The Quintana Show

Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos: is it massive medical fraud, #metoo, or Silicon Valley “move fast and break things” running into the law?

We discuss it all in this opening episode with the Washington Post's assigned reporter Rachel Lerman.

This is shaping up to be a long trial and we hear her take on jury selection, Elizabeth Holmes’ new look, how female founders are rare in Silicon Valley and why, how the defense strategy seems a little odd, why the Sunny Balwani trial is separated and what the hell happened to a key Theranos database.

Her enemies call her the most powerful politician in California. And her opponents are some of the most powerful tech firms in the world. Watch as Q and California Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez decide who is higher on the wall of evil in tech, Amazon factories with anti-human time-off-task protocols, how Amazon tries to break unions, why worries about automation are overblown, and her thoughts of the future of labor and work in California.

In the history of MMA there is no one like him. A fighter who is equal parts champion, myth and icon. Fighting when the rules were still fluid and gloves optional. Today we get inside the mind of MMA ICON Bas Rutten. Known as “El Guapo,” and the “King of the Liver Shot,” he's one of the baddest men to ever step in the ring - and also one of the nicest and charitable. This is a freewheeling conversation that covers many topics. Bas talks about all the crazy fights he’s had with some of the other toughest men on the planet. He also takes us inside the fight game and tells us all about his preparations, his mental game, and how he learned to love submissions and the ground game.

California's anti-monopoly law was created before dial telephones - and it hasn't changed since. CA Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-Paso Robles) has serious concerns with this. How is it even POSSIBLE for this horse and buggy era law to govern the tech giants Amazon, Facebook, et al ... well, it probably can't. Listen as Cunningham and Q discuss Amazon, Facebook, monopoly power, Ida Tarbell, Teddy Roosevelt, the California Law Commission and more on this episode.

Q has spent decades mastering the ins and outs of CA politics but politics isn’t his sole focus, and he knows it’s not yours either. Political-ish looks outside the realm of politics for insightful and entertaining conversations about history, social justice, pop culture, business, music, and sports, with a dash of politics from time to time. So political...ish.

If you’re a Ukrainian billionaire mining, steel, and banking oligarch who is moving billions from the National bank into your own pockets, what do you do with the dirty dough?? You buy the Cleveland waterfront and dozens of rust belt steel mills to launder the dough!! Outside of the inside-jobbers at the bank, who is gonna help you move the dirty billions? The political and economic leaders of Cleveland, that's who!!!

We welcome the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Sallah who was part of the investigative team on Dirty Dollars that blew the lid off this story of greed and corruption. Come for the money laundering, stay for how Rudy Guliani’s shady partners gave Michael a reason to look deeper. The absolute craziest money-laundering story you've never heard, the story of the Ukrainian oligarch that ate Cleveland.

This is the meteoric rise and overnight demise of Burger Records, with LA Times reporter Jessica Gelt. Gelt wrote the landmark story that pulled the curtain back on the toxic sexist culture behind the SoCal indie label. Burger Records was known for a DIY atmosphere, a place where outsiders could create and celebrate the music they loved. But there was a darkness of sexual harassment, predation, and assault that brought the label down overnight, and left a complete fandom wondering what happened and why — this answers both those questions.

Q has spent decades mastering the ins and outs of CA politics but politics isn’t his sole focus, and he knows it’s not yours either. Political-ish looks outside the realm of politics for insightful and entertaining conversations about history, social justice, pop culture, business, music, and sports, with a dash of politics from time to time. So political...ish.

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Today we introduce Max “Pain” Griffin to Politicalish! He not only has arguably the most entertaining fighting style in the UFC, but he is a phenomenal storyteller. AND the only guy that’s knocked off a dude's ear in MMA! Listen as he talks about everything from why he wants to be a Ninja Turtle growing up, his days runnin’ wild, the long road to the UFC, stories about bouncing that will have you ROTFL, the behind-the-scenes of so many fights, and why his mental game is so strong now. He also doesn’t hold back on fighters such as “Platinum” Mike Perry, Zelim Imadaev and his UFC 264 foe, legendary Carlos Condit.

Q has spent decades mastering the ins and outs of CA politics but politics isn’t his sole focus, and he knows it’s not yours either. Political-ish looks outside the realm of politics for insightful and entertaining conversations about history, social justice, pop culture, business, music, and sports, with a dash of politics from time to time. So political...ish.

Listen and subscribe!

Today we talk to the scariest nice person Q has ever met: Aspen Ladd, number three ranked bantamweight in the UFC. We discuss her quiet intensity, her rocket-like rise in MMA - from amateur to the UFC - her thoughts on her competitors, and the rigors of the weight cuts. But we also spend time on her love of dogs, and how her branding now is preparing her for a post-fight career.

Today we bring you the story of Michelle Cummiskey: the Batgirl, a powerful true crime story whose details have never been released to the public. Listen as we chart the tragic course of a young girl's life on the run. Drugs, parties, and men were her focus. Until, at only 19, she planned the brutal murder of a man who simply believed she cared for him when she only had eyes for his red Mercedes 450SL…

Q has spent decades mastering the ins and outs of CA politics but politics isn’t his sole focus, and he knows it’s not yours either. Political-ish looks outside the realm of politics for insightful and entertaining conversations about history, social justice, pop culture, business, music, and sports, with a dash of politics from time to time. So political...ish.

Listen and subscribe!

Today we bring you the story of Michelle Cummiskey: the horrific murderer known as Batgirl.

This is a powerful, complex and brutal true crime that captivated the US and shook Northern California while the mysterious Batgirl was on the run -but then was all but forgotten after her capture.

Today we have the Sacramento Detective, John Cabrera that investigated the crime, brought her back from Louisiana and saw that she answered for her crimes

Cabrera gives us details and pictures that have never been released to the public. Listen as we chart the tragic course of an athletic and attractive young girl's origins and her life on the run. Drugs, parties, and men were her focus. Until, at only 19, she planned the brutal murder of a man who simply believed she cared for him when she only had eyes for his red Mercedes 450SL…

Q has spent decades mastering the ins and outs of CA politics but politics isn’t his sole focus, and he knows it’s not yours either. Political-ish looks outside the realm of politics for insightful and entertaining conversations about history, social justice, pop culture, business, music, and sports, with a dash of politics from time to time. So political...ish.