The Stakes is KPFA’s essential guide to the 2026 political landscape. Hosted by Teresa Wierzbianska and Scott Baba, this weekly program cuts through the static to break down what’s happening nationally, statewide, and in your own backyard. With control of Congress up for grabs and fundamental questions about democratic institutions in play, The Stakes brings you sharp analysis and on-the-ground reporting from the KPFA news team. From legislative battles to local races, we cover the political landscape without the spin.
Turn off your television, it’s time for The Stakes. The Stakes breaks down the 2026 political landscape. Hosted by Teresa Wierzbianska and Scott Baba, this KPFA News show delivers analysis of national, state, and local races and policy battles. Thursdays at 10 a.m. On today’s show, we go back to Maine, where just a week … Continued
On today’s show, what’s next for the Maine senate race after Democratic candidate Graham Platner’s career-ending sexual assault allegations? Maine Morning Star reporter Eesha Pendharkar chimes from ground in Maine. The Supreme Court has ruled on campaign finance changes. Open Secret’s Brenden Glavin joins later in the hour. Michael Tomasky from the New Republic … Continued
The Stakes breaks down the 2026 political landscape. Hosted by Teresa Wierzbianska and Scott Baba, this KPFA News show delivers analysis of national, state, and local races and policy battles. Thursdays at 10 a.m. On today’s show, we are going to take a deep dive into this week’s court decisions surrounding mail-in voting. The … Continued
The Stakes breaks down the 2026 political landscape. Hosted by Teresa Wierzbianska and Scott Baba, this KPFA News show delivers analysis of national, state, and local races and policy battles. Thursdays at 10 a.m. On today’s show, we’ll speak with John Davisson, Deputy Director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, about a federal … Continued
The June Primary results are in, and The Stakes breaks down what they mean for California and the country. Host Scott Baba is joined by Gustavo Arellano of the Los Angeles Times on the California races, Tim Redmond of 48 Hills on the national picture, and John Nichols of The Nation with broader election analysis. … Continued
With the California June 2nd primary election just days away, it’s GO time for local get-out-the-vote activists hoping to affect change this year. On this episode, we speak with Chaney Turner from Oakland Rising, Jason Negron-Gonzales from Seed the Vote and finally with Aditya Bhumbla, co-chair of the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic Socialists … Continued
On today’s show, we’ll do a California statewide ballot rundown with voter specialist and political analyst Paul Mitchell from Political Data Inc. Later we’ll hear from Tom Moore from the Center for American Progress. Moore is the legal strategist behind Hawaii and Montana’s Citizens United legislation.
Inaugural episode of The Stakes.
