Political Breakdown

When President Joe Biden gave his son Hunter an unconditional pardon, there was scathing criticism, including from fellow Democrats like Governor Gavin Newsom and Senator Adam Schiff. Some criticized the president for giving President-elect Donald Trump cover to follow through on pardoning anyone from himself to the January 6th rioters. But historian and Politico Magazine contributor Joshua Zeitz disagrees and argues that Biden’s pardon is neither unique nor uniquely polarizing. Scott talks with Zeitz about the historical context of presidential pardons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the successful recall of three school board members and progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin two years ago, moderate politics have been on the rise in San Francisco. The 2024 election saw the ousting of two of the city’s most progressive supervisors. Nancy Tung is the chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and joins Scott to talk about the party's move toward the middle and a new policy on sexual assault and harassment following a string of allegations against local politicos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gail Pellerin, a seasoned Assemblymember from Santa Cruz County and chair of the Assembly Elections Committee, dives into the complexities of California's ballot counting process. She explains why accuracy trumps speed, detailing the logistical hurdles election officials face, especially with mail-in voting. Pellerin reveals the dedication required to navigate exhaustion and misinformation while ensuring every vote counts. The conversation also touches on the pressing challenges California faces, highlighting the need for innovative solutions in the election system.

Bay Area Democrats Lateefah Simon and Sam Liccardo will be among the newest members of Congress when they’re sworn in next month. The two have very different life stories, but they share a commitment to getting things done, even though Democrats will be in the minority. Simon and Liccardo join Scott in studio to discuss their agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is calling on Sheriff Christina Corpus to resign over allegations of abuse of power, conflicts of interest and using fear and retaliation to run the department. The sheriff says she’s done nothing wrong and refuses to step down from a job she was elected to. Scott talks with San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, who is leading calls to have Sheriff Corpus removed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President-elect Donald Trump is promising to enact mass deportations of people in the U.S. without documents. Scott is joined by KQED’s senior editor for immigration Tyche Hendricks to talk about how those policies could play out, how immigrant communities and legal advocacy groups are preparing and the extent to which so-called “sanctuary” laws can protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. Read more: California Is a Sanctuary State. How Much Will That Protect Immigrants From Trump's Deportation Plans? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California lawmakers began a special legislative session today to protect the state from President-elect Trump's administration on issues like immigration, climate change, abortion and gun safety. Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the special session, wants to add funding to the state Department of Justice to prepare for upcoming legal battles with Trump. Scott is joined by KQED politics correspondent Guy Marzorati, who's in Sacramento talking with lawmakers about the special session and what's on the agenda in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This holiday week, we are revisiting a series of conversations examining what a second Donald Trump term could look like. Trump focused his campaign around cracking down on immigration and promoting a more isolationist foreign policy which, he’s coined American First. Marisa and Scott spoke with Franco Ordoñez, White House Correspondent for NPR's Washington Desk about what that could all look like.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This holiday week, we are revisiting a series of conversations examining what a second Donald Trump term could look like. Marisa talks with Vann R Newkirk II, senior editor at The Atlantic and the host of the podcasts “Floodlines” and “Holy Week,” about how Trump and his allies want to change the federal government and what it would mean for civil rights and democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This holiday week, we're revisiting a series of conversations examining what a second Donald Trump term could look like. Although Trump tried to distance himself from Project 2025 during the campaign, the president-elect has already named some of its authors as members of his incoming administration. Back in July, Marisa and Scott talked with Washington Post columnist Philip Bump about what Trump and those close to him have signaled they want to do with another four years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices