Political Breakdown

Assemblymember Laura Friedman is all but guaranteed a seat in Congress next year, after she beat out a very crowded field in Representative Adam Schiff’s LA district and landed a spot in the November runoff. She joins Scott and Marisa to talk about her career in politics, which she entered in her 40s after a career in film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic pollster Ben Tulchin helped guide the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020. Now he’s sounding the alarm about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent race for president and his concern that Kennedy could pull support — especially among young and Latino voters – from President Joe Biden.Scott and Marisa chat with Ben Tulchin about the Kennedy candidacy and what his own battleground polls tell him about the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The State Supreme Court today heard a case that could have a profound impact on app-based companies like Uber and Lyft as well as on their drivers. Proposition 22, which was passed by voters four years ago, allowed gig companies to reclassify workers as self-employed contractors, rather than employees. Now the state Supreme Court will decide whether to uphold the law, strike it down or strip out part and leave the rest intact.Scott and Marisa are joined by Brandon Stracener, an attorney in private practice and a senior research fellow at the California Constitution Center at Berkeley Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Republican Party wrapped up its state convention in Burlingame on Sunday. It was a low-key gathering that focused on winning congressional and state legislative seats that are in play while also trying to undo the impact of Donald Trump’s message that voting by mail can’t be trusted. State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones spoke with Scott and Marisa on Friday about his party’s struggle for statewide relevance, the loss of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The California Republican Party is holding a statewide convention this weekend in Burlingame. Scott, Marisa and Guy are at the convention talking with delegates, elected leaders and party officials about the fall election and their strategy for holding onto congressional seats in purple districts. 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 are kicking things off with District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. Safaí, an Iranian immigrant with a master's in city planning, was elected to represent portions of the Excelsior, Outer Mission and OMI neighborhoods in 2016. 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 American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, has long been regarded as one of the most powerful advocacy groups in Washington. Their goal: support candidates who are strongly pro-Israel and oppose those they feel are are too critical. The October 7th attack by Hamas and Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza have intensified AIPAC’s political activities and its involvement in the 2024 election. Scott and Marisa discuss the role AIPAC plays in U.S. policy and politics with Joan Greve, senior political reporter for Guardian US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s day two of Michael Cohen’s testimony about Donald Trump’s hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. As the prosecution begins to dig into Cohen’s story and motivations, Scott and Marisa talk with Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson about the trial so far, the legal strategies on both sides and how the jury might be interpreting it all.Check out Levinson's weekly podcast, Passing Judgment, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised state budget tackles a total deficit of $45 billion, including cuts made earlier this year. The governor is proposing to spread the pain widely, with cuts to programs ranging from healthcare and scholarships for the middle class to climate change initiatives he supports. Scott, Marisa and Guy hash out the winners and losers in the May Revise budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott and Marisa remember a Republican maverick: former Bay Area Congressman Pete McCloskey. He fought for the environment, helped write the Endangered Species Act, opposed the Vietnam War and was the first House Republican to call for Nixon’s impeachment. McCloskey died this week at age 96.Then, KQED politics reporter Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez joins to talk with Scott and Marisa about the race for mayor of San Francisco. Mayor London Breed is facing several strong challengers as she struggles to convince voters she’s turning around the city she’s led for six years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices