Political Breakdown

As Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency guts the federal workforce, Tesla’s electric cars have a major brand problem, triggering protests at Tesla dealerships and reports of vandalism of Tesla cars. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the fallout and the Trump administration's response. Plus, Democrats are buzzing over journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's book "Abundance," which spells out how liberals have become their own worst enemy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats are trying to figure out a way forward after their bruising ballot box defeat last fall. Some in the party are pushing for a new generation of leadership, saying the current gerontocracy hasn’t kept up with the political reality. One such person challenging the party establishment is Saikat Chakrabarti, who announced he's running for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's seat in 2026. Chakrabarti made his fortune as an engineer at the payment platform Stripe, before leaving the tech industry to enter politics. He worked for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign and helped get Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez elected to Congress, briefly serving as her chief of staff. Chakrabarti joins Marisa and Scott to offer his take on how Democrats can find their way out of the political wilderness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Republicans avoid town hall meetings with their constituents, Democrats are happily filling the void. Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna visited three Republican congressional districts this past weekend, warning that Republican cuts to Medicaid will hit them especially hard. Scott and Marisa are joined by Guy, who is in Bakersfield where he attended one of Khanna's town hall gatherings on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna has emerged as a leading voice in the Democratic party. Khanna was elected to Congress in 2016 and his district covers parts of Silicon Valley including the headquarters for companies like Elon Musk's Tesla factory. Khanna has emerged as a different kind of Democrat: an economic populist who criticizes his party for losing touch with its core principles while offering a path forward after last year's election. As he prepares to hold town hall meetings in three Republican congressional districts in California, Khanna talks with Scott and Marisa about his party’s future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter is running for governor in 2026. The populist consumer advocate and law professor made a name for herself in Congress, grilling CEOs with her famous "Whiteboard of Justice." However, Porter lost last year's U.S. Senate race. Porter joins Marisa and Scott to share her pitch for governor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has threatened longtime allies north and south of the border and thrown into question trans-Atlantic relations with Europe. This is the fraught diplomatic environment that the United Kingdom’s new ambassador to the U.S. Lord Peter Mandelson has just stepped into. Scott and Marisa are joined by Ambassador Mandelson to discuss the U.K.’s emerging role in Europe and dealing with President Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A much anticipated entry into the 2026 governor’s race is making waves in California. Feisty Orange County Democrat and former congress member Katie Porter jumped into an already-crowded field this week, shaking up a race where President Trump looms large. And there’s a big unknown out there … will Kamala Harris also decide to run? Scott and Marisa talk it through with Politico senior politics reporter Melanie Mason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

San José Mayor Matt Mahan has made an aggressive push to tackle homelessness in his city, including a new proposal to let police arrest people who repeatedly refuse offers of housing. Scott and Marisa sit down with the Mayor to dig into his new plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the closest House races in recent elections have been in the Central Valley. Many of those congressional districts are truly purple – including the one near Bakersfield where incumbent Republican David Valadao held on to win reelection in November. Scott and Marisa are joined by Valadao’s former chief of staff Tal Eslick, now a consultant in the Central Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new podcast by Gov. Gavin Newsom made national headlines this week when Newsom, a longtime supporter of LGBTQ rights, told his guest, right wing talk show host and social media influencer Charlie Kirk, that he thinks it’s unfair for transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports. Scott, Marisa and Guy analyze the comment, the fallout and what it says about the Democratic party’s thoughts on rebranding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During his campaign for president last year, Donald Trump consistently disavowed Project 2025, the right wing blueprint to remake the U.S. government. But since taking office, he’s been aggressively implementing many tenets of the controversial plan. Scott and Marisa discuss Trump's embracing of the plan and what it means for democracy with Ben Raderstorf, policy advocate at the nonpartisan organization Protect Democracy, which is dedicated to pushing back against authoritarianism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KQED's newest podcast, Close All Tabs, is out now! Tech journalist Morgan Sung spends most of her day online—so you don’t have to. Each week, Morgan tackles a new topic that might seem niche on the surface but is destined to impact our lives—both online and off. She pulls from experts, creators, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browser tabs as it takes to explain the cultural moment we’re all collectively living. Find Close All Tabs wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emergency shelters are often the first stop for unhoused people living on the streets. But a new investigation by CalMatters found shelters are unsafe and unsuccessful at getting residents into permanent housing. Their comprehensive review of shelter performance found a system often mired in chaos and scandals. Lead reporter Lauren Hepler joins Scott and Marisa to talk about what they found. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters in Oakland will face a big decision in April. A special election will determine who will be the city’s mayor following the recall of Sheng Thao last year. The candidates include former Congressmember Barbara Lee and former City Councilmember Loren Taylor, who almost beat Sheng Thao three years ago. They participated alongside several other candidates in a forum Wednesday night. Scott, Marisa, Guy and KQED's Alex Hall discuss the issues facing the next mayor and what's at stake for Oakland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House, Marisa and Scott check in on how a shift in U.S. policy is impacting the Ukraine-Russia War as well as Europe and America's allies more broadly. They're joined by Eric Bazail-Eimil, a national security reporter and co-author of Politico's "National Security Daily" newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats have been struggling to respond to President Trump and Elon Musk’s rampage through the federal government. But California Representative Robert Garcia has become a leading critic of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and an example of one strategy to push back. Scott talks to Garcia about his approach. Then, Scott is joined by Vox senior politics reporter Christian Paz to discuss the most effective messaging strategies. Should Democrats make a populist appeal aimed at middle class voters worried about their privacy and economic well-being? Or should they focus on a defense of the system and democratic norms? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Trump Administration continues to slash federal funding, one of San Francisco’s crown jewels is in the crosshairs. Decades ago, the Presidio National Park was converted from an Army base to public open space, housing, restaurants and non-profit organizations. Scott and Marisa discuss why Trump is trying to dissolve the Presidio Trust, which oversees the park. Then, they're joined by Guy to talk about the bill introduced by Republican lawmakers to weaken California's sanctuary laws, making it easier for law enforcement to cooperate with federal ICE agents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One month into the new Trump administration, research funds have been frozen, data has been taken down and scientific discourse censored. Now, with vaccine skeptics in positions of incredible power, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the future of scientific research and healthcare access appears uncertain. Marisa and Scott discuss the state of American science with The Atlantic staff writer Katherine Wu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Republicans have laid out a blueprint for the first federal budget under President Trump’s second administration. It calls for massive tax cuts, lifting the debt ceiling and deep cuts to programs like Medicaid. Scott and Marisa talk with New York Times congressional correspondent Catie Edmondson about the politics of cutting programs for low-income Americans to pay for tax cuts for the richest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Kamala Harris considers her political future, including a possible run for governor of California, allies of President Trump are also weighing a bid for the Golden State's top job. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the campaign from Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and possibly Trump's national security envoy Richard Grenell. Plus, are we seeing an inflection point on the Bay Area's response to homelessness? Decisions in San José and Fremont suggest local governments are taking more aggressive measures to remove encampments in public spaces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices