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National Review's Radio Free California Podcast

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Rating
★★★★★
4.8
from
703 reviews
This podcast has
25 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2017/08/17
Latest episode
2026/04/16
Average duration
84 min.
Release period
6 days

Description

A show about the perilous state of the Golden State—and what that means for you, wherever you live. California is the hothouse lab of the Left, the nation-state creating the statist policies, art, and lifestyles of the future – and generating the political dollars to make them a reality in a community near you. Hosts Will Swaim (California Policy Center) and David Bahnsen (The Bahnsen Group, Fox Business News commentator, conservative activist) beam this weekly show internationally, from mostly undisclosed pirate-radio platforms west of the Sierra Nevada. [Intro music graciously provided by Los Angeles-based Metalachi, the metal/mariachi soundtrack of the near-future. Find them at Metalachi.com.]

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Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from National Review's Radio Free California Podcast podcast


Episode 441: Making a Federal Case of It (Emergency Episode)
2026/04/16
United Teachers of Los Angeles activists are celebrating the massive salary hike they won on Tuesday, but Lance Christensen says all Californians will pay the price. That same day, attorneys for Rocklin Unified School District asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision of a little-known California administrative court that California Justice Center attorney Emily Rae says violates the federal rights of parents of schoolchildren. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Emily Rae: Follow @EmilyRaeCJC Rocklin Unified Takes Parental Notification Fight to U.S. Supreme Court Lance Christensen: Follow @lancelands The price of LAUSD union peace will be $1.2 billion a year. Next up is paying for it Strike or not, Los Angeles Unified is on an unsustainable trajectory Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 440: Swalwell Hits Cesar Chavez Speed
2026/04/15
As his career prospects evaporate, disgraced former Representative Eric Swalwell now begs exemption from the “believe women” standard he applied to his conservative political opponents. An Easter Egg hunt in Long Beach leads to a human skull, Mayor Karen Bass celebrates the return of Baywatch but says nothing about the return of typhus to L.A., Kamala Korner is back, and the Wiener Watch never left! David offers an explainer on a clash of the tech titans in Musk vs. Altman. Bonus: Kenneth Schrupp discusses Manhattan Institute’s investigation into allegations of fraud in the state’s $30 billion annual In-Home Supportive Services Program. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Eric Swalwell Reaps What He Sows An Easter Egg Hunt in a California Park Leads to a Human Skull Mayor Bass welcomes Baywatch and major productions back to Los Angeles Typhus from fleas hits record level in L.A.:  Where the hot spots are and how to protect yourself World Cup: 2 Months Out, FIFA and Host Cities Sideline Rights ‘Thinking About It’: Kamala Harris Teases 2028 Presidential Run Newsom administration won't say how much Kamala Harris' CHP security detail is costing California taxpayers Senator Wiener Announces Bill To Protect Survivors Of Conversion Therapy Lawmaker backing transgender treatments for kids squirms as man says puberty blockers destroyed him Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff Elon Musk Lawsuit Claims OpenAI Used a Fake Charity to Build an $800 Billion Empire California tries to criminalize journalism — to protect fraud California unveils hospice fraud arrests, pushing back on ‘kingdom of fraud’ claim by Trump official Kenneth Shrupp, Manhattan Institute Gavin Newsom’s $30 Billion Fraud Magnet Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 439: Newsom’s House of Card Sharks
2026/04/08
Angling for a White House run, Governor Gavin Newsom talks up his plan to bring white men back to the Democratic Party while his wife warns women that Republicans are working to push women “back into the straitjacket of femininity that is only in service of men.” In other news: Newsom will spend $19 million to persuade Americans that California is awesome and Trump endorses gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton. In the history department, Will and David discuss the 1972 state Supreme Court decision that ended the death-penalty convictions of 107 California killers including Sirhan Sirhan, Charles Manson, and one Robert Page Anderson. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: People v. Anderson UCLA crushes the Other USC to win NCAA women’s basketball national championship ICE Busts Slain Iranian Military Leader’s Niece & Her Daughter Who Called US ‘Great Satan’ In L.A. San Diego warship to recover Artemis II astronauts when they splash down in ocean Friday Trump endorses Steve Hilton in California governor's race Billionaire candidate for California governor catching heat for past business interests, wealth Sexual Harassment Allegations Could Rock Swalwell’s Campaign For Governor Major global PR firm Edelman wins $19 million state contract to promote California in a better light For Democrats, the Era of the Girl Dad and Male Ally Is Over Governor Newsom convenes leaders to confront crisis facing boys and men CNN black sheep Scott Jennings gives withering take on Jennifer Newsom: ‘She’s a real problem’ Jennifer Siebel Newsom Has Bleak Warning For MAGA Women After Recent Firings Gavin Newsom’s wife pushed weird gender films into California classrooms — while paying herself a fortune The great corruption of behested payments in California Air district fines Fairfield Budweiser brewery $2.3M over alleged emissions violations Major cheese producer closes Fresno-area facility, cuts jobs as it opens Texas site Yamaha moves US headquarters out of California after nearly 50 years Public Storage is the latest company to leave California for Texas Public Storage to Acquire National Storage Affiliates in $5.6 Billion Stock Deal The Chinese Billionaires Having Dozens of U.S.-Born Babies Via Surrogate CCSF union president violated policies in antisemitic rant, investigation finds Long Beach City College votes to name its Labor Center in honor of Dolores Huerta Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 438: Maybe We Call This ‘Jaime Escalante Day’?
2026/04/01
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an emergency bill to rename the Cesar Chavez holiday “Farmworkers Day.” Will and David suggest we commemorate instead the East Los Angeles teacher who was the subject of the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver -- and was then driven from teaching by his own union. Representative Eric Swalwell earned a key campaign endorsement from the California Teachers Association -- a kind of Surgeon General’s Warning for voters in the state’s June primary. In other news: Tech’s very bad week in court, and it’s time for San Francisco to defund its corrupt “Defund the Police” campaign. Bonus tracks! Red State reporter Jen Van Laar on LAUSD’s all-in-the-family negotiations with the state’s largest teacher’s union, and former Los Angeles Times religion reporter Bill Lobdell on the Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal, televangelists, Cesar Chavez, and California’s public schools. Music by Metalachi. Email Us:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes Newsom signs law renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day A Calculated Move : Jaime Escalante Prepares to Leave to Teach in Sacramento UTLA’s response The USC professor at the center of the debate debacle A big weekend for Eric Swalwell F.B.I. Said to Dig Up Old Investigative Files on Democratic Lawmaker Swalwell campaign in the hot seat after accepting almost $15K from CCP-tied law firm: 'Stop playing footsie' Social media trials usher in Big Tech's latest moment of reckoning Top S.F. official who led Dream Keeper equity program charged with felonies: ‘abuse of power’ Holed up: L.A. tries closing off manhole where people live, nearly sealing someone inside LA’s Declining Homelessness Numbers: Real or Illusory? California introduces financial literacy course starting with class of 2030-31 'New Era': Landmark Policy to Expand Tribal Stewardship for At Least 7.5 Million Acres in California Jen Van Laar Literal bedfellows among teacher union activists and the district negotiating their pay package Bill Lobdell “Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America and Found Unexpected Peace” Newport Beach in the Rearview Mirror podcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 437: The Labor Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight
2026/03/23
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. Email Us:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 436: Killing Cesar Chavez
2026/03/18
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:[email protected]@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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 435: Newsom Presidential Campaign Ads You Won’t See
2026/03/12
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:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: Army Reserve soldier from Sacramento among six killed in Kuwait drone strike Newsom planning $19-million push to polish California’s national image In 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 stolen Newsom likens Israel to ‘apartheid state,’ questions future military support Newsom 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 paroled Here’s how Newsom’s spending binge outstripped revenues, creating California’s chronic deficit Marathon, Chevron, PBF Warn Governor Newsom of Widespread Refinery Shutdowns, Fuel shortages, Economic Collapse California’s economy faces threats with new energy policy changes Nevada 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 race California Unions May Decide Which Republican Advances In The Governor’s Race — And Which One Doesn’t Poll: Hilton’s rise could spare Dems from disaster in California gov’s race Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley files to run as independent A 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.
Episode 434: Emergency Episode — SCOTUS Affirms California Parent Rights
2026/03/09
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:[email protected]@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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 433: Iran Out of Gas in California
2026/03/03
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:[email protected]@calpolicycenter.org Follow Us:@DavidBahnsen@WillSwaim@TheRadioFreeCA Show Notes: In Gov. Newsom’s California, It Makes Sense to Get Gasoline from the Bahamas When US Gasoline Has to Leave the Country to Move Within It Avalanche experts fear conditions that led to deadly Tahoe slide could become ‘new normal’ Apple quietly removes environmental metrics from executive pay California bill would make fossil fuel companies help pay for rising insurance costs The 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 Environmentalists The hypothetical nuclear attack that escalated the Pentagon’s showdown with Anthropic Merrill 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 bio San Francisco taxpayers challenge race-based reparations fund in court San Francisco mayor quietly signs reparations fund that could lead to $5M payments per person The 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 bio The 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.
Episode 432: Education Secretary Linda McMahon KOs Newsom’s Gender-Bending Policy
2026/02/25
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:[email protected]@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 Peril H.Res.1056 - Calling for the annulment of the Monroe Doctrine and the development of a "New Good Neighbor" policy Mexican army kills ‘El Mencho,’ Mexico’s most-wanted drug kingpin LA Mayor Karen Bass announces plans to ban ICE from city properties Coalition rallies to defend Cypress Park day labor center amid disputed Home Depot eviction threat Newsom to Middle Class Whites: I'm Average Too Newsom 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 race L.A. County pushes to change law that opened floodgates for billions in sex abuse payouts LAUSD borrowing $250 million to settle sex abuse claims — on top of earlier half billion Despite climate effects, beaches grew 500 acres Emily Rae, California Justice Center, on U.S. Department of Ed report: Emily Rae bio U.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.

Podcast reviews

Read National Review's Radio Free California Podcast podcast reviews


4.8 out of 5
703 reviews
★★★★★
Red Hoover 2026/03/21
Simply superb
Will and David consistently serve up a sumptuous feast of Golden State absurdity. They shed light on the ongoing disaster of one-party government. How...
★★★★☆
Bigbrewer 2026/04/06
Self discipline
Please practice some self correction when discussing K-12 education. Both of you consistently and falsely accuse our teachers of pushing children to ...
★★★★★
Multipartist 2026/02/03
CA’s must-have podcast
Will Swaim and David Bahnsen tell us what's really going on in California. Subscribe to hear accurate and in-depth stories no other sources provide. T...
★★★★★
Erin O 2025/09/05
Radio free California
Great show. Always entertaining and educational. California is our canary in the coal mine. The humor makes it fun.
★☆☆☆☆
CGK_93 2025/09/25
David
This guy is so arrogant. Something something rich man needle camel eye heaven. It must be nice to put yourself above other conservatives when your vot...
★★★★★
tookeymonster7 2025/08/20
Great find
I started listening as a fan of Capital Record. While I live in Minnesota, I really enjoy the co-hosts humor and review of national and state current ...
★★★★★
Vicky the Archivist 2025/03/26
The insanity of California
A weekly chronicle of the legislative and gubernatorial stupidity that characterizes the formerly Golden State. From Cali defaulting on Covid loans to...
★☆☆☆☆
3lixs3 2025/04/23
TDS
Sadly I really enjoyed this show and I like how it focused on California politics. Sadly they have both gone down the TDS path. Once again so called R...
★★★★★
with all due respect 2024/10/24
Thanks
Fun and informative show. It’s amazing how David continues to show given his disgust of California culture and ….the Dodgers??? Stick it Bahnson!!! Th...
★★★★☆
Nulli Secundis 2025/02/05
Alternate Thinking on Public School closures
With regard to the drama of closing down the public school in Pacific Palisades it seems like the perfect time to close the school and give 100% of th...
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