National Review's Radio Free California Podcast

National Review
  • 4.8 (696)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A show about the perilous state of the Golden State—and what that means for you, wherever you live. California is the hothouse lab of the Left, the nation-state creating the statist policies, art, and lifestyles of the future – and generating the political dollars to make them a reality in a community near you. Hosts Will Swaim (California Policy Center) and David Bahnsen (The Bahnsen Group, Fox Business News commentator, conservative activist) beam this weekly show internationally, from mostly undisclosed pirate-radio platforms west of the Sierra Nevada. [Intro music graciously provided by Los Angeles-based Metalachi, the metal/mariachi soundtrack of the near-future. Find them at Metalachi.com.]

  1. Episode 431: Mission to Munich!

    3D AGO

    Episode 431: Mission to Munich!

    In his tour of the Munich Security Conference, Governor Gavin Newsom held himself up as a global leader on policies most European nations abandoned decades ago. David and Will also discuss: the impact of the U.S. EPA’s announcement that it will no longer follow the Obama-era “endangerment finding” on carbon emissions, San Francisco skier Eileen Gu’s decision to represent China in the Olympics, State Senator Scott Wiener’s failure to keep up with climate science, and how Newsom’s Prop. 50 may silence at least one of the brightest conservative voices in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bonus: Lance Christensen breaks down Newsom's attempted takeover of the state Department of Education. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: The Bahnsen Group Opens News Silicon Valley OfficeWill on NPR: Texas Dems are stuck on identity politics with Senate race at stakeCPC hiring: Director of development We Need to Tax the Rich. Are Unions Going About it the Right Way in California?Nobody wants to step on the gas (tax)Sam Darnold’s insane California tax bill stunningly exceeds Super Bowl winningsCalifornia Jock Tax Calculator Boomer Esiason suggests barring California from Hosting Super BowlVP Vance to lead California anti-fraud task force: reportMunich Security Conference: Governor Newsom reinforces climate partnerships as Donald Trump abandons long-standing American alliesLee Zeldin’s EPA Liberates American IndustryDonald Trump declares the Republican Party the pro-pollution partyWiener Watch! New bill aims to allow California AG to sue oil companies for disaster costsSoCal Edison files lawsuit over Eaton Fire, alleging LA County, other utilities are also to blameJudge clears way for mega lawsuit blaming LA and California for deadly Palisades FireEileen Gu’s Terrible ChoiceKiley says he’s weighing challenge to McClintock. He’s already launched an opening salvo.Lance Christensen: A Strangely Good Few Weeks in Education State Superintendent Tony Thurmond on the power struggle over public schools | California Politics 360Number of the Week: Teacher strike votes are risingTeachers Unions Get DesperateTeachers email parents demanding they don’t homeschool kids – as San Francisco strike grinds into a third dayUS Secretary of Ed Linda McMahon: Teachers shouldn't have to bankroll unionsUnderstanding SFUSD’s $1.4B budget: How teachers and the district come up with different numbersLAUSD will vote on layoffs amid budget challenges, declining enrollment UTLA planning documents appear to advocate for use of school resources as ‘form of resistance’ against ICEGen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduatesUC San Diego Finds One In Eight Freshmen Lack High-School Math SkillsThe tide goes out on youth gender medicine Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    2h 1m

  2. FEB 9

    Episode 430: Newsom Goes Soviet-Style

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has emerged with new false claims about the success of his high-speed rail project -- and a creepy legislative proposal to classify as secret any rail-project document that might “harm the interests of the state.” Bonuses! Freshman State Assemblyman David Tangipa tears into the Newsom budget, and Red State editor and investigative reporter Jennifer Van Laar reveals the next chapter in Fresno’s secret Chinese bio lab. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes California job market ranks among the weakest of the weak nationwideLabor leaders blast Gavin Newsom over AI, demand more regulationJonathan Turley: Grandstanding Newsom will stop at nothing to ride the rails to glory in 2028State leaders propose to keep some California high-speed rail information secretA top Democrat wants to know if California laws are working. Lawmakers get to pick which onesThrow everything at the wall, see what sticksGun-wielding LA protester aims at feds then vanishes under pepper-ball fireFederal workers face daily harassment by ruthless agitators in DTLA: ‘War zone every day’Coalition rallies to defend Cypress Park day labor center amid disputed Home Depot eviction threatNew twist in mayor’s race makes election a referendum on L.A.’s futurePension costs make tax- and fee-hike frenzy at City Hall the new normOvertime costs were skyrocketing. San Diego police say they have reined it in.An ex-Fresno Arts Council employee is under investigation in $1.5 million embezzlement case, city sources sayA Bay Area downtown faces a reckoning as tides riseHow bad was California’s ‘Great Flood’ of 1862? It was a torrent of horrorsAssemblyman David Tangipa on the state budget Official websiteJen Van Laar on the worst Airbnb in America  Illegal Chinese Biolab Used As Airbnb, Made Several Deathly Ill; Defendant Owns Multiple Homes in NV, CAFeds Seize 1000 Samples From Illegal CCP Biolab in Las Vegas Owned by Defendant in Reedley Case Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 54m
  3. Episode 429: Gavin Newsom, the Therapeutic Candidate

    FEB 3

    Episode 429: Gavin Newsom, the Therapeutic Candidate

    In his forthcoming autobiography, Gavin Newsom beats his critics to the punch with a deep dive into his troubled personality. Bonus track: attorney general candidate Michael Gates. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Shawn Bell, “Exploring California’s Historic Landmarks”Will on NPR’s “Left, Right & Center”Who Funds the Groups Harassing ICE Agents in Minnesota? The Left's Premier Foundations and Dark Money Networks Have Given Millions, Records Show.The Public-Sector Union Behind L.A.’s Immigration AgitationWhere do Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton stand on public sector unions?50 people arrested hours after hundreds gathered for another anti-ICE protest in DTLAReid Hoffman: Silicon Valley can’t be neutral any longerNative American tribe that owns land under Billie Eilish’s LA mansion has message for virtue-signaling singerEllen DeGeneres shops for new mansion same day she calls for ICE buying boycottHundreds of Sacramento high school students walk out of class to protest ICESB-955 Pupil attendance: excused absences: civic or political events.LAUSD teachers union members authorize strike, ratcheting up pressure on contract talksSan Diego teachers plan first strike in 30 years over issues with staffing and services for special educationSan Francisco school workers are the latest California educators to authorize a strikeTwin Rivers Unified teachers vote for a strike. Here’s when it could happenNeighbors say a machete-wielding man is terrorizing their local park. S.F. has no idea what to do about itGavin Newsom Is Setting His Own RulesGavin Newsom opens the oppo book in his new memoirCalifornia Republicans oppose mileage-based fee proposalReason Foundation’s 2025 report on US state road conditionsEpstein files reveal emails between Ghislaine Maxwell, L.A. Olympics boss Casey Wasserman. He expresses regret Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 30m
  4. Episode 428: Minnesota and the Battle of Century City

    JAN 27

    Episode 428: Minnesota and the Battle of Century City

    In Minneapolis, Trump walked into a trap designed by California union activists and perfected in their bloody showdown with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1990: Provoke law enforcement into violent behavior, broadcast the images, and win political concessions. In other news: Trump uses his bully pulpit to beat up Newsom on gasoline prices and wildfire relief. The Atlantic concludes Newsom’s record of failed governance won’t work with a national audience. Bonus tracks! Lance Christensen reviews Newsom’s record of failure on K–12 education, and Edward Ring says the U.S. Drought Monitor’s California reports have been wrong for 25 years. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: When police beat janitors -- but janitors won justiceThey'll always have Davos: When Donald Hung Out With GavinGavin Newsom’s Record Is a Problem (The Atlantic)Trump signs executive order for feds to take over LA’s ‘nightmare’ wildfire rebuild in huge boost for victimsTrump vows to drive down California’s sky-high gas prices to $2.50, blames Dems for tacking on enormous taxesGavin Newsom’s Big Ambulance ScamNewsom plans no new journalism funding despite $175-million funding deal with GoogleThe California Post heralds a new era for The Golden State — we will fearlessly tell you the stories that really matterKamala Harris’s Presidential Campaign Was Run by a Bunch of LunaticsJosh Shapiro Writes That Harris Team Asked if He Had Ever Been an Israeli AgentScott Wiener changes course, calls war in Gaza ‘genocide’ as House race kicks offCalifornia husband sues McDonald’s after ‘vagrant’ kills his wife in drive-thruL.A. homeless services fraud suspect spent millions on luxury lifestyle, authorities chargeRick Caruso, a Los Angeles Billionaire, Will Not Run for Office This YearCalifornia Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta opts against running for governor. AgainDon’t Be Fooled: San Jose’s Matt Mahan is No ModerateTom Steyer gets a sparkLance Christensen and Sheridan Karras on Newsom’s education failures  Newsom’s Education Legacy: Rising Costs, Declining PerformanceInsolvency by summer still threatens Sacramento school district, budget chief saysSacramento: Charter school renewal denied by Sacramento school district. What comes next?Entrance exams to end for Sac City elementary schools after mandate from stateEdward Ring and Marc Joffe on the U.S. Drought Monitor Statistical review of the United States Drought MonitorCalifornia is free of all drought, dryness for first time in 25 years. Inside the remarkable turnaroundGavin Newsom on the Drought Monitor’s report Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 53m
  5. Episode 427: Tower of Babble

    JAN 23

    Episode 427: Tower of Babble

    Governor Newsom traveled to Davos for a verbal death-match with President Trump before an audience of shocked political leaders, business execs, and economists. Back in California, Team Newsom attempts to spin a disastrous homelessness report. Will and David take a moment to celebrate R&B great Johnny Otis, born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes in Vallejo, Calif., in 1921. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes Johnny Otis, “Willie and the Hand Jive”The Grateful Dead, “Willie and the Hand Jive”Newsom tells world leaders their response to Trump is ‘pathetic’World leaders in Davos must stand up to Trump. This is their chanceNewsom accuses White House of blocking speech as US officials sling mud in DavosIs Gavin Newsom really turning the corner on homelessness?Why the Tech World Thinks the American Dream Is DyingTrade spat deepns uncertainty for U.S. tech business Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    56 min
  6. Episode 426: Newsom’s On-Again, Off-Again Wall Street Romance

    JAN 14

    Episode 426: Newsom’s On-Again, Off-Again Wall Street Romance

    In his annual State of the State address, Governor Gavin Newsom blamed “private equity firms in Manhattan” for the state’s housing crisis, and then credited the rise in tech stocks with saving the state budget. In other news: Julie Su is now New York City’s problem, State Senator Scott Wiener wants San Francisco to confiscate Pacific Gas & Electric because the city has done so well with the open-air drug trade, and California AG Rob Bonta is on a losing streak in federal court. Bonus! Finance analyst Marc Joffe joins to discuss the political role of Service Employees International Union beyond its 2026 wealth tax. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes Newsom overcomes unease, dyslexia to deliver a sterling State of the State addressGavin Newsom calls for California to limit home buying by large investorsNew California Rent Laws Going Into Effect in 2026AI windfall helps California narrow projected $3-billion budget deficitNewsom Vows to Stop Proposed Billionaire Tax in CaliforniaGarry Tan on XMamdani Picks Rafael Espinal to Lead New York’s Film OfficeCalifornia Should Stop Forcing Drivers to Subsidize DeforestationHow would San Francisco take over PG&E assets?California Drops Lawsuit Over $4 Billion Federal Cut to High-Speed Rail ProjectHalted: Federal Judge Blocks Enforcement of California’s Newly Enacted Labor LawNinth Circuit strikes down California urban open-carry banMarc Joffe on SEIU The Union that May Have Broken CaliforniaWhat to Do with California’s Billionaire Tax Proceeds Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 42m
  7. Episode 425: The White House Is Newsom’s to Lose

    JAN 8

    Episode 425: The White House Is Newsom’s to Lose

    California is in chaos: wildfires, unemployment fraud, a train to nowhere, high energy costs, lousy public education, and a California exodus that includes billionaires and working people piling their personal effects into U-Haul trailers bound for Texas. David and Will discuss why none of that will likely matter in 2028. Bonus! Will travels back nearly 500 years to the rise and fall of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo -- the first European to set foot in California and to be buried there. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: One year after the LA fires, survivors' big question: Where's the accountability?Northern California, Bay Area leaders react to strikes on Venezuela, Maduro's captureSEIU’s coy X post (facto)The Legislative Analyst’s Office analysis of the billionaire wealth taxDavid Sacks opens Austin office as threat of California ‘billionaire tax’ loomsSolana Co-Founder Calls California’s Proposed 5% Billionaire Tax Measure ‘Dumb’ – Warns Of Capital FlightBillionaires make strategic moves out of California ahead of proposed wealth taxU-Haul: Florida ranks 2nd for net gain of one-way customers; California last for sixth year in a rowCalifornia State Auditor’s reportWhy Gavin Newsom would crush JD Vance in 2028 The Atlantic: The Front-Runner Even more Cal State campuses will automatically admit eligible students under a new state lawA Math Horror Show at UC San Diego (ep 420)San Francisco mayor quietly signs reparations fund that could lead to $5M payments per personNew California law requires ingredient change for this grocery staple Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    58 min
  8. Emergency Episode: Federal Judge Schools California on Gender Policy [424]

    12/23/2025

    Emergency Episode: Federal Judge Schools California on Gender Policy [424]

    California Justice Center attorney Emily Rae explains Judge Roger Benitez’s blistering rebuke of California policies that encourage school officials, including teachers, to lie to parents about students’ changing gender identity. Benitez on Monday said state AG Rob Bonta's defense of those policies has constitutional law “upside down.” The judge also ordered state officials to notify parents and guardians of their constitutional right to be informed -- and of teachers to inform them -- “when the student expresses gender incongruence.” Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Judge’s Permanent Injunction in Mirabelli v OlsonJudge’s legal opinion in Mirabelli Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    30 min
  9. Episode 423: The End of the Year As We Know It

    12/23/2025

    Episode 423: The End of the Year As We Know It

    In their annual Year in Review, David and Will consider Gavin Newsom, Donald Trump, TikTok, Sean Penn, Nathan Hochman, the Turtle Island Liberation Front, Karen Bass, Julie Hamill, the Oakland A’s, Nancy Pelosi, the Los Angeles Times, Kamala Harris, Ivanpah Solar, the SEIU, Prop 50, Leonardo DiCaprio, the Beach Boys, Julie Su, One Battle After Another, fire, AB 218, Larry Ellison, homeless people, Lyle Menendez, Bill Essayli, Zizians, ExxonMobil, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Wiener Watch, Brian Wilson, Zohran Mamdani, Lorena Gonzalez, Mayor Amy Bublak, and more. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Wildfire of the Vanities: California’s Political Model Has FailedTrump’s First 100 Days Have Shattered California’s Left-Wing IllusionsLawmakers urge $1-billion annual investments to save high-speed railSan Diego migrant shelter hailed as national model will shut down, with 100-plus layoffsGavin Newsom warms to Big Oil in climate reversal$2B California solar plant to shut down after a decade – for the most frustrating reason (Ivanpah)California’s War on Oil Finally Prompts a ResponseThe Public-Sector Union Behind L.A.’s Immigration AgitationGavin Newsom holds mirror to Maga by trolling TrumpCalifornia Approves New House Maps in a Major Win for Democrats and NewsomLarry Ellison Retakes No.3 Richest Spot From Jeff Bezos As Oracle Shares Rise On TikTok DealHarris' score-settling, elbow-throwing, bridge-burning memoirAlready thinking about the 2028 election? You’re not aloneLyle Menendez denied parole, will remain in prison along with younger brother ErikZohran Mamdani picks failed progressive Biden nominee Julie Su as top ‘economic justice’ aideCalifornia businesses bear brunt of growing unemployment benefit debtThe Pol Who Wants to Replace Pelosi Makes Her Look NormaBrian Wilson, Pop Auteur and Leader of the Beach Boys, Dies at 82L.A. Times owner says he intends to take newspaper public in coming yearD.A. to investigate claims of fraud in L.A. County’s $4-billion sex abuse settlementGavin Newsom’s Shameless Dodge on the Homeless CrisisFor L.A.’s mayor, a Palisades recovery marked by missteps, reversals and delays Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 33m
  10. Episode 422: ‘I See Trans Kids’

