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Today’s Top Story
Katie Porter Backs Sen. Scott Wiener in San Francisco Congressional Race
The former gubernatorial candidate is throwing her support behind the state senator as polls suggest a close race between Scott Wiener and Connie Chan for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat.
Political Breakdown
Why Opponents of Prop. 43 Say It Would Cripple Local Funding
Why Opponents of Prop. 43 Say It Would Cripple Local Funding
Why Are Out-of-State Billionaires Funding a California Voter ID Measure?
Katie Porter Backs Sen. Scott Wiener in San Francisco Congressional Race
The Shadow
Why Opponents of Prop. 43 Say It Would Cripple Local Funding
Should You Use USPS to Mail Your Midterm Ballot? Here’s What California Election Officials Say
San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Apologizes After Sexual Assault Policy ‘Broke Down’
Bernie Sanders Makes the Case in San Francisco for Statewide Billionaire Tax
Households Will Pay More for Energy Due to Federal Policy Changes, Think Tank Says
Two Democrats Competing to Replace Pelosi, Live Onstage
Key Moments from the Wiener-Chan Debate
San Francisco Congressional Hopefuls Debate AI, Billionaires and, of Course, Housing
Watch Live: Connie Chan, Scott Wiener Debate for SF Congressional Seat
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Katie Porter is no longer in the running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082619/gubernatorial-candidate-katie-porter-fields-questions-on-housing-gas-prices-ai-agenda-at-kqed-town-hall\">California governor\u003c/a>, but the former Southern California congresswoman is staying active in politics by backing state Sen. Scott Wiener in his bid to represent San Francisco in Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The latest endorsement comes a month out from Election Day in the race between Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who are vying to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. The former speaker of the House is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retiring\u003c/a> after nearly four decades in San Francisco’s congressional seat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are ripping away healthcare and raising costs on working people. We need representatives in Washington who won’t back down and who know how to win,” said Porter, who represented Orange County in Congress from 2019 to 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Scott will be a fighter for San Francisco families in Congress — on housing, on healthcare and on the cost of living — and I’m proud to endorse him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during an election night event at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The race between Chan and Wiener, both Democrats, could be close, with Wiener showing an 11-point lead, according to a September poll from Tavern Research, with a margin of error of 5.2%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan has surged in popularity since early this year, when polls showed her trailing Wiener and former candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She got a big boost in May from Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan as her successor, and has also nabbed endorsements from many labor unions and politicians like former Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Jackie Speier.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener has outraised his opponent, but Chan has found an audience in part by highlighting her own background, underscoring her experience as an immigrant and working mom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She has also blasted Wiener for his ties to the tech industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102416/san-francisco-congressional-hopefuls-debate-ai-billionaires-and-of-course-housing\">recent debate\u003c/a> hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle, Chan repeatedly asked audiences, “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same event, Wiener emphasized housing projects that Chan has blocked, saying the supervisor has stymied opportunities to build more homes at a time when the city is facing an affordability crisis and housing shortage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Porter, a consumer protection attorney and law professor, specifically pointed to Wiener’s legislative record on housing, healthcare and transit as her reasons for backing him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener “has written the laws that are getting homes built in San Francisco and California, and he has taken on the powerful interests that drive up what families pay for healthcare, and protected public transit that families depend on to get to school and work,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener said he was honored to have Porter’s endorsement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We share a simple belief: San Francisco should be a place where working families can afford to live and raise their kids,” Wiener said in a statement. “That means building far more homes so rents and mortgages come down, protecting and expanding healthcare people can afford and investing in public transit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The latest endorsement comes a month out from Election Day in the race between Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who are vying to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. The former speaker of the House is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retiring\u003c/a> after nearly four decades in San Francisco’s congressional seat. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener has outraised his opponent, but Chan has found an audience in part by highlighting her own background, underscoring her experience as an immigrant and working mom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We share a simple belief: San Francisco should be a place where working families can afford to live and raise their kids,” Wiener said in a statement. “That means building far more homes so rents and mortgages come down, protecting and expanding healthcare people can afford and investing in public transit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The former gubernatorial candidate is throwing her support behind the state senator as polls suggest a close race between Scott Wiener and Connie Chan for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Katie Porter is no longer in the running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082619/gubernatorial-candidate-katie-porter-fields-questions-on-housing-gas-prices-ai-agenda-at-kqed-town-hall\">California governor\u003c/a>, but the former Southern California congresswoman is staying active in politics by backing state Sen. Scott Wiener in his bid to represent San Francisco in Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The latest endorsement comes a month out from Election Day in the race between Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who are vying to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. The former speaker of the House is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retiring\u003c/a> after nearly four decades in San Francisco’s congressional seat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are ripping away healthcare and raising costs on working people. We need representatives in Washington who won’t back down and who know how to win,” said Porter, who represented Orange County in Congress from 2019 to 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Scott will be a fighter for San Francisco families in Congress — on housing, on healthcare and on the cost of living — and I’m proud to endorse him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during an election night event at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The race between Chan and Wiener, both Democrats, could be close, with Wiener showing an 11-point lead, according to a September poll from Tavern Research, with a margin of error of 5.2%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan has surged in popularity since early this year, when polls showed her trailing Wiener and former candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She got a big boost in May from Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan as her successor, and has also nabbed endorsements from many labor unions and politicians like former Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Jackie Speier.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener has outraised his opponent, but Chan has found an audience in part by highlighting her own background, underscoring her experience as an immigrant and working mom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She has also blasted Wiener for his ties to the tech industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102416/san-francisco-congressional-hopefuls-debate-ai-billionaires-and-of-course-housing\">recent debate\u003c/a> hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle, Chan repeatedly asked audiences, “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same event, Wiener emphasized housing projects that Chan has blocked, saying the supervisor has stymied opportunities to build more homes at a time when the city is facing an affordability crisis and housing shortage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Porter, a consumer protection attorney and law professor, specifically pointed to Wiener’s legislative record on housing, healthcare and transit as her reasons for backing him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener “has written the laws that are getting homes built in San Francisco and California, and he has taken on the powerful interests that drive up what families pay for healthcare, and protected public transit that families depend on to get to school and work,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener said he was honored to have Porter’s endorsement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We share a simple belief: San Francisco should be a place where working families can afford to live and raise their kids,” Wiener said in a statement. “That means building far more homes so rents and mortgages come down, protecting and expanding healthcare people can afford and investing in public transit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want to know who’s who in Republican politics? Look no further than the megadonors bankrolling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s voter ID initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Illinois billionaire packing supply magnate Richard Uihlein, who has poured tens of millions of dollars into conservative causes, has contributed $17 million to the campaign for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-39-voter-id/\">Proposition 39\u003c/a>, a GOP-backed ballot measure to require voters to show a driver’s license or other government ID to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein’s involvement and that of other deep-pocketed Republican donors is a signal that conservatives view Prop. 39 as a test of support for future battleground states in the broader push by President Donald Trump to tighten voter restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein is joined by Southern California businessman Steven Bray, who loaned the campaign more than $3 million and gave $50,000 outright. The right-wing political group \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/03/california-republican-endorsements/\">Reform California\u003c/a>, tech entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan are also major donors. Combined, they have helped the campaign rake in more than $28 million — $11 million more than their opponents a month from Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prop. 39’s supporters argue that requiring ID at polling places will ensure California’s elections are secure, and say the mandate is no different from needing an ID to fly on a plane or buy alcohol. Proponents also point out that 36 states request or require voters to show some form of identification at the polls, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id\">National Conference of State Legislatures\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California voters currently need a driver’s license and Social Security number to register to vote but not when they cast their ballots. If Prop. 39 passes, voters who mail their ballots would have to write the last four digits of their Social Security or other government-issued number on their ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095745\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a long-awaited moment for the state’s weak Republican Party which has fought for decades to put a voter ID measure on the ballot in deep blue California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/carl-demaio-161014\">Carl DeMaio\u003c/a>, a Republican, created Reform California and is spearheading the initiative. The freshman San Diego lawmaker’s group funded the ballot operation that collected more than a million signatures to qualify the measure after similar proposals failed in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Common Cause and other voting rights groups that oppose the measure fear Prop. 39 would unnecessarily block from voting citizens who can’t find or don’t have a government-issued ID. They argue that this would disproportionately impact, and unfairly penalize, people who recently moved, changed their last name or are low income — and other groups who historically have supported Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civil rights advocates also argue the measure is unnecessary because voter fraud is rare.[aside postID=news_12103195 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-GovRaceForum-56-BL_qed-1.jpg']“You are more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to commit voter fraud in a U.S. election,” California League of Women Voters executive director Jenny Farrell said. “There’s no need to add on these additional burdens and security checkpoints in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite numerous studies showing there is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f\">no widespread evidence\u003c/a> of voter fraud in U.S. elections, Claremont McKenna College political scientist John Pitney said such claims have circulated for decades in far-right circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attempts to constrict voter laws through ballot measures have increased in some states ever since the expansion of voting rights to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fears about voter fraud accelerated during the first Trump administration when the president falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen. Shortly after, DeMaio and other GOP lawmakers introduced unsuccessful bills to tighten voter restrictions before he pivoted to orchestrating a citizen-led ballot initiative last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Recently Trump has promoted the idea that large numbers of undocumented people are voting, for which there isn’t any evidence,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/030326_Voter-ID-Presser_FG_CM_08-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A lawmaker, wearing a black suit with a striped yellow tie, stands behind a lectern while surrounded by people holding blue and yellow signs that say "REQUIRE VOTER ID."\" />\u003cfigcaption>Assemblymember Carl DeMaio announces that supporters of the CA Voter ID Initiative will submit more than 1.3 million signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot during a press conference at the west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 3, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Democrats bankrolling the opposition to Prop. 39 are also a who’s who of California politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Democratic Party is by far the largest contributor at nearly $5.5 million, followed by the Sonoma-area Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria with $2 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longtime Democratic donors Patty Quillin, a film producer and wife of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Quinn Delaney, a real estate investor and philanthropist, have each pitched in $1.5 million. Labor heavyweights such as the Service Employees International Union have contributed $1 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic gubernatorial candidate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/xavier-becerra/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and Democratic Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a> have created a joint committee to raise money for the No campaign and U.S. Sen Alex Padilla is stumping at events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 90% of Californians now vote by mail, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/historical-absentee\">secretary of state’s office\u003c/a>. That means the vast majority of voters would be required to write their Social Security or driver’s license number on their ballot should the initiative pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people aren’t going to be comfortable with that, No on 39 campaign spokesperson Tenoch Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is about creating new avenues to reject valid mail ballots,” Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes on 39” spokesperson Meredith Shields told CalMatters that no one from the campaign could be made available for an interview. DeMaio declined an interview with CalMatters for this story. Uihlein did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The biggest donor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Megadonor Uihlein and his wife, founders of the Wisconsin-based packaging company Uline, have poured millions into the Restoration of America PAC, a super PAC that frequently bankrolls Republican candidates in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Uihleins have \u003ca href=\"https://www.fec.gov/data/individual-contributions/?committee_id=C00571588&contributor_name=uihlein&two_year_transaction_period=2026\">donated $35 million to the PAC\u003c/a> this year alone, and Prop. 39 is the latest target in their effort to fund agenda-setting conservative causes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanahan, an attorney and the former wife of Google executive Sergey Brin, has funneled $370,000 into the Yes campaign, while the Winklevoss brothers have each contributed $250,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The interest from the ultra-wealthy in Prop. 39 is a sign that the GOP could be looking to replicate a similar playbook in toss-up states, Sonoma State University political science Professor David McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican proponents want to see how well or poorly voter ID does in Democratic-heavy California. If it does better than expected, that might mean a similar ballot measure could be fairly popular in more moderate battleground states, such as Michigan,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a spillover effect if you do better than expected, even if you lose,” McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Election security becomes about Trump\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several Republican states moved to expand voter restrictions after the 2020 election, including Wyoming, Kentucky and Oklahoma. And while voter sentiment toward Trump is at historic lows, the GOP was surprisingly successful at getting the voter ID measure on the California ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “Yes on 39” TV campaign has \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts64oxA4neQ\" data-type=\"link\" data-=\"\">begun airing ads\u003c/a> distancing the measure’s supporters from Trump, while the No campaign released an \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjk5YyP7FYM\">ad airing in the Bay Area\u003c/a> featuring images of Trump and characterizations of Prop. 39 as a “power grab.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101931\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101931\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Prop39-voterID-scaled-e1791403746790.jpg\" alt=\"People in suits present at a podium surrounded by signs that read "Require Voter ID."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Tony Strickland speaks at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters on Monday, March 2, 2026, for a press conference highlighting voter signatures in favor of placing a voter ID measure on the November ballot. \u003ccite>(Anjali Sharif-Paul/MediaNews Group/The Sun via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’ll likely still be a tough road ahead for the Yes campaign. The default position for most voters is “no” on ballot propositions, meaning supporters of the measure will have to persuade enough voters to agree with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An April poll by the \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d964377\">UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies\u003c/a> showed Californians broadly support requiring voters to present identification at the polls, but it found that support dipped below 50% when respondents were given specific details about the measure, such as that it’s meant to combat alleged voter fraud. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2026/\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/a> poll in September found support for Prop. 39 has dropped to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this could be effective at turning out liberal voters, it’s unclear how even a hot-button issue will be enough to get Republicans out in a midterm election cycle with an unpopular president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to pass a red-coded measure in a blue wave election,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-election-voter-id-proposition-39/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want to know who’s who in Republican politics? Look no further than the megadonors bankrolling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s voter ID initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Illinois billionaire packing supply magnate Richard Uihlein, who has poured tens of millions of dollars into conservative causes, has contributed $17 million to the campaign for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-39-voter-id/\">Proposition 39\u003c/a>, a GOP-backed ballot measure to require voters to show a driver’s license or other government ID to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein’s involvement and that of other deep-pocketed Republican donors is a signal that conservatives view Prop. 39 as a test of support for future battleground states in the broader push by President Donald Trump to tighten voter restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein is joined by Southern California businessman Steven Bray, who loaned the campaign more than $3 million and gave $50,000 outright. The right-wing political group \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/03/california-republican-endorsements/\">Reform California\u003c/a>, tech entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan are also major donors. Combined, they have helped the campaign rake in more than $28 million — $11 million more than their opponents a month from Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prop. 39’s supporters argue that requiring ID at polling places will ensure California’s elections are secure, and say the mandate is no different from needing an ID to fly on a plane or buy alcohol. Proponents also point out that 36 states request or require voters to show some form of identification at the polls, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id\">National Conference of State Legislatures\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California voters currently need a driver’s license and Social Security number to register to vote but not when they cast their ballots. If Prop. 39 passes, voters who mail their ballots would have to write the last four digits of their Social Security or other government-issued number on their ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095745\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a long-awaited moment for the state’s weak Republican Party which has fought for decades to put a voter ID measure on the ballot in deep blue California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/carl-demaio-161014\">Carl DeMaio\u003c/a>, a Republican, created Reform California and is spearheading the initiative. The freshman San Diego lawmaker’s group funded the ballot operation that collected more than a million signatures to qualify the measure after similar proposals failed in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Common Cause and other voting rights groups that oppose the measure fear Prop. 39 would unnecessarily block from voting citizens who can’t find or don’t have a government-issued ID. They argue that this would disproportionately impact, and unfairly penalize, people who recently moved, changed their last name or are low income — and other groups who historically have supported Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civil rights advocates also argue the measure is unnecessary because voter fraud is rare.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“You are more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to commit voter fraud in a U.S. election,” California League of Women Voters executive director Jenny Farrell said. “There’s no need to add on these additional burdens and security checkpoints in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite numerous studies showing there is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f\">no widespread evidence\u003c/a> of voter fraud in U.S. elections, Claremont McKenna College political scientist John Pitney said such claims have circulated for decades in far-right circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attempts to constrict voter laws through ballot measures have increased in some states ever since the expansion of voting rights to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fears about voter fraud accelerated during the first Trump administration when the president falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen. Shortly after, DeMaio and other GOP lawmakers introduced unsuccessful bills to tighten voter restrictions before he pivoted to orchestrating a citizen-led ballot initiative last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Recently Trump has promoted the idea that large numbers of undocumented people are voting, for which there isn’t any evidence,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/030326_Voter-ID-Presser_FG_CM_08-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A lawmaker, wearing a black suit with a striped yellow tie, stands behind a lectern while surrounded by people holding blue and yellow signs that say "REQUIRE VOTER ID."\" />\u003cfigcaption>Assemblymember Carl DeMaio announces that supporters of the CA Voter ID Initiative will submit more than 1.3 million signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot during a press conference at the west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 3, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Democrats bankrolling the opposition to Prop. 39 are also a who’s who of California politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Democratic Party is by far the largest contributor at nearly $5.5 million, followed by the Sonoma-area Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria with $2 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longtime Democratic donors Patty Quillin, a film producer and wife of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Quinn Delaney, a real estate investor and philanthropist, have each pitched in $1.5 million. Labor heavyweights such as the Service Employees International Union have contributed $1 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic gubernatorial candidate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/xavier-becerra/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and Democratic Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a> have created a joint committee to raise money for the No campaign and U.S. Sen Alex Padilla is stumping at events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 90% of Californians now vote by mail, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/historical-absentee\">secretary of state’s office\u003c/a>. That means the vast majority of voters would be required to write their Social Security or driver’s license number on their ballot should the initiative pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people aren’t going to be comfortable with that, No on 39 campaign spokesperson Tenoch Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is about creating new avenues to reject valid mail ballots,” Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes on 39” spokesperson Meredith Shields told CalMatters that no one from the campaign could be made available for an interview. DeMaio declined an interview with CalMatters for this story. Uihlein did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The biggest donor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Megadonor Uihlein and his wife, founders of the Wisconsin-based packaging company Uline, have poured millions into the Restoration of America PAC, a super PAC that frequently bankrolls Republican candidates in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Uihleins have \u003ca href=\"https://www.fec.gov/data/individual-contributions/?committee_id=C00571588&contributor_name=uihlein&two_year_transaction_period=2026\">donated $35 million to the PAC\u003c/a> this year alone, and Prop. 39 is the latest target in their effort to fund agenda-setting conservative causes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanahan, an attorney and the former wife of Google executive Sergey Brin, has funneled $370,000 into the Yes campaign, while the Winklevoss brothers have each contributed $250,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The interest from the ultra-wealthy in Prop. 39 is a sign that the GOP could be looking to replicate a similar playbook in toss-up states, Sonoma State University political science Professor David McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican proponents want to see how well or poorly voter ID does in Democratic-heavy California. If it does better than expected, that might mean a similar ballot measure could be fairly popular in more moderate battleground states, such as Michigan,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a spillover effect if you do better than expected, even if you lose,” McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Election security becomes about Trump\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several Republican states moved to expand voter restrictions after the 2020 election, including Wyoming, Kentucky and Oklahoma. And while voter sentiment toward Trump is at historic lows, the GOP was surprisingly successful at getting the voter ID measure on the California ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “Yes on 39” TV campaign has \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts64oxA4neQ\" data-type=\"link\" data-=\"\">begun airing ads\u003c/a> distancing the measure’s supporters from Trump, while the No campaign released an \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjk5YyP7FYM\">ad airing in the Bay Area\u003c/a> featuring images of Trump and characterizations of Prop. 39 as a “power grab.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101931\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101931\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Prop39-voterID-scaled-e1791403746790.jpg\" alt=\"People in suits present at a podium surrounded by signs that read "Require Voter ID."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Tony Strickland speaks at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters on Monday, March 2, 2026, for a press conference highlighting voter signatures in favor of placing a voter ID measure on the November ballot. \u003ccite>(Anjali Sharif-Paul/MediaNews Group/The Sun via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’ll likely still be a tough road ahead for the Yes campaign. The default position for most voters is “no” on ballot propositions, meaning supporters of the measure will have to persuade enough voters to agree with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An April poll by the \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d964377\">UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies\u003c/a> showed Californians broadly support requiring voters to present identification at the polls, but it found that support dipped below 50% when respondents were given specific details about the measure, such as that it’s meant to combat alleged voter fraud. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2026/\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/a> poll in September found support for Prop. 39 has dropped to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this could be effective at turning out liberal voters, it’s unclear how even a hot-button issue will be enough to get Republicans out in a midterm election cycle with an unpopular president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to pass a red-coded measure in a blue wave election,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-election-voter-id-proposition-39/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#Transcript\">View Full Episode Transcript\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2016,\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Nancy Pelosi was planning on retiring from Congress. But Donald Trump’s presidential victory disrupted her plans, and her legacy. Pelosi’s public battles with the President cemented her status as a liberal warrior – spearheading two impeachments and navigating the January 6th attack. But to some in her caucus, including the young progressives of “The Squad,” Pelosi’s approach wasn’t enough to address a new wave of populism and a growing mistrust of government. And amidst this politically fraught landscape, did Pelosi’s actions around stock trading — or inaction, according to some — add fuel to the fire?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>What comes to mind when you think of Nancy Pelosi?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 2:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>She has manipulated her position and used it to her benefit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Trump, so…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know he’s not your favorite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, it’s not my favorite compared to almost any creature crawling the earth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi says she planned on retiring after the 2016 election. She would have been 76 years old, and she was assuming that a Democrat would win. You were really ready to say, that’s it, I’m done.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She thought her crowning achievement, the Affordable Care Act, her baby, would be protected under a President Hillary Clinton. On November 8, 2016, Pelosi was in Washington with her colleagues, waiting for the returns to come in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>NAZIS GO HOME! \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In response to the violence, Trump said this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Very fine people on both sides \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Sanders had run on a message about economic inequality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Some people argue that this energy helped Democrats take back the House in 2018, two years into Trump’s presidency. They’d been out of power since the Tea Party had stormed into Congress almost a decade earlier. That election night, Pelosi took the stage again to the chants of \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Once they won back the House, some new, younger members were among those questioning whether Pelosi was the right leader for the House Democrats. But after cutting some deals, Pelosi was easily elected speaker for a second time. The squad cast their votes for her, too. Her swearing in was joyous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But then, in the summer of 2019, President Trump gave Democrats their opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But something fundamental had broken.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know you’re very religious. Did you pray?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>People were losing their jobs, terrified about the economy. Trump’s reelection campaign seized on an opportunity to punch back at Pelosi. They posted a video on YouTube called Let Them Eat Ice Cream, Nancy Antoinette, a reference to the infamous Queen of France. It featured the James Corden interview with some creative edits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Not me. Nobody’s ever accused me… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Yeah, although as leader, you have a lot of say in what the caucus wants to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Hilary Braseth of Open Secrets again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>We’re seeing a lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party in terms of candidates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I disagree with your terminology. A lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party. There isn’t a lot of turmoil.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s coming up next week on The Speaker. The Speaker is a production of KQED in San Francisco and distributed by NPR. It’s hosted and reported by me, Scott Shafer. It’s reported and produced by Ariella Markowitz. It’s edited by Padmini Raghunath. Final mix and sound designed by Christopher Beale. Fact checking by Mark Betancourt. Additional editing from Anna Sussman and Jen Chien, KQED’s director of podcasts. Original theme song composed by Cedric Wilson. Additional music from APM. Maha Sanad is KQED’s podcast engagement producer. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s editor-in-chief. Special thanks to our partners from the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, and radio artists, San Francisco, Northern California local.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2016,\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Nancy Pelosi was planning on retiring from Congress. But Donald Trump’s presidential victory disrupted her plans, and her legacy. Pelosi’s public battles with the President cemented her status as a liberal warrior – spearheading two impeachments and navigating the January 6th attack. But to some in her caucus, including the young progressives of “The Squad,” Pelosi’s approach wasn’t enough to address a new wave of populism and a growing mistrust of government. And amidst this politically fraught landscape, did Pelosi’s actions around stock trading — or inaction, according to some — add fuel to the fire?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>What comes to mind when you think of Nancy Pelosi?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 2:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>She has manipulated her position and used it to her benefit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Trump, so…\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know he’s not your favorite.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, it’s not my favorite compared to almost any creature crawling the earth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi says she planned on retiring after the 2016 election. She would have been 76 years old, and she was assuming that a Democrat would win. You were really ready to say, that’s it, I’m done.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She thought her crowning achievement, the Affordable Care Act, her baby, would be protected under a President Hillary Clinton. On November 8, 2016, Pelosi was in Washington with her colleagues, waiting for the returns to come in.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>NAZIS GO HOME! \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In response to the violence, Trump said this.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Very fine people on both sides \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Some people argue that this energy helped Democrats take back the House in 2018, two years into Trump’s presidency. They’d been out of power since the Tea Party had stormed into Congress almost a decade earlier. That election night, Pelosi took the stage again to the chants of \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Once they won back the House, some new, younger members were among those questioning whether Pelosi was the right leader for the House Democrats. But after cutting some deals, Pelosi was easily elected speaker for a second time. The squad cast their votes for her, too. Her swearing in was joyous.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But then, in the summer of 2019, President Trump gave Democrats their opportunity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But something fundamental had broken.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know you’re very religious. Did you pray?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>People were losing their jobs, terrified about the economy. Trump’s reelection campaign seized on an opportunity to punch back at Pelosi. They posted a video on YouTube called Let Them Eat Ice Cream, Nancy Antoinette, a reference to the infamous Queen of France. It featured the James Corden interview with some creative edits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Not me. Nobody’s ever accused me… \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Yeah, although as leader, you have a lot of say in what the caucus wants to do. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Hilary Braseth of Open Secrets again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s coming up next week on The Speaker. The Speaker is a production of KQED in San Francisco and distributed by NPR. It’s hosted and reported by me, Scott Shafer. It’s reported and produced by Ariella Markowitz. It’s edited by Padmini Raghunath. Final mix and sound designed by Christopher Beale. Fact checking by Mark Betancourt. Additional editing from Anna Sussman and Jen Chien, KQED’s director of podcasts. Original theme song composed by Cedric Wilson. Additional music from APM. Maha Sanad is KQED’s podcast engagement producer. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s editor-in-chief. Special thanks to our partners from the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, and radio artists, San Francisco, Northern California local.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#Transcript\">View Full Episode Transcript\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2016,\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Nancy Pelosi was planning on retiring from Congress. But Donald Trump’s presidential victory disrupted her plans, and her legacy. Pelosi’s public battles with the President cemented her status as a liberal warrior – spearheading two impeachments and navigating the January 6th attack. But to some in her caucus, including the young progressives of “The Squad,” Pelosi’s approach wasn’t enough to address a new wave of populism and a growing mistrust of government. And amidst this politically fraught landscape, did Pelosi’s actions around stock trading — or inaction, according to some — add fuel to the fire?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>What comes to mind when you think of Nancy Pelosi?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 2:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>She has manipulated her position and used it to her benefit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Trump, so…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know he’s not your favorite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, it’s not my favorite compared to almost any creature crawling the earth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi says she planned on retiring after the 2016 election. She would have been 76 years old, and she was assuming that a Democrat would win. You were really ready to say, that’s it, I’m done.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She thought her crowning achievement, the Affordable Care Act, her baby, would be protected under a President Hillary Clinton. On November 8, 2016, Pelosi was in Washington with her colleagues, waiting for the returns to come in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>NAZIS GO HOME! \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In response to the violence, Trump said this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Very fine people on both sides \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Sanders had run on a message about economic inequality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Some people argue that this energy helped Democrats take back the House in 2018, two years into Trump’s presidency. They’d been out of power since the Tea Party had stormed into Congress almost a decade earlier. That election night, Pelosi took the stage again to the chants of \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Once they won back the House, some new, younger members were among those questioning whether Pelosi was the right leader for the House Democrats. But after cutting some deals, Pelosi was easily elected speaker for a second time. The squad cast their votes for her, too. Her swearing in was joyous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But then, in the summer of 2019, President Trump gave Democrats their opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But something fundamental had broken.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know you’re very religious. Did you pray?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>People were losing their jobs, terrified about the economy. Trump’s reelection campaign seized on an opportunity to punch back at Pelosi. They posted a video on YouTube called Let Them Eat Ice Cream, Nancy Antoinette, a reference to the infamous Queen of France. It featured the James Corden interview with some creative edits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Not me. Nobody’s ever accused me… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Yeah, although as leader, you have a lot of say in what the caucus wants to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Hilary Braseth of Open Secrets again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>We’re seeing a lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party in terms of candidates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I disagree with your terminology. A lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party. There isn’t a lot of turmoil.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s coming up next week on The Speaker. The Speaker is a production of KQED in San Francisco and distributed by NPR. It’s hosted and reported by me, Scott Shafer. It’s reported and produced by Ariella Markowitz. It’s edited by Padmini Raghunath. Final mix and sound designed by Christopher Beale. Fact checking by Mark Betancourt. Additional editing from Anna Sussman and Jen Chien, KQED’s director of podcasts. Original theme song composed by Cedric Wilson. Additional music from APM. Maha Sanad is KQED’s podcast engagement producer. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s editor-in-chief. Special thanks to our partners from the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, and radio artists, San Francisco, Northern California local.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Why Opponents of Prop. 43 Say It Would Cripple Local Funding",
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"headTitle": "Why Opponents of Prop. 43 Say It Would Cripple Local Funding | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 43 on the November ballot would raise the requirement for increasing special taxes placed on the ballot by citizens. Right now it takes a simple majority to pass those taxes, but Prop. 43 would require a two-thirds vote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initiative is supported by business groups and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Meanwhile, unions and the California League of Cities say Prop. 43 would cripple their ability to raise critical revenue at a time when the federal government is slashing funding to state and local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scott and Marisa talk to the No on 43 campaign’s Bill Barnes, who is director of campaigns and community engagement for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Marisa previously discussed the Yes campaign with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095893/prop-43-would-make-it-harder-to-raise-local-taxes-can-it-pass\">Jon Coupal\u003c/a>, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 43 on the November ballot would raise the requirement for increasing special taxes placed on the ballot by citizens. Right now it takes a simple majority to pass those taxes, but Prop. 43 would require a two-thirds vote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 43 on the November ballot would raise the requirement for increasing special taxes placed on the ballot by citizens. Right now it takes a simple majority to pass those taxes, but Prop. 43 would require a two-thirds vote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The initiative is supported by business groups and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Meanwhile, unions and the California League of Cities say Prop. 43 would cripple their ability to raise critical revenue at a time when the federal government is slashing funding to state and local governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The initiative is supported by business groups and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Meanwhile, unions and the California League of Cities say Prop. 43 would cripple their ability to raise critical revenue at a time when the federal government is slashing funding to state and local governments. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Scott and Marisa talk to the No on 43 campaign’s Bill Barnes, who is director of campaigns and community engagement for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Marisa previously discussed the Yes campaign with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095893/prop-43-would-make-it-harder-to-raise-local-taxes-can-it-pass\">Jon Coupal\u003c/a>, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Scott and Marisa talk to the No on 43 campaign’s Bill Barnes, who is director of campaigns and community engagement for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Marisa previously discussed the Yes campaign with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095893/prop-43-would-make-it-harder-to-raise-local-taxes-can-it-pass\">Jon Coupal\u003c/a>, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Opponents of Proposition 43 warn that requiring a two-thirds vote for citizen-led special taxes would choke off local revenue as federal funding dries up. ",
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"title": "Why Opponents of Prop. 43 Say It Would Cripple Local Funding | KQED",
"description": "Opponents of Proposition 43 warn that requiring a two-thirds vote for citizen-led special taxes would choke off local revenue as federal funding dries up. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Proposition 43 on the November ballot would raise the requirement for increasing special taxes placed on the ballot by citizens. Right now it takes a simple majority to pass those taxes, but Prop. 43 would require a two-thirds vote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initiative is supported by business groups and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Meanwhile, unions and the California League of Cities say Prop. 43 would cripple their ability to raise critical revenue at a time when the federal government is slashing funding to state and local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scott and Marisa talk to the No on 43 campaign’s Bill Barnes, who is director of campaigns and community engagement for the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. Marisa previously discussed the Yes campaign with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095893/prop-43-would-make-it-harder-to-raise-local-taxes-can-it-pass\">Jon Coupal\u003c/a>, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Should You Use USPS to Mail Your Midterm Ballot? Here’s What California Election Officials Say",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>County election officials this week began mailing ballots to every registered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> voter for the Nov. 3 midterm election, kicking off a monthlong vote-by-mail stretch — albeit one shadowed by a series of federal challenges to the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump has kept up his attacks on mail voting this year, which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. The administration’s efforts to drastically limit voting by mail have ranged from an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>giving the United States Postal Service the unprecedented role of deciding who receives mail ballots to pushing Congress to require photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So far, those moves have failed. But the USPS has also changed how some mail is collected — leaving many voters unsure whether the agency can reliably deliver their ballots this fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about using USPS to mail your midterm ballot this election season. And remember: Aside from those USPS collection boxes, voters have several other options to submit their mail-in ballot, including using a secure county drop box or submitting by hand to any open voting location.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#mail-in-ballot\">Should I mail my ballot through USPS?\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s changed at USPS — and what does it mean for my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two changes to USPS in recent years have slowed down service in many regions, especially for voters in rural areas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, starting in April 2025, USPS implemented what’s called its Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative nationwide. At post offices and collection boxes more than 50 miles from a processing center, the RTO means mail is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">picked up the next day\u003c/a> instead of the same day. Northern California has just two processing centers, in Richmond and Sacramento. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103052\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Second, in December 2025, USPS formally \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20740/postmarks-and-postal-possession\">defined a postmark\u003c/a> as confirmation that the agency was in possession of the mail, but not necessarily the date it first \u003cem>received \u003c/em>the mail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what do these changes mean for your ballot arriving in time to be counted in the Nov. 3 election — which in California is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">seven days after Election Day\u003c/a>, as long as it’s postmarked by or on Election Day? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you drop your ballot in a post office or box, it may not get a postmark until USPS picks it up, trucks it to a processing center and stamps it. That could be days later. Many voters assume they have until Election Day to mail a ballot, but if it’s postmarked \u003cem>after \u003c/em>Nov. 3, it will be rejected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Because of mail processing facility shutdowns, our mail — including our election mail — takes a more circuitous route to get to the county elections office than it used to,” said Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. “In some counties, the mail actually goes to a processing center in Nevada and then comes back to California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, nearly 90% of voters cast their ballots by mail in the statewide June primary. And more ballots are now showing up too late to be counted in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the 2026 primary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/understanding-increases-in-late-vote-by-mail-ballots-in-california/\">1.1% of all California mail ballots\u003c/a> arrived late, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s up from 0.7% in the 2025 special election and 0.3% in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I personally find it heartbreaking when I see those stacks of uncounted ballots sitting in election offices, because I know how much work goes into filling out a ballot,” Alexander said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The PPIC report found the increase in rejection rates was concentrated in areas affected by the RTO, even after accounting for other differences. But the report concluded that California’s overall rise in rejected ballots can’t be pinned wholly on the USPS changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mail-in-ballot\">So how \u003cem>do \u003c/em>election officials recommend I submit my mail-in ballot?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> to account for those USPS changes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But some officials are going further and steering voters away from using USPS altogether. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082088\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes, which skip the Postal Service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they use one of our official ballot drop boxes, our team picks those ballots up every day and brings them right back here,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendez cited the uptick in late ballots in the June primary as the driving force behind her warning about USPS. Sonoma County rejected \u003ca href=\"https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/vbm-rejection-reason/2026/june-primary-2026.pdf\">1,598 ballots\u003c/a> for arriving late, accounting for 0.95% of vote-by-mail ballots returned in the county. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ballot drop boxes are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters from anywhere in California can use them, even if they’re not registered in that county. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendez said voters who still want to use USPS should go inside the post office and request that hand stamp to ensure it’s postmarked on time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sometimes we’ll get ballots that have two different dates, and it’s because someone got it hand-stamped in the office and then it got stamped when it went through the process — but they’re still getting here late,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexander’s top recommendation is to turn in your mail ballot at a voting site as an in-person ballot. The option, known as “Sign, Scan and Go” voting, allows voters to bring their mail ballot to a vote center and sign a roster under penalty of perjury — just as you would for in-person voting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom expanded the option this year after signing \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-signs-new-laws-to-protect-california-elections-from-trump-interference/\">Senate Bill 1420\u003c/a> last month to raise awareness and access to this service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexander said this approach sidesteps time-intensive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">signature verification\u003c/a> — since your signature only goes on your ballot’s envelope, and the envelope isn’t necessary with Sign, Scan and Go — and late-arrival ballot rejections. She said it also speeds up California’s vote count, which drew criticism after the June primary when it took nearly a week to settle the governor’s and Los Angeles mayor’s races.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dropping off your ballot in person at a vote center like this “really solves a lot of challenges, and it’s a win-win for the voter and for the elections office,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I track my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can track your ballot through \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">BallotTrax\u003c/a>, the state’s “Where’s My Ballot” site. The service sends alerts when your ballot is mailed, delivered and received by the county. Plus, you’ll be notified if the county flags an issue, such as a signature challenge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That allows you to get a jump on correcting those issues, so your ballot can be counted,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting legally stand right now?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March, Trump issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">an executive order to restrict mail voting\u003c/a>. The order would have required USPS — an agency within the federal government — to send mail ballots only to voters on a federal list of “approved” voters. It also would have charged the Department of Justice with prosecuting election officials who issue ballots to ineligible voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/us/politics/trump-mail-in-voting-ruling.html\">issued a swift ruling\u003c/a> preventing USPS from implementing the order — which the Supreme Court then \u003ca href=\"https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/09/supreme-court-denies-trump-administrations-request-to-implement-parts-of-usps-rule-on-mail-in-vo/\">left in place\u003c/a> in September. However, a USPS \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/politics/whistle-blower-voting-by-mail.html\">whistleblower alleged\u003c/a> the agency secretly prepared to follow Trump’s order even as the matter was still being fought over in the courts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexander said USPS’ leaders showed they were “sympathetic to” strategies that would restrict mail voting, costing the agency trust even though the effort failed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of ballot drop box outside of polling place\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that has really shaken a lot of people’s confidence. I know it’s shaken mine,” she said. “Up until this election, I felt like the U.S. Postal Service was a reliable partner in the voting process.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The administration originally considered an even \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-plan-to-restrict-mail-voting\">more disruptive restriction\u003c/a> on mail voting, according to new reporting from ProPublica. It would have required USPS to send all ballots by certified mail, meaning voters would have had to be home to sign for them in order to receive them. The Postal Service objected, and the White House ultimately backed down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Additionally, the Supreme Court in July upheld a Mississippi state law that allows officials to count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later. The Republican National Committee brought the case in 2024, arguing grace periods violate the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>18 states and territories, including California, also permit grace periods to account for mail delays beyond voters’ control. In the 2024 general election, 373,116 ballots arrived within the grace period and were counted in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Thankfully, we avoided two potentially very harmful policy changes that would have dramatically impacted California voters,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump has also repeatedly pressed Congress to pass his SAVE America Act. The bill would ban mail voting except for illness, disability, military service or travel, in addition to requiring proof of citizenship during registration and photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump has kept up his attacks on mail voting this year, which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. The administration’s efforts to drastically limit voting by mail have ranged from an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>giving the United States Postal Service the unprecedented role of deciding who receives mail ballots to pushing Congress to require photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump has kept up his attacks on mail voting this year, which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. The administration’s efforts to drastically limit voting by mail have ranged from an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>giving the United States Postal Service the unprecedented role of deciding who receives mail ballots to pushing Congress to require photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First, starting in April 2025, USPS implemented what’s called its Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative nationwide. At post offices and collection boxes more than 50 miles from a processing center, the RTO means mail is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">picked up the next day\u003c/a> instead of the same day. Northern California has just two processing centers, in Richmond and Sacramento. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>First, starting in April 2025, USPS implemented what’s called its Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative nationwide. At post offices and collection boxes more than 50 miles from a processing center, the RTO means mail is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">picked up the next day\u003c/a> instead of the same day. Northern California has just two processing centers, in Richmond and Sacramento. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103052\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103052\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Second, in December 2025, USPS formally \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20740/postmarks-and-postal-possession\">defined a postmark\u003c/a> as confirmation that the agency was in possession of the mail, but not necessarily the date it first \u003cem>received \u003c/em>the mail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Second, in December 2025, USPS formally \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20740/postmarks-and-postal-possession\">defined a postmark\u003c/a> as confirmation that the agency was in possession of the mail, but not necessarily the date it first \u003cem>received \u003c/em>the mail. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But what do these changes mean for your ballot arriving in time to be counted in the Nov. 3 election — which in California is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">seven days after Election Day\u003c/a>, as long as it’s postmarked by or on Election Day? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you drop your ballot in a post office or box, it may not get a postmark until USPS picks it up, trucks it to a processing center and stamps it. That could be days later. Many voters assume they have until Election Day to mail a ballot, but if it’s postmarked \u003cem>after \u003c/em>Nov. 3, it will be rejected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you drop your ballot in a post office or box, it may not get a postmark until USPS picks it up, trucks it to a processing center and stamps it. That could be days later. Many voters assume they have until Election Day to mail a ballot, but if it’s postmarked \u003cem>after \u003c/em>Nov. 3, it will be rejected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Because of mail processing facility shutdowns, our mail — including our election mail — takes a more circuitous route to get to the county elections office than it used to,” said Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. “In some counties, the mail actually goes to a processing center in Nevada and then comes back to California.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Because of mail processing facility shutdowns, our mail — including our election mail — takes a more circuitous route to get to the county elections office than it used to,” said Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. “In some counties, the mail actually goes to a processing center in Nevada and then comes back to California.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In California, nearly 90% of voters cast their ballots by mail in the statewide June primary. And more ballots are now showing up too late to be counted in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In California, nearly 90% of voters cast their ballots by mail in the statewide June primary. And more ballots are now showing up too late to be counted in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the 2026 primary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/understanding-increases-in-late-vote-by-mail-ballots-in-california/\">1.1% of all California mail ballots\u003c/a> arrived late, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s up from 0.7% in the 2025 special election and 0.3% in 2024. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the 2026 primary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/understanding-increases-in-late-vote-by-mail-ballots-in-california/\">1.1% of all California mail ballots\u003c/a> arrived late, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s up from 0.7% in the 2025 special election and 0.3% in 2024. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I personally find it heartbreaking when I see those stacks of uncounted ballots sitting in election offices, because I know how much work goes into filling out a ballot,” Alexander said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I personally find it heartbreaking when I see those stacks of uncounted ballots sitting in election offices, because I know how much work goes into filling out a ballot,” Alexander said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The PPIC report found the increase in rejection rates was concentrated in areas affected by the RTO, even after accounting for other differences. But the report concluded that California’s overall rise in rejected ballots can’t be pinned wholly on the USPS changes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The PPIC report found the increase in rejection rates was concentrated in areas affected by the RTO, even after accounting for other differences. But the report concluded that California’s overall rise in rejected ballots can’t be pinned wholly on the USPS changes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "So how do election officials recommend I submit my mail-in ballot? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> to account for those USPS changes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> to account for those USPS changes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But some officials are going further and steering voters away from using USPS altogether. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But some officials are going further and steering voters away from using USPS altogether. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082088\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082088\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes, which skip the Postal Service. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes, which skip the Postal Service. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If they use one of our official ballot drop boxes, our team picks those ballots up every day and brings them right back here,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If they use one of our official ballot drop boxes, our team picks those ballots up every day and brings them right back here,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez cited the uptick in late ballots in the June primary as the driving force behind her warning about USPS. Sonoma County rejected \u003ca href=\"https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/vbm-rejection-reason/2026/june-primary-2026.pdf\">1,598 ballots\u003c/a> for arriving late, accounting for 0.95% of vote-by-mail ballots returned in the county. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez cited the uptick in late ballots in the June primary as the driving force behind her warning about USPS. Sonoma County rejected \u003ca href=\"https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/vbm-rejection-reason/2026/june-primary-2026.pdf\">1,598 ballots\u003c/a> for arriving late, accounting for 0.95% of vote-by-mail ballots returned in the county. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ballot drop boxes are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters from anywhere in California can use them, even if they’re not registered in that county. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ballot drop boxes are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters from anywhere in California can use them, even if they’re not registered in that county. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez said voters who still want to use USPS should go inside the post office and request that hand stamp to ensure it’s postmarked on time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez said voters who still want to use USPS should go inside the post office and request that hand stamp to ensure it’s postmarked on time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sometimes we’ll get ballots that have two different dates, and it’s because someone got it hand-stamped in the office and then it got stamped when it went through the process — but they’re still getting here late,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sometimes we’ll get ballots that have two different dates, and it’s because someone got it hand-stamped in the office and then it got stamped when it went through the process — but they’re still getting here late,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alexander’s top recommendation is to turn in your mail ballot at a voting site as an in-person ballot. The option, known as “Sign, Scan and Go” voting, allows voters to bring their mail ballot to a vote center and sign a roster under penalty of perjury — just as you would for in-person voting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alexander’s top recommendation is to turn in your mail ballot at a voting site as an in-person ballot. The option, known as “Sign, Scan and Go” voting, allows voters to bring their mail ballot to a vote center and sign a roster under penalty of perjury — just as you would for in-person voting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom expanded the option this year after signing \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-signs-new-laws-to-protect-california-elections-from-trump-interference/\">Senate Bill 1420\u003c/a> last month to raise awareness and access to this service.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom expanded the option this year after signing \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-signs-new-laws-to-protect-california-elections-from-trump-interference/\">Senate Bill 1420\u003c/a> last month to raise awareness and access to this service.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alexander said this approach sidesteps time-intensive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">signature verification\u003c/a> — since your signature only goes on your ballot’s envelope, and the envelope isn’t necessary with Sign, Scan and Go — and late-arrival ballot rejections. She said it also speeds up California’s vote count, which drew criticism after the June primary when it took nearly a week to settle the governor’s and Los Angeles mayor’s races.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alexander said this approach sidesteps time-intensive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">signature verification\u003c/a> — since your signature only goes on your ballot’s envelope, and the envelope isn’t necessary with Sign, Scan and Go — and late-arrival ballot rejections. She said it also speeds up California’s vote count, which drew criticism after the June primary when it took nearly a week to settle the governor’s and Los Angeles mayor’s races.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dropping off your ballot in person at a vote center like this “really solves a lot of challenges, and it’s a win-win for the voter and for the elections office,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dropping off your ballot in person at a vote center like this “really solves a lot of challenges, and it’s a win-win for the voter and for the elections office,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "How can I track my ballot?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can track your ballot through \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">BallotTrax\u003c/a>, the state’s “Where’s My Ballot” site. The service sends alerts when your ballot is mailed, delivered and received by the county. Plus, you’ll be notified if the county flags an issue, such as a signature challenge. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can track your ballot through \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">BallotTrax\u003c/a>, the state’s “Where’s My Ballot” site. The service sends alerts when your ballot is mailed, delivered and received by the county. Plus, you’ll be notified if the county flags an issue, such as a signature challenge. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That allows you to get a jump on correcting those issues, so your ballot can be counted,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That allows you to get a jump on correcting those issues, so your ballot can be counted,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Where do Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting legally stand right now?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting legally stand right now?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting legally stand right now?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March, Trump issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">an executive order to restrict mail voting\u003c/a>. The order would have required USPS — an agency within the federal government — to send mail ballots only to voters on a federal list of “approved” voters. It also would have charged the Department of Justice with prosecuting election officials who issue ballots to ineligible voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In March, Trump issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">an executive order to restrict mail voting\u003c/a>. The order would have required USPS — an agency within the federal government — to send mail ballots only to voters on a federal list of “approved” voters. It also would have charged the Department of Justice with prosecuting election officials who issue ballots to ineligible voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/us/politics/trump-mail-in-voting-ruling.html\">issued a swift ruling\u003c/a> preventing USPS from implementing the order — which the Supreme Court then \u003ca href=\"https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/09/supreme-court-denies-trump-administrations-request-to-implement-parts-of-usps-rule-on-mail-in-vo/\">left in place\u003c/a> in September. However, a USPS \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/politics/whistle-blower-voting-by-mail.html\">whistleblower alleged\u003c/a> the agency secretly prepared to follow Trump’s order even as the matter was still being fought over in the courts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/us/politics/trump-mail-in-voting-ruling.html\">issued a swift ruling\u003c/a> preventing USPS from implementing the order — which the Supreme Court then \u003ca href=\"https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/09/supreme-court-denies-trump-administrations-request-to-implement-parts-of-usps-rule-on-mail-in-vo/\">left in place\u003c/a> in September. However, a USPS \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/politics/whistle-blower-voting-by-mail.html\">whistleblower alleged\u003c/a> the agency secretly prepared to follow Trump’s order even as the matter was still being fought over in the courts. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alexander said USPS’ leaders showed they were “sympathetic to” strategies that would restrict mail voting, costing the agency trust even though the effort failed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alexander said USPS’ leaders showed they were “sympathetic to” strategies that would restrict mail voting, costing the agency trust even though the effort failed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095894\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of ballot drop box outside of polling place\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that has really shaken a lot of people’s confidence. I know it’s shaken mine,” she said. “Up until this election, I felt like the U.S. Postal Service was a reliable partner in the voting process.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think that has really shaken a lot of people’s confidence. I know it’s shaken mine,” she said. “Up until this election, I felt like the U.S. Postal Service was a reliable partner in the voting process.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The administration originally considered an even \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-plan-to-restrict-mail-voting\">more disruptive restriction\u003c/a> on mail voting, according to new reporting from ProPublica. It would have required USPS to send all ballots by certified mail, meaning voters would have had to be home to sign for them in order to receive them. The Postal Service objected, and the White House ultimately backed down. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The administration originally considered an even \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-plan-to-restrict-mail-voting\">more disruptive restriction\u003c/a> on mail voting, according to new reporting from ProPublica. It would have required USPS to send all ballots by certified mail, meaning voters would have had to be home to sign for them in order to receive them. The Postal Service objected, and the White House ultimately backed down. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Additionally, the Supreme Court in July upheld a Mississippi state law that allows officials to count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later. The Republican National Committee brought the case in 2024, arguing grace periods violate the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Additionally, the Supreme Court in July upheld a Mississippi state law that allows officials to count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later. The Republican National Committee brought the case in 2024, arguing grace periods violate the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>18 states and territories, including California, also permit grace periods to account for mail delays beyond voters’ control. In the 2024 general election, 373,116 ballots arrived within the grace period and were counted in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>18 states and territories, including California, also permit grace periods to account for mail delays beyond voters’ control. In the 2024 general election, 373,116 ballots arrived within the grace period and were counted in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Thankfully, we avoided two potentially very harmful policy changes that would have dramatically impacted California voters,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Thankfully, we avoided two potentially very harmful policy changes that would have dramatically impacted California voters,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Trump has also repeatedly pressed Congress to pass his SAVE America Act. The bill would ban mail voting except for illness, disability, military service or travel, in addition to requiring proof of citizenship during registration and photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Trump has also repeatedly pressed Congress to pass his SAVE America Act. The bill would ban mail voting except for illness, disability, military service or travel, in addition to requiring proof of citizenship during registration and photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "With recent changes to how the U.S. Postal Service operates and President Trump’s attacks on mail voting, here’s what to know.",
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"title": "Should You Use USPS to Mail Your Midterm Ballot? Here’s What California Election Officials Say | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>County election officials this week began mailing ballots to every registered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> voter for the Nov. 3 midterm election, kicking off a monthlong vote-by-mail stretch — albeit one shadowed by a series of federal challenges to the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump has kept up his attacks on mail voting this year, which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. The administration’s efforts to drastically limit voting by mail have ranged from an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>giving the United States Postal Service the unprecedented role of deciding who receives mail ballots to pushing Congress to require photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So far, those moves have failed. But the USPS has also changed how some mail is collected — leaving many voters unsure whether the agency can reliably deliver their ballots this fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about using USPS to mail your midterm ballot this election season. And remember: Aside from those USPS collection boxes, voters have several other options to submit their mail-in ballot, including using a secure county drop box or submitting by hand to any open voting location.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#mail-in-ballot\">Should I mail my ballot through USPS?\u003c/a> \u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s changed at USPS — and what does it mean for my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two changes to USPS in recent years have slowed down service in many regions, especially for voters in rural areas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, starting in April 2025, USPS implemented what’s called its Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) initiative nationwide. At post offices and collection boxes more than 50 miles from a processing center, the RTO means mail is now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085378/usps-changes-ballot-drop-box-near-me-deadline-california-primary-vote-for-governor\">picked up the next day\u003c/a> instead of the same day. Northern California has just two processing centers, in Richmond and Sacramento. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103052\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/001_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Second, in December 2025, USPS formally \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20740/postmarks-and-postal-possession\">defined a postmark\u003c/a> as confirmation that the agency was in possession of the mail, but not necessarily the date it first \u003cem>received \u003c/em>the mail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what do these changes mean for your ballot arriving in time to be counted in the Nov. 3 election — which in California is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">seven days after Election Day\u003c/a>, as long as it’s postmarked by or on Election Day? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you drop your ballot in a post office or box, it may not get a postmark until USPS picks it up, trucks it to a processing center and stamps it. That could be days later. Many voters assume they have until Election Day to mail a ballot, but if it’s postmarked \u003cem>after \u003c/em>Nov. 3, it will be rejected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Because of mail processing facility shutdowns, our mail — including our election mail — takes a more circuitous route to get to the county elections office than it used to,” said Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. “In some counties, the mail actually goes to a processing center in Nevada and then comes back to California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, nearly 90% of voters cast their ballots by mail in the statewide June primary. And more ballots are now showing up too late to be counted in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the 2026 primary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/understanding-increases-in-late-vote-by-mail-ballots-in-california/\">1.1% of all California mail ballots\u003c/a> arrived late, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s up from 0.7% in the 2025 special election and 0.3% in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I personally find it heartbreaking when I see those stacks of uncounted ballots sitting in election offices, because I know how much work goes into filling out a ballot,” Alexander said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The PPIC report found the increase in rejection rates was concentrated in areas affected by the RTO, even after accounting for other differences. But the report concluded that California’s overall rise in rejected ballots can’t be pinned wholly on the USPS changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mail-in-ballot\">So how \u003cem>do \u003c/em>election officials recommend I submit my mail-in ballot?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> to account for those USPS changes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But some officials are going further and steering voters away from using USPS altogether. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082088\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes, which skip the Postal Service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they use one of our official ballot drop boxes, our team picks those ballots up every day and brings them right back here,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendez cited the uptick in late ballots in the June primary as the driving force behind her warning about USPS. Sonoma County rejected \u003ca href=\"https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/vbm-rejection-reason/2026/june-primary-2026.pdf\">1,598 ballots\u003c/a> for arriving late, accounting for 0.95% of vote-by-mail ballots returned in the county. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ballot drop boxes are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Voters from anywhere in California can use them, even if they’re not registered in that county. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mendez said voters who still want to use USPS should go inside the post office and request that hand stamp to ensure it’s postmarked on time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sometimes we’ll get ballots that have two different dates, and it’s because someone got it hand-stamped in the office and then it got stamped when it went through the process — but they’re still getting here late,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexander’s top recommendation is to turn in your mail ballot at a voting site as an in-person ballot. The option, known as “Sign, Scan and Go” voting, allows voters to bring their mail ballot to a vote center and sign a roster under penalty of perjury — just as you would for in-person voting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom expanded the option this year after signing \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/19/governor-newsom-signs-new-laws-to-protect-california-elections-from-trump-interference/\">Senate Bill 1420\u003c/a> last month to raise awareness and access to this service.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexander said this approach sidesteps time-intensive \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">signature verification\u003c/a> — since your signature only goes on your ballot’s envelope, and the envelope isn’t necessary with Sign, Scan and Go — and late-arrival ballot rejections. She said it also speeds up California’s vote count, which drew criticism after the June primary when it took nearly a week to settle the governor’s and Los Angeles mayor’s races.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dropping off your ballot in person at a vote center like this “really solves a lot of challenges, and it’s a win-win for the voter and for the elections office,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I track my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can track your ballot through \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">BallotTrax\u003c/a>, the state’s “Where’s My Ballot” site. The service sends alerts when your ballot is mailed, delivered and received by the county. Plus, you’ll be notified if the county flags an issue, such as a signature challenge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That allows you to get a jump on correcting those issues, so your ballot can be counted,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where do Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting legally stand right now?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March, Trump issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">an executive order to restrict mail voting\u003c/a>. The order would have required USPS — an agency within the federal government — to send mail ballots only to voters on a federal list of “approved” voters. It also would have charged the Department of Justice with prosecuting election officials who issue ballots to ineligible voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/us/politics/trump-mail-in-voting-ruling.html\">issued a swift ruling\u003c/a> preventing USPS from implementing the order — which the Supreme Court then \u003ca href=\"https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/09/supreme-court-denies-trump-administrations-request-to-implement-parts-of-usps-rule-on-mail-in-vo/\">left in place\u003c/a> in September. However, a USPS \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/politics/whistle-blower-voting-by-mail.html\">whistleblower alleged\u003c/a> the agency secretly prepared to follow Trump’s order even as the matter was still being fought over in the courts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alexander said USPS’ leaders showed they were “sympathetic to” strategies that would restrict mail voting, costing the agency trust even though the effort failed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-2000x1500.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/GettyImages-1342327252-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Close-up of ballot drop box outside of polling place\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that has really shaken a lot of people’s confidence. I know it’s shaken mine,” she said. “Up until this election, I felt like the U.S. Postal Service was a reliable partner in the voting process.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The administration originally considered an even \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-plan-to-restrict-mail-voting\">more disruptive restriction\u003c/a> on mail voting, according to new reporting from ProPublica. It would have required USPS to send all ballots by certified mail, meaning voters would have had to be home to sign for them in order to receive them. The Postal Service objected, and the White House ultimately backed down. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Additionally, the Supreme Court in July upheld a Mississippi state law that allows officials to count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received later. The Republican National Committee brought the case in 2024, arguing grace periods violate the Constitution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>18 states and territories, including California, also permit grace periods to account for mail delays beyond voters’ control. In the 2024 general election, 373,116 ballots arrived within the grace period and were counted in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Thankfully, we avoided two potentially very harmful policy changes that would have dramatically impacted California voters,” Alexander said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump has also repeatedly pressed Congress to pass his SAVE America Act. The bill would ban mail voting except for illness, disability, military service or travel, in addition to requiring proof of citizenship during registration and photo ID at the polls. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The top official for San Francisco’s Democratic Party issued a public \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdems.org/chair/accountability\">apology\u003c/a> for failing to adequately evaluate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996787/reckoning-on-sexual-assault-roils-sf-democrats-as-mayoral-endorsement-looms\">sexual misconduct allegations\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097058/san-francisco-democratic-party-endorses-manny-yekutiel-for-supervisor-after-sexual-assault-allegations\">endorsing\u003c/a> former San Francisco supervisor candidate Manny Yekutiel, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102333/new-allegations-surface-against-san-francisco-supervisor-candidate-manny-yekutiel\">abandoned his bid\u003c/a> to represent District 8 last week after multiple men accused him of sexual assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chair Nancy Tung’s statement comes after mounting criticism over how the party handled the accusations against Yekutiel, who dropped out of the race after three men publicly accused him of sexual assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brad Chapin, a former city gardener and political organizer, came forward earlier this year alleging that Yekutiel sexually assaulted him at a party in 2020. San Francisco’s Democratic Party voted to endorse Yekutiel after Chapin spoke up. Last week, two additional men — a man named Ryan Clark and his partner — made similar allegations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I publicly and sincerely apologize to Mr. Chapin for how our process treated his complaint and for an endorsement decision that caused him further harm,” Tung wrote. “As party chair, I also apologize for how this endorsement hurt Ryan Clark, his partner and others.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11996722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung speaks during a rally in support of the presidential nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris at City Hall in San Francisco on July 22, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But Chapin said Ting’s apology didn’t land for him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I believe that she’s only apologizing because she got caught and everybody can see it and she wants to save her own reputation,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin filed a police report in April, and also reached out to the local Democratic Party to file a complaint through the organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016733/sf-democrats-adopt-new-sexual-assault-reporting-policies\">relatively new reporting policies\u003c/a> for sexual assault and harassment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The party’s policy created ways for a person to submit a complaint, including to an ombudsperson who determines whether the complaint potentially violates the code of conduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If so, an independent investigator reviews the facts and evidence of the report and submits findings to the party’s judicial commission and adjudication panel to determine whether the violation occurred. If it did, consequences could include private or public admonishment or expulsion from the club or party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The party adopted the policy in December 2024 after accusations surfaced against prominent political organizers, including John Jacobo and Kesvin Ortiz, two progressives who have both denied the allegations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some survivors of sexual assault criticized how the party handled those past allegations and the protocol designed to handle future cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin said he did not receive a response from the Democratic Party’s ombudsperson or investigators until after he came forward with his story publicly in the media. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After following up on Chapin’s claims, the adjudication panel for the Democratic Party met to review an independent investigator’s findings, ultimately saying that the accusation could not be substantiated and that it was outside of their jurisdiction. The party then voted to publicly endorse Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin went to the endorsement meeting, publicly calling the process a “sham.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Yekutiel’s campaign appeared to weather the initial allegation, with many allies continuing to support him. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who created the Civic Joy Fund with Yekutiel, endorsed him after Chapin came forward. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The political climate changed last week, however, when Clark and his partner came forward alleging that Yekutiel had sexually assaulted them at a nightclub in San Francisco in 2023. Within hours of the new allegations coming out, prominent backers revoked their endorsements for Yekutiel, including Lurie and other elected officials.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My endorsement is a statement of my confidence in someone’s character and leadership, and in light of the additional accounts reported today I am withdrawing it,” Lurie said in a statement last week, adding that he will not make a new endorsement in the District 8 race. “Coming forward is hard and these survivors deserve to be heard, and treated with dignity and respect.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has denied the allegations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue,” Yekutiel said in a statement when he announced he would drop out. “But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I’m going to take this time to work on myself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny Yekutiel introduces U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer during Steyer’s appearance at Manny’s in San Francisco on July 17, 2019. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin is still reeling from the consequences and backlash he faced for coming forward. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Her apology rings pretty hollow,” Chapin said of Tung’s response on Monday. “She gave me almost none of the rights outlined in her own code of conduct.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he handed over 55 names of witnesses who could support his allegations but did not know if any had been contacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The process is designed to insulate the political aspect of the party, and so I don’t actually know what Mr. Chapin’s complaint looked like. I don’t know what he turned over to the investigators,” Tung said. “The investigation was done by a professional law firm that specializes in these types of misconduct complaints, and so I don’t know if those 55 people had been contacted or not.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin also said he was not given time to appeal the findings before the adjudication panel made them public and the party voted to endorse Yekutiel. Chapin said he has also requested a copy of the investigation, and that Tung has refused to share the file. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Because the judicial counsel did not act on [the complaint], I chose not to release the investigation,” Tung said. “Given what’s happened recently, it’s a conversation I’m willing to have with Mr. Chapin and his lawyer to see if there is something that we should consider.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062093\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman speaks at a press event in front of San Francisco City Hall on Oct. 29, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rafael Mandelman, a moderate Democrat, currently represents District 8, which includes the Castro, Glen Park, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and other neighborhoods. He is terming out, leaving an open seat on the city’s current majority-moderate Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before last week, Yekutiel was a frontrunner. He is well-connected through his cafe in the Mission District, Manny’s, which frequently hosts events with prominent political and community leaders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The race now comes down to Gary McCoy, who previously worked for Rep. Nancy Pelosi and has the former Speaker of the House’s endorsement, as well as patent attorney Michael Nguyen and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tung said the episode is prompting changes to the code of conduct on sexual misconduct. The party is holding a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdems.org/chair/statement-on-calling-special-meeting-october-11\">special meeting on Oct. 11\u003c/a> to reconsider its endorsement in District 8, and Tung said she will be endorsing Gary McCoy in the race. Some supervisors who previously endorsed Yekutiel have also since moved their endorsement to McCoy, including Stephen Sherrill, Danny Sauter and Bilal Mahmood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same Oct. 11 meeting, Tung said there will be a discussion about reexamining the code of conduct around sexual assault and harassment and outlining next steps to revise the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are hard lessons all the way around this process, but we need to keep trying,” Tung said. “I hope that people and organizations will decide that they want to move forward together with the party and to try to do something, to try to create something better out of all of this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some critics are calling for Tung herself to step down following the episode. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She has lost the trust of survivors, allies and the community at large,” an Instagram post from the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee said. “Brad Chapin came forward when it was hard, and he deserved action when it mattered. An apology after the fact does not undo that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked for a response to the calls for resignation, Tung said, “It’s all very fresh. I do want to speak to members of the SFWPC. I don’t think that trading statements over Instagram is necessarily the best way to have a conversation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tung said she reached out to Chapin on a messaging app, but the two have not spoken directly as of Monday, when she released her public apology naming him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need a Democratic Party and a local government that advocates and protects survivors,” Chapin said. “I look forward to hopefully having a meeting with the mayor and others who are capable of making real change happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brad Chapin, a former city gardener and political organizer, came forward earlier this year alleging that Yekutiel sexually assaulted him at a party in 2020. San Francisco’s Democratic Party voted to endorse Yekutiel after Chapin spoke up. Last week, two additional men — a man named Ryan Clark and his partner — made similar allegations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I publicly and sincerely apologize to Mr. Chapin for how our process treated his complaint and for an endorsement decision that caused him further harm,” Tung wrote. “As party chair, I also apologize for how this endorsement hurt Ryan Clark, his partner and others.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11996722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung speaks during a rally in support of the presidential nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris at City Hall in San Francisco on July 22, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I believe that she’s only apologizing because she got caught and everybody can see it and she wants to save her own reputation,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapin filed a police report in April, and also reached out to the local Democratic Party to file a complaint through the organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016733/sf-democrats-adopt-new-sexual-assault-reporting-policies\">relatively new reporting policies\u003c/a> for sexual assault and harassment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If so, an independent investigator reviews the facts and evidence of the report and submits findings to the party’s judicial commission and adjudication panel to determine whether the violation occurred. If it did, consequences could include private or public admonishment or expulsion from the club or party. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The party adopted the policy in December 2024 after accusations surfaced against prominent political organizers, including John Jacobo and Kesvin Ortiz, two progressives who have both denied the allegations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapin said he did not receive a response from the Democratic Party’s ombudsperson or investigators until after he came forward with his story publicly in the media. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After following up on Chapin’s claims, the adjudication panel for the Democratic Party met to review an independent investigator’s findings, ultimately saying that the accusation could not be substantiated and that it was outside of their jurisdiction. The party then voted to publicly endorse Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After following up on Chapin’s claims, the adjudication panel for the Democratic Party met to review an independent investigator’s findings, ultimately saying that the accusation could not be substantiated and that it was outside of their jurisdiction. The party then voted to publicly endorse Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Yekutiel’s campaign appeared to weather the initial allegation, with many allies continuing to support him. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who created the Civic Joy Fund with Yekutiel, endorsed him after Chapin came forward. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Yekutiel’s campaign appeared to weather the initial allegation, with many allies continuing to support him. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who created the Civic Joy Fund with Yekutiel, endorsed him after Chapin came forward. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The political climate changed last week, however, when Clark and his partner came forward alleging that Yekutiel had sexually assaulted them at a nightclub in San Francisco in 2023. Within hours of the new allegations coming out, prominent backers revoked their endorsements for Yekutiel, including Lurie and other elected officials.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The political climate changed last week, however, when Clark and his partner came forward alleging that Yekutiel had sexually assaulted them at a nightclub in San Francisco in 2023. Within hours of the new allegations coming out, prominent backers revoked their endorsements for Yekutiel, including Lurie and other elected officials.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My endorsement is a statement of my confidence in someone’s character and leadership, and in light of the additional accounts reported today I am withdrawing it,” Lurie said in a statement last week, adding that he will not make a new endorsement in the District 8 race. “Coming forward is hard and these survivors deserve to be heard, and treated with dignity and respect.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“My endorsement is a statement of my confidence in someone’s character and leadership, and in light of the additional accounts reported today I am withdrawing it,” Lurie said in a statement last week, adding that he will not make a new endorsement in the District 8 race. “Coming forward is hard and these survivors deserve to be heard, and treated with dignity and respect.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue,” Yekutiel said in a statement when he announced he would drop out. “But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I’m going to take this time to work on myself.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue,” Yekutiel said in a statement when he announced he would drop out. “But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I’m going to take this time to work on myself.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny Yekutiel introduces U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer during Steyer’s appearance at Manny’s in San Francisco on July 17, 2019.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapin is still reeling from the consequences and backlash he faced for coming forward. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Her apology rings pretty hollow,” Chapin said of Tung’s response on Monday. “She gave me almost none of the rights outlined in her own code of conduct.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he handed over 55 names of witnesses who could support his allegations but did not know if any had been contacted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The process is designed to insulate the political aspect of the party, and so I don’t actually know what Mr. Chapin’s complaint looked like. I don’t know what he turned over to the investigators,” Tung said. “The investigation was done by a professional law firm that specializes in these types of misconduct complaints, and so I don’t know if those 55 people had been contacted or not.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The process is designed to insulate the political aspect of the party, and so I don’t actually know what Mr. Chapin’s complaint looked like. I don’t know what he turned over to the investigators,” Tung said. “The investigation was done by a professional law firm that specializes in these types of misconduct complaints, and so I don’t know if those 55 people had been contacted or not.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapin also said he was not given time to appeal the findings before the adjudication panel made them public and the party voted to endorse Yekutiel. Chapin said he has also requested a copy of the investigation, and that Tung has refused to share the file. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chapin also said he was not given time to appeal the findings before the adjudication panel made them public and the party voted to endorse Yekutiel. Chapin said he has also requested a copy of the investigation, and that Tung has refused to share the file. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Because the judicial counsel did not act on [the complaint], I chose not to release the investigation,” Tung said. “Given what’s happened recently, it’s a conversation I’m willing to have with Mr. Chapin and his lawyer to see if there is something that we should consider.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Because the judicial counsel did not act on [the complaint], I chose not to release the investigation,” Tung said. “Given what’s happened recently, it’s a conversation I’m willing to have with Mr. Chapin and his lawyer to see if there is something that we should consider.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062093\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman speaks at a press event in front of San Francisco City Hall on Oct. 29, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rafael Mandelman, a moderate Democrat, currently represents District 8, which includes the Castro, Glen Park, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and other neighborhoods. He is terming out, leaving an open seat on the city’s current majority-moderate Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rafael Mandelman, a moderate Democrat, currently represents District 8, which includes the Castro, Glen Park, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and other neighborhoods. He is terming out, leaving an open seat on the city’s current majority-moderate Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before last week, Yekutiel was a frontrunner. He is well-connected through his cafe in the Mission District, Manny’s, which frequently hosts events with prominent political and community leaders. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before last week, Yekutiel was a frontrunner. He is well-connected through his cafe in the Mission District, Manny’s, which frequently hosts events with prominent political and community leaders. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The race now comes down to Gary McCoy, who previously worked for Rep. Nancy Pelosi and has the former Speaker of the House’s endorsement, as well as patent attorney Michael Nguyen and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The race now comes down to Gary McCoy, who previously worked for Rep. Nancy Pelosi and has the former Speaker of the House’s endorsement, as well as patent attorney Michael Nguyen and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tung said the episode is prompting changes to the code of conduct on sexual misconduct. The party is holding a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdems.org/chair/statement-on-calling-special-meeting-october-11\">special meeting on Oct. 11\u003c/a> to reconsider its endorsement in District 8, and Tung said she will be endorsing Gary McCoy in the race. Some supervisors who previously endorsed Yekutiel have also since moved their endorsement to McCoy, including Stephen Sherrill, Danny Sauter and Bilal Mahmood. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tung said the episode is prompting changes to the code of conduct on sexual misconduct. The party is holding a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdems.org/chair/statement-on-calling-special-meeting-october-11\">special meeting on Oct. 11\u003c/a> to reconsider its endorsement in District 8, and Tung said she will be endorsing Gary McCoy in the race. Some supervisors who previously endorsed Yekutiel have also since moved their endorsement to McCoy, including Stephen Sherrill, Danny Sauter and Bilal Mahmood. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same Oct. 11 meeting, Tung said there will be a discussion about reexamining the code of conduct around sexual assault and harassment and outlining next steps to revise the policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the same Oct. 11 meeting, Tung said there will be a discussion about reexamining the code of conduct around sexual assault and harassment and outlining next steps to revise the policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are hard lessons all the way around this process, but we need to keep trying,” Tung said. “I hope that people and organizations will decide that they want to move forward together with the party and to try to do something, to try to create something better out of all of this.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There are hard lessons all the way around this process, but we need to keep trying,” Tung said. “I hope that people and organizations will decide that they want to move forward together with the party and to try to do something, to try to create something better out of all of this.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some critics are calling for Tung herself to step down following the episode. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She has lost the trust of survivors, allies and the community at large,” an Instagram post from the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee said. “Brad Chapin came forward when it was hard, and he deserved action when it mattered. An apology after the fact does not undo that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“She has lost the trust of survivors, allies and the community at large,” an Instagram post from the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee said. “Brad Chapin came forward when it was hard, and he deserved action when it mattered. An apology after the fact does not undo that.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked for a response to the calls for resignation, Tung said, “It’s all very fresh. I do want to speak to members of the SFWPC. I don’t think that trading statements over Instagram is necessarily the best way to have a conversation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When asked for a response to the calls for resignation, Tung said, “It’s all very fresh. I do want to speak to members of the SFWPC. I don’t think that trading statements over Instagram is necessarily the best way to have a conversation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tung said she reached out to Chapin on a messaging app, but the two have not spoken directly as of Monday, when she released her public apology naming him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tung said she reached out to Chapin on a messaging app, but the two have not spoken directly as of Monday, when she released her public apology naming him. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need a Democratic Party and a local government that advocates and protects survivors,” Chapin said. “I look forward to hopefully having a meeting with the mayor and others who are capable of making real change happen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We need a Democratic Party and a local government that advocates and protects survivors,” Chapin said. “I look forward to hopefully having a meeting with the mayor and others who are capable of making real change happen.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Chair Nancy Tung said the local Democratic Party would reconsider its endorsement for the District 8 race and revise its sexual assault and harassment policy.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The top official for San Francisco’s Democratic Party issued a public \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdems.org/chair/accountability\">apology\u003c/a> for failing to adequately evaluate \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11996787/reckoning-on-sexual-assault-roils-sf-democrats-as-mayoral-endorsement-looms\">sexual misconduct allegations\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097058/san-francisco-democratic-party-endorses-manny-yekutiel-for-supervisor-after-sexual-assault-allegations\">endorsing\u003c/a> former San Francisco supervisor candidate Manny Yekutiel, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102333/new-allegations-surface-against-san-francisco-supervisor-candidate-manny-yekutiel\">abandoned his bid\u003c/a> to represent District 8 last week after multiple men accused him of sexual assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chair Nancy Tung’s statement comes after mounting criticism over how the party handled the accusations against Yekutiel, who dropped out of the race after three men publicly accused him of sexual assault. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brad Chapin, a former city gardener and political organizer, came forward earlier this year alleging that Yekutiel sexually assaulted him at a party in 2020. San Francisco’s Democratic Party voted to endorse Yekutiel after Chapin spoke up. Last week, two additional men — a man named Ryan Clark and his partner — made similar allegations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I publicly and sincerely apologize to Mr. Chapin for how our process treated his complaint and for an endorsement decision that caused him further harm,” Tung wrote. “As party chair, I also apologize for how this endorsement hurt Ryan Clark, his partner and others.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11996722\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240722-SFKamalaHarrisRally-56-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung speaks during a rally in support of the presidential nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris at City Hall in San Francisco on July 22, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But Chapin said Ting’s apology didn’t land for him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I believe that she’s only apologizing because she got caught and everybody can see it and she wants to save her own reputation,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin filed a police report in April, and also reached out to the local Democratic Party to file a complaint through the organization’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016733/sf-democrats-adopt-new-sexual-assault-reporting-policies\">relatively new reporting policies\u003c/a> for sexual assault and harassment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The party’s policy created ways for a person to submit a complaint, including to an ombudsperson who determines whether the complaint potentially violates the code of conduct.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If so, an independent investigator reviews the facts and evidence of the report and submits findings to the party’s judicial commission and adjudication panel to determine whether the violation occurred. If it did, consequences could include private or public admonishment or expulsion from the club or party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The party adopted the policy in December 2024 after accusations surfaced against prominent political organizers, including John Jacobo and Kesvin Ortiz, two progressives who have both denied the allegations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some survivors of sexual assault criticized how the party handled those past allegations and the protocol designed to handle future cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin said he did not receive a response from the Democratic Party’s ombudsperson or investigators until after he came forward with his story publicly in the media. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After following up on Chapin’s claims, the adjudication panel for the Democratic Party met to review an independent investigator’s findings, ultimately saying that the accusation could not be substantiated and that it was outside of their jurisdiction. The party then voted to publicly endorse Yekutiel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin went to the endorsement meeting, publicly calling the process a “sham.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Yekutiel’s campaign appeared to weather the initial allegation, with many allies continuing to support him. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who created the Civic Joy Fund with Yekutiel, endorsed him after Chapin came forward. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The political climate changed last week, however, when Clark and his partner came forward alleging that Yekutiel had sexually assaulted them at a nightclub in San Francisco in 2023. Within hours of the new allegations coming out, prominent backers revoked their endorsements for Yekutiel, including Lurie and other elected officials.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My endorsement is a statement of my confidence in someone’s character and leadership, and in light of the additional accounts reported today I am withdrawing it,” Lurie said in a statement last week, adding that he will not make a new endorsement in the District 8 race. “Coming forward is hard and these survivors deserve to be heard, and treated with dignity and respect.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yekutiel has denied the allegations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue,” Yekutiel said in a statement when he announced he would drop out. “But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I’m going to take this time to work on myself.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1321\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12090328\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-1298791153-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Manny Yekutiel introduces U.S. Presidential candidate Tom Steyer during Steyer’s appearance at Manny’s in San Francisco on July 17, 2019. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin is still reeling from the consequences and backlash he faced for coming forward. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Her apology rings pretty hollow,” Chapin said of Tung’s response on Monday. “She gave me almost none of the rights outlined in her own code of conduct.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said he handed over 55 names of witnesses who could support his allegations but did not know if any had been contacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The process is designed to insulate the political aspect of the party, and so I don’t actually know what Mr. Chapin’s complaint looked like. I don’t know what he turned over to the investigators,” Tung said. “The investigation was done by a professional law firm that specializes in these types of misconduct complaints, and so I don’t know if those 55 people had been contacted or not.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapin also said he was not given time to appeal the findings before the adjudication panel made them public and the party voted to endorse Yekutiel. Chapin said he has also requested a copy of the investigation, and that Tung has refused to share the file. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Because the judicial counsel did not act on [the complaint], I chose not to release the investigation,” Tung said. “Given what’s happened recently, it’s a conversation I’m willing to have with Mr. Chapin and his lawyer to see if there is something that we should consider.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062093\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251029-SNAP-PRESSER-MD-05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman speaks at a press event in front of San Francisco City Hall on Oct. 29, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Rafael Mandelman, a moderate Democrat, currently represents District 8, which includes the Castro, Glen Park, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and other neighborhoods. He is terming out, leaving an open seat on the city’s current majority-moderate Board of Supervisors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before last week, Yekutiel was a frontrunner. He is well-connected through his cafe in the Mission District, Manny’s, which frequently hosts events with prominent political and community leaders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The race now comes down to Gary McCoy, who previously worked for Rep. Nancy Pelosi and has the former Speaker of the House’s endorsement, as well as patent attorney Michael Nguyen and former DoorDash employee Darshini Patel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tung said the episode is prompting changes to the code of conduct on sexual misconduct. The party is holding a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfdems.org/chair/statement-on-calling-special-meeting-october-11\">special meeting on Oct. 11\u003c/a> to reconsider its endorsement in District 8, and Tung said she will be endorsing Gary McCoy in the race. Some supervisors who previously endorsed Yekutiel have also since moved their endorsement to McCoy, including Stephen Sherrill, Danny Sauter and Bilal Mahmood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same Oct. 11 meeting, Tung said there will be a discussion about reexamining the code of conduct around sexual assault and harassment and outlining next steps to revise the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are hard lessons all the way around this process, but we need to keep trying,” Tung said. “I hope that people and organizations will decide that they want to move forward together with the party and to try to do something, to try to create something better out of all of this.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some critics are calling for Tung herself to step down following the episode. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She has lost the trust of survivors, allies and the community at large,” an Instagram post from the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee said. “Brad Chapin came forward when it was hard, and he deserved action when it mattered. An apology after the fact does not undo that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked for a response to the calls for resignation, Tung said, “It’s all very fresh. I do want to speak to members of the SFWPC. I don’t think that trading statements over Instagram is necessarily the best way to have a conversation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tung said she reached out to Chapin on a messaging app, but the two have not spoken directly as of Monday, when she released her public apology naming him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need a Democratic Party and a local government that advocates and protects survivors,” Chapin said. “I look forward to hopefully having a meeting with the mayor and others who are capable of making real change happen.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "bernie-sanders-makes-the-case-in-san-francisco-for-statewide-billionaire-tax",
"title": "Bernie Sanders Makes the Case in San Francisco for Statewide Billionaire Tax",
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"headTitle": "Bernie Sanders Makes the Case in San Francisco for Statewide Billionaire Tax | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Voters are getting their first chance today to weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097032/splitting-with-state-party-san-francisco-democrats-oppose-billionaire-tax\">a statewide billionaire tax that has split Democrats\u003c/a>. That’s as proponents like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., make their latest push to pass the measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sanders, one of Proposition 40’s earliest supporters, appeared at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre on Saturday as part of a California tour promoting the tax. The event, dubbed “Ballots over Billionaires,” included former San Francisco supervisor and current candidate for state insurance commissioner Jane Kim, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, who represents parts of Silicon Valley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sanders told a packed crowd that the initiative “deals with the most important issue facing this country,” prompting cheers and applause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, on Feb. 18, 2026. Sanders is seeking the support of California voters for a November ballot initiative of an emergency tax on billionaires to help the state’s healthcare system. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Can the American people sustain democracy, take on the greed and power of of the billionaire class and create an economy and government that works for all, or are we destined to live in an oligarchic society where our economic and political lives are controlled by a handful of the wealthiest people in the world?” Sanders said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure would impose a one-time 5% tax on individuals with a net worth of more than $1 billion who lived in the state on Jan. 1, 2026. Ninety percent of the tax’s revenue — projected to be tens of billions of dollars — would go toward healthcare. The rest would be used for food assistance and education-related programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initiative has won the support of the state’s Democratic Party, and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">recent poll\u003c/a> shows it as slightly favored by likely voters. Proponents like Sanders say the tax is necessary to support the state’s healthcare system following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084669/lurie-eyes-34-million-to-cushion-h-r-1-blows-to-medi-cal-and-calfresh\">federal cuts\u003c/a> related to the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088085\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs reading “A Billionaire Tax Now” rest on chairs at a Billionaire Tax Now rally Feb. 18, 2026. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Gov. Gavin Newsom and both remaining candidates for his seat, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Beccera, have come out in opposition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some opponents say it would actually mean a decrease in revenue because it could force billionaires away. Others, like the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Medical Association, \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/10/02/why-some-california-healthcare-groups-oppose-a-tax-that-would-send-90-of-its-money-to-healthcare/\">have raised concerns\u003c/a> about how the money will be distributed and how much discretion lawmakers will have about its use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said Saturday at a virtual event hosted by the No on 40 Coalition that every Democrat in the state wants billionaires to “pay their fair share,” but that Prop 40 is not a stable or lasting solution to federal cuts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter echoed Tung’s comments at the event, saying that people are “understandably desperate” for a solution to healthcare challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Prop 40 promises to do that, but it absolutely does not,” Porter said. “In fact, it locks in a lot of the problematic aspects of our current healthcare system.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if voters pass the measure, it could be moot. Two other initiatives on the ballot are Propositions 41 and 42, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-billionaire-tax-explainer/\">direct responses to Proposition 40 funded by billionaires\u003c/a> like Google cofounder Sergey Brin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prop 41 would prohibit new state taxes that exempt their revenues from the state spending limit. Prop 42 would prohibit retroactive taxes and new taxes on financial assets and personal property. If either one passes and receives more votes than Proposition 40, the billionaire tax would be nullified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sanders, who’s also urging people to oppose Prop 41 and 42, will finish off his support tour for the measure and progressive candidates in the state in Los Angeles tonight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jmelido\">\u003cem>Janea Melido\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voters are getting their first chance today to weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097032/splitting-with-state-party-san-francisco-democrats-oppose-billionaire-tax\">a statewide billionaire tax that has split Democrats\u003c/a>. That’s as proponents like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., make their latest push to pass the measure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sanders, one of Proposition 40’s earliest supporters, appeared at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre on Saturday as part of a California tour promoting the tax. The event, dubbed “Ballots over Billionaires,” included former San Francisco supervisor and current candidate for state insurance commissioner Jane Kim, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, who represents parts of Silicon Valley. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sanders, one of Proposition 40’s earliest supporters, appeared at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre on Saturday as part of a California tour promoting the tax. The event, dubbed “Ballots over Billionaires,” included former San Francisco supervisor and current candidate for state insurance commissioner Jane Kim, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, who represents parts of Silicon Valley. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, on Feb. 18, 2026. Sanders is seeking the support of California voters for a November ballot initiative of an emergency tax on billionaires to help the state’s healthcare system.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Can the American people sustain democracy, take on the greed and power of of the billionaire class and create an economy and government that works for all, or are we destined to live in an oligarchic society where our economic and political lives are controlled by a handful of the wealthiest people in the world?” Sanders said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure would impose a one-time 5% tax on individuals with a net worth of more than $1 billion who lived in the state on Jan. 1, 2026. Ninety percent of the tax’s revenue — projected to be tens of billions of dollars — would go toward healthcare. The rest would be used for food assistance and education-related programs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The measure would impose a one-time 5% tax on individuals with a net worth of more than $1 billion who lived in the state on Jan. 1, 2026. Ninety percent of the tax’s revenue — projected to be tens of billions of dollars — would go toward healthcare. The rest would be used for food assistance and education-related programs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The initiative has won the support of the state’s Democratic Party, and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">recent poll\u003c/a> shows it as slightly favored by likely voters. Proponents like Sanders say the tax is necessary to support the state’s healthcare system following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084669/lurie-eyes-34-million-to-cushion-h-r-1-blows-to-medi-cal-and-calfresh\">federal cuts\u003c/a> related to the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088085\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs reading “A Billionaire Tax Now” rest on chairs at a Billionaire Tax Now rally Feb. 18, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Gov. Gavin Newsom and both remaining candidates for his seat, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Beccera, have come out in opposition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some opponents say it would actually mean a decrease in revenue because it could force billionaires away. Others, like the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Medical Association, \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/10/02/why-some-california-healthcare-groups-oppose-a-tax-that-would-send-90-of-its-money-to-healthcare/\">have raised concerns\u003c/a> about how the money will be distributed and how much discretion lawmakers will have about its use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said Saturday at a virtual event hosted by the No on 40 Coalition that every Democrat in the state wants billionaires to “pay their fair share,” but that Prop 40 is not a stable or lasting solution to federal cuts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said Saturday at a virtual event hosted by the No on 40 Coalition that every Democrat in the state wants billionaires to “pay their fair share,” but that Prop 40 is not a stable or lasting solution to federal cuts. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter echoed Tung’s comments at the event, saying that people are “understandably desperate” for a solution to healthcare challenges. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter echoed Tung’s comments at the event, saying that people are “understandably desperate” for a solution to healthcare challenges. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Prop 40 promises to do that, but it absolutely does not,” Porter said. “In fact, it locks in a lot of the problematic aspects of our current healthcare system.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Prop 40 promises to do that, but it absolutely does not,” Porter said. “In fact, it locks in a lot of the problematic aspects of our current healthcare system.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even if voters pass the measure, it could be moot. Two other initiatives on the ballot are Propositions 41 and 42, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-billionaire-tax-explainer/\">direct responses to Proposition 40 funded by billionaires\u003c/a> like Google cofounder Sergey Brin. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even if voters pass the measure, it could be moot. Two other initiatives on the ballot are Propositions 41 and 42, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-billionaire-tax-explainer/\">direct responses to Proposition 40 funded by billionaires\u003c/a> like Google cofounder Sergey Brin. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prop 41 would prohibit new state taxes that exempt their revenues from the state spending limit. Prop 42 would prohibit retroactive taxes and new taxes on financial assets and personal property. If either one passes and receives more votes than Proposition 40, the billionaire tax would be nullified.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prop 41 would prohibit new state taxes that exempt their revenues from the state spending limit. Prop 42 would prohibit retroactive taxes and new taxes on financial assets and personal property. If either one passes and receives more votes than Proposition 40, the billionaire tax would be nullified.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sanders, who’s also urging people to oppose Prop 41 and 42, will finish off his support tour for the measure and progressive candidates in the state in Los Angeles tonight. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sanders, who’s also urging people to oppose Prop 41 and 42, will finish off his support tour for the measure and progressive candidates in the state in Los Angeles tonight. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jmelido\">\u003cem>Janea Melido\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Nov. 3 election is less than a month away, and voters will get their first chance today to have a say on the proposal as voting starts. ",
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"title": "Bernie Sanders Makes the Case in San Francisco for Statewide Billionaire Tax | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Voters are getting their first chance today to weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097032/splitting-with-state-party-san-francisco-democrats-oppose-billionaire-tax\">a statewide billionaire tax that has split Democrats\u003c/a>. That’s as proponents like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., make their latest push to pass the measure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sanders, one of Proposition 40’s earliest supporters, appeared at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre on Saturday as part of a California tour promoting the tax. The event, dubbed “Ballots over Billionaires,” included former San Francisco supervisor and current candidate for state insurance commissioner Jane Kim, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, who represents parts of Silicon Valley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sanders told a packed crowd that the initiative “deals with the most important issue facing this country,” prompting cheers and applause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, on Feb. 18, 2026. Sanders is seeking the support of California voters for a November ballot initiative of an emergency tax on billionaires to help the state’s healthcare system. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Can the American people sustain democracy, take on the greed and power of of the billionaire class and create an economy and government that works for all, or are we destined to live in an oligarchic society where our economic and political lives are controlled by a handful of the wealthiest people in the world?” Sanders said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure would impose a one-time 5% tax on individuals with a net worth of more than $1 billion who lived in the state on Jan. 1, 2026. Ninety percent of the tax’s revenue — projected to be tens of billions of dollars — would go toward healthcare. The rest would be used for food assistance and education-related programs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initiative has won the support of the state’s Democratic Party, and a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">recent poll\u003c/a> shows it as slightly favored by likely voters. Proponents like Sanders say the tax is necessary to support the state’s healthcare system following \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084669/lurie-eyes-34-million-to-cushion-h-r-1-blows-to-medi-cal-and-calfresh\">federal cuts\u003c/a> related to the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088085\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/021826-Billionaires-Tax-GETTY-CM-01-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Signs reading “A Billionaire Tax Now” rest on chairs at a Billionaire Tax Now rally Feb. 18, 2026. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Gov. Gavin Newsom and both remaining candidates for his seat, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Beccera, have come out in opposition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some opponents say it would actually mean a decrease in revenue because it could force billionaires away. Others, like the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Medical Association, \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2026/10/02/why-some-california-healthcare-groups-oppose-a-tax-that-would-send-90-of-its-money-to-healthcare/\">have raised concerns\u003c/a> about how the money will be distributed and how much discretion lawmakers will have about its use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nancy Tung, chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said Saturday at a virtual event hosted by the No on 40 Coalition that every Democrat in the state wants billionaires to “pay their fair share,” but that Prop 40 is not a stable or lasting solution to federal cuts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter echoed Tung’s comments at the event, saying that people are “understandably desperate” for a solution to healthcare challenges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Prop 40 promises to do that, but it absolutely does not,” Porter said. “In fact, it locks in a lot of the problematic aspects of our current healthcare system.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if voters pass the measure, it could be moot. Two other initiatives on the ballot are Propositions 41 and 42, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-billionaire-tax-explainer/\">direct responses to Proposition 40 funded by billionaires\u003c/a> like Google cofounder Sergey Brin. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prop 41 would prohibit new state taxes that exempt their revenues from the state spending limit. Prop 42 would prohibit retroactive taxes and new taxes on financial assets and personal property. If either one passes and receives more votes than Proposition 40, the billionaire tax would be nullified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sanders, who’s also urging people to oppose Prop 41 and 42, will finish off his support tour for the measure and progressive candidates in the state in Los Angeles tonight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/jmelido\">\u003cem>Janea Melido\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "households-will-pay-more-for-energy-due-to-federal-policy-changes-think-tank-says",
"title": "Households Will Pay More for Energy Due to Federal Policy Changes, Think Tank Says",
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"headTitle": "Households Will Pay More for Energy Due to Federal Policy Changes, Think Tank Says | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Households in the contiguous United States will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> returned to office such as canceling new clean energy projects, according to modeling released Friday by a nonpartisan think tank.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An analysis from the California-based \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/economic-consumer-cost-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes-in-48-u-s-states/\">Energy Innovation\u003c/a> found that households will pay an average of $6,500 more for energy, cumulatively through 2040. In five states, households will pay roughly $9,000 more: Oregon, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The think tank said there will be more demand for natural gas for electricity because the administration is canceling new \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-grants-chris-wright-09d26d615869ce06dd6bb2c047f636cb\">wind, solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a> and there will be more gasoline demand for transportation because \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-gas-mileage-electric-vehicles-pollution-403742074c3f3140aaa1d10829daf35f\">Trump and Congress are revoking policies\u003c/a> that incentivized efficient and lower-emissions vehicles. Higher demand increases prices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014668\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks about American energy production during a visit to the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig on July 29, 2020, in Midland, Texas. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Energy prices are elevated in many countries. The International Energy Agency said after Russia invaded Ukraine, record prices were observed between 2022 and 2024 in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea. In many countries, the rise has outpaced income growth and inflation since 2019, including the European Union and the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In some areas of the U.S., \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/electricity-prices-data-centers-artificial-intelligence-fbf213a915fb574a4f3e5baaa7041c3a\">demand from data centers\u003c/a> is being blamed. The Iran war has sent oil and gasoline prices sharply higher, too. The Energy Information Administration expects residential U.S. customers to pay about 18.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2027, compared to 17.3 cents in 2025 and 18.2 cents in 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The independent research firm Rhodium Group has also examined the issue, saying in April the U.S. has entered a new period of rising electricity prices. It cited increasing price volatility in natural gas, which is increasingly used to generate power; needed grid improvements; inflation; storm recovery and wildfire mitigation; and shifting policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Absent significant policy action, electricity prices likely will continue their significant rise over the next five years, \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/us-electricity-prices-drivers/\">the firm said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Wednesday that lowering electricity prices remains a top priority and Trump is unleashing reliable energy like coal and natural gas to reverse the damage Democrats did to the grid by increasing clean energy. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security\">2025 Department of Energy report\u003c/a>, mandated by Trump, warned of increasing blackouts if the U.S. continued closing coal and natural gas plants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Joe Biden created a grid crisis; President Trump is fixing it,” Rogers wrote in an email. “If the Democrats had their way, these costly and unreliable renewable energy projects would still be failing our grid and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Republican president prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>, unlike Biden, who saw clean energy as a climate solution. The conservative Institute for Energy Research said in December that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/the-grid/blue-states-high-rates/\">blue states have high rates\u003c/a> because they have embraced aggressive renewable mandates, 100% carbon-free targets, premature coal and nuclear retirements and restrictions on natural gas infrastructure. It said high electricity prices are not an inevitability; they are a choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Analysis examined impact on states solely from federal policy changes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It focused on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/elections-trump-republicans-big-bill-tax-cuts-4127f86db9aa557ae9316913aed7d80e\">the sweeping package of tax breaks\u003c/a> that slashed funding for clean energy tax credits, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump signed; \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15\">environmental rollbacks\u003c/a>, including clean air and power plant rules and the revocation of a scientific finding that underpinned the U.S. fight against climate change; the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/trump-midterm-elections-xi-china-news-updates-09-28-2026\">loosening of fuel economy standards\u003c/a> and blocking of California’s novel rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035; and federal actions to stop wind, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-hydrogen-hub-newsom-0223cb4469508bcea4f689c18c9ab65d\">solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These changes will result in annual household energy costs rising in every state in the contiguous U.S., plus job losses in 47 of 48 states and losses to the gross domestic product in 46 states, Energy Innovation said. It’s projecting 37,000 additional premature deaths from air pollution, $72 billion in additional healthcare costs and more than 9 billion tons of additional carbon pollution because of the environmental rollbacks. The analysis did not include Alaska or Hawaii because key federal data is not available for those two states, said Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1307\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg\" alt=\"Traffic on US-101 toward the downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge on Friday afternoon, March 8, 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11750905\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-800x545.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-1200x817.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on U.S. 101 toward downtown San Francisco on March 8, 2019. California banned the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, but has been challenged by the federal government. (Lindsey Moore/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Across pretty much every state, things are worse. The outlook now is worse for states and the affordability crisis will be worse because of the combined set of policies,” Orvis said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate Justice Alliance legislative director Mar Zepeda said her Washington, D.C., electric bill increased $200 in the past month. Zepeda blames electricity demands from data centers, and said federal “affordability” policies only exacerbate this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They may call it affordability, but affordable for whom and at what cost? Not for regular people,” Zepeda said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White House says the think tank is partisan\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rogers said it is “irresponsible” to classify Energy Innovation as nonpartisan because its employees have donated to Democrats and worked with Democrats on climate policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spokesman Silvio Marcacci said Energy Innovation works with policymakers who want to cut emissions and lower bills, regardless of party. He said multiple Republican-led states have used their tool designed to model policies affecting energy use and emissions. Much of their data comes from government sources, including the EIA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rogers also said states led by Democrats that have embraced aggressive renewable mandates see higher energy costs, notably California and New York. She said this proves Republican policies are working.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, in the Energy Innovation analysis, three of the five states facing the highest costs have Republican governors. Its research has found that states with high levels of wind and solar generation, including Republican-led Iowa and Oklahoma, have experienced the lowest rate increases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The average price residential customers pay for electricity increased during Biden’s term and has continued to rise under Trump, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_5_03\">according to EIA data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oregon households’ annual energy spending slated to increase the most\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The modeling projects federal policy changes will increase \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/oregon-economic-consumer-cost-and-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes/\">annual energy spending in Oregon\u003c/a> by $840 per household in 2035 and $1,200 per household in 2040, with a cumulative $9,300 increase from 2026 to 2040 — the highest of any state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board advocates for residential utility customers. Executive Director Bob Jenks called those numbers “frightening” because Oregon already has an energy affordability problem. He cited steep rate increases as utilities make upgrades and data centers use more power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As costs rise, Jenks expects utilities to disconnect more customers who can’t afford their bills.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jenks said wind and solar are essential for affordable electricity, and he wants the federal government to partner with states to develop the energy they need.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to optimize among the resource options we have, and they’re trying to take things away and raise the costs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Households in the contiguous United States will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> returned to office such as canceling new clean energy projects, according to modeling released Friday by a nonpartisan think tank.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An analysis from the California-based \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/economic-consumer-cost-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes-in-48-u-s-states/\">Energy Innovation\u003c/a> found that households will pay an average of $6,500 more for energy, cumulatively through 2040. In five states, households will pay roughly $9,000 more: Oregon, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An analysis from the California-based \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/economic-consumer-cost-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes-in-48-u-s-states/\">Energy Innovation\u003c/a> found that households will pay an average of $6,500 more for energy, cumulatively through 2040. In five states, households will pay roughly $9,000 more: Oregon, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The think tank said there will be more demand for natural gas for electricity because the administration is canceling new \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-grants-chris-wright-09d26d615869ce06dd6bb2c047f636cb\">wind, solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a> and there will be more gasoline demand for transportation because \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-gas-mileage-electric-vehicles-pollution-403742074c3f3140aaa1d10829daf35f\">Trump and Congress are revoking policies\u003c/a> that incentivized efficient and lower-emissions vehicles. Higher demand increases prices.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The think tank said there will be more demand for natural gas for electricity because the administration is canceling new \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-grants-chris-wright-09d26d615869ce06dd6bb2c047f636cb\">wind, solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a> and there will be more gasoline demand for transportation because \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-gas-mileage-electric-vehicles-pollution-403742074c3f3140aaa1d10829daf35f\">Trump and Congress are revoking policies\u003c/a> that incentivized efficient and lower-emissions vehicles. Higher demand increases prices.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014668\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks about American energy production during a visit to the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig on July 29, 2020, in Midland, Texas.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014668\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks about American energy production during a visit to the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig on July 29, 2020, in Midland, Texas.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Energy prices are elevated in many countries. The International Energy Agency said after Russia invaded Ukraine, record prices were observed between 2022 and 2024 in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea. In many countries, the rise has outpaced income growth and inflation since 2019, including the European Union and the United States.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Energy prices are elevated in many countries. The International Energy Agency said after Russia invaded Ukraine, record prices were observed between 2022 and 2024 in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea. In many countries, the rise has outpaced income growth and inflation since 2019, including the European Union and the United States.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In some areas of the U.S., \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/electricity-prices-data-centers-artificial-intelligence-fbf213a915fb574a4f3e5baaa7041c3a\">demand from data centers\u003c/a> is being blamed. The Iran war has sent oil and gasoline prices sharply higher, too. The Energy Information Administration expects residential U.S. customers to pay about 18.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2027, compared to 17.3 cents in 2025 and 18.2 cents in 2026.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In some areas of the U.S., \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/electricity-prices-data-centers-artificial-intelligence-fbf213a915fb574a4f3e5baaa7041c3a\">demand from data centers\u003c/a> is being blamed. The Iran war has sent oil and gasoline prices sharply higher, too. The Energy Information Administration expects residential U.S. customers to pay about 18.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2027, compared to 17.3 cents in 2025 and 18.2 cents in 2026.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The independent research firm Rhodium Group has also examined the issue, saying in April the U.S. has entered a new period of rising electricity prices. It cited increasing price volatility in natural gas, which is increasingly used to generate power; needed grid improvements; inflation; storm recovery and wildfire mitigation; and shifting policies.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The independent research firm Rhodium Group has also examined the issue, saying in April the U.S. has entered a new period of rising electricity prices. It cited increasing price volatility in natural gas, which is increasingly used to generate power; needed grid improvements; inflation; storm recovery and wildfire mitigation; and shifting policies.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Absent significant policy action, electricity prices likely will continue their significant rise over the next five years, \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/us-electricity-prices-drivers/\">the firm said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Absent significant policy action, electricity prices likely will continue their significant rise over the next five years, \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/us-electricity-prices-drivers/\">the firm said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Wednesday that lowering electricity prices remains a top priority and Trump is unleashing reliable energy like coal and natural gas to reverse the damage Democrats did to the grid by increasing clean energy. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security\">2025 Department of Energy report\u003c/a>, mandated by Trump, warned of increasing blackouts if the U.S. continued closing coal and natural gas plants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Wednesday that lowering electricity prices remains a top priority and Trump is unleashing reliable energy like coal and natural gas to reverse the damage Democrats did to the grid by increasing clean energy. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security\">2025 Department of Energy report\u003c/a>, mandated by Trump, warned of increasing blackouts if the U.S. continued closing coal and natural gas plants.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Joe Biden created a grid crisis; President Trump is fixing it,” Rogers wrote in an email. “If the Democrats had their way, these costly and unreliable renewable energy projects would still be failing our grid and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Joe Biden created a grid crisis; President Trump is fixing it,” Rogers wrote in an email. “If the Democrats had their way, these costly and unreliable renewable energy projects would still be failing our grid and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Republican president prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>, unlike Biden, who saw clean energy as a climate solution. The conservative Institute for Energy Research said in December that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/the-grid/blue-states-high-rates/\">blue states have high rates\u003c/a> because they have embraced aggressive renewable mandates, 100% carbon-free targets, premature coal and nuclear retirements and restrictions on natural gas infrastructure. It said high electricity prices are not an inevitability; they are a choice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Republican president prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>, unlike Biden, who saw clean energy as a climate solution. The conservative Institute for Energy Research said in December that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/the-grid/blue-states-high-rates/\">blue states have high rates\u003c/a> because they have embraced aggressive renewable mandates, 100% carbon-free targets, premature coal and nuclear retirements and restrictions on natural gas infrastructure. It said high electricity prices are not an inevitability; they are a choice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Analysis examined impact on states solely from federal policy changes\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It focused on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/elections-trump-republicans-big-bill-tax-cuts-4127f86db9aa557ae9316913aed7d80e\">the sweeping package of tax breaks\u003c/a> that slashed funding for clean energy tax credits, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump signed; \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15\">environmental rollbacks\u003c/a>, including clean air and power plant rules and the revocation of a scientific finding that underpinned the U.S. fight against climate change; the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/trump-midterm-elections-xi-china-news-updates-09-28-2026\">loosening of fuel economy standards\u003c/a> and blocking of California’s novel rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035; and federal actions to stop wind, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-hydrogen-hub-newsom-0223cb4469508bcea4f689c18c9ab65d\">solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It focused on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/elections-trump-republicans-big-bill-tax-cuts-4127f86db9aa557ae9316913aed7d80e\">the sweeping package of tax breaks\u003c/a> that slashed funding for clean energy tax credits, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump signed; \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15\">environmental rollbacks\u003c/a>, including clean air and power plant rules and the revocation of a scientific finding that underpinned the U.S. fight against climate change; the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/trump-midterm-elections-xi-china-news-updates-09-28-2026\">loosening of fuel economy standards\u003c/a> and blocking of California’s novel rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035; and federal actions to stop wind, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-hydrogen-hub-newsom-0223cb4469508bcea4f689c18c9ab65d\">solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These changes will result in annual household energy costs rising in every state in the contiguous U.S., plus job losses in 47 of 48 states and losses to the gross domestic product in 46 states, Energy Innovation said. It’s projecting 37,000 additional premature deaths from air pollution, $72 billion in additional healthcare costs and more than 9 billion tons of additional carbon pollution because of the environmental rollbacks. The analysis did not include Alaska or Hawaii because key federal data is not available for those two states, said Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These changes will result in annual household energy costs rising in every state in the contiguous U.S., plus job losses in 47 of 48 states and losses to the gross domestic product in 46 states, Energy Innovation said. It’s projecting 37,000 additional premature deaths from air pollution, $72 billion in additional healthcare costs and more than 9 billion tons of additional carbon pollution because of the environmental rollbacks. The analysis did not include Alaska or Hawaii because key federal data is not available for those two states, said Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg\" alt=\"Traffic on US-101 toward the downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge on Friday afternoon, March 8, 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11750905\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-800x545.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-1200x817.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on U.S. 101 toward downtown San Francisco on March 8, 2019. California banned the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, but has been challenged by the federal government.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lindsey Moore/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg\" alt=\"Traffic on US-101 toward the downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge on Friday afternoon, March 8, 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11750905\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on U.S. 101 toward downtown San Francisco on March 8, 2019. California banned the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, but has been challenged by the federal government.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lindsey Moore/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Across pretty much every state, things are worse. The outlook now is worse for states and the affordability crisis will be worse because of the combined set of policies,” Orvis said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Across pretty much every state, things are worse. The outlook now is worse for states and the affordability crisis will be worse because of the combined set of policies,” Orvis said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Climate Justice Alliance legislative director Mar Zepeda said her Washington, D.C., electric bill increased $200 in the past month. Zepeda blames electricity demands from data centers, and said federal “affordability” policies only exacerbate this.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Climate Justice Alliance legislative director Mar Zepeda said her Washington, D.C., electric bill increased $200 in the past month. Zepeda blames electricity demands from data centers, and said federal “affordability” policies only exacerbate this.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They may call it affordability, but affordable for whom and at what cost? Not for regular people,” Zepeda said in an email.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They may call it affordability, but affordable for whom and at what cost? Not for regular people,” Zepeda said in an email.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "White House says the think tank is partisan",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White House says the think tank is partisan\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rogers said it is “irresponsible” to classify Energy Innovation as nonpartisan because its employees have donated to Democrats and worked with Democrats on climate policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Spokesman Silvio Marcacci said Energy Innovation works with policymakers who want to cut emissions and lower bills, regardless of party. He said multiple Republican-led states have used their tool designed to model policies affecting energy use and emissions. Much of their data comes from government sources, including the EIA.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Spokesman Silvio Marcacci said Energy Innovation works with policymakers who want to cut emissions and lower bills, regardless of party. He said multiple Republican-led states have used their tool designed to model policies affecting energy use and emissions. Much of their data comes from government sources, including the EIA.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rogers also said states led by Democrats that have embraced aggressive renewable mandates see higher energy costs, notably California and New York. She said this proves Republican policies are working.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rogers also said states led by Democrats that have embraced aggressive renewable mandates see higher energy costs, notably California and New York. She said this proves Republican policies are working.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, in the Energy Innovation analysis, three of the five states facing the highest costs have Republican governors. Its research has found that states with high levels of wind and solar generation, including Republican-led Iowa and Oklahoma, have experienced the lowest rate increases.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, in the Energy Innovation analysis, three of the five states facing the highest costs have Republican governors. Its research has found that states with high levels of wind and solar generation, including Republican-led Iowa and Oklahoma, have experienced the lowest rate increases.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The average price residential customers pay for electricity increased during Biden’s term and has continued to rise under Trump, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_5_03\">according to EIA data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The average price residential customers pay for electricity increased during Biden’s term and has continued to rise under Trump, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_5_03\">according to EIA data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Oregon households’ annual energy spending slated to increase the most",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oregon households’ annual energy spending slated to increase the most\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The modeling projects federal policy changes will increase \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/oregon-economic-consumer-cost-and-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes/\">annual energy spending in Oregon\u003c/a> by $840 per household in 2035 and $1,200 per household in 2040, with a cumulative $9,300 increase from 2026 to 2040 — the highest of any state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The modeling projects federal policy changes will increase \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/oregon-economic-consumer-cost-and-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes/\">annual energy spending in Oregon\u003c/a> by $840 per household in 2035 and $1,200 per household in 2040, with a cumulative $9,300 increase from 2026 to 2040 — the highest of any state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board advocates for residential utility customers. Executive Director Bob Jenks called those numbers “frightening” because Oregon already has an energy affordability problem. He cited steep rate increases as utilities make upgrades and data centers use more power.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board advocates for residential utility customers. Executive Director Bob Jenks called those numbers “frightening” because Oregon already has an energy affordability problem. He cited steep rate increases as utilities make upgrades and data centers use more power.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As costs rise, Jenks expects utilities to disconnect more customers who can’t afford their bills.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As costs rise, Jenks expects utilities to disconnect more customers who can’t afford their bills.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jenks said wind and solar are essential for affordable electricity, and he wants the federal government to partner with states to develop the energy they need.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jenks said wind and solar are essential for affordable electricity, and he wants the federal government to partner with states to develop the energy they need.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to optimize among the resource options we have, and they’re trying to take things away and raise the costs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Households in the contiguous United States will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since President Donald Trump returned to office, such as canceling new clean energy projects. ",
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"title": "Households Will Pay More for Energy Due to Federal Policy Changes, Think Tank Says | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Households in the contiguous United States will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/trump-administration\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> returned to office such as canceling new clean energy projects, according to modeling released Friday by a nonpartisan think tank.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An analysis from the California-based \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/economic-consumer-cost-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes-in-48-u-s-states/\">Energy Innovation\u003c/a> found that households will pay an average of $6,500 more for energy, cumulatively through 2040. In five states, households will pay roughly $9,000 more: Oregon, Mississippi, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The think tank said there will be more demand for natural gas for electricity because the administration is canceling new \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-grants-chris-wright-09d26d615869ce06dd6bb2c047f636cb\">wind, solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a> and there will be more gasoline demand for transportation because \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-gas-mileage-electric-vehicles-pollution-403742074c3f3140aaa1d10829daf35f\">Trump and Congress are revoking policies\u003c/a> that incentivized efficient and lower-emissions vehicles. Higher demand increases prices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014668\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/TrumpOilGasRegulationsAP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks about American energy production during a visit to the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig on July 29, 2020, in Midland, Texas. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Energy prices are elevated in many countries. The International Energy Agency said after Russia invaded Ukraine, record prices were observed between 2022 and 2024 in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea. In many countries, the rise has outpaced income growth and inflation since 2019, including the European Union and the United States.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In some areas of the U.S., \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/electricity-prices-data-centers-artificial-intelligence-fbf213a915fb574a4f3e5baaa7041c3a\">demand from data centers\u003c/a> is being blamed. The Iran war has sent oil and gasoline prices sharply higher, too. The Energy Information Administration expects residential U.S. customers to pay about 18.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2027, compared to 17.3 cents in 2025 and 18.2 cents in 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The independent research firm Rhodium Group has also examined the issue, saying in April the U.S. has entered a new period of rising electricity prices. It cited increasing price volatility in natural gas, which is increasingly used to generate power; needed grid improvements; inflation; storm recovery and wildfire mitigation; and shifting policies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Absent significant policy action, electricity prices likely will continue their significant rise over the next five years, \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/us-electricity-prices-drivers/\">the firm said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said Wednesday that lowering electricity prices remains a top priority and Trump is unleashing reliable energy like coal and natural gas to reverse the damage Democrats did to the grid by increasing clean energy. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security\">2025 Department of Energy report\u003c/a>, mandated by Trump, warned of increasing blackouts if the U.S. continued closing coal and natural gas plants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Joe Biden created a grid crisis; President Trump is fixing it,” Rogers wrote in an email. “If the Democrats had their way, these costly and unreliable renewable energy projects would still be failing our grid and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Republican president prioritizes \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-coal-mining-power-plant-climate-electricity-0a7126d66de97b10f32eaa39b1af669f\">fossil fuels to produce electricity\u003c/a>, unlike Biden, who saw clean energy as a climate solution. The conservative Institute for Energy Research said in December that \u003ca href=\"https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/the-grid/blue-states-high-rates/\">blue states have high rates\u003c/a> because they have embraced aggressive renewable mandates, 100% carbon-free targets, premature coal and nuclear retirements and restrictions on natural gas infrastructure. It said high electricity prices are not an inevitability; they are a choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Analysis examined impact on states solely from federal policy changes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It focused on \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/elections-trump-republicans-big-bill-tax-cuts-4127f86db9aa557ae9316913aed7d80e\">the sweeping package of tax breaks\u003c/a> that slashed funding for clean energy tax credits, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump signed; \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/epa-power-plants-trump-coal-gas-climate-cac1c2c75f8656d8eaf5f0a240edae15\">environmental rollbacks\u003c/a>, including clean air and power plant rules and the revocation of a scientific finding that underpinned the U.S. fight against climate change; the \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/trump-midterm-elections-xi-china-news-updates-09-28-2026\">loosening of fuel economy standards\u003c/a> and blocking of California’s novel rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035; and federal actions to stop wind, \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/trump-clean-energy-hydrogen-hub-newsom-0223cb4469508bcea4f689c18c9ab65d\">solar and hydrogen projects\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These changes will result in annual household energy costs rising in every state in the contiguous U.S., plus job losses in 47 of 48 states and losses to the gross domestic product in 46 states, Energy Innovation said. It’s projecting 37,000 additional premature deaths from air pollution, $72 billion in additional healthcare costs and more than 9 billion tons of additional carbon pollution because of the environmental rollbacks. The analysis did not include Alaska or Hawaii because key federal data is not available for those two states, said Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1307\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg\" alt=\"Traffic on US-101 toward the downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge on Friday afternoon, March 8, 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-11750905\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-800x545.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-1020x694.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/05292019_traffic-gas-powered-cars-fuel-emission-standards-Trump-EPA-1200x817.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Traffic on U.S. 101 toward downtown San Francisco on March 8, 2019. California banned the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, but has been challenged by the federal government. (Lindsey Moore/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Across pretty much every state, things are worse. The outlook now is worse for states and the affordability crisis will be worse because of the combined set of policies,” Orvis said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate Justice Alliance legislative director Mar Zepeda said her Washington, D.C., electric bill increased $200 in the past month. Zepeda blames electricity demands from data centers, and said federal “affordability” policies only exacerbate this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They may call it affordability, but affordable for whom and at what cost? Not for regular people,” Zepeda said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White House says the think tank is partisan\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rogers said it is “irresponsible” to classify Energy Innovation as nonpartisan because its employees have donated to Democrats and worked with Democrats on climate policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Spokesman Silvio Marcacci said Energy Innovation works with policymakers who want to cut emissions and lower bills, regardless of party. He said multiple Republican-led states have used their tool designed to model policies affecting energy use and emissions. Much of their data comes from government sources, including the EIA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rogers also said states led by Democrats that have embraced aggressive renewable mandates see higher energy costs, notably California and New York. She said this proves Republican policies are working.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, in the Energy Innovation analysis, three of the five states facing the highest costs have Republican governors. Its research has found that states with high levels of wind and solar generation, including Republican-led Iowa and Oklahoma, have experienced the lowest rate increases.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The average price residential customers pay for electricity increased during Biden’s term and has continued to rise under Trump, \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_5_03\">according to EIA data\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oregon households’ annual energy spending slated to increase the most\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The modeling projects federal policy changes will increase \u003ca href=\"https://energyinnovation.org/report/oregon-economic-consumer-cost-and-pollution-impacts-of-federal-energy-policy-changes/\">annual energy spending in Oregon\u003c/a> by $840 per household in 2035 and $1,200 per household in 2040, with a cumulative $9,300 increase from 2026 to 2040 — the highest of any state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board advocates for residential utility customers. Executive Director Bob Jenks called those numbers “frightening” because Oregon already has an energy affordability problem. He cited steep rate increases as utilities make upgrades and data centers use more power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As costs rise, Jenks expects utilities to disconnect more customers who can’t afford their bills.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jenks said wind and solar are essential for affordable electricity, and he wants the federal government to partner with states to develop the energy they need.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to optimize among the resource options we have, and they’re trying to take things away and raise the costs,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San Francisco Congressional Hopefuls Debate AI, Billionaires and, of Course, Housing",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As warnings of an artificial intelligence-driven doomsday loom, candidates looking to represent the home of the AI boom in Congress are pitching San Francisco voters on their plan to prevent disaster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ideas like data center moratoriums and AI kill-switches have shifted from niche topics to key questions for voters, a fact made clear at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102537/connie-chan-scott-wiener-debate-watch-live\">congressional debate on Thursday night\u003c/a> moderated by KQED’s Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer, along with Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nancy Pelosi is retiring after representing the city in Congress for nearly 40 years, and the hotly contested race has come down to two Democrats: state Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/scott-wiener\">Scott Wiener\u003c/a> and San Francisco Supervisor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/connie-chan\">Connie Chan\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While both support \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102152/experts-urge-federal-lawmakers-to-regulate-ai-will-anyone-heed-their-alarm\">regulating AI\u003c/a> in some fashion, Chan and Wiener had diverging approaches when it came to the best way to move forward as the technology advances quickly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“AI is arguably the most powerful technology in the history of the world … and self-regulation does not work,” Wiener said, touting his record of authoring the country’s first AI safety bill for the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/kqed-debate-1-copy-2-scaled-e1790958307792.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102554\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">State Sen. Scott Wiener during a debate with San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan at KQED in San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The two Democrats are running for California’s 11th District, a seat Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is leaving. The debate was co-hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle/Pool)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener’s first attempt at an AI safety bill included an AI “kill-switch” and other safeguards; however, that bill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100624/newsom-orders-california-agencies-to-develop-new-ai-safety-plans-after-rejecting-tougher-law\">vetoed\u003c/a> by Gov. Gavin Newsom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener has said that it should be up to individual communities whether or not to ban data centers. Chan, meanwhile, argued for a moratorium on data centers to “have a moment to regulate artificial intelligence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She called out her opponent for counting several major tech leaders among his supporters. “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot. We have to make sure that workers and unions are actually at the table to regulate this AI technology,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener fired back that plenty of tech industry leaders tried to stop his AI bill and he pushed it through nonetheless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do battle with some of the biggest and wealthiest corporations in the history of the planet,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another tense moment around AI came when the candidates were asked about a recent sexual assault allegation in local San Francisco politics. Prominent local business owner \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102333/new-allegations-surface-against-san-francisco-supervisor-candidate-manny-yekutiel\">Manny Yekutiel dropped his bid\u003c/a> to become the next District 8 supervisor just hours before the debate after being accused by multiple people of sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both Chan and Wiener urged Yekutiel to exit the race and said more work needs to be done to listen to and support survivors of assault and harassment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan pointed out that she herself had to fight against racism and sexism in the political arena recently when Wiener’s team released an AI chatbot mimicking Chan, “mocking me, putting words in my mouth and impersonating me,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener attempted to diffuse the situation, turning to Chan and apologizing directly to her about the AI chatbot, which his team took down following public criticism elevated by Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a terrible mistake, which is why we took it down,” Wiener said. “I take full responsibility for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan honed in on her background during the debate, sharing how she was born in Hong Kong before moving to Taiwan and later immigrating to San Francisco at age 13, growing up in Chinatown before building a career in public service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also underscored that she is a working mom and has garnered wide support from unions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener, who is openly gay and previously served as a San Francisco supervisor, has backing from the state and local Democratic Party, as well as some well-heeled tech leaders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He’s so far outraised his opponent, but Chan has built up her war chest with the help of Pelosi’s fundraising machine and support from Saikait Chakrabarti, a wealthy former tech engineer whom she defeated in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other a question at Thursday’s debate, with Wiener honing in on Chan’s reputation for blocking housing, like a proposed 495-unit building at 469 Stevenson St., and that she voted against Mayor Daniel Lurie’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">rezoning plan\u003c/a> at a time when San Francisco is facing a housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan said those decisions were made based on listening to constituents in the surrounding areas, and that in Congress she would push for more public housing and assistance for renters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/kqed-debate-3-scaled-e1790958264709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102556\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan during her debate with state Sen. Scott Wiener at KQED in San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The two Democrats are running for California’s 11th District, a seat Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is leaving. The debate was co-hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle/Pool)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can build homes because we need to build homes, but we also need to protect our tenants and small businesses,” she said. “It’s about serving the community and … sometimes that’s not a winner-takes-all approach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener’s cultivated a reputation in Sacramento for passing legislation to spur more housing development. But Chan took swings at his support from tech- and real estate-aligned groups, implying that she is the candidate who will stand up to billionaires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener recently opposed two wealth taxes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085528/san-francisco-props-c-d-trailing\">Proposition D in San Francisco\u003c/a>, which he said would disincentivize business at a time when the city’s economy is still recovering, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">Proposition 40 in California\u003c/a>, saying that the one-time tax on the November ballot doesn’t offer a sustainable solution to funding healthcare. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Wiener said he supports Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s ultramillionaire tax. “I do work for the people, and that’s why I’m endorsed by the Sierra Club and Dolores Huerta,” Wiener said. “I support reversing the tax cuts by (Donald) Trump and (George) Bush.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On foreign policy, both candidates said they would support sending defensive arms to Ukraine as well as Taiwan, if China were to invade the island. They also both stressed that diplomacy and humanitarian aid should be the priority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t want U.S. troops to be in a war with China,” Wiener said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On China, Wiener also stressed that it’s in both the U.S. and China’s best interest to create guardrails around AI technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do not need some mega arms race where we’re like, who’s going to be the first to potentially melt down the world,” Wiener said. He slammed Trump for eroding the relationship between the U.S. and longtime allies and stressed that in the age of AI, members of Congress need to work together to pass regulations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need leadership in this country that will actually work with other countries,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan said the U.S. should not frame AI regulation around a race with China over who can develop the technology faster but around protecting humanity. While Wiener intimated that she had never worked on AI regulation, she fired back that she’s worked on local laws to stop landlords from using AI to increase rents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“America can be a leader of innovation without sacrificing safety and without sacrificing our workforce,” Chan said. “We need to demand human oversight, not just when something catastrophic happens.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nancy Pelosi is retiring after representing the city in Congress for nearly 40 years, and the hotly contested race has come down to two Democrats: state Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/scott-wiener\">Scott Wiener\u003c/a> and San Francisco Supervisor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/connie-chan\">Connie Chan\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While both support \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102152/experts-urge-federal-lawmakers-to-regulate-ai-will-anyone-heed-their-alarm\">regulating AI\u003c/a> in some fashion, Chan and Wiener had diverging approaches when it came to the best way to move forward as the technology advances quickly. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“AI is arguably the most powerful technology in the history of the world … and self-regulation does not work,” Wiener said, touting his record of authoring the country’s first AI safety bill for the state of California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener’s first attempt at an AI safety bill included an AI “kill-switch” and other safeguards; however, that bill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100624/newsom-orders-california-agencies-to-develop-new-ai-safety-plans-after-rejecting-tougher-law\">vetoed\u003c/a> by Gov. Gavin Newsom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener has said that it should be up to individual communities whether or not to ban data centers. Chan, meanwhile, argued for a moratorium on data centers to “have a moment to regulate artificial intelligence.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She called out her opponent for counting several major tech leaders among his supporters. “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot. We have to make sure that workers and unions are actually at the table to regulate this AI technology,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another tense moment around AI came when the candidates were asked about a recent sexual assault allegation in local San Francisco politics. Prominent local business owner \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102333/new-allegations-surface-against-san-francisco-supervisor-candidate-manny-yekutiel\">Manny Yekutiel dropped his bid\u003c/a> to become the next District 8 supervisor just hours before the debate after being accused by multiple people of sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan pointed out that she herself had to fight against racism and sexism in the political arena recently when Wiener’s team released an AI chatbot mimicking Chan, “mocking me, putting words in my mouth and impersonating me,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener attempted to diffuse the situation, turning to Chan and apologizing directly to her about the AI chatbot, which his team took down following public criticism elevated by Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan honed in on her background during the debate, sharing how she was born in Hong Kong before moving to Taiwan and later immigrating to San Francisco at age 13, growing up in Chinatown before building a career in public service. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener, who is openly gay and previously served as a San Francisco supervisor, has backing from the state and local Democratic Party, as well as some well-heeled tech leaders.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He’s so far outraised his opponent, but Chan has built up her war chest with the help of Pelosi’s fundraising machine and support from Saikait Chakrabarti, a wealthy former tech engineer whom she defeated in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other a question at Thursday’s debate, with Wiener honing in on Chan’s reputation for blocking housing, like a proposed 495-unit building at 469 Stevenson St., and that she voted against Mayor Daniel Lurie’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">rezoning plan\u003c/a> at a time when San Francisco is facing a housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan said those decisions were made based on listening to constituents in the surrounding areas, and that in Congress she would push for more public housing and assistance for renters.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/kqed-debate-3-scaled-e1790958264709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102556\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan during her debate with state Sen. Scott Wiener at KQED in San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The two Democrats are running for California’s 11th District, a seat Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is leaving. The debate was co-hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle/Pool)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can build homes because we need to build homes, but we also need to protect our tenants and small businesses,” she said. “It’s about serving the community and … sometimes that’s not a winner-takes-all approach.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener’s cultivated a reputation in Sacramento for passing legislation to spur more housing development. But Chan took swings at his support from tech- and real estate-aligned groups, implying that she is the candidate who will stand up to billionaires. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener recently opposed two wealth taxes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085528/san-francisco-props-c-d-trailing\">Proposition D in San Francisco\u003c/a>, which he said would disincentivize business at a time when the city’s economy is still recovering, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">Proposition 40 in California\u003c/a>, saying that the one-time tax on the November ballot doesn’t offer a sustainable solution to funding healthcare. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, Wiener said he supports Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s ultramillionaire tax. “I do work for the people, and that’s why I’m endorsed by the Sierra Club and Dolores Huerta,” Wiener said. “I support reversing the tax cuts by (Donald) Trump and (George) Bush.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On foreign policy, both candidates said they would support sending defensive arms to Ukraine as well as Taiwan, if China were to invade the island. They also both stressed that diplomacy and humanitarian aid should be the priority. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t want U.S. troops to be in a war with China,” Wiener said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On China, Wiener also stressed that it’s in both the U.S. and China’s best interest to create guardrails around AI technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We do not need some mega arms race where we’re like, who’s going to be the first to potentially melt down the world,” Wiener said. He slammed Trump for eroding the relationship between the U.S. and longtime allies and stressed that in the age of AI, members of Congress need to work together to pass regulations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need leadership in this country that will actually work with other countries,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan said the U.S. should not frame AI regulation around a race with China over who can develop the technology faster but around protecting humanity. While Wiener intimated that she had never worked on AI regulation, she fired back that she’s worked on local laws to stop landlords from using AI to increase rents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chan said the U.S. should not frame AI regulation around a race with China over who can develop the technology faster but around protecting humanity. While Wiener intimated that she had never worked on AI regulation, she fired back that she’s worked on local laws to stop landlords from using AI to increase rents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“America can be a leader of innovation without sacrificing safety and without sacrificing our workforce,” Chan said. “We need to demand human oversight, not just when something catastrophic happens.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Nancy Pelosi is retiring after representing the city in Washington for nearly 40 years, and now Scott Wiener and Connie Chan, both Democrats, are facing off to replace her.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As warnings of an artificial intelligence-driven doomsday loom, candidates looking to represent the home of the AI boom in Congress are pitching San Francisco voters on their plan to prevent disaster.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ideas like data center moratoriums and AI kill-switches have shifted from niche topics to key questions for voters, a fact made clear at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102537/connie-chan-scott-wiener-debate-watch-live\">congressional debate on Thursday night\u003c/a> moderated by KQED’s Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer, along with Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nancy Pelosi is retiring after representing the city in Congress for nearly 40 years, and the hotly contested race has come down to two Democrats: state Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/scott-wiener\">Scott Wiener\u003c/a> and San Francisco Supervisor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/connie-chan\">Connie Chan\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While both support \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102152/experts-urge-federal-lawmakers-to-regulate-ai-will-anyone-heed-their-alarm\">regulating AI\u003c/a> in some fashion, Chan and Wiener had diverging approaches when it came to the best way to move forward as the technology advances quickly. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“AI is arguably the most powerful technology in the history of the world … and self-regulation does not work,” Wiener said, touting his record of authoring the country’s first AI safety bill for the state of California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/kqed-debate-1-copy-2-scaled-e1790958307792.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102554\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">State Sen. Scott Wiener during a debate with San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan at KQED in San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The two Democrats are running for California’s 11th District, a seat Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is leaving. The debate was co-hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle/Pool)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener’s first attempt at an AI safety bill included an AI “kill-switch” and other safeguards; however, that bill was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100624/newsom-orders-california-agencies-to-develop-new-ai-safety-plans-after-rejecting-tougher-law\">vetoed\u003c/a> by Gov. Gavin Newsom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener has said that it should be up to individual communities whether or not to ban data centers. Chan, meanwhile, argued for a moratorium on data centers to “have a moment to regulate artificial intelligence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She called out her opponent for counting several major tech leaders among his supporters. “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot. We have to make sure that workers and unions are actually at the table to regulate this AI technology,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener fired back that plenty of tech industry leaders tried to stop his AI bill and he pushed it through nonetheless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I do battle with some of the biggest and wealthiest corporations in the history of the planet,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another tense moment around AI came when the candidates were asked about a recent sexual assault allegation in local San Francisco politics. Prominent local business owner \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102333/new-allegations-surface-against-san-francisco-supervisor-candidate-manny-yekutiel\">Manny Yekutiel dropped his bid\u003c/a> to become the next District 8 supervisor just hours before the debate after being accused by multiple people of sexual assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both Chan and Wiener urged Yekutiel to exit the race and said more work needs to be done to listen to and support survivors of assault and harassment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan pointed out that she herself had to fight against racism and sexism in the political arena recently when Wiener’s team released an AI chatbot mimicking Chan, “mocking me, putting words in my mouth and impersonating me,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener attempted to diffuse the situation, turning to Chan and apologizing directly to her about the AI chatbot, which his team took down following public criticism elevated by Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was a terrible mistake, which is why we took it down,” Wiener said. “I take full responsibility for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan honed in on her background during the debate, sharing how she was born in Hong Kong before moving to Taiwan and later immigrating to San Francisco at age 13, growing up in Chinatown before building a career in public service. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also underscored that she is a working mom and has garnered wide support from unions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener, who is openly gay and previously served as a San Francisco supervisor, has backing from the state and local Democratic Party, as well as some well-heeled tech leaders.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He’s so far outraised his opponent, but Chan has built up her war chest with the help of Pelosi’s fundraising machine and support from Saikait Chakrabarti, a wealthy former tech engineer whom she defeated in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other a question at Thursday’s debate, with Wiener honing in on Chan’s reputation for blocking housing, like a proposed 495-unit building at 469 Stevenson St., and that she voted against Mayor Daniel Lurie’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">rezoning plan\u003c/a> at a time when San Francisco is facing a housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan said those decisions were made based on listening to constituents in the surrounding areas, and that in Congress she would push for more public housing and assistance for renters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/kqed-debate-3-scaled-e1790958264709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102556\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan during her debate with state Sen. Scott Wiener at KQED in San Francisco on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The two Democrats are running for California’s 11th District, a seat Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is leaving. The debate was co-hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle/Pool)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can build homes because we need to build homes, but we also need to protect our tenants and small businesses,” she said. “It’s about serving the community and … sometimes that’s not a winner-takes-all approach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener’s cultivated a reputation in Sacramento for passing legislation to spur more housing development. But Chan took swings at his support from tech- and real estate-aligned groups, implying that she is the candidate who will stand up to billionaires. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener recently opposed two wealth taxes, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12085528/san-francisco-props-c-d-trailing\">Proposition D in San Francisco\u003c/a>, which he said would disincentivize business at a time when the city’s economy is still recovering, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12099825/california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do\">Proposition 40 in California\u003c/a>, saying that the one-time tax on the November ballot doesn’t offer a sustainable solution to funding healthcare. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Wiener said he supports Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s ultramillionaire tax. “I do work for the people, and that’s why I’m endorsed by the Sierra Club and Dolores Huerta,” Wiener said. “I support reversing the tax cuts by (Donald) Trump and (George) Bush.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On foreign policy, both candidates said they would support sending defensive arms to Ukraine as well as Taiwan, if China were to invade the island. They also both stressed that diplomacy and humanitarian aid should be the priority. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t want U.S. troops to be in a war with China,” Wiener said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On China, Wiener also stressed that it’s in both the U.S. and China’s best interest to create guardrails around AI technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We do not need some mega arms race where we’re like, who’s going to be the first to potentially melt down the world,” Wiener said. He slammed Trump for eroding the relationship between the U.S. and longtime allies and stressed that in the age of AI, members of Congress need to work together to pass regulations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need leadership in this country that will actually work with other countries,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan said the U.S. should not frame AI regulation around a race with China over who can develop the technology faster but around protecting humanity. While Wiener intimated that she had never worked on AI regulation, she fired back that she’s worked on local laws to stop landlords from using AI to increase rents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“America can be a leader of innovation without sacrificing safety and without sacrificing our workforce,” Chan said. “We need to demand human oversight, not just when something catastrophic happens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Watch Live: Connie Chan, Scott Wiener Debate for SF Congressional Seat",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and state Sen. Scott Wiener meet live onstage Thursday night at KQED for a critical debate, just days before ballots start arriving in the mail for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">November election\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two Democrats, both steeped in San Francisco politics, are running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/congress-11th-district\">the House seat\u003c/a> held for nearly four decades by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi — marking the first time in years that the race has been truly competitive. The winner will be a voice for San Francisco in Washington on issues such as foreign policy, taxation and federal regulation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Co-hosted by KQED’s Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos and \u003cem>The San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>’s Joe Garofoli, the debate is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igBVJ_1dIdY\">KQED Live YouTube page\u003c/a>. It will explore issues facing the city, such as affordability, tech and the economy, immigration, foreign conflicts and the role of San Francisco in national politics.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to the livestream, the debate will be recorded for later broadcast on radio at KQED 88.5FM on Friday at 8 p.m. and on television on KQED 9 on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m., as well as for podcast feeds as a special episode of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/politicalbreakdown\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> dropping Saturday morning.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read more about Chan, Wiener and the race between them at KQED’s Voter Guide \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/congress-11th-district\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two Democrats, both steeped in San Francisco politics, are running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/congress-11th-district\">the House seat\u003c/a> held for nearly four decades by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi — marking the first time in years that the race has been truly competitive. The winner will be a voice for San Francisco in Washington on issues such as foreign policy, taxation and federal regulation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The two Democrats, both steeped in San Francisco politics, are running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/congress-11th-district\">the House seat\u003c/a> held for nearly four decades by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi — marking the first time in years that the race has been truly competitive. The winner will be a voice for San Francisco in Washington on issues such as foreign policy, taxation and federal regulation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Co-hosted by KQED’s Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos and \u003cem>The San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>’s Joe Garofoli, the debate is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igBVJ_1dIdY\">KQED Live YouTube page\u003c/a>. It will explore issues facing the city, such as affordability, tech and the economy, immigration, foreign conflicts and the role of San Francisco in national politics.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to the livestream, the debate will be recorded for later broadcast on radio at KQED 88.5FM on Friday at 8 p.m. and on television on KQED 9 on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m., as well as for podcast feeds as a special episode of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/politicalbreakdown\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> dropping Saturday morning.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In addition to the livestream, the debate will be recorded for later broadcast on radio at KQED 88.5FM on Friday at 8 p.m. and on television on KQED 9 on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m., as well as for podcast feeds as a special episode of KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/politicalbreakdown\">Political Breakdown\u003c/a> dropping Saturday morning.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Read more about Chan, Wiener and the race between them at KQED’s Voter Guide \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/congress-11th-district\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and state Sen. Scott Wiener meet live onstage Thursday night at KQED for a critical debate ahead of the November election.",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
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