Political Breakdown

Updated: 11 Jul 2025 • 635 episodes
www.kqed.org/podcasts/politicalbreakdown

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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In November, Orange County Congressman Derek Tran became the first Vietnamese American to represent Little Saigon in Washington, D.C. Tran barely defeated Republican incumbent Michelle Steel, helping Democrats flip three California House seats from red to blue. We revisit a conversation from May, when Scott and Marisa

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In the last election, voters with college degrees leaned heavily toward Kamala Harris. But most voters without a degree backed President Trump. It’s not just about policy. It’s about pride, identity, and who feels like they’re on your side. Republicans are speaking directly to working-class values like hard work, tradi

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President Trump’s megabill is now law and it’s sending shockwaves through California’s healthcare system. The legislation makes major cuts to Medicaid, known here as Medi-Cal, which covers about one in three Californians.  Supporters say the bill reins in government spending. But critics warn it could shutter hospitals

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Today marks the start of a new fiscal year in California, and the budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom is going into effect now that the legislature met his demands for a major overhaul of California’s landmark environmental bill. Newsom and others have long seen the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, as

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It’s crunch time in the state Capitol, with a new fiscal year starting Tuesday. However, the legislature blew past its legally mandated June 15th deadline to approve a spending plan and is continuing to negotiate with Governor Gavin Newsom until the last minute. Marisa and Guy are joined by KCRA 3's California Capitol

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It's officially summer, which for many Americans means camping and hiking in national parks. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, there's been a lot of upheaval in and around our federal open spaces, from budget cuts to proposals to sell off public lands. Marisa is joined by the San Francisco Chronicle'

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