Political Breakdown KQED
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Join hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos as they unpack the day in politics with a California perspective. Featuring interviews with reporters and other insiders involved in the craft of politics—including elected officials, candidates, pollsters, campaign managers, fundraisers, and other political players—Political Breakdown pulls back the curtain to offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics works today.
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Oregon Decriminalized Drug Possession. Now It’s Reversing Course
In 2020, Oregon voters passed a first-in-the-nation law to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. The idea behind Measure 110 was that the criminal justice system was not the place to steer people away from drugs and deal with a user's addiction. But now, Measure 110 is widely blamed for the spike in overdose deaths in Oregon and a worsening homeless crisis. Earlier this month, the legislature sent a bill to the governor to recriminalize drug possession.
Scott is joined by Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Conrad Wilson to talk about Oregon's U-turn on decriminalizing drugs and what it might say about California's efforts to fight fentanyl use and overdose deaths. -
SF Voters Give Police More Power – How Will That Affect Public Safety?
The March primary signaled a shift toward the middle of the political spectrum, as San Francisco voters approved Mayor London Breed’s measures to empower the SF police and screen public assistance recipients for drugs.
Scott is joined by Marisa and KQED's Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez to talk about what this means for public safety and the San Francisco mayor's race, where Breed faces a growing field of challengers. -
How Assembly Speaker Rivas’ Rural Farmworker Background Affects His Leadership Style
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is coming up on one year as leader of the lower house. Rivas joins Marisa and Scott to talk about what he's learned and his priorities as the state faces a budget deficit.
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Trump Mocks Biden’s Stutter, Prompting Advocates Into Action
President Joe Biden has been open about dealing with a stutter that sometimes trips him up during public speaking. But when former President Donald Trump mocked Biden’s stutter at a rally in Georgia this week, a San Francisco-based stuttering advocate launched a public relations campaign urging people with stutters to come forward
Marisa and Scott are joined by Maya Chupkov, a stuttering activist and host of the podcast Proud Stutter. -
Why Women Are Making Big Gains in the State Legislature
2024 has been a very mixed year for women in state politics. California is poised to have two male U.S. Senators for the first time since 1992, and men are replacing several women in the state’s congressional delegation. However, women still made gains in Sacramento. Scott and Marisa talk about the record numbers of women representing their districts in the California State Legislature with Susannah Delano, executive director of Close the Gap, which helps elect women to office.
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Is “Panera-Gate” a Real Scandal Or Politics As Usual?
The process of creating laws is under new scrutiny after a political ally of Gov. Gavin Newsom – the owner of the Panera Bread chain – appeared to benefit from an exemption in a new state law taking effect next month that will raise the hourly wages of fast food workers to $20 an hour.
Finding out exactly how the exemption got into the legislation was complicated after it was revealed that a major labor union required negotiators working on the bill to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Now a Republican lawmaker is trying to ban NDAs in lawmaking.
Scott talks with Chris Micheli, a registered lobbyist and former general counsel for the California Manufacturers Association, about the use of NDAs in drafting state legislation.
Customer Reviews
Insightful podcast
Smart, sharp, timely and on point. Marisa, Scott and guests do the work to get you what you need and want. I’m a fan.
Your Mom has been voting longer than you, I assume
My first time listening to your show, I learn that journalist of your generation think that their mother doesn’t know anything about politics. Please note that people my age and my mother’s age are the bulk of voters in America. We live and breathe politics for the sake of the generation inheriting this world. You don’t need to dumb down your explanations of ballot measures for us.
Shasta County
Do not disrespectfully talk about the choices we’ve been making in Shasta County. We choose to go a different route, and it has already began to change our county for the good.