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PODCAST

Political Breakdown

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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All Episodes

26:07

Newsom’s Final Push: Wildfire Liability

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/28

As one of his last acts as governor, Gavin Newsom is trying to tackle the ongoing wildfire crisis, pitting regular Californians, including fire survivors, against utility and insurance companies. There’s a midnight deadline for any legislative action. Marisa and Guy sort out why Newsom picked up this political hot potato.Then, they discuss movement in two big court cases this week. The California Supreme Court heard arguments in the dispute over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s unprecedented

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31:09

Lorena Gonzalez on Labor’s Big Fights: AI and...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/27

Lorena Gonzalez heads up the powerful California Federation of Labor Unions, making her one of the most prominent voices for working people in the state. The group represents more than 1,300 unions and 2.3 million workers in sectors including manufacturing, retail, construction, hospitality, healthcare and entertainment.One of the federation’s priorities in Sacramento this year is Artificial Intelligence policy. In the final days of the legislative session, Marisa sits down with Gonzalez to talk

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28:24

The Latest on LA’s Messy Mayor’s Race

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/25

In the Los Angeles mayoral election, incumbent Karen Bass is facing off against City Councilmember Nithya Raman, pitting two former allies against one another.The contest captured national attention this spring in large part because of the candidacy of former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who was embraced by national MAGA figures. Despite that attention, he failed to make it into the runoff. Since then, the race has gotten messier. A polling firm fabricated a survey showing Bass leading Raman by

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26:05

Why AIPAC Got Involved in the Race to Succeed Swalwell

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/22

Progressive California lawmaker Aisha Wahab defeated BART Board President Melissa Hernandez in the special election to serve the remainder of former East Bay Representative Eric Swalwell’s term. Wahab’s victory comes despite millions spent by pro-Israeli lobbying group AIPAC to defeat her and support her more moderate Democratic opponent, Hernandez.Marisa and Guy sit down with San Francisco Chronicle senior politics writer Joe Garofoli to talk about why this race got so much attention from AIPAC

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31:00

The WNBA Has a Politics Problem

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/21

American sports have always been political. But it seems like now more than ever, the WNBA has become a hyperfixation for the right wing. Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark have emerged as avatars for Conservatives, while the White House seems intent on stoking the flames of the culture wars that have erupted over race, gender and sexual orientation.Marisa sits down with Howard Bryant, sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, to talk about the latest dustups, who’s

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28:04

Prop. 43 Would Make it Harder to Raise Local Taxes....

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/19

This November, California voters will consider Proposition 43 — a measure aimed at making it harder for cities and counties to raise local taxes. It’s sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. That’s the anti-tax group that brought California Proposition 13 in 1978, a landmark ballot measure limiting property tax increases.Marisa sits down with the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, Jon Coupal. They discuss Prop. 43 and California’s broader tax system. Check out

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27:11

New Polling Sheds Light on November Ballot

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/14

New Berkeley IGS polling came out this week that sheds light on how Californians are thinking about November’s big ticket ballot items — including the controversial billionaire tax. Marisa is joined by Melanie Mason, California Bureau Chief and co-author of Politico’s California Playbook. They talk about the latest polling, plus Xavier Becerra’s lead over Steve Hilton in the governor’s race.Then, they discuss the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which Attorney General Rob Bonta has blocked, and why

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31:54

The Tech Billionaires' 'War on Democracy'

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/13

Silicon Valley’s most rich and powerful technologists are trying to end democracy in favor of a corporate-run authoritarian world order. That’s what Gil Durán warns in his new book “The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy.”Marisa sits down with the journalist and former Democratic political advisor to discuss how tech billionaires — including Peter Thiel and Elon Musk — are contributing to the rise of what he dubs “tech fascism,” and what we can do to fight back. Check out

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31:06

Could Trump Actually Subvert the Midterms?

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/11

The Trump administration is facing increased scrutiny over its use of federal agencies, such as the FBI and DHS, to reshape how our elections are run. That’s raising concerns that it could be harder for some eligible Americans to vote in the midterm elections.Marisa sits down with David Becker, a former federal prosecutor and Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, to talk about where things stand ahead of November and what voters can expect. Check out

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22:55

What Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan Primary Win Means for...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/07

The California billionaire tax measure picked up major endorsements this week from the state Democratic Party and the California Labor Federation. The proposal to issue a one-time, 5% tax on the assets of the state’s billionaires has split Democrats, echoing deeper divides in the party ahead of a consequential midterm election. Guy Marzorati and the San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer Joe Garofoli discuss Prop. 40’s growing momentum and what Gov. Gavin Newsom’s continuing opposition

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35:00

Mayor Todd Gloria on San Diego’s Wins and Setbacks

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/06

Marisa sits down with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who’s in his sixth year leading California’s second largest city. Gloria’s tenure has been marked by ambition, but it also shows how hard it is to implement the policies he previously pushed with colleagues in the state Legislature.Gloria was also recently elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, putting him on the front lines of battles between the Trump administration and local governments. Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly

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35:23

Trump Claimed Our Election System is Vulnerable. Then...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/08/04

Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America.President Donald Trump repeatedly claims that the American election system is vulnerable and easily compromised. He has gone after electronic voting machines and ballot-counting systems, alleged that more than 250,000 noncitizens are on the voter rolls of four states and claimed foreign interference in the 2020 election from countries like China. Marisa is joined by NPR correspondent Shannon Bond to parse out the

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30:00

Who Pays for Wildfire Damage? And Other Fights...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/31

The state Legislature returns to Sacramento from summer recess on Monday, and they’ll face big questions about California’s messy energy transition. Who should bear the cost of damaging wildfires? How should the state prioritize its shrinking climate fund? What regulations should they impose on the rapid buildout of AI data centers?Guy discusses all that with two contributors to Politico’s California Currents newsletter: California environment reporter Camille von Kaenel and California energy

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42:58

Dave vs. Goliath: The Union Man Behind CA's...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/30

Dave Regan built his career fighting for the underdog. Now he’s taking on California’s billionaires.Regan leads SEIU-UHW, a union representing more than 120,000 healthcare workers in the state. He’s known for taking on the state’s most powerful interests and using ballot initiatives as leverage to force negotiations. His latest proposal is a controversial billionaire wealth tax on the November ballot that has split the labor community and Democratic party in California. The measure aims to offset

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39:36

Voter Suppression Didn’t Start with Trump. A...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/28

This week, President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow him to implement an executive order aimed at making it much harder to vote by mail. The order would direct the Department of Homeland Security to create “state citizenship lists” of eligible voters and require the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to people on those lists.It’s part of the president’s ongoing attacks on the election system. Political Breakdown has been examining election integrity in America

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24:58

Newsom Says Return to Office, Fall in Love?

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/24

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order requiring state workers to return to office four days a week took effect this month. The governor says it’s about battling a “crisis of loneliness” and wanting people to “develop relationships, friendships, fall in love.” But the mandate has been met with protests and lawsuits, putting him at odds with California’s powerful public employee labor unions. Marisa and Guy talk with CapRadio politics reporter Laura Fitzgerald about why Newsom is picking this fight and

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31:31

The Roadblocks on Democrats’ Path to Retaking the...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/23

The party in power in Washington, D.C. typically heads into a midterm election at a disadvantage. Democrats are favored to retake the House this fall, but the Democratic party brand is still deeply unpopular with voters. Plus, a national redistricting battle and recent Supreme Court case changing how party committees can spend money chip away at the party’s advantage. Marisa sits down with Guy and CalMatters politics reporter Maya C. Miller to check in on the state of play for congressional races

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35:55

The California County at the Center of the Election...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/21

Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America.Shasta County has been ground zero in California’s fight over election security. Election officials took control of the deep red county’s Board of Supervisors and elections office. Although some of those officials lost reelection bids in June, voters also passed a ballot measure to overhaul how the county runs elections, including eliminating mail-in voting and requiring voter ID and hand-counting ballots. That

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25:25

Trump Targets California's Elections in Primetime...

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/17

President Donald Trump used a primetime speech Thursday night to cast doubt on the integrity of America’s election system. He claimed that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote in California and other Democratic-led states.He also attacked the Golden State's primary election for governor and Los Angeles mayor as an "example of the insanity." Marisa and Guy dig into the president's claims and the lack of evidence for them. Then, they discuss a new statewide poll showing

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35:29

The Politics of Data Centers

Political Breakdown ·

2026/07/16

Nearly half of U.S. House Democrats voted yesterday to eliminate $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Israel. Although the amendment failed 314-104, it revealed a sea change in the party’s views on U.S.-Israel relations. Marisa and Guy discuss the trends behind which members voted yes, no or present and how Republicans are capitalizing on this party split. Then, Marisa talks with Wired senior reporter Molly Taft about the politics of data centers. The construction of hyperscale data

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