    12/17/2025

    Episode 422: ‘I See Trans Kids’

    In March, Gavin Newsom told the late Charlie Kirk that male athletes competing against females is “deeply unfair.” This week, on Ezra Klein's podcast, he told a very different story. Will and David discuss the great movies and misguided politics of the late Rob Reiner, and the role of Greg Bahnsen in David’s life. The FBI arrests four members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front who hoped to bomb multiple Los Angeles targets on New Year's Eve. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: The moment my life changed forever, December 12, 2025Rob Reiner was more than a Hollywood liberal. He was a sophisticated political operator.What did California’s novel approach to funding early-childhood programs achieve?Cigarette Taxes and Cigarette Smuggling by State, 2023Newsom taps former CDC leaders critical of Trump-era health policies for new initiativeStates Plan to Continue Regulating AI, Despite Trump’s OrderWells Fargo cuts 100+ Sacramento-area jobs as CEO says AI prompts ‘efficiency’Has Gavin Newsom really signed the most pro-trans bills of any governor?California orders Tahoe-Truckee schools to join CIF sports over gender lawsFBI Arrests Four Alleged Members of Pro-Palestinian Terror Cell, Foiling New Year’s Eve AttackWhat is Turtle Island? FBI foils Pro-Palestinian group terror attack planned for NYE in California Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    58 min
  11. Episode 421: Newsom to Dems: ‘Be More Normal’

    12/09/2025

    Episode 421: Newsom to Dems: ‘Be More Normal’

    Governor Gavin Newsom spent much of last week in New York City, criticizing Wall Street, Democrats, SEIU, and Trump at a New York Times books conference -- and then went begging for handouts in D.C. with predictable results. Back home in California, things got less normal. Music by Metalachi. Email Us: dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com will@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us: @DavidBahnsen @WillSwaim @TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: America 250: Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Monroe DoctrineNewsom Warns That Trump Is ‘Trying to Wreck This Country’Newsom takes it to Wall StreetGavin Newsom fires back after Halle Berry accuses him of ‘devaluing’ womenHalle Berry’s Respin HealthNewsom accuses Trump of wildfire aid snubThe Los Angeles Times Misses the Forest Fire Scandal for the TreesTo protect underage farmworkers, California expands oversight of field conditionsSFUSD escapes worst fiscal rating, but looming cuts and a strike threat cloud recoverySource: S.F. General staff raised fears about troubled patient in weeks before fatal stabbingDPH Security Services Staffing Plan ProposalSan Francisco sues nation's top food manufacturers over ultraprocessed foodsWith state pushing back, Oakland delays vote on controversial homeless encampment policyStudents push for LBCC to ditch the Viking mascot, become the Dolphins Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 3m
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4.8
out of 5
696 Ratings

About

A show about the perilous state of the Golden State—and what that means for you, wherever you live. California is the hothouse lab of the Left, the nation-state creating the statist policies, art, and lifestyles of the future – and generating the political dollars to make them a reality in a community near you. Hosts Will Swaim (California Policy Center) and David Bahnsen (The Bahnsen Group, Fox Business News commentator, conservative activist) beam this weekly show internationally, from mostly undisclosed pirate-radio platforms west of the Sierra Nevada. [Intro music graciously provided by Los Angeles-based Metalachi, the metal/mariachi soundtrack of the near-future. Find them at Metalachi.com.]

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