Shane Smith Has Questions

A Different Kind of Democrat on Fixing Government ft. Matt Mahan | Shane Smith Has Questions

Shane Smith Has Questions

Show Notes

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan joins Shane Smith for a raw conversation about why California feels broken and what it would actually take to fix it.

They discuss the reality behind homelessness, why housing is so expensive, and how bureaucracy and bad incentives have made it nearly impossible to build. Mahan explains how corporate power, regulation, and political complacency have created a system that continually becomes more expensive without delivering better results.

Mahan lays out why he believes California is at an inflection point and what a more pragmatic, results-driven approach could look like if anyone is willing to take it on.

Get your starter bundle at https://www.drinkag1.com/shanesmith

Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More from Shane Smith Has Questions

Oct 15, 2026

Historian and bestselling author Timothy Snyder joins Shane Smith for a wide-ranging conversation about what he calls America’s “superpower suicide” and what it could mean for the future of the United States and the world.

Oct 1, 2026

Renée DiResta has spent the past decade investigating how propaganda, foreign influence and conspiracy theories spread online. Now, as the midterms approach and AI makes manipulation faster and cheaper, she warns that America may be returning to where it was before the 2016 election—with fewer safeguards and no one clearly in charge.

Sep 17, 2026

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar just won a major Supreme Court fight against the Trump administration over its attempt to impose new federal restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the midterms.

Sep 3, 2026

At 23, Adam Mockler has become one of the most prominent young voices in liberal political media, building an audience of millions through rapid-response videos, debates and viral clips.

Aug 20, 2026

Most people know Ben McKenzie from The O.C. Over the past several years, however, he has made an unlikely transformation into a serious crypto investigator—and, as Shane puts it, a hell of a journalist and filmmaker.

See all episodes →