National Review's Radio Free California Podcast

The union behind the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act says it will generate $110 billion for public health programs, but Hoover Institution researchers calculate that it will actually cost California $25 billion. In the “Why Now Department,” Will and David consider multiple hypotheses about the timing of claims that United Farm Workers founder Cesar Chavez raped young women half a century ago. The legal case against Meta and YouTube asks us to believe that social media companies bear absolute responsibility for addictive use of social media. Will tells the true story of Ah Louis, a California Gold Rush-era immigrant who became the unofficial mayor of San Luis Obispo’s Chinatown. Bonus! Lance Christensen provides a first look at the year’s legislative Race to Absurdity. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Read the Statement From Dolores Huerta on Cesar Chavez’s Abuse From streets to murals, the erasure of Cesar Chavez is fast underway in California The complicated legacy of César Chávez ‘I will miss them’: Khanna mocks tech billionaires threatening to leave California for wealth tax Kathy Hochul’s Seller’s Remorse The Fiscal Losses from California's Billionaire Tax Act Gavin Newsom’s $114 Million Butterfly Bridge Jury deliberations continue in landmark social media addiction trial against Meta, Google Social media use is tied to well-being, according to the new World Happiness Report Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The once-powerful, still-iconic founder of the United Farm Workers is now getting the old Me-Too makeover with his own union reporting allegations that he was the radical left’s Jeffrey Epstein. Also: Newsom’s hypocrisy on surging gasoline prices, Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley’s defense of family, population-alarmist Paul Ehrlich is dead, L.A. County’s fraud problem, the Silicon Valley's deeply flawed initiative to block the wealth tax, and more! Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Cesar Chavez allegations jolt California’s labor movement Jessie Buckley’s Beautiful Homage to Mothers The End Is Still Near The sleeper initiative that could upend more than the wealth tax We visited “ground zero” for hospice fraud: Los Angeles, California Progressive lawmakers Bernie Sanders, Ro Khanna unveil $4.4T wealth tax targeting billionaires SEIU California Endorses Eric Swalwell for Governor You get an endorsement! You get an endorsement! Sable’s president in shining armor Governor Newsom blasts Trump for raising gasoline prices on Americans with no plan and no accountability Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California Governor Gavin Newsom says taxpayers will spend $19 million on advertising designed to burnish his record in advance of his White House run. Will and guest Will O’Neill consider recent news stories that won’t make the final cut -- skyrocketing oil prices, gender transitioning in the state’s schools, the stabbing victim who died after his ambulance was stolen, and the governor’s own flirtation with antisemitism. Bonus! Remembering Edward Dickinson Baker, the first Californian to die in the American Civil War. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Army Reserve soldier from Sacramento among six killed in Kuwait drone strike Newsom planning $19-million push to polish California’s national image In a Political Campaign, City Officials Can Spend Your Money Against You. They Call it 'Education' He was stabbed while charging his car. He died after his ambulance was stolen Newsom likens Israel to ‘apartheid state,’ questions future military support Newsom Digs in After SCOTUS Rebuke, Claims Teachers ‘Forced to Be Gender Cops’ Amid angry backlash, serial child molester is rearrested the same day he was set to be paroled Here’s how Newsom’s spending binge outstripped revenues, creating California’s chronic deficit Marathon, Chevron, PBF Warn Governor Newsom of Widespread Refinery Shutdowns, Fuel shortages, Economic Collapse California’s economy faces threats with new energy policy changes Nevada governor fires warning shot at Gavin Newsom over oil crisis: ‘Real-world consequences’ Fearing GOP upset, top California Democrat urges lagging candidates for governor to drop out of race California Unions May Decide Which Republican Advances In The Governor’s Race — And Which One Doesn’t Poll: Hilton’s rise could spare Dems from disaster in California gov’s race Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley files to run as independent A budget plot twist in Oakland: From ‘fiscal emergency’ to $17 million in the black Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Following a smashing victory in a San Diego federal court, attorney Paul Jonna describes the U.S. Supreme Court’s dramatic intervention to end California’s determination to hide student gender-transition plans from parents. Bonus! California attorney Michael McClellan lays out the conservative case for skepticism about artificial intelligence. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Paul Jonna on Mirabelli and SCOTUS Paul Jonna, Limandri & Jonna Thomas More Society Court sides with parents in dispute over California policies on transgender students Michael McClellan on AI Governor DeSantis Hosts Roundtable on AI Policy at New College of Florida 2028: The Consequences of Abundant Intelligence Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together if He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Iran war exposes California’s fragile oil supply, how the media transformed the death of nine skiers near Donner Pass into a case of “climate change,” and Attorney General Rob Bonta’s very bad week. Bonus! Attorney Andrew Quinio describes Pacific Legal’s lawsuit to block San Francisco reparations payments, and CPC senior fellow Mark Moses considers whether government exists to serve citizens -- or whether citizens exist to serve government. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: In Gov. Newsom’s California, It Makes Sense to Get Gasoline from the Bahamas When US Gasoline Has to Leave the Country to Move Within It Avalanche experts fear conditions that led to deadly Tahoe slide could become ‘new normal’ Apple quietly removes environmental metrics from executive pay California bill would make fossil fuel companies help pay for rising insurance costs The Tangled Web of the Boulder v. Suncor Cert Grant: Pass me some aspirin. Attorney General Rob Bonta might want some, too. Judge Axes Exxon’s Defamation Suit Against Environmentalists The hypothetical nuclear attack that escalated the Pentagon’s showdown with Anthropic Merrill Kelly rejected Padres’ lucrative contract offer due to California’s ridiculous tax laws ‘Like an Uber Share’ but public: South Bay city to bring low-cost, rideshare-style public transit service Bonus track! PLF attorney Andrew Quinio on San Francisco’s reparations program  Andrew Quinio bio San Francisco taxpayers challenge race-based reparations fund in court San Francisco mayor quietly signs reparations fund that could lead to $5M payments per person The Cost Of San Francisco’s Reparations Proposal: Nearly $600,000 Per Household Public finance expert Mark Moses on the proper role of government Mark Moses bio The Municipal Financial Crisis – A Framework for Understanding and Fixing Government Budgeting (Palgrave Macmillan, January 2022) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In our bonus interview, CPC attorney Emily Rae unpacks the new U.S. Department of Education report showing how state officials use lawsuits, funding, and threats to force school officials to violate federal law regarding parent notification. In other news: Alex Padilla has missed another chance to thank federal officers who didn’t shoot him last June. Representative Lateefah Simon (D., Calif.) hates the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo but won’t leave California. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass threatens to punish property owners who welcome ICE agents. Republican gubernatorial candidates surge, Dems end their panicky convention with no clear endorsement. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: After State of the Union, Democrats say Trump did ‘what he does best: lie’ The Padilla Incident and the Greater Peril H.Res.1056 - Calling for the annulment of the Monroe Doctrine and the development of a "New Good Neighbor" policy Mexican army kills ‘El Mencho,’ Mexico’s most-wanted drug kingpin LA Mayor Karen Bass announces plans to ban ICE from city properties Coalition rallies to defend Cypress Park day labor center amid disputed Home Depot eviction threat Newsom to Middle Class Whites: I'm Average Too Newsom Pardon Allows Illegal Immigrant to Remain in U.S. Despite Attempted Murder Conviction ‘I’m very worried’: California Dems confront possibility of an all-GOP governor race L.A. County pushes to change law that opened floodgates for billions in sex abuse payouts LAUSD borrowing $250 million to settle sex abuse claims — on top of earlier half billion Despite climate effects, beaches grew 500 acres Emily Rae, California Justice Center, on U.S. Department of Ed report: Emily Rae bio U.S. Department of Education letter to California  Emily’s amicus brief in Littlejohn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his tour of the Munich Security Conference, Governor Gavin Newsom held himself up as a global leader on policies most European nations abandoned decades ago. David and Will also discuss: the impact of the U.S. EPA’s announcement that it will no longer follow the Obama-era “endangerment finding” on carbon emissions, San Francisco skier Eileen Gu’s decision to represent China in the Olympics, State Senator Scott Wiener’s failure to keep up with climate science, and how Newsom’s Prop. 50 may silence at least one of the brightest conservative voices in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bonus: Lance Christensen breaks down Newsom's attempted takeover of the state Department of Education. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:The Bahnsen Group Opens News Silicon Valley OfficeWill on NPR: Texas Dems are stuck on identity politics with Senate race at stakeCPC hiring: Director of development We Need to Tax the Rich. Are Unions Going About it the Right Way in California?Nobody wants to step on the gas (tax)Sam Darnold’s insane California tax bill stunningly exceeds Super Bowl winningsCalifornia Jock Tax Calculator Boomer Esiason suggests barring California from Hosting Super BowlVP Vance to lead California anti-fraud task force: reportMunich Security Conference: Governor Newsom reinforces climate partnerships as Donald Trump abandons long-standing American alliesLee Zeldin’s EPA Liberates American IndustryDonald Trump declares the Republican Party the pro-pollution partyWiener Watch! New bill aims to allow California AG to sue oil companies for disaster costsSoCal Edison files lawsuit over Eaton Fire, alleging LA County, other utilities are also to blameJudge clears way for mega lawsuit blaming LA and California for deadly Palisades FireEileen Gu’s Terrible ChoiceKiley says he’s weighing challenge to McClintock. He’s already launched an opening salvo.Lance Christensen: A Strangely Good Few Weeks in EducationState Superintendent Tony Thurmond on the power struggle over public schools | California Politics 360Number of the Week: Teacher strike votes are risingTeachers Unions Get DesperateTeachers email parents demanding they don’t homeschool kids – as San Francisco strike grinds into a third dayUS Secretary of Ed Linda McMahon: Teachers shouldn't have to bankroll unionsUnderstanding SFUSD’s $1.4B budget: How teachers and the district come up with different numbersLAUSD will vote on layoffs amid budget challenges, declining enrollment UTLA planning documents appear to advocate for use of school resources as ‘form of resistance’ against ICEGen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduatesUC San Diego Finds One In Eight Freshmen Lack High-School Math SkillsThe tide goes out on youth gender medicine Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has emerged with new false claims about the success of his high-speed rail project -- and a creepy legislative proposal to classify as secret any rail-project document that might “harm the interests of the state.” Bonuses! Freshman State Assemblyman David Tangipa tears into the Newsom budget, and Red State editor and investigative reporter Jennifer Van Laar reveals the next chapter in Fresno’s secret Chinese bio lab. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow NotesCalifornia job market ranks among the weakest of the weak nationwideLabor leaders blast Gavin Newsom over AI, demand more regulationJonathan Turley: Grandstanding Newsom will stop at nothing to ride the rails to glory in 2028State leaders propose to keep some California high-speed rail information secretA top Democrat wants to know if California laws are working. Lawmakers get to pick which onesThrow everything at the wall, see what sticksGun-wielding LA protester aims at feds then vanishes under pepper-ball fireFederal workers face daily harassment by ruthless agitators in DTLA: ‘War zone every day’Coalition rallies to defend Cypress Park day labor center amid disputed Home Depot eviction threatNew twist in mayor’s race makes election a referendum on L.A.’s futurePension costs make tax- and fee-hike frenzy at City Hall the new normOvertime costs were skyrocketing. San Diego police say they have reined it in.An ex-Fresno Arts Council employee is under investigation in $1.5 million embezzlement case, city sources sayA Bay Area downtown faces a reckoning as tides riseHow bad was California’s ‘Great Flood’ of 1862? It was a torrent of horrorsAssemblyman David Tangipa on the state budgetOfficial websiteJen Van Laar on the worst Airbnb in America Illegal Chinese Biolab Used As Airbnb, Made Several Deathly Ill; Defendant Owns Multiple Homes in NV, CAFeds Seize 1000 Samples From Illegal CCP Biolab in Las Vegas Owned by Defendant in Reedley Case Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his forthcoming autobiography, Gavin Newsom beats his critics to the punch with a deep dive into his troubled personality. Bonus track: attorney general candidate Michael Gates. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:Shawn Bell, “Exploring California’s Historic Landmarks”Will on NPR’s “Left, Right & Center”Who Funds the Groups Harassing ICE Agents in Minnesota? The Left's Premier Foundations and Dark Money Networks Have Given Millions, Records Show.The Public-Sector Union Behind L.A.’s Immigration AgitationWhere do Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton stand on public sector unions?50 people arrested hours after hundreds gathered for another anti-ICE protest in DTLAReid Hoffman: Silicon Valley can’t be neutral any longerNative American tribe that owns land under Billie Eilish’s LA mansion has message for virtue-signaling singerEllen DeGeneres shops for new mansion same day she calls for ICE buying boycottHundreds of Sacramento high school students walk out of class to protest ICESB-955 Pupil attendance: excused absences: civic or political events.LAUSD teachers union members authorize strike, ratcheting up pressure on contract talksSan Diego teachers plan first strike in 30 years over issues with staffing and services for special educationSan Francisco school workers are the latest California educators to authorize a strikeTwin Rivers Unified teachers vote for a strike. Here’s when it could happenNeighbors say a machete-wielding man is terrorizing their local park. S.F. has no idea what to do about itGavin Newsom Is Setting His Own RulesGavin Newsom opens the oppo book in his new memoirCalifornia Republicans oppose mileage-based fee proposalReason Foundation’s 2025 report on US state road conditionsEpstein files reveal emails between Ghislaine Maxwell, L.A. Olympics boss Casey Wasserman. He expresses regret Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Minneapolis, Trump walked into a trap designed by California union activists and perfected in their bloody showdown with the Los Angeles Police Department in 1990: Provoke law enforcement into violent behavior, broadcast the images, and win political concessions. In other news: Trump uses his bully pulpit to beat up Newsom on gasoline prices and wildfire relief. The Atlantic concludes Newsom’s record of failed governance won’t work with a national audience. Bonus tracks! Lance Christensen reviews Newsom’s record of failure on K–12 education, and Edward Ring says the U.S. Drought Monitor’s California reports have been wrong for 25 years. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:When police beat janitors -- but janitors won justiceThey'll always have Davos: When Donald Hung Out With GavinGavin Newsom’s Record Is a Problem (The Atlantic)Trump signs executive order for feds to take over LA’s ‘nightmare’ wildfire rebuild in huge boost for victimsTrump vows to drive down California’s sky-high gas prices to $2.50, blames Dems for tacking on enormous taxesGavin Newsom’s Big Ambulance ScamNewsom plans no new journalism funding despite $175-million funding deal with GoogleThe California Post heralds a new era for The Golden State — we will fearlessly tell you the stories that really matterKamala Harris’s Presidential Campaign Was Run by a Bunch of LunaticsJosh Shapiro Writes That Harris Team Asked if He Had Ever Been an Israeli AgentScott Wiener changes course, calls war in Gaza ‘genocide’ as House race kicks offCalifornia husband sues McDonald’s after ‘vagrant’ kills his wife in drive-thruL.A. homeless services fraud suspect spent millions on luxury lifestyle, authorities chargeRick Caruso, a Los Angeles Billionaire, Will Not Run for Office This YearCalifornia Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta opts against running for governor. AgainDon’t Be Fooled: San Jose’s Matt Mahan is No ModerateTom Steyer gets a sparkLance Christensen and Sheridan Karras on Newsom’s education failures Newsom’s Education Legacy: Rising Costs, Declining PerformanceInsolvency by summer still threatens Sacramento school district, budget chief saysSacramento: Charter school renewal denied by Sacramento school district. What comes next?Entrance exams to end for Sac City elementary schools after mandate from stateEdward Ring and Marc Joffe on the U.S. Drought MonitorStatistical review of the United States Drought MonitorCalifornia is free of all drought, dryness for first time in 25 years. Inside the remarkable turnaroundGavin Newsom on the Drought Monitor’s report Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Governor Newsom traveled to Davos for a verbal death-match with President Trump before an audience of shocked political leaders, business execs, and economists. Back in California, Team Newsom attempts to spin a disastrous homelessness report. Will and David take a moment to celebrate R&B great Johnny Otis, born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes in Vallejo, Calif., in 1921. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow NotesJohnny Otis, “Willie and the Hand Jive”The Grateful Dead, “Willie and the Hand Jive”Newsom tells world leaders their response to Trump is ‘pathetic’World leaders in Davos must stand up to Trump. This is their chanceNewsom accuses White House of blocking speech as US officials sling mud in DavosIs Gavin Newsom really turning the corner on homelessness?Why the Tech World Thinks the American Dream Is DyingTrade spat deepns uncertainty for U.S. tech business Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his annual State of the State address, Governor Gavin Newsom blamed “private equity firms in Manhattan” for the state’s housing crisis, and then credited the rise in tech stocks with saving the state budget. In other news: Julie Su is now New York City’s problem, State Senator Scott Wiener wants San Francisco to confiscate Pacific Gas & Electric because the city has done so well with the open-air drug trade, and California AG Rob Bonta is on a losing streak in federal court. Bonus! Finance analyst Marc Joffe joins to discuss the political role of Service Employees International Union beyond its 2026 wealth tax. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow NotesNewsom overcomes unease, dyslexia to deliver a sterling State of the State addressGavin Newsom calls for California to limit home buying by large investorsNew California Rent Laws Going Into Effect in 2026AI windfall helps California narrow projected $3-billion budget deficitNewsom Vows to Stop Proposed Billionaire Tax in CaliforniaGarry Tan on XMamdani Picks Rafael Espinal to Lead New York’s Film OfficeCalifornia Should Stop Forcing Drivers to Subsidize DeforestationHow would San Francisco take over PG&E assets?California Drops Lawsuit Over $4 Billion Federal Cut to High-Speed Rail ProjectHalted: Federal Judge Blocks Enforcement of California’s Newly Enacted Labor LawNinth Circuit strikes down California urban open-carry banMarc Joffe on SEIUThe Union that May Have Broken CaliforniaWhat to Do with California’s Billionaire Tax Proceeds Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California is in chaos: wildfires, unemployment fraud, a train to nowhere, high energy costs, lousy public education, and a California exodus that includes billionaires and working people piling their personal effects into U-Haul trailers bound for Texas. David and Will discuss why none of that will likely matter in 2028. Bonus! Will travels back nearly 500 years to the rise and fall of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo -- the first European to set foot in California and to be buried there. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:One year after the LA fires, survivors' big question: Where's the accountability?Northern California, Bay Area leaders react to strikes on Venezuela, Maduro's captureSEIU’s coy X post (facto)The Legislative Analyst’s Office analysis of the billionaire wealth taxDavid Sacks opens Austin office as threat of California ‘billionaire tax’ loomsSolana Co-Founder Calls California’s Proposed 5% Billionaire Tax Measure ‘Dumb’ – Warns Of Capital FlightBillionaires make strategic moves out of California ahead of proposed wealth taxU-Haul: Florida ranks 2nd for net gain of one-way customers; California last for sixth year in a rowCalifornia State Auditor’s reportWhy Gavin Newsom would crush JD Vance in 2028 The Atlantic: The Front-Runner Even more Cal State campuses will automatically admit eligible students under a new state lawA Math Horror Show at UC San Diego (ep 420)San Francisco mayor quietly signs reparations fund that could lead to $5M payments per personNew California law requires ingredient change for this grocery staple Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California Justice Center attorney Emily Rae explains Judge Roger Benitez’s blistering rebuke of California policies that encourage school officials, including teachers, to lie to parents about students’ changing gender identity. Benitez on Monday said state AG Rob Bonta's defense of those policies has constitutional law “upside down.” The judge also ordered state officials to notify parents and guardians of their constitutional right to be informed -- and of teachers to inform them -- “when the student expresses gender incongruence.” Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:Judge’s Permanent Injunction in Mirabelli v OlsonJudge’s legal opinion in Mirabelli Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In their annual Year in Review, David and Will consider Gavin Newsom, Donald Trump, TikTok, Sean Penn, Nathan Hochman, the Turtle Island Liberation Front, Karen Bass, Julie Hamill, the Oakland A’s, Nancy Pelosi, the Los Angeles Times, Kamala Harris, Ivanpah Solar, the SEIU, Prop 50, Leonardo DiCaprio, the Beach Boys, Julie Su, One Battle After Another, fire, AB 218, Larry Ellison, homeless people, Lyle Menendez, Bill Essayli, Zizians, ExxonMobil, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Wiener Watch, Brian Wilson, Zohran Mamdani, Lorena Gonzalez, Mayor Amy Bublak, and more. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:Wildfire of the Vanities: California’s Political Model Has FailedTrump’s First 100 Days Have Shattered California’s Left-Wing IllusionsLawmakers urge $1-billion annual investments to save high-speed railSan Diego migrant shelter hailed as national model will shut down, with 100-plus layoffsGavin Newsom warms to Big Oil in climate reversal$2B California solar plant to shut down after a decade – for the most frustrating reason (Ivanpah)California’s War on Oil Finally Prompts a ResponseThe Public-Sector Union Behind L.A.’s Immigration AgitationGavin Newsom holds mirror to Maga by trolling TrumpCalifornia Approves New House Maps in a Major Win for Democrats and NewsomLarry Ellison Retakes No.3 Richest Spot From Jeff Bezos As Oracle Shares Rise On TikTok DealHarris' score-settling, elbow-throwing, bridge-burning memoirAlready thinking about the 2028 election? You’re not aloneLyle Menendez denied parole, will remain in prison along with younger brother ErikZohran Mamdani picks failed progressive Biden nominee Julie Su as top ‘economic justice’ aideCalifornia businesses bear brunt of growing unemployment benefit debtThe Pol Who Wants to Replace Pelosi Makes Her Look NormaBrian Wilson, Pop Auteur and Leader of the Beach Boys, Dies at 82L.A. Times owner says he intends to take newspaper public in coming yearD.A. to investigate claims of fraud in L.A. County’s $4-billion sex abuse settlementGavin Newsom’s Shameless Dodge on the Homeless CrisisFor L.A.’s mayor, a Palisades recovery marked by missteps, reversals and delays Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In March, Gavin Newsom told the late Charlie Kirk that male athletes competing against females is “deeply unfair.” This week, on Ezra Klein's podcast, he told a very different story. Will and David discuss the great movies and misguided politics of the late Rob Reiner, and the role of Greg Bahnsen in David’s life. The FBI arrests four members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front who hoped to bomb multiple Los Angeles targets on New Year's Eve. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:The moment my life changed forever, December 12, 2025Rob Reiner was more than a Hollywood liberal. He was a sophisticated political operator.What did California’s novel approach to funding early-childhood programs achieve?Cigarette Taxes and Cigarette Smuggling by State, 2023Newsom taps former CDC leaders critical of Trump-era health policies for new initiativeStates Plan to Continue Regulating AI, Despite Trump’s OrderWells Fargo cuts 100+ Sacramento-area jobs as CEO says AI prompts ‘efficiency’Has Gavin Newsom really signed the most pro-trans bills of any governor?California orders Tahoe-Truckee schools to join CIF sports over gender lawsFBI Arrests Four Alleged Members of Pro-Palestinian Terror Cell, Foiling New Year’s Eve AttackWhat is Turtle Island? FBI foils Pro-Palestinian group terror attack planned for NYE in California Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Governor Gavin Newsom spent much of last week in New York City, criticizing Wall Street, Democrats, SEIU, and Trump at a New York Times books conference -- and then went begging for handouts in D.C. with predictable results. Back home in California, things got less normal. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:America 250: Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Monroe DoctrineNewsom Warns That Trump Is ‘Trying to Wreck This Country’Newsom takes it to Wall StreetGavin Newsom fires back after Halle Berry accuses him of ‘devaluing’ womenHalle Berry’s Respin HealthNewsom accuses Trump of wildfire aid snubThe Los Angeles Times Misses the Forest Fire Scandal for the TreesTo protect underage farmworkers, California expands oversight of field conditionsSFUSD escapes worst fiscal rating, but looming cuts and a strike threat cloud recoverySource: S.F. General staff raised fears about troubled patient in weeks before fatal stabbingDPH Security Services Staffing Plan ProposalSan Francisco sues nation's top food manufacturers over ultraprocessed foodsWith state pushing back, Oakland delays vote on controversial homeless encampment policyStudents push for LBCC to ditch the Viking mascot, become the Dolphins Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California Governor Gavin Newsom did almost nothing this week. But if you listen carefully, you can hear the state budget crashing and his erstwhile allies beginning to rebel. Bonus! Two hundred and seven years ago this month, a French-born pirate attacked California and broke the back of the Spanish empire. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:Gov. Newsom orders Capitol flags to fly at half-staff after Stockton birthday party shootingGavin Newsom Trolls Donald Trump’s MRI Scan With His Own Medical MemoNewsom 2028: Hollywood Donors Start Lining Up Behind Expected White House Bid; “He’s A Fighter, That’s What We Need!”Newsom’s 911 debacle is California’s latest failed tech adoptionGov. Gavin Newsom reacts to ex-aide’s arrest — ‘real surprise and shock’Silicon Valley’s Man in the White House Is Benefiting Himself and His FriendsAmerica’s AI future lies in the hands of California’s governorWhat does CA’s dreary budget mean for state worker negotiations in 2026?Should billionaires pay more? California unions want voters to decideCalifornia Loses a Taxpayer Per Minute Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California Policy Center policy genius Edward Ring discusses California’s coming energy crisis -- and why he sees signs of hope. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:The Belem-to-Bakersfield pipelineNew drilling and more spilling? New oil and gas drilling threatens Central Coast Gas lines coming to CaliforniaOil extraction reduces methane seepageSilicon Valley’s growing anti-woke, pro-abundance rebellionEdward Ring’s “Abundance California” website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gavin Newsom runs into Brazilian protestors in the Amazon, while back home his former chief of staff faces federal charges that she stole millions. The U.S. DOJ sues California over Prop 50; Harmeet Dhillon promises to investigate Berkeley’s anti-Turning Point USA protest; and why unions love environmentalists. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:Big Ten's $2.4 billion private capital plan paused after Michigan, USC oppositionKeeping an AI bubble from hurting you‘Buy the Dip’ Investors Save Stocks From a Brutal WeekTrump Backs Moratorium on State AI Regulation, Placing Him at Odds with GOP GovernorsGavin Newsom’s bad news dayNewsom's Former Chief, Described as 'Mob Boss' by Fellow Dem, Failed to Report $1.7 Million in IncomeThe Belem-to-Bakersfield pipelineTrump administration sues California to invalidate Prop 50 maps ahead of 2026 midtermsDOJ investigation into Berkeley’s Turning Point protest sends warning to other colleges'Nobody wants to be here': New Central Calif. mega development gets pushbackSprinkler shock: Owners of S.F. high-rise condos stunned by $300K mandateSacramento Jesuit High alumni protest school’s ‘final’ decision to include girls Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.