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Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White , Lara Korte , Sakura Cannestra and Owen Tucker-Smith | THE BUZZ: We’re glimpsing what a Speaker Kevin McCarthy era would look like — if we ever get one. The Bakersfield Republican headed to the U.S.-Mexico border yesterday to vow action on the Biden administration’s handling of migrant crossings. He said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas should resign over surging migrant apprehensions or face impeachment. “He cannot and must not remain in that position,” McCarthy said. A wave of similar investigations looks likely with Republicans controlling the House. It’s less certain who will be leading the caucus through them. Rep. Ralph Norman yesterday became the latest Republican to disavow McCarthy as a speaker candidate, citing what he portrays as insufficient toughness in fiscal matters. That defection expanded the list of GOP members who are looking elsewhere for their next leader: Five have explicitly threatened to vote “no” and others have signaled reluctance. That mounting pushback doesn’t just underscore the obstacles between McCarthy and the gavel. It also presages the challenges he would face, even if he secures the speakership, in holding together a combative caucus operating with a single-digit majority. He would need to simultaneously navigate former President Donald Trump’s comeback presidential attempt as some Republicans grumble the former president is responsible for the slim House majority. | 
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 2022. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo |
It could be a marked contrast with outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last week ended an era by saying she would not seek a leadership role. Even some of Pelosi’s vehement foes concede she was a master at managing her members and marshaling votes, preventing challenges to her leadership and governing through a mixture of admiration and fear. McCarthy would directly follow his fellow Californian into the top role.
We still don’t know the exact shape of the Republican caucus or the California delegation, by the way. We came closer yesterday as Republican Kevin Kiley won his race. The only TBD House outcome is in the open CA-13, where Republican farmer John Duarte led Democratic Assembly member Adam Gray by 592 votes. Elsewhere in close campaigns: Republican staffer Josh Hoover broadened his lead over Democratic Assembly member Ken Cooley to about 1,500 votes and Democrat Christy Holstege stood 68 votes above Republican Greg Wallis. BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. We hope you have a relaxing and delicious Thanksgiving. We’ll be off tomorrow and Friday and then back in your inbox on Monday morning. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte . QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This is where Gavin Newsom is celebrating. This is where Gavin Newsom, with the help of CBS and the House Republicans, are going to show Joe Biden the door.” Fox News pundit Leo Terrell on CBS’ Hunter Biden laptop story. TWEET OF THE DAY
|  Today's Tweet of the Day | Twitter | WHERE’S GAVIN? Out of the state with family through Thanksgiving.
| | | | POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP . | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | BIG CITY POLITICS — Black mayors are leading the nation's biggest cities for the first time , by POLITICO’s Brakkton Booker: When Karen Bass is sworn in as Los Angeles mayor next month, she’ll be making history in more ways than one. Not only will she be the first woman to lead LA, Bass will complete a rare tetrafecta of sorts: Black mayors will be running the nation’s four largest cities, with the congresswoman joining Eric Adams of New York, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago and Sylvester Turner of Houston. UNSPOOLING THE TWEET THREADS — “ Musk’s ‘free speech’ agenda dismantles safety work at Twitter, insiders say ,” by the Washington Post’s Cat Zakrzewski, Faiz Siddiqui and Joseph Menn: “Hours after Elon Musk took control of Twitter in late October, the Trust and Safety team responsible for combating hate speech on the site received an urgent directive: Bring back the Babylon Bee.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | LOOKING AT L.A. — “ L.A. city voters sent conflicting messages, giving wins to both the left and the center ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ David Zahniser: “Voters in this year’s municipal election were clearly unhappy with City Hall, ousting two incumbents and rejecting several other L.A. elected officials who had sought higher office. But the broader political message was more complicated, with candidates at different points on the political spectrum — and with differing political views — winning their respective contests.” — “ How Cindy Chavez lost the San Jose mayor’s race ,” by the San Jose Spotlight’s Tran Nguyen and Jana Kadah: “[Councilmember and mayor-elect Matt] Mahan’s victory has prompted questions of how a tech entrepreneur with only two years in office pulled off such a win.” ALL ALONG THE COAST — “ Democrats now control all House seats along the Pacific Ocean for first time in memory ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Nora Mishanec: “The blue wave along the Pacific Coast was made possible by an upset in southern Washington, a recently flipped seat in Alaska and two key Southern California victories — even as Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives to a narrow Republican majority.” | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “ ‘Deeply troubling’: How a police union worked to undermine California’s landmark police shooting law ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Dustin Gardiner: “That effort to undermine state leaders’ interpretation of AB392 is detailed in a new settlement agreement and a trove of public records released Tuesday by attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union, a civil rights advocacy group that supported the bill. The ACLU has led a yearslong effort to stop police unions from spreading training materials that downplay its scope.” TINSELTOWN TAX — California TV and film tax credit on track to generate $6.2 billion in spending, commission says , by POLITICO’s Lara Korte: It's a reflection of the importance of the entertainment industry to the state, [Gov. Gavin] Newsom said in a statement accompanying the report. STRIKE ONE — “ Strike by U.C. Academic Workers Continues Into a Second Week ,” by the New York Times’ Soumya Karlamangla: “The labor action, which comes amid a wave of union activity across the country, could become a turning point nationwide for graduate student workers, whom America’s universities have long relied on, for relatively low pay.” STRIKE TWO — “ State employment officials side with union’s unfair labor complaints against UC ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Nanette Asimov: “The complaints from the Public Employee Relations Board support union allegations that UC improperly withheld information from employees and changed their pay without negotiating. They do not mean that UC has violated state labor laws.” — “ Stanford mall shooting: Police arrest man suspected of firing shots ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sabrina Pascua: “Zachary Michael Ginsberg, 32 of San Jose, was arrested on suspicion of firing the shots. Ginsberg, an employee of the restaurant, was allegedly ‘sending threatening text messages to his former supervisor as a result of an interpersonal conflict’ prior to the shooting, police said.” — “ Following Accuracy Concerns, LA’s City Council Advances Plan To Audit Homeless Count ,” by LAist’s David Wagner: “The council’s move could spell big changes for an annual survey that guides funding and policy decisions for L.A.’s growing homelessness crisis. This year’s count showed a 1.7% increase across the city since the COVID-19 pandemic began.” | | | | GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our “Future Pulse” newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE . | | | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | NEW LEASE ON LOAN — “ Biden to extend student loan pause as court battle drags on ,” by the AP’S Collin Binkley and Chris Megerian: “The moratorium was slated to expire Jan. 1, a date that Biden set before his debt cancellation plan stalled in the face of legal challenges from conservative opponents.” | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | BOOK BREACH — “ Meta Employees, Security Guards Fired for Hijacking User Accounts ,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Kirsten Grind and Robert McMillan: “As part of the alleged abuse of the system, Meta says that in some cases workers accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from outside hackers to access user accounts, the people and documents say.” | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | — “ Disney Hit With Antitrust Suit Over Live Streaming TV Prices ,” by Hollywood Reporter’s Winston Cho: “The proposed class action accuses Disney of managing the businesses as a single entity, claiming that the arrangement allows the company to negotiate anticompetitive agreements with competitors that have inflated the cost of live television streamed over the internet.” | | MIXTAPE | | — “ Misgendering a defendant ‘offends’ the justice system, but isn’t enough to overturn verdict, court finds ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bob Egelko. TO THE BOTTOM OF IT — “ The La Brea Tar Pits are full of mysteries. Here are three of the most puzzling ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Rachel Schnalzer. — “ Some low-wage workers will get more rights under new Berkeley law ,” by Berkeleyside’s Nico Savidge. A PAPER TRAIL — “ Grandma’s recipes stolen when restaurant safe is ripped from the ground, CA owner says ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Paloma Chavez. — “ South Bay music teacher arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting students ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Annie Vainshtein. FINDING CONNECTION — “ Comcast told him it would cost $17,000 to speed up his internet. He rallied 41 South Bay neighbors to build their own lightning-fast fiber-optic network instead ,” by the Mercury News’ Elissa Welle. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Google’s Brittany Griffin … Jared Godes of Equality California … Jenna Lloyd-Randolfi … Amy Schatz of Glen Echo Group 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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