Politics

The Republican National Convention is underway in Tampa, Florida, after being postponed because of Hurricane Isaac. Although it’s been on the quiet side overall today, we were curious as to what the mood is like, what delegates are talking about, and what to expect over the next few days. San Francisco Examiner contributor Melissa Griffin is on the ground in Tampa. She spoke with KALW’s Hana Baba about her impressions on how the event is shaping up so far.

Listen to the full interview above.

Earlier today Governor Jerry Brown announced that he had reached a deal with state lawmakers that would mean sweeping changes for California’s public pensions system, and affect hundreds of thousands of state workers. The new rules would cap pensions while increasing the amount employees pay in; they would also increase the retirement age by up to seven years.

A few words on Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan: the big-time budget guru of the G.O.P. Everyone keeps calling it a "bold choice." Yeah, well maybe, but you know bold is not always synonymous with good.

Whiskey for breakfast is a bold choice. Spun glass underwear is bold. Four-head dragon tattoos. Passing an 18-wheeler on a blind curve going 80 in the rain – incredibly bold. Just not that necessarily smart.