The Drain

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Hey folks,
Today we're discussing President Trump's push to make USC (and a number of other universities) take on a wildly anti-trans, and anti-antifa, tack against their students.
You can read it here at the LA Times.
Please don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

It's no secret that former Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter is leading the race to become California's next governor. But it's also no secret that she can be kind of a dick. You know, like Amy Klobuchar mean.
So, inexorably, the Democratic establishment was going to trot out old clips of Porter yelling at her aides. What we didn't foresee was that she was also going to just go on TV and have similar outbursts with TV reporters. (shout out to CBS Sacramento's Katie Watts for handling that so well).
All of this to-do has Californians wondering if Porter has opened the door for other challengers to take the lead in the race, such as Senator Alex Padilla. Others are whispering that Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis may re-enter the race.
We discuss Porter's flub, then run an update on the big players in the governor's race.
Finally, we are happy to report that Rep. Kevin Kiley is facing a well known (albeit boring as f*ck) challenger in former state senator (and 2024 Sacramento mayoral candidate) Dr. Richard Pan. Does Pan live in the district today? Will he live in it after Prop. 50 passes? We don't know. But with CA-3 set to shift from a +4 Republican district to +10 Democrat, we're fairly certain that Kiley is toast.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today we're discussing the fascinating story of the southern California son of a billionaire real estate magnate who is facing a lawsuit from investors in his idea for the Ultimate Rich Guy's Man Cave, called "The Bunker," which has not come to fruition despite millions in investments.
David Bren, son of well known real estate developer Donald Bren, is being taken to court over allegations that he has misused some $2 million in investments to his endeavor to create an opulent Los Angeles man cave at a Los Angeles hotel for dudes who love cigars, nice cars, and good wine/liquor.
We discuss the details of the story, and take a look at his YouTube pitch video for "The Bunker," which holds some prescient clues for the trouble he is now facing today.
Culture for the Driven, indeed.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

Today we're discussing Governor Gavin Newsom's hardest-hitting interview from the Left in ages, which was conducted by a Twitch streamer named ConnorEatsPants on Fortnite Friday. Listen to our discussion on their talk, but you'll definitely want to hop over to his YouTube channel and watch it as well. It includes a phenomenal discussion on a one-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict, lots of hilarious Boomer moments from the governor as he tries to navigate the video game, and an incredible moment discussing Newsom's ex-wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Newsom was on the show to discuss Proposition 50, which every Californian should be supporting (the ballots are in your mailboxes, folks!). We have some updates there on this important fight against the Trump administration's gerrymandering push in red states.
We then get into a story in the San Francisco Chronicle discussing an incredibly important issue--California's massive problem with "conversion therapy" groups. In this story, Kempa's former SN&R colleague, Raheem Hosseini, explores the state's problem with these damaging programs, and hints at how we can end them.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today we're taking a look at Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast episode discussing economic nihilism, online communities, and gamer culture, with Brandon Ewing (a.k.a. @atrioc). If you don't know who that is, don't worry--Kempa didn't either. But we're gonna learn today.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

It's no secret that Democratic voters are incredibly unhappy with their electeds.
Throughout the country, they've been described as a "spineless" party that just "roll(s) right over" for the Trump administration.
In total, about one-third of Democrats described their party negatively in an open-ended question on a recent national survey, with 15% using terms like “weak,” and “apathetic,” with another 10% saying they are “ineffective” or “disorganized.”
In total, just 2 in 10 Democrats described the party positively.
So maybe it should not come as a surprise that half of Nancy Pelosi's district believe it's “time for a change."
This comes as Pelosi, 85, has filed to run for reelection in 2026, but has not officially said whether she’ll be vying for her seat again.
Are people ready for new blood?
Here in Sacramento, another octogenarian is facing a challenge from a city council member embraced by the Left.
District 8 representative Mai Vang is challenging Doris Matsui, who has held the office for nearly two decades. However, her constituents are increasingly frustrated with her lack of availability.
As always, you can like, rate, and subscribe to The Drain on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium weekend episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

**This is a preview of our premium Friday show, The Plug. To listen to the full episode, go to patreon.com/thedrain.**
Today, Max regales us with a chilling story about a California public utility--the Sacramento Municipal Utility District--sharing its power usage data with cops to help them find "illegal" marijuana grow operations in the region.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

Today, we discuss the loss of a California staple, our old punk/anti-fascist friend Ground Chuck.
We also Discuss the passing of another Chuck , whom you may or may not have heard of: Chuck (Charlie) Kirk.
Then we talk about some California bills coming to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk:
“Anti-semitism” bill – AS UC BERKELEY SHARES 160 names with Trump administration: 
Energy bill tied to wildfires, utilities and oil (six bills, includes increase in oil drilling, re-authorized cap and trade through 2045 – lots of concessions all around) “I don’t know how any of this saves money,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “But this is the new state of Sacramento. I think it happened because of Trump, honestly, I think this is all about abundance and Trump, and Democrats trying to make a name for themselves by dumping regulation.”
CEQA crushed for urban development “In practice, that means most new apartment buildings will no longer face the open threat of environmental litigation. It also means most urban developers will no longer have to study, predict and mitigate the ways that new housing might affect local traffic, air pollution, flora and fauna, noise levels, groundwater quality and objects of historic or archeological significance. And it means that when housing advocates argue that the state isn’t doing enough to build more homes amid crippling rents and stratospheric prices, they won’t — with a few exceptions — have CEQA to blame anymore.”
Bill against local, out-of-state and federal agents wearing masks 
UBER and Lyft can now unionize (AB 1340) – comes with strings
Regulate companion bots: SB 243 would put tighter regulations on online chatbots powered by artificial intelligence to limit their risks on young users.
Higher car dealer fees: SB 791 would raise the cap car dealers can charge to process documents from $85 to $260.
Wage boost for incarcerated firefighters: AB 247 would increase the minimum wage for incarcerated firefighters fighting active wildfires to $7.25 an hour.
Abortion pill protections: AB 260 would help protect California pharmacists, doctors and hospitals from penalties for dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone to out-of-state patients, and remove the names of patients and providers from abortion medication prescriptios.
Kill mute swans: AB 764 would make it easier for hunters and landowners to kill the invasive species.
Ban plastic glitter: AB 823 would enforce a first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of personal care products that contain plastic glitter or plastic microbeads.
Save the bees: AB 1042 would create a health program for managed honey bees that would provide grants to beekeepers, farmers and others for projects and research supporting the struggling population.
Redistricting (Prop 50) – obviously a major time-suck that affected other possible legislation
“Leaders also rushed through several Newsom administration budget measures that shield construction for the Los Angeles Olympics from environmental review, prop up struggling child care centers, bolster the state’s ability to recommend immunizations and allocate $70 million in new state general fund spending. 
The result? Other measures ran out of time. And, many Democrats were left grumbling about how business gets done on consequential measures — but they still overwhelmingly approved them.”
What failed?
Lena Gonzalez’s fight to pull back on LA’s “mansion tax” on high value real estate deals
 lawmakers punted multiple tech measures to next year, including a proposal to require tests of automated decision systems before they can be used in important personnel decisions. This is at least the second time such efforts have stalled, amid strong opposition from business associations and health care providers. 
They also shelved a measure that would have restricted workplace surveillance by public and private employers, a victory for the California Chamber of Commerce. 
A controversial criminal justice bill that drew strong opposition from moderate Democrats failed to advance. The measure would have made low-level felony offenders eligible for diversion programs, allowing them to avoid jail time. 
Some Democrats including Stephanie Nguyen of Elk Grove, Maggy Krell of Sacramento and Anamarie Avila ns in opposing the bill.
As always, you can like, rate, and subscribe to The Drain on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

Hello, Plug brethren and Drain cisterns.
Kempa had to take a few weeks out east for some family business, but we are BACK and ready to discuss the federal redistricting battles.
You may have heard that California is responding to Texas Republicans' redistricting push to ensure fascism in the US in 2026, with a little redistricting of their own.
What does that mean?
Well, Democrats in the Golden State are looking to gain about five seats, despite two-thirds of the state's proposed congressional districts shifting red on the new map. Four formerly Republican-leaning swing districts would soon tilt Democratic, and two others would move heavily left.
Essentially, Democrats in California could end up with as many as 48 of the state’s 52 congressional districts.
According to the Los Angeles Times, polls for this move by Governor Gavin Newsom and state Democrats are looking good:
“When voters were asked whether they agree with California’s redistricting maneuver, 46% said it was a good idea, while 36% said it was a bad idea. Slightly more, 48%, said they would vote in favor of the temporary gerrymandering efforts if it appeared on the statewide special election ballot in November. Nearly a third said they would vote no, while 20% said they were undecided.”
And according to a survey by Democratic pollster (and Newsom ally) David Binder, "57% of California voters backed the redistricting measure, while 35% opposed and 8% were undecided.”
ALREADY, millions of dollars are rolling into this fight. Jeremy White at Politico thinks this will be the most expensive ballot fight in CA history. Some stats:
$10 million are coming from Charles Munger against the measure (he's a GOP donor who bankrolled the 2010 independent redistricting law)
$1 million are in from SEIU in support, as well as $300,000 from businessman Andrew Hauptman
The YES campaignalready reported some $5.8 million on July 30
This looks like a winner, yes? Possibly. It even looks good for Governor Newsom's 2028 presidential hopes:
New poll: 75 percent of registered Democratic voters said they are “excited” about the prospect of Newsom running for president, compared with 67 percent who are enthusiastic about former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Between the two high-profile Californians, the governor leads Harris 25 percent to 19 percent among the state’s registered Democratic voters and Democratic-leaning independents, according to the latest POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey found. (Mayor Pete has 13; AOC, 10)
As always, you can like, rate, and subscribe to The Drain on all of your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social
We're back, baby :)

It's all old hat at this point, but it bears repeating that Zohran Mamdani's historic nomination as Democratic candidate for New York City mayor is largely thanks to his groundbreaking policies for city welfare, as well as his commitment to social justice. Less examined, however, is the role of ranked choice voting in the success of his campaign. Today we sit down with Josh Rosa of Better Ballot Sacramento for a chat about what is ranked choice voting, and how it can change the electoral landscapes here in California.
Though ranked choice voting has been popular in Europe for quite some time quite recently, some municipalities across California have adopted it like San Francisco, Berkeley, Eureka, and Oakland... these places have seen better voter turnout, less money in politics (thanks to RCV's shorter campaign seasons), and a friendlier, more collegial election process.
Throughout the rest of California, however, most local elections are decided in the primary, with extremely low voter turnout — locking democracy behind party membership. When local races do go to a runoff, they required to essentially restart their entire electoral campaign. This effort easily doubles the amount of money that they need to raise and spend to follow through on the general election campaign.
Josh also takes us through the current state of ranked choice voting implementation throughout California, highlighting the work that Better Ballot Sacramento, Cal RCV, and Fair Vote are all doing to help implement ranked choice voting in the state of California. In Sacramento's case a large part of the city council members agree that ranked choice voting would be a huge improvement on the current state of affairs.
Note: this episode was recorded at New Helvetia, a worker owned brewery in Sacramento. Some background noise may be apparent.