Episodes

  • Episode 437: The Labor Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight

    Episode 437: The Labor Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight
    Mar 23 2026

    The union behind the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act says it will generate $110 billion for public health programs, but Hoover Institution researchers calculate that it will actually cost California $25 billion. In the “Why Now Department,” Will and David consider multiple hypotheses about the timing of claims that United Farm Workers founder Cesar Chavez raped young women half a century ago. The legal case against Meta and YouTube asks us to believe that social media companies bear absolute responsibility for addictive use of social media. Will tells the true story of Ah Louis, a California Gold Rush-era immigrant who became the unofficial mayor of San Luis Obispo’s Chinatown. Bonus! Lance Christensen provides a first look at the year’s legislative Race to Absurdity. Music by Metalachi.

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    dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com
    will@calpolicycenter.org

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    Show Notes:

    • Read the Statement From Dolores Huerta on Cesar Chavez’s Abuse
    • From streets to murals, the erasure of Cesar Chavez is fast underway in California
    • The complicated legacy of César Chávez
    • ‘I will miss them’: Khanna mocks tech billionaires threatening to leave California for wealth tax
    • Kathy Hochul’s Seller’s Remorse
    • The Fiscal Losses from California's Billionaire Tax Act
    • Gavin Newsom’s $114 Million Butterfly Bridge
    • Jury deliberations continue in landmark social media addiction trial against Meta, Google
    • Social media use is tied to well-being, according to the new World Happiness Report

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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • Episode 436: Killing Cesar Chavez

    Episode 436: Killing Cesar Chavez
    Mar 18 2026

    The once-powerful, still-iconic founder of the United Farm Workers is now getting the old Me-Too makeover with his own union reporting allegations that he was the radical left’s Jeffrey Epstein. Also: Newsom’s hypocrisy on surging gasoline prices, Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley’s defense of family, population-alarmist Paul Ehrlich is dead, L.A. County’s fraud problem, the Silicon Valley's deeply flawed initiative to block the wealth tax, and more! Music by Metalachi.

    Email Us:
    dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com
    will@calpolicycenter.org

    Follow Us:
    @DavidBahnsen
    @WillSwaim
    @TheRadioFreeCA

    Show Notes:

    • Cesar Chavez allegations jolt California’s labor movement
    • Jessie Buckley’s Beautiful Homage to Mothers
    • The End Is Still Near
    • The sleeper initiative that could upend more than the wealth tax
    • We visited “ground zero” for hospice fraud: Los Angeles, California
    • Progressive lawmakers Bernie Sanders, Ro Khanna unveil $4.4T wealth tax targeting billionaires
    • SEIU California Endorses Eric Swalwell for Governor
    • You get an endorsement! You get an endorsement!
    • Sable’s president in shining armor
    • Governor Newsom blasts Trump for raising gasoline prices on Americans with no plan and no accountability

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 435: Newsom Presidential Campaign Ads You Won’t See

    Episode 435: Newsom Presidential Campaign Ads You Won’t See
    Mar 12 2026
    California Governor Gavin Newsom says taxpayers will spend $19 million on advertising designed to burnish his record in advance of his White House run. Will and guest Will O’Neill consider recent news stories that won’t make the final cut -- skyrocketing oil prices, gender transitioning in the state’s schools, the stabbing victim who died after his ambulance was stolen, and the governor’s own flirtation with antisemitism. Bonus! Remembering Edward Dickinson Baker, the first Californian to die in the American Civil War. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Army Reserve soldier from Sacramento among six killed in Kuwait drone strikeNewsom planning $19-million push to polish California’s national imageIn a Political Campaign, City Officials Can Spend Your Money Against You. They Call it 'Education'He was stabbed while charging his car. He died after his ambulance was stolenNewsom likens Israel to ‘apartheid state,’ questions future military supportNewsom Digs in After SCOTUS Rebuke, Claims Teachers ‘Forced to Be Gender Cops’Amid angry backlash, serial child molester is rearrested the same day he was set to be paroledHere’s how Newsom’s spending binge outstripped revenues, creating California’s chronic deficitMarathon, Chevron, PBF Warn Governor Newsom of Widespread Refinery Shutdowns, Fuel shortages, Economic CollapseCalifornia’s economy faces threats with new energy policy changesNevada governor fires warning shot at Gavin Newsom over oil crisis: ‘Real-world consequences’Fearing GOP upset, top California Democrat urges lagging candidates for governor to drop out of raceCalifornia Unions May Decide Which Republican Advances In The Governor’s Race — And Which One Doesn’tPoll: Hilton’s rise could spare Dems from disaster in California gov’s raceRepublican Rep. Kevin Kiley files to run as independentA budget plot twist in Oakland: From ‘fiscal emergency’ to $17 million in the black Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Episode 434: Emergency Episode — SCOTUS Affirms California Parent Rights

    Episode 434: Emergency Episode — SCOTUS Affirms California Parent Rights
    Mar 9 2026

    Following a smashing victory in a San Diego federal court, attorney Paul Jonna describes the U.S. Supreme Court’s dramatic intervention to end California’s determination to hide student gender-transition plans from parents. Bonus! California attorney Michael McClellan lays out the conservative case for skepticism about artificial intelligence. Music by Metalachi.

    Email Us:
    dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.com
    will@calpolicycenter.org

    Follow Us:
    @DavidBahnsen
    @WillSwaim
    @TheRadioFreeCA

    Paul Jonna on Mirabelli and SCOTUS

    • Paul Jonna, Limandri & Jonna
    • Thomas More Society
    • Court sides with parents in dispute over California policies on transgender students

    Michael McClellan on AI

    • Governor DeSantis Hosts Roundtable on AI Policy at New College of Florida
    • 2028: The Consequences of Abundant Intelligence
    • Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together if He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead.

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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • Episode 433: Iran Out of Gas in California

    Episode 433: Iran Out of Gas in California
    Mar 3 2026
    The Iran war exposes California’s fragile oil supply, how the media transformed the death of nine skiers near Donner Pass into a case of “climate change,” and Attorney General Rob Bonta’s very bad week. Bonus! Attorney Andrew Quinio describes Pacific Legal’s lawsuit to block San Francisco reparations payments, and CPC senior fellow Mark Moses considers whether government exists to serve citizens -- or whether citizens exist to serve government. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: In Gov. Newsom’s California, It Makes Sense to Get Gasoline from the BahamasWhen US Gasoline Has to Leave the Country to Move Within ItAvalanche experts fear conditions that led to deadly Tahoe slide could become ‘new normal’Apple quietly removes environmental metrics from executive payCalifornia bill would make fossil fuel companies help pay for rising insurance costsThe Tangled Web of the Boulder v. Suncor Cert Grant: Pass me some aspirin. Attorney General Rob Bonta might want some, too.Judge Axes Exxon’s Defamation Suit Against EnvironmentalistsThe hypothetical nuclear attack that escalated the Pentagon’s showdown with AnthropicMerrill Kelly rejected Padres’ lucrative contract offer due to California’s ridiculous tax laws‘Like an Uber Share’ but public: South Bay city to bring low-cost, rideshare-style public transit service Bonus track! PLF attorney Andrew Quinio on San Francisco’s reparations program Andrew Quinio bioSan Francisco taxpayers challenge race-based reparations fund in courtSan Francisco mayor quietly signs reparations fund that could lead to $5M payments per personThe Cost Of San Francisco’s Reparations Proposal: Nearly $600,000 Per Household Public finance expert Mark Moses on the proper role of government Mark Moses bioThe Municipal Financial Crisis – A Framework for Understanding and Fixing Government Budgeting (Palgrave Macmillan, January 2022) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    2 hrs and 4 mins
  • Episode 432: Education Secretary Linda McMahon KOs Newsom’s Gender-Bending Policy

    Episode 432: Education Secretary Linda McMahon KOs Newsom’s Gender-Bending Policy
    Feb 25 2026
    In our bonus interview, CPC attorney Emily Rae unpacks the new U.S. Department of Education report showing how state officials use lawsuits, funding, and threats to force school officials to violate federal law regarding parent notification. In other news: Alex Padilla has missed another chance to thank federal officers who didn’t shoot him last June. Representative Lateefah Simon (D., Calif.) hates the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo but won’t leave California. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass threatens to punish property owners who welcome ICE agents. Republican gubernatorial candidates surge, Dems end their panicky convention with no clear endorsement. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: After State of the Union, Democrats say Trump did ‘what he does best: lie’The Padilla Incident and the Greater PerilH.Res.1056 - Calling for the annulment of the Monroe Doctrine and the development of a "New Good Neighbor" policyMexican army kills ‘El Mencho,’ Mexico’s most-wanted drug kingpinLA Mayor Karen Bass announces plans to ban ICE from city propertiesCoalition rallies to defend Cypress Park day labor center amid disputed Home Depot eviction threatNewsom to Middle Class Whites: I'm Average TooNewsom Pardon Allows Illegal Immigrant to Remain in U.S. Despite Attempted Murder Conviction‘I’m very worried’: California Dems confront possibility of an all-GOP governor raceL.A. County pushes to change law that opened floodgates for billions in sex abuse payoutsLAUSD borrowing $250 million to settle sex abuse claims — on top of earlier half billionDespite climate effects, beaches grew 500 acres Emily Rae, California Justice Center, on U.S. Department of Ed report: Emily Rae bioU.S. Department of Education letter to California Emily’s amicus brief in Littlejohn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Episode 431: Mission to Munich!

    Episode 431: Mission to Munich!
    Feb 17 2026
    In his tour of the Munich Security Conference, Governor Gavin Newsom held himself up as a global leader on policies most European nations abandoned decades ago. David and Will also discuss: the impact of the U.S. EPA’s announcement that it will no longer follow the Obama-era “endangerment finding” on carbon emissions, San Francisco skier Eileen Gu’s decision to represent China in the Olympics, State Senator Scott Wiener’s failure to keep up with climate science, and how Newsom’s Prop. 50 may silence at least one of the brightest conservative voices in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bonus: Lance Christensen breaks down Newsom's attempted takeover of the state Department of Education. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow Notes:The Bahnsen Group Opens News Silicon Valley OfficeWill on NPR: Texas Dems are stuck on identity politics with Senate race at stakeCPC hiring: Director of development We Need to Tax the Rich. Are Unions Going About it the Right Way in California?Nobody wants to step on the gas (tax)Sam Darnold’s insane California tax bill stunningly exceeds Super Bowl winningsCalifornia Jock Tax Calculator Boomer Esiason suggests barring California from Hosting Super BowlVP Vance to lead California anti-fraud task force: reportMunich Security Conference: Governor Newsom reinforces climate partnerships as Donald Trump abandons long-standing American alliesLee Zeldin’s EPA Liberates American IndustryDonald Trump declares the Republican Party the pro-pollution partyWiener Watch! New bill aims to allow California AG to sue oil companies for disaster costsSoCal Edison files lawsuit over Eaton Fire, alleging LA County, other utilities are also to blameJudge clears way for mega lawsuit blaming LA and California for deadly Palisades FireEileen Gu’s Terrible ChoiceKiley says he’s weighing challenge to McClintock. He’s already launched an opening salvo.Lance Christensen: A Strangely Good Few Weeks in EducationState Superintendent Tony Thurmond on the power struggle over public schools | California Politics 360Number of the Week: Teacher strike votes are risingTeachers Unions Get DesperateTeachers email parents demanding they don’t homeschool kids – as San Francisco strike grinds into a third dayUS Secretary of Ed Linda McMahon: Teachers shouldn't have to bankroll unionsUnderstanding SFUSD’s $1.4B budget: How teachers and the district come up with different numbersLAUSD will vote on layoffs amid budget challenges, declining enrollment UTLA planning documents appear to advocate for use of school resources as ‘form of resistance’ against ICEGen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduatesUC San Diego Finds One In Eight Freshmen Lack High-School Math SkillsThe tide goes out on youth gender medicine Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    2 hrs and 1 min
  • Episode 430: Newsom Goes Soviet-Style

    Episode 430: Newsom Goes Soviet-Style
    Feb 9 2026
    California Governor Gavin Newsom has emerged with new false claims about the success of his high-speed rail project -- and a creepy legislative proposal to classify as secret any rail-project document that might “harm the interests of the state.” Bonuses! Freshman State Assemblyman David Tangipa tears into the Newsom budget, and Red State editor and investigative reporter Jennifer Van Laar reveals the next chapter in Fresno’s secret Chinese bio lab. Music by Metalachi.Email Us:dbahnsen@thebahnsengroup.comwill@calpolicycenter.orgFollow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCAShow NotesCalifornia job market ranks among the weakest of the weak nationwideLabor leaders blast Gavin Newsom over AI, demand more regulationJonathan Turley: Grandstanding Newsom will stop at nothing to ride the rails to glory in 2028State leaders propose to keep some California high-speed rail information secretA top Democrat wants to know if California laws are working. Lawmakers get to pick which onesThrow everything at the wall, see what sticksGun-wielding LA protester aims at feds then vanishes under pepper-ball fireFederal workers face daily harassment by ruthless agitators in DTLA: ‘War zone every day’Coalition rallies to defend Cypress Park day labor center amid disputed Home Depot eviction threatNew twist in mayor’s race makes election a referendum on L.A.’s futurePension costs make tax- and fee-hike frenzy at City Hall the new normOvertime costs were skyrocketing. San Diego police say they have reined it in.An ex-Fresno Arts Council employee is under investigation in $1.5 million embezzlement case, city sources sayA Bay Area downtown faces a reckoning as tides riseHow bad was California’s ‘Great Flood’ of 1862? It was a torrent of horrorsAssemblyman David Tangipa on the state budgetOfficial websiteJen Van Laar on the worst Airbnb in America Illegal Chinese Biolab Used As Airbnb, Made Several Deathly Ill; Defendant Owns Multiple Homes in NV, CAFeds Seize 1000 Samples From Illegal CCP Biolab in Las Vegas Owned by Defendant in Reedley Case Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 54 mins