Political Breakdown

The Political Breakdown team is in Chicago for day two of the Democratic National Convention. This evening, the party is holding a ceremonial roll call to officially nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee, though she secured that nomination in an online vote nearly two weeks ago.On today's show, Scott and Marisa bring together some of Harris’ old friends and colleagues to reminisce, share stories and give us a deeper understanding of the woman who is hoping to become the 47th president of the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the first day of the Democratic National Convention, taking place in Chicago, Illinois. The Political Breakdown team is at the convention all week, and today, Scott and Marisa sit down with California Senator Laphonza Butler. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Butler to the Senate last year following the death of Dianne Feinstein, but Butler will not seek election to a full term this year. Butler helped run Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign and shares what a Harris presidency would mean for her and her family.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To wrap up our weeklong series examining what a Kamala Harris presidency might look like, Marisa and Scott talk with Jazmine Ulloa, national politics reporter for The New York Times. They dig into Harris' potential immigration policy plans, which remain top of mind in this race for voters and a line of attack for Harris' opponents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With just days left before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Political Breakdown continues our series examining what a potential Kamala Harris presidency would look like. Today, Marisa and Scott are digging to the issue voters say is number one for them: the economy.Just hours ago, Vice President Harris appeared alongside President Joe Biden to tout a new deal with drug companies to bring down costs on 10 commonly used drugs for Medicare recipients. Tomorrow, Harris is expected to roll out more details of her broader economic agenda in a speech in North Carolina.To talk about what we know so far about Harris' economic plans and her record, Marisa and Scott are joined by Alan Rappeport, economic policy reporter for The New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The next U.S. president will likely inherit wars in Ukraine and Gaza, along with complicated relationships with China and Russia. As vice president, Kamala Harris has mostly supported Biden Administration policies, but how would she recalibrate those positions if she is elected president?Political Breakdown continues their series digging into what a Harris administration might look like. Today, Scott and Marisa talk about foreign policy with Eric Bazail-Eimil, national security reporter and co-writer of POLITICO's "National Security Daily." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Breakdown continues our week-long series looking at how Vice President Kamala Harris would tackle a range of major issues if she’s elected president. Today, Scott and Marisa talk with Grist's Zoya Teirstein about how a Harris administration would handle climate change and environmental protection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would a Kamala Harris presidency look like and how would her policies differ from President Biden? Just three weeks after Harris got into the race and ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Political Breakdown team is spending all week analyzing what we know about the vice president’s policy agenda.To kick us off, Marisa and Scott talk with NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, who's traveling with Harris as she campaigns across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll from the San Francisco Chronicle shows Mayor London Breed with surprising strength against four main challengers, with former Supervisor Mark Farrell in second followed by non-profit founder Daniel Lurie.Plus, a rare political move in Sacramento: A state senator representing a rural part of California announces an abrupt switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San Francisco voters will choose their next mayor this November, and we are going to bring you interviews with all of the top candidates. Today, Marisa and Scott sit down with former interim mayor and supervisor Mark Farrell, who discusses his German heritage, growing up and raising kids in the city; along with his plans for policing and encampment sweeps. We want to hear your questions! If you have a burning question that you want us to ask the mayoral candidates, you can send us an email: politicalbreakdown@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The presidential election is dividing big money donors from across the political spectrum in Silicon Valley. Although some prominent venture capitalists are backing Kamala Harris, there are a handful of other tech billionaires who have recently thrown their support behind former President Donald Trump. Scott discusses this campaign battle over deep pockets in Silicon Valley with the Washington Post's Trisha Thadani. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices