Capitol Weekly Podcast

When Fiona Hutton talks: 25 years in public affairs

There was an old ad slogan for a well-known brokerage firm: When EF Hutton talks, people listen. The sentiment survives today, with a slight modification: When Fiona Hutton talks, people listen. Fiona Hutton runs one of the state's preeminent public affairs firms, with a score of employees handling strategic planning, research & insights, media relations and more for a host of high-powered clients. Fiona Hutton and Associates celebrates their 25th anniversary this year, and Hutton joined us to talk about her early years as a one-woman (and a baby) shop,  what it's like to do this work in LA, and the challenges of being a woman in this business.  Plus - Who Had the Worst Week in CA Politics. (You might have a guess....) 1:15 Affordability 4:05 Capitol Briefs 4:51 Asm. Jessica Caloza 5:07 Experts Expound 5:43 Fiona Hutton 7:45 90% of businesses in California are small businesses 8:50 In the beginning 10:16 "My water broke on a conference call with a client" 12:55 What does a public affairs firm do? 16:46 What is it like being a woman in this space? 20:13 Generational approach 26:06 "Do not look at your to-do list - go check on your team first" 26:52 What has changed in 25 years? 28:54 Working in LA 35:26 "There is no down-shifting" 38:35 What next? 40:52 #WWCA Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Covering the Capitol, with Lia Russell of the Sacramento Bee

Today's guest is Sacramento Bee reporter Lia Russell. Russell covers the governor for The Bee’s Capitol Bureau, and was part of the team that broke the story of Dana Williamson's arrest last year.  We asked about that story, covering the capitol, and what it was like to cover politics in their earlier gigs in Bangor, Maine and Baltimore, Maryland.  :47 Affordability 2:00 What's on Capitol Weekly 4:16 Lia Russell 6:09 The race to replace Gov. Newsom 8:20 "Whether they like it or not..." 10:15 View from Maine 16:37 Working for the Baltimore Sun 18:37 The Dana Williamson story 23:45 Reading indictments 26:16 Origin story 32:04 The tattoos 33:43 Asm. Matt Harper mention 38:06 #WWCA Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

California Labor: Lorena Gonzalez

Membership in California labor unions grew by over 100,000 members between 2024 and 2025, and California union membership currently stands at 2.4 million - the most of any state. These gains come in the face of strong anti-labor policies put in place by the Trump Administration. Our guest today is one of the reasons for those gains. Former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez is the President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, which is made up of more than 1,300 unions, representing 2.3 million members. in the Legislature, Gonzalez was one of the most respected - and feared - members.  She has brought her patented take-no-prisoners approach to the Labor Fed, getting arrested at protests and sparring online with foes ranging from Elon Musk to centrist Democrats. We spoke with Gonzalez about the status of the labor movement, the threat - and opportunities - of AI, and the impact of Cesar Chavez' sudden downfall.  1:26 Capitol Briefs 2:18 Jacqui Nguyen 3:21 Remembering Sam Kieth 6:27 Lorena Gonzalez 8:53 Where is the governor on AI bills? 10:52 And the gubernatorial candidates? 14:13 "Everything is AI enabled" 16:04 What are the big issues for Labor in 2026? 17:25 "Labor grew in California last year by 100,000 members" 19:29 Quad endorsement 22:08 More union members voted MAGA in 2024 - where are they now? 25:47 Are the Dems hearing the Labor message? 29:00 The impact of the Chavez revelations 38:10 #WWCA Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Cesar Chavez to We Said Enough.

Last week's spectacular downfall of Labor icon Cesar Chavez was unprecedented. The New York Times' bombshell report on allegations of sexual abuse of young girls by Chavez, coupled with UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta's disturbing story of rape at his hands toppled the legacy of one of the most significant figures in California history. If Chavez' exposure was a surprise, the general content of the stories was tragically familiar. The revelations come as America is roiled in controversy over Jeffrey Epstein's crimes against women and girls, and nine years after the We Said Enough moment exposed rife sexual harassment - and worse - in the Capitol Community. Our guest, POLITICO Melanie Mason reported extensively on We Said Enough as that story broke, and joined us to reflect on the Chavez allegations, abuse of power and the difficulties survivors face in coming forward. Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NEWSWELL wants to transform journalism. Can they help solve the local news crisis?

Local journalism in the United States is in crisis. Almost 40% of all local newspapers in the US have vanished since 2005, leaving "news deserts," areas that lack consistent local reporting. Many of these areas now have no local reporting; in others, legitimate news outlets have been replaced by "Pink Slime" - partisan "fake news" websites masquerading as independent local news. What can be done to stop the collapse of local news? Two years ago, Arizona State University launched NEWSWELL, a nonprofit organization that offers comprehensive wraparound services - including fundraising - to their newsroom partners, helping them build sustainable business models. NEWSWELL now has a string of 15 news outlets, including 11 in California. We're joined by Nicole Carroll, Executive Director of NEWSWELL and a professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She shares the vision behind NEWSWELL, explains the ASU connection and looks at what indie news needs to survive. 2:06 Billionaires tax 3:01 Litigation around card rooms 3:29 Insurance Commissioner candidates 5:56 Nicole Carroll 7:29 The California Connection 9:09 Plight of local news 11:09 The Cronkite School 11:57 ASU internship program 13:27 Capitol Weekly internships 14:11 New study: Media Impact Founders 21:33 The Pulitzer Committee 24:00 Leisure time? 25:43 3WWCA Want to support the Capitol Weekly Podcast? Make your tax deductible donation here: capitolweekly.net/donations/ Capitol Weekly Podcast theme is "Pickin' My Way" by Eddie Lang "#WorstWeekCA" Beat provided by freebeats.io Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.