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Presented and Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee: Jeremy B. White’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Isabella Bloom and Graph Massara | Presented and Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee | THE BUZZ — MAP QUEST: Get ready for a long Christmas week of political churn. California’s independent redistricting commission released draft maps of new House, Legislature and Board of Equalization districts on Wednesday, capping days of marathon meetings. But if you were hoping for something conclusive or capable of breaking a campaign logjam, you were probably left with a decidedly anticlimactic outcome. That’s because California’s political landscape remains very much in flux, provisional districts notwithstanding. Commissioners have until Dec. 27 to finalize the lines that will shape California campaigns and representation for the next decade. And based on how much these draft maps have changed in the last week, the smart money seems to be on the December maps looking pretty different from their November forerunners. Commissioners have an unenviable, arduous task. California’s voters gave control of the process to the independent panel back in 2008 and 2010, discarding the dominant model wherein the party in power bends the map to its benefit. The theoretically objective map-drawers must balance imperatives to maintain majority-minority power, keep “communities of interest” intact and try to preserve social cohesion while accommodating a decade’s worth of population shifts and demographic changes. They are working under a compressed timeline thanks to the pandemic. And California’s loss of a House seat due to anemic population growth adds another layer of complexity. They must incorporate feedback from advocacy groups, concerned citizens and thinly veiled political players who urge sometimes contradictory changes. A messy process balancing competing interests — that’s democracy, baby! CHAINSAWS : But even seasoned political veterans have struggled to keep up with the ever-shifting process, reacting with a mix of bewilderment and exasperation. “Chaos” was a word we heard frequently. The commission fomented alarm with a series of visualizations that could have dramatically reshaped current districts and placed incumbents in overlapping seats. They subsequently dismantled those contours in real time, taking a “chainsaw to our congressional maps” days before they aimed to release draft maps, in one commissioner’s colorful phrasing. That uncertainty is giving campaigns and candidates ulcers. At some point, the dam will break, incumbents will retire and candidates will launch campaigns for newly open or suddenly winnable seats. But while some hopefuls have taken the plunge, most are frozen in place as they await clarity (a reminder here that state legislators, unlike members of Congress, must live in their districts). And June primaries beckon. Read Jeremy’s story on a political universe largely stuck in a state of suspension. SNEAK PREVIEW: We did get new draft maps Wednesday evening, which among other things seem to cram multiple Sacramento-area Democrats into overlapping districts. With the repeated caveat that these boundaries are certain to change, you can take a look here (scroll to the bottom) — and feel free to get in touch with reactions, concerns or for general catharsis. BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. Welcome to recall-ifornia: The day after elections officials affirmed San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin will face the voters , fed-up Angelenos said they had enough signatures to force a recall election for L.A. City Council member Mike Bonin. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit jwhite@politico.com or follow me on Twitter @jeremybwhite. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “For the first time, they’re excited to go get a shot. That tells you something. They're going to buy us ice cream, not the other way around.” Sen. Alex Padilla on his kids’ eagerness to get their coronavirus shots. TWEET OF THE DAY: California Republican operative @RonNehring with an initial read: “Did these people draw these maps with the lights off AND drunk? Or just with the lights off?” WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. HIATUS ALERT — California Playbook will be off the week of November 15-19. | | Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee: Who’s behind attacks on justice in California? Meet the Civil Justice Association of California: a front group for multibillion-dollar corporations dead set on restricting consumers’ ability to fight back against injustice. These powerful corporations are anything but “a trusted source of expertise in legal reform and advocacy” - they’re simply out to buy more power by hiding behind CJAC. These corporations already have outsized influence in California politics. They shouldn’t be allowed to buy more. Learn More. Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee. | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | POLITICS & PARENTING — "Lawmakers say Newsom hiatus drives home their difficult work-family juggling act," by the SF Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "Politicians on both sides of the aisle jumped to the governor’s defense, calling the social media fervor an example of how the modern 'bloodsport' of politics has created grueling expectations on public officials juggling their official duties with the responsibilities of being a parent and partner." THE DIVIDE — “A Right-Wing Brawler Asked a Court to Protect Him From an Antifascist’s Tweets,” by The Intercept’s Robert Mackey: “Adam Kiefer got a restraining order against an antifascist researcher who revealed that he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6. It might have been a costly mistake.” CAREER PATH — “After prison, the fight to be a firefighter,” by the SF Chronicle’s Lizzie Johnson: “Behind bars, Josh Emerson-Merte was on the front lines of some of California's deadliest wildfires. Could a new state law clear a path for him to continue battling blazes on the outside?” ETHNIC STUDIES — “Colonialism, power and race. Inside California ethnic studies classes,” by the LA Times’ Melissa Gomez: “At a time when schools throughout the country are under siege for how race and history are taught — with at least 12 states passing legislation to limit the discourse — California is barreling in the opposite direction, the first state to mandate a high school ethnic studies course. The California law envisions a class designed to help students understand the historic and ongoing struggles of marginalized people — Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous Americans and others.” | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT: Join POLITICO's Sustainability Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 16 and hear leading voices from Washington, state houses, city halls, civil society and corporate America discuss the most viable policy and political solutions that balance economic, environmental and social interests. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | WINTER WAVE COMING? — “California's COVID fortunes reverse as cases begin to climb,” by the SF Chronicle’s Aidin Vaziri: “Large urban areas with vaccination rates that are lower than the Bay Area’s are seeing some of the most concerning rises. That includes the Central Valley, Greater Sacramento region, and highly populated Southern California counties like Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.” FOOD INSECURITY — “US food banks struggle to feed hungry amid surging prices,” by the AP’s Janie Har: “The higher costs and limited availability mean some families may get smaller servings or substitutions for staples such as peanut butter, which some food banks are buying for nearly double what it cost two years ago. As holidays approach, some food banks worry they won’t have enough stuffing and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and Christmas.” OVERDOSE OR MURDER? — “Prosecutors want to charge fentanyl drug dealers with murder, sparking legal battle ,” by the LA Times’ Richard Winton: “Some Southern California district attorneys are joining a growing national push to file murder charges against drug dealers who manufacture or sell fentanyl that ends up leading to deaths. The efforts are part of a controversial move by authorities to target drug dealers who sell opioids laced with a deadly load of fentanyl, which is as much as 100 times more powerful than morphine.” OP-ED — “ ‘It’s a nightmare.’ The downtown jail incubates dangerous inmates and unleashes them on us,” opines The Sac Bee’s Marcos Bretón: “A downtown jail in Sacramento became a prison that it isn’t equipped to be. It became a dumping ground where suspects arrested in Folsom, Citrus Heights or anywhere else in the county are incarcerated and then released in downtown Sacramento, often joining the ranks of homeless people in the urban core of the capital of California.” IT’S WORKING — “Cargo jam at L.A. and Long Beach ports begins to ease as hefty fines loom,” by the LA Times’ Sam Dean: “Officials at the ports voted in late October to impose a new fee on containers that sit around for more than six days if intended for rail transport or nine days if intended for trucks. … With less than a week to go until the fee kicks in, it seems to be making a difference. The number of containers subject to the fine is down 26% at Long Beach, and the number of containers with a dwell time of more than nine days is down 14% at L.A. — a difference of more than 10,000 boxes on the docks.” LACKING REST STOPS — “ Winged warning: Migrating birds hit hard by California’s drought,” by CalMatters’ Julie Cart: “As the drought dries up California’s wetlands, traveling birds such as ducks, geese and eagles are struggling to survive and breed.” WORKER SHORTAGE — “City Parks and Rec Vacancies Throttle Reopening Efforts,” by Voice of San Diego’s Lisa Halverstadt: “The worker shortages that have also hampered businesses and other governments have left the city with dramatically reduced pool hours, a 45 percent drop in recreation center programs compared with pre-COVID offerings and lingering issues in city parks.” DATA & TRENDS — “Hate crimes increased by 20% in L.A. County last year,” by the LA Times’ Jaclyn Cosgrove: “Hate crimes against Black people rose 35%, and anti-Latino hate crimes increased by 58%. An increase of 76% in hate crimes against Asians in 2020 was previously reported by the commission. Overall in L.A. County, racially motivated hate crimes jumped 53%.” — "California police officer fired over sex crime fights CalPERS to keep disability pension," by The Sac Bee's Andrew Sheeler: "A former California police officer fired after being charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor is fighting CalPERS to keep his industrial disability pension. The California Public Employees Retirement System has sought to deny the pension on the grounds that he was removed from his job due to criminal misconduct." | | | | Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — “Kamala Harris, the incredible disappearing vice president,” opines the LA Times’ Mark Z. Barabak: “Even as she shoulders an array of policy portfolios, even as she visits Paris this week seeking to address the administration’s ruptured relations with France, it remains a fact that the No. 2 job in the White House is inherently a diminishing one.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | ‘WORTHY RECIPIENT’ — “USC gave Rep. Karen Bass a full scholarship worth $95,000 while she served in Congress,” by the LA Times’ Dakota Smith and Matt Hamilton: “How she got the scholarship offers a window into the lengths USC has gone to forge bonds with local politicians, a practice that is now facing new scrutiny.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — VYING FOR THE VALLEY: Republican Ricky Gill isn’t waiting for those new maps to challenge Democratic Rep. Josh Harder for a frontline Central Valley seat. Gill served in the State Department and the National Security Council during the Trump administration. Gill also ran for Congress in 2012, finishing about 11 points behind Rep. Jerry McNerney. If elected he would be the first Indian American Republican in Congress. SPECIAL RECALL? — “Group says it has enough signatures to force L.A. Councilman Mike Bonin recall vote,” by the LA Times’ David Zahniser: “Katrina Schmitt, a recall proponent who lives in Venice, said the large number of signatures shows that voters in Bonin’s district have run out of patience with homelessness, crime and a lack of responsiveness from the councilman’s office. To have so many signatures, she said, ‘sends a strong message about what we want.’” — “Second Oakland city councilmember jumps into mayor's race,” by the SF Chronicle’s Sarah Ravani: “Oakland City Council Member Sheng Thao, the first Hmong woman elected to a city council post in California, plans to run for mayor in next year’s election. Thao, who was elected to the City Council in 2018 and represents the hills, announced Wednesday her intent to run as Mayor Libby Schaaf completes her second term and is termed out of office.” | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | EQUAL ACCESS — “Justice Department sues Uber for charging ‘wait-time’ fees to passengers with disabilities,” by The Washington Post’s Cat Zakrzewski: “Uber did not ‘make reasonable modifications’ to its policy for passengers who need more than the allotted two minutes to enter a car, according to the suit filed in Northern California district court. There are many reasons people may require additional time, the DOJ argues, including needing to break down a wheelchair or walker before entering the car.” — “Top tech candidates are anti-Facebook. It started long before the Facebook Papers ,” by Protocol’s Anna Kramer: “Potential applicants felt most upset about the company's ability to censor, either believing it went too far or that it didn't do enough to prevent the spread of misinformation.” — “Rivian Shares Surge in Largest U.S. IPO Since 2014,” by WSJ’s Ben Foldy: “The California-based startup, founded in 2009 by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate, closed at $100.73 a share.” — “Elon Musk sells around $5 billion of Tesla stock,” by CNBC’s Lora Kolodny and Christine Wang. | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | MEENA, INC.: Vice presidential niece Meena Harris announced she has hired Universal executive Juliet Liu “to develop scripted and unscripted content for film, TV, and digital” for her company Phenomenal, according to the Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin. The aim, Harris told the magazine, is “[t]rying to think about equity along every aspect of the value chain, as it related to Hollywood as an industry, as it relates to who we collaborate with, how we are making films or TV shows, whose voices we are amplifying.” | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — "California Businessman Is Sentenced to 30 Years in $1 Billion Ponzi Scheme," by The NYT's Alyssa Lukpat. — “ Sequoia National Park, charred by wildfire, to partially reopen Thursday,” by the LA Times’ Lily Seidman. SEARCH WARRANT — “Police raid Windsor home of former Mayor Dominic Foppoli in sexual assault investigation,” by the SF Chronicle’s Alexandria Bordas and Cynthia Dizikes. CHECK IT OUT — “Housing costs in Sacramento region: See latest median home sale prices in your county,” by The Sac Bee’s Mila Jasper. A STAPLER? — “Lake Tahoe's underwater trash collectors are pushing into winter. Here's what they've found so far,” by the SF Chronicle’s Gregory Thomas. DIG IN — “Andy Baraghani puts his bold, stylish spin on Thanksgiving classics,” opines the LA Times’ Ben Mims. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Former Sen. Barbara Boxer … Facebook’s Tucker Bounds … Lyft’s Jake Swanton … POLITICO’s John Hendel … Melissa Balaban | | Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee: Who’s behind attacks on justice in California? Meet the Civil Justice Association of California: a front group for multibillion-dollar, multinational corporations who are dead set on restricting consumers’ ability to fight back against injustice. These powerful corporations are anything but “a trusted source of expertise in legal reform and advocacy” - they’re simply out to buy more power by hiding behind CJAC. These massive corporations already have outsized power and influence in California politics. They shouldn’t be allowed to buy more. Learn More. Paid for by Consumer Attorneys of California Initiative Defense Political Action Committee. | | | CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this -only service offers, click here. Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
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