|
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: Elon Musk has never been so politically charged. Tesla’s founder has had an up-and-down relationship with California Democrats. He has been hailed as a Silicon Valley visionary and excoriated as an exploitative employer. Things got contentious during the pandemic, when Musk defied a shutdown order for the company’s Fremont plant and pledged Covid-19 aid with confusing results . That was before Musk took over Twitter, spurring a staff exodus that upended a company San Francisco had lured downtown. Tesla occupies a fraught place in California politics. The electric car manufacturer has played a critical role in nurturing the zero-emission vehicle market, which is in turn vital to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order phasing out new gas-powered car sales. Its plant generates manufacturing jobs and pride in California innovation. The company’s business practices have also invited criticism. Tesla has been a lobbying heavyweight, spending nearly $4 million to sway Sacramento policymakers since 2018, and has enjoyed billions of dollars in public subsidies. Organized labor and Democratic allies have bristled at that help given alleged labor abuses, and have tried to attach strings to the money. California has also sued Tesla for racial discrimination. “ F*ck Elon Musk ,” one elected official memorably put it — a sentiment she reiterated yesterday.
| 
Elon Musk's brand of tech libertarianism has attracted a diehard fanbase. | Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue | Musk has had more of a champion in Newsom. The former San Francisco mayor has a yearslong relationship with Musk, who once appeared on Newsom’s talk show and gave one of his last reported California campaign donations to Newsom’s 2014 lieutenant governor bid. Even when Musk announced his plans to shift his headquarters from California, Newsom praised Musk as an “extraordinary” individual and a source of “reverence.” Yet even Newsom has shifted his tone lately. The governor has linked Tesla’s success to California’s investment, arguing “there is no Tesla without” the state’s generosity. So it was interesting to see Newsom argue that Musk was cozying up to GOP politicians like Leader Kevin McCarthy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis because Musk is “also the beneficiary of their largesse in places like Texas and their tax credits.” A few weeks after that interview, Musk publicly proclaimed his support for DeSantis — on Twitter, naturally. It’s not just Newsom noticing Musk’s political realignment. As POLITICO’s Rebecca Kern reports, Musk has used Twitter to shape the political landscape by re-platforming far-right accounts and lauding Republicans. That is winning Musk GOP admirers and could boost his prospects on Capitol Hill, where Kern writes many conservatives see Musk as the “kind of tech gatekeeper Republicans have been looking for.” Read her story on Musk’s rightward shift. BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Who will make it to the Capitol? The Legislature’s first post-election session is Monday, but we’re still waiting on results in some contests, including the super-tight race between Democrat Christy Holstege and Republican Greg Wallis in AD-47. After another ballot dump last night, Wallis is ahead by 20 votes. Democratic Sen. Melissa Hurtado could also be stuck in limbo come Monday. She’s trailing Republican Steve Shepard in SD-16 by 245 votes. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “These numbers clearly demonstrate that COVID is still with us.” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on Thursday. In Los Angeles, the case rate has risen more than 150% since Halloween. The statewide case rate hit double digits for the first time in months yesterday, now at 10.8 percent. TWEET OF THE DAY:
|  Today's Tweet of the Day | Twitter | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | | | 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 | | SPEAKER SPARRING — Friends to the left of him, critics to the right: McCarthy’s stuck in the chase , by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney: On the GOP leader’s right, conservatives are meeting with House rules officials to strategize ahead of a planned floor challenge to [Kevin] McCarthy during the speakership vote on Jan. 3. Meanwhile, centrist Republicans are making threats of their own to colleagues who’d bulldoze McCarthy — including that they’ll work with Democrats to recruit a GOP speaker candidate more to their liking. — “ California Panel Sizes Up Reparations for Black Citizens ,” by the New York Times' Kurtis Lee: “In the two years since nationwide social justice protests followed the murder of George Floyd, California has undertaken the nation’s most sweeping effort yet to explore some concrete restitution to Black citizens to address the enduring economic effects of slavery and racism.”
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | STRENGTHEN THE SANCTUARY: A new bill from Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) aims to strengthen the laws California passed last year protecting out-of-state abortion seekers and transgender youth from prosecution under other state laws. Skinner’s new bill, which she’ll introduce Monday, would make it illegal for bounty hunters or bail agents to apprehend travelers in California and prohibits state judges from directing such agents. — “ A catfishing cop came to California and killed their family. They have an urgent message for parents ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Summer Lin and Grace Toohey: “Austin Lee Edwards, 28, a Virginia police officer, posed online as a teenager in order to “groom” Winek’s great-niece, then drove across the country to her home in Riverside, where he killed the girl’s mother and grandparents and set fire to the home before driving off with the girl, according to Riverside police.” TITLE IX & THE TREES — “ Stanford investigated for bias against men ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Danielle Echeverria and Rachel Swan: “Federal officials are investigating allegations that Stanford University is biased against men, stemming from a Title IX complaint filed by two men’s rights activists who say that scholarships and programs dedicated to women create a hostile environment for male applicants.” WILDFIRE WATCH — “ By the numbers: California’s mild 2022 wildfire season ,” by CalMatters’ Julie Cart: “As California emerges from its “peak” wildfire season, the state has managed to avoid its recent plague of catastrophic wildfires. So far in 2022, the fewest acres have burned since 2019.” — “ A major Bay Area hospital opened a critical care unit for kids. Then four died ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Cynthia Dizikes, Matthias Gafni and Dan Kopf: “Asked how many sick children the PICU might treat annually, the director suggested thousands. But those children never showed up. In fact, in the years since the unit opened in April 2015, it has seen among the lowest patient volumes of any state-approved PICU.” MASS EXODUS — “ UC Davis joins top law schools in boycott against U.S. News college rankings ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Sawsan Morrar: “UC Davis School of Law will no longer participate in the influential U.S. News & World Report rankings, a move that follows similar announcements by other top law schools that have criticized the magazine’s methodology as misleading and flawed.” — “ Gun dealing sent San Diego County sheriff’s captain to prison. New evidence suggests corruption ran much deeper ,” by the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Alex Riggins: “On a November night in 2017, sheriff’s Capt. Marco Garmo, who oversaw a huge swath of East County and had aspirations to become the next elected sheriff, texted a close friend to warn him that an illegal cannabis dispensary would be raided the next day.” PRICE PROBLEMS — “ Contractor: Golden Gate Bridge suicide net will cost $400M ,” by AP’s Olga R. Rodriguez: “A suicide prevention net on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge that is already years behind schedule will cost about $400 million, more than double its original price, because of problems sparked by the government agency that manages the span, the lead contractors allege.” — “ Drought-Parched California Cities to Get Little Relief Next Year ,” by Bloomberg’s Mark Chediak: “Drought-stricken California cities will get limited water supplies from the state next year, state officials said late Thursday. “ — Environmental group sues Newsom administration over oil and gas wells , by POLITICO’s Camille von Kaenel: An environmental organization has sued the Newsom administration over recent approvals of oil and gas wells amid an ongoing fight with the oil industry and state regulators over the proximity of such wells to schools and neighborhoods.
| | | | 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 | | THE BRIGHT SIDE — Biden administration prepares to end monkeypox emergency declaration , by POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn: The Biden administration is eyeing an end to its public health emergency declaration for mpox, a sign that officials believe they’ve brought the monthslong outbreak under control. — Kevin McCarthy is demanding the head of the Jan. 6 panel, Bennie Thompson, preserve all transcripts and records from their work , by POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is demanding the head of the Jan. 6 committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), preserve all records and transcripts from its investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol. CACUS CHAOS — “ Biden pushes South Carolina as first primary state, elevates Georgia and Michigan ,” by the Washington Post’s Michael Scherer and Tyler Pager: “President Biden has asked leaders of the Democratic National Committee to make South Carolina the nation’s first primary state, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada a week later, and hold subsequent weekly primaries in Georgia and Michigan, according to Democrats briefed on the plans.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — “ Twitter suspends Kanye's account again ,” by Reuters: “Twitter Inc on Friday suspended Kanye West's account again, just two months after it was reinstated, after its owner Elon Musk said he had violated the platform's rules prohibiting incitement to violence.” ELONLAND — “ Musk's Twitter Won't Die. Look at Telegram ,” Opines Parmy Olson for Bloomberg: “A social network, privately run by a billionaire free-speech advocate, on a shoestring budget, hosting politicians with millions of followers, and with very loose content rules. Sound familiar?”
| | HOLLYWOODLAND | | SHOT — Virulently antisemitic comments by Ye spark new GOP criticism , by POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna and Olivia Olander: Republicans reacted with outrage over Ye’s virulently antisemitic comments to right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones Thursday — the latest in a string of episodes involving the rapper that have forced elected Republicans to scurry for distance. CHASER — Parler halts intent of sale to Kanye West, parent company announces , POLITICO’s Olivia Olander and Kelly Garrity: The parent company of Parler, the social media platform popular with conservatives, has agreed to terminate its intent to sell the site to rapper Ye — better known as Kanye West — according to a statement from Parlement Technologies on Thursday.
| | MEDIA MATTERS | | NUNES & THE NETWORK — “ Devin Nunes sues CNN (again) and Jake Tapper for defamation. Here’s what he claims ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Gillian Brassil: “Former Congressman Devin Nunes has filed another lawsuit against CNN, this one over statements that one of its anchors, Jake Tapper, made about Republican reaction to the attack on Paul Pelosi.”
| | MIXTAPE | | WEATHER ALERT — “ West Coast storms are drenching California and dumping snow in the mountains ,” by the Washington Post’s Ian Livingston. — “ California, others ask court to temporarily stop $4 bln Albertsons dividend payment ,” by Reuters’ Diane Bartz. A LONG WINTER — “ L.A. County COVID surge raises prospect of return to indoor masking order ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Rong-Gong Lin II. — “ Dead people are getting California inflation relief payments. Can heirs keep the money? ” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kathleen Pender. — “ Closed labs, cancelled classes: inside the largest strike to hit US higher education ,” by the Guardian’s Dani Anguiano. ON THE GROUNDS — “ How Starbucks’ Union Push Spilled Over to Peet’s Coffee ,” by the Daily Beast’s Decca Muldowney.
| | Transitions | | — California Budget & Policy Center’s director of communications Sarah Jimenez is departing for the National Center for Youth Law.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia … Conyers Davis 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. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
