Hannah-Beth Jackson on Oil Spill Politics and Boardroom Diversity

Over the holidays, we’re rebroadcasting some of our favorite interviews from 2025. After Alameda County recalled progressive District Attorney Pamela Price last year, the Board of Supervisors appointed Superior Court Judge Ursula Jones Dickson to replace her. Since taking office, Jones Dickson has reversed some of her predecessor’s more liberal policies toward prosecutions. She joins Scott in studio to talk about her approach to criminal justice and public safety and the threat of President Trump’s troop deployment to Oakland.  Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year in politics, President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco received new mayors and a redistricting battle reshaped the state’s congressional map. Scott and Marisa are joined by the San Francisco Chronicle's senior political writer Joe Garofoli to analyze the year's top political stories. Plus, they look ahead to 2026, when the race of governor of California heats up and competitive midterm elections will determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pardon power gives U.S. presidents an unusual and extraordinary tool, one that most former presidents have used sparingly and with an eye on potential political fallout. President Donald Trump, however, has used the power to pardon political allies and supporters, January 6 seditionists and an international drug trafficker. Liz Oyer, who served for three years as a pardon attorney for the Department of Justice, says these remarkable pardons are all part of a larger plan to corrupt the American justice system. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is home to some of the most productive agricultural land in the country, but it could not operate without the hundreds of thousands of farmworkers who harvest the food. Los Angeles Times reporter Brittny Mejia spent three days harvesting mini watermelons and cantaloupes alongside California farmworkers. She joins Scott to discuss the backbreaking work and what she learned from conversations about their lives and growing fears of ICE raids. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With federal health care subsidies set to expire, Democrats are pushing to make next year’s midterm elections a referendum on Republicans’ approach to health care. Part of their strategy is recruiting doctors to run for office in 2026. Scott and Marisa talk with Guy about this tactic and how it's playing out in two key California congressional races.   Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump is using National Guard troop deployments to pressure cities and counties into following his conservative agenda. But attorney Jill Habig says he is also using the federal pursestrings to bend them to his will. That's why she founded the Oakland-based Public Rights Project to take on the administration, fighting in court on behalf of those cities and counties that have seen their policies challenged, funding cut or even troops deployed to their streets. Habig joins Marisa and Scott in studio to discuss their lawsuits and strategy.  Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration is cracking down on street homelessness by directing funding away from permanent supportive housing toward short-term programs with work and employment requirements. If the funding cuts go through, it would be a major setback for the Housing First movement, which prioritizes getting people into housing without preconditions. Policy experts also worry about the impact on agencies that recognize transgender people and use harm reduction practices.  However, lawsuits filed by cities, states and non-profit organizations seem to be giving the administration second thoughts. Scott is joined by Erin Baldassari, KQED's senior editor of housing affordability. Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first meeting since billionaire and climate activist Tom Steyer joined the race, the top candidates for governor of California participated in a forum hosted by the California State Association of Counties. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss the highlights from the forum, which Marisa moderated.  Then, they discuss a major step forward in Mayor Daniel Lurie's plan to jumpstart housing construction in San Francisco.  Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does femininity look like in the Republican MAGA world? Every presidential administration has its own aesthetic style, and in President Donald Trump's administration, female allies and cabinet members have embraced what's called Mar-a-Lago face. Marisa and Scott are joined by Vox senior correspondent Constance Grady to discuss what the MAGA aesthetic is, where it came from and how it fits in with the traditional role many conservatives say women should play.  Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since President Trump appointed him as the White House artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar, Silicon Valley venture capitalist David Sacks has been in a position to drive policy in both emerging technologies. And according to recent reporting by the New York Times, Sacks has helped formulate policies that benefit him and his tech friends. Scott and Marisa are joined by New York Times reporter Ryan Mac, who was part of the team revealing Sacks' conflicts of interest.  Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices