Topic: High Speed Rail

Steve Hilton is running for Governor of California on a platform focused on cutting fuel taxes, reducing vehicle registration fees, and canceling the state's high-speed rail project. His opponent, Javier Becerra, has been criticized for avoiding debates and relying on anti-Trump rhetoric to maintain the Democratic stronghold. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sparked controversy by suggesting the election is already over, implying a Republican cannot win the state regardless of the candidate's platform.

The California high-speed rail project is criticized for spending over $18 billion without laying a single mile of track, with total cost estimates now reaching $231 billion. The segment also mentions recent arrests related to multi-million dollar fraud within homeless outreach programs in the state.

The California High Speed Rail project faces a potential total loss of funding by December 2027, according to the state's Inspector General. The project is currently billions of dollars over budget and has only produced limited concrete structures in the Central Valley. The hosts contrast this failure with Japan's high-speed rail system, which was completed in the late 1950s.