have attended council meetings for over three decades—public comment has now been consolidated into an early 90-minute block.In this video, we break down: • The 6–3 vote split: Who voted yes, and why Councilmembers Cindy Allen, Kristina Duggan, and Megan Kerr voted no.• The accessibility argument vs. the transparency debate.• Why residents say forcing comments before agenda discussions undermines the democratic process.• How State Senate Bill 707 played into the decision.📢 What do you think? Should residents be allowed to speak on specific items as they are debated, or is an early, consolidated comment block better for public access? Let’s talk in the comments.#LongBeach #LongBeachCityCouncil #politics

Want to contact Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal?

You can do so here:https://lowenthal.asmdc.org/contact

Or, Contact the Long Beach office at (562) 366-2769

Contact the Capitol Office (Sacramento) at (916) 319-2069

Have a question or story idea for Jackie Rae? Send an email to [email protected]

California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal joins The Jackie Rae Show for an in-depth conversation about the issues shaping Long Beach, California, and the country: AI regulation, children and social media, Flock surveillance cameras, criminal-justice reform, housing affordability, climate resilience, and the economic future of the region.Lowenthal explains why he believes California needs stronger guardrails around artificial intelligence and social-media platforms—especially when it comes to children, addictive design features, privacy, automation, and job loss. He also discusses AB 1709, now law, and the push to limit harmful and addictive social-media features for young people.We also talk about the debate over Flock cameras and public surveillance: Can law enforcement use technology to solve crimes without creating a system where everyone’s movements are tracked? Lowenthal makes the case for transparency, real data, privacy protections, and clear limits on how long surveillance data can be kept and how it can be used.

Civil rights attorney, former government official, and founder/executive director of ASU’s The Difference Engine, Ehsan Zaffar, joins The Jackie Rae Show for a powerful conversation about refugee survival, poverty, government accountability, and the power of speaking up.As a child forced to flee Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War, Ehsan arrived in the United States with his family and quickly saw how difficult it was for refugees to rebuild. At just 8 years old, he wrote to then-Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley to challenge the city’s limited refugee assistance—and his advocacy helped bring attention to the issue and strengthen local protections.In this episode, we discuss:Ehsan’s journey from refugee camps to civil-rights lawWhy he believes communities should be assertive, not silentThe difference between being assertive and being aggressiveHow poverty, overworked parents, and under-resourced schools leave children behindWhy wealth concentration affects housing, education, health care, and public servicesWhat government owes the people it is supposed to serveHow everyday people can use their voices to push for real changeThis is a conversation about justice, dignity, policy, and refusing to accept that broken systems are simply “the way things are.”Subscribe to The Jackie Rae Show for honest conversations on politics, civil rights, culture, community, and the issues shaping our lives.Follow Ehsan Zaffar and learn more about The Difference Engine: The Difference Engine#TheJackieRaeShow #EhsanZaffar #CivilRights #Refugees #SocialJustice #Politics #GovernmentAccountability #EconomicInequality #CommunityAdvocacy #PodcastInterview

Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. on Monday forcefully denied allegations that he inappropriately touched a 15-year-old girl during a recent city event, calling the accusations “baseless, unsourced, and completely false.”Butts used an emotional press conference outside Inglewood City Hall to reject the allegation and argue that he is facing what he described as a coordinated, racist attack on his leadership. Yet the event ended without questions from reporters or residents — leaving unresolved questions about the mayor’s assertion that political opponents and powerful interests connected to Hollywood Park are behind the campaign against him.The mayor did not take questions before leaving City Hall.#Inglewood #JamesTButts #InglewoodPolitics #LosAngelesNews #JackieRaeTV

 Reparations were promised to Newley freed slaves in 1865. They were promised 400,000 acres confiscated Confederate land the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. That equated to 40 acres per family. Each family was also supposed to get one mule to help them work the farming land. 

While they never received that, Black people in America have fought the effects of long standing white supremacy in the United States, while the country has failed to atone for its ongoing sins.

Jesse Watters tried to back Senate hopeful l Dr. Abdul El-Sayed into a corner on the topic and failed.

Mayor Rex Richardson was scheduled to appear on The Jackie Rae Show. After the interview was canceled, multiple requests to reschedule went unanswered.

But this conversation is bigger than one interview.

In this episode, we examines Mayor Richardson’s record and asks whether his administration has delivered on its promises to the people of Long Beach. From the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis and affordability challenges to questions surrounding the effectiveness of the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative, this episode takes a closer look at the policies, outcomes, and accountability that matter most to residents.

Has the city made meaningful progress under Richardson's leadership? Have the concerns of Long Beach's Black community been addressed? And is City Hall truly listening to the people it serves?

Join the conversation as we examine the facts, the promises, and the results.

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