California Nation

This week on the podcast, McClatchy DC reporter David Lightman joins the podcast to discuss his reporting about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Later on, Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, makes an appearance to offer his perspective on the legislation. Finally, California Sen. Kamala Harris secures the Buzz of the Week following her decision to bow out of the 2020 presidential race. Make sure to subscribe to The Sacramento Bee if you liked what you heard on today's show. Featured story by David Lightman: Wealthy Sacramento-area taxpayers benefited more from Trump tax cuts. Calculate it for yourself Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Democrats gathered in Long Beach recently for the state party's convention. With Joe Biden holding his first public rally in the area and a dozen Democratic presidential candidates on hand for the convention, we take a look at the state of the primary race and the lack of attention California has received. To support this podcast, please consider subscribing to The Sacramento Bee. Guests on this week's show include CDP Chairman Rusty Hicks (5:10), Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (14:18) and 2020 candidate Julián Castro (29:30). Host Bryan Anderson selects Kamala Harris as his Buzz of the Week, as she reflects a larger pattern across the state: Candidates devoting more of their attention to other, earlier voting states. Stories from the convention: Eric Garcetti won’t rethink running for president - unless this happens What 2020 Democrats have to say about California’s biggest issues ahead of the primary Pete Buttigieg says he’s open to sending U.S. troops to Mexico Learn more about your ad cho

Today on the podcast, we're revisiting our conversation about the Camp Fire. Make sure to watch the documentary, "When Paradise became hell" by Alyssa Hodenfield. We'll be back in your podcast feed in a couple weeks with a new episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed a package of bills to limit access to guns. Today on the podcast, we look into the issue and hear from advocates on both sides of the gun violence debate. Guests include Amanda Wilcox of the Brady campaign and Craig DeLuz of the Firearms Policy Coalition. Later on, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer earns his spot on Buzz of the Week with his heavy campaign spending. To keep up with the latest political news, you can follow show host Bryan Anderson on Twitter and buy a subscription to The Sacramento Bee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stockton is giving people $500 a month, no strings attached. Here's how they're spending it. This week on California Nation, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs discusses the progress of the city's universal basic income experiment. Tubbs opposes Andrew Yang's plan to give every American $1,000 a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, made his first appearance on our California Nation podcast back in March. A lot has changed ever since. Months later, he is now polling neck-and-neck for fourth place in California with hometown Sen. Kamala Harris. But can he win over progressive voters and perform well in the state? Buttigieg recently came to West Sacramento for his largest grassroots fundraiser to date, and we chatted with after the event to hear his perspective.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump has spent the last several weeks going after California on issues related to the environment and homelessness, as Gov. Gavin Newsom has pursued the president's tax returns. This week on the podcast, The Sacramento Bee dives into the latest back-and-forth, as well as the potential implications ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Host Bryan Anderson and his colleague, Sophia Bollag, recap their story about the escalating fights between Newsom and Trump. Later in the show, Republican political consultant Rob Stutzman offers his analysis of the ongoing feud between the state and federal government.Finally, the show ends up with Buzz of the Week, where host Bryan Anderson discusses a recent fact-check into the Trump administration's claims that San Francisco can cut its homeless population in half through deregulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been an incredibly active year at the California Capitol. From vaccines to rent caps, lawmakers are scurrying this week to pass hundreds of bills ahead of a deadline to get it on the governor's desk. On this edition of the podcast, The Sacramento Bee staff takes a look back at some of the most consequential proposals, as well as the laws Gov. Gavin Newsom has already signed this year.Guests this week include Sophia Bollag, Andrew Sheeler and Hannah Wiley. For the latest news in California politics, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is hoping a more pragmatic set of policy ideas will appeal to California voters. The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate spoke at the summer DNC meetings in San Francisco, and joined us shortly thereafter to make her case to voters. For more information, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article234392602.html. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Tuesday forcing President Donald Trump to release the last five years of his tax returns in order to get his name on the state's 2020 primary ballot, setting the stage for a legal showdown between Trump and California. For more information on today's show, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article232697722.html.To hear how it could keep several Democratic presidential candidates off the ballot, visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article232975022.html.Send show feedback to host Bryan Anderson at banderson@sacbee.com.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first Democratic presidential debate, 10 candidates were asked if their health care plans would provide health care insurance to undocumented immigrants. All of their hands went up.As the national conversation brews, it's worth highlighting what California has already done on the issue. On today's episode, we examine the state's new plan to expand coverage to undocumented adults between the ages of 19 and 25. Later in the show, we rebroadcast a conversation from last fall with billionaire liberal activist Tom Steyer. Steyer recently threw his name into the 2020 presidential race, keeping Democrats at a crowded field of 25 candidates.In our Buzz of the Week segment, we look at a new plan California has that would force Trump to release his tax returns in order to get onto the state's 2020 primary ballot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is running for president on a series of progressive policy proposals. Calling for free college tuition, decriminalizing border crossings and abolishing private health insurance, she's hoping her message will resonate with California voters.On July 3, Warren held a rally in Reno. She sat down with us before the event to make her case for why she's the best person to take on President Donald Trump in 2020. To learn more about her, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article232195072.html.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Camp Fire killed 85 people, state lawmakers vowed to make wildfires a top priority. But after several months, little has been done. Over the next month, California is expected to come up with a plan to address ongoing concerns about wildfire liability and recovery costs. Guests on this week's show include Michael Wara, director of Stanford University’s climate and energy policy program, state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, and state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa.Finally, California Rep. Eric Swalwell wins Buzz of the Week for an awkward moment on the presidential campaign trail in Iowa. For more information about today's show, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article231438308.html.Got Buzz of the Week suggestions? Call 916-326-5538. Send show feedback to host Bryan Anderson at banderson@sacbee.com.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Democrats have pushed the state further and further to the left. With Gavin Newsom as governor and President Trump in the White House, many lawmakers within the Democratic Party think there's still room for California to become even more progressive. Lawmakers in order of appearance at the beginning of the show include Assemblyman Todd Gloria, Sen. Ben Allen, Sen. Bob Hertzberg, Sen. Connie Leyva, Sen. Hannah Beth-Jackson, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. Later in the show, Sacramento Bee legislative reporter Hannah Wiley sits down to discuss some of the most liberal bills under consideration this year. For more information about today's show, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/podcasts/california-nation/article230722394.html.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and spiritual leader Marianne Williamson has qualified for a spot on the Democratic debate stage by hitting 65,000 donors. She recently spoke with The Bee to discuss her vision for the county. For more information, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/podcasts/california-nation/article229909459.html.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has qualified for a spot on the 2020 Democratic presidential stage. Running to combat climate change, he's hoping he can resonate with California voters. To learn more about Inslee, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/election/article229909509.html. Send show feedback to host Bryan Anderson at banderson@sacbee.com.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper sits down for a one-on-one conversation. He insists he is progressive enough for California and discusses his views on marijuana legalization and gun violence. To learn more about Hickenlooper, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/podcasts/california-nation/article229729999.html.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For months, Jason Pohl and Ryan Gabrielson have been investigating inmate deaths in county jails. This McClatchy/ProPublica collaboration found that in-custody deaths have risen substantially since California began shifting responsibility for thousands of offenders from state prisons to county jails. For more information about today's episode, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/california-prisons/article229376524.html. Send show feedback to host Bryan Anderson at banderson@sacbee.com.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg sits down for a conversation about his vision for the country and his political future. The 37-year-old South Bend, Indiana, mayor is the first candidate in modern history to be both openly gay and a military veteran. Despite his age, he insists he's qualified to take on President Trump. To learn more about Buttigieg and his plan to expand the Supreme Court, please visit https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article228438359.html.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang sits down for a one-on-one conversation. He insists he is a viable contender because "the opposite of Donald Trump is an Asian man who likes math." On the show, Yang discusses his views on universal basic income, immigration and taxes.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices