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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, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown | THE BUZZ: Nancy Pelosi may no longer be a legislative leader, but she wields the kind of clout that can reshape a statewide race. The San Franciscan speaker-emeritus endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff to be California’s next senator Thursday, wading into the scrum of Democrats seeking to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein. A large chunk of the caucus followed its former leader as 11 other California Democrats threw in with Schiff, a cross-section that included fellow Angelenos, Pelosi allies and Bay Area members. It even got Brad Sherman and Mark Berman back on the same page. But Pelosi is the prize. Few national Democrats and arguably no other Californian can command the same level of respect and influence, particularly among the deeply engaged Democratic class that will draw the nascent race’s contours. “It’s probably the single best endorsement you could get in the state of California,” said fundraising fixture and Schiff supporter Joe Cotchett, bolstering Schiff in “not only Northern California but the whole state.” Potential candidate Rep. Ro Khanna called it a “huge coup.” Pelosi’s preference for Schiff isn’t surprising. The two have forged tight bonds in decades of serving together. She has nurtured his ambitions before, urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint Schiff to California’s open attorney general post. Both are close with Feinstein. Schiff has assiduously made respectful gestures like a heads-up meeting last year. Similarly, Pelosi said her endorsement applies only if Feinstein doesn't run again — a scenario that feels increasingly remote — in a statement that spent five paragraphs lauding Feinstein before mentioning Schiff. Pelosi’s early endorsement carries important repercussions. It sends a signal to uncertain Democratic voters, including some who may be wary of replacing Feinstein with a white man. It could bolster the Southern Californian Schiff’s support in the Pelosi heartland of the Bay Area. “Someone who is so identified with Northern California politics endorsing Adam Schiff, from the south, is quite significant,” said John Emerson, who formerly co-chaired the DNC’s southern California finance arm. Speaking of finance: Schiff is already a prodigious fundraiser. Pelosi’s nod will be “a momentum-builder,” Emerson said. She can activate her formidable fundraising network while helping Schiff to consolidate Southern California donors. That could undercut Rep. Katie Porter. “It will dampen her big-money support from LA donors, and it will dampen her national support from establishment Democratic donors,” said a prominent California fundraiser. While Porter has piled up major money by forswearing corporate cash and courting small donors, a tough 2022 campaign depleted her coffers. Pelosi could sharpen Schiff’s financial edge. Porter was first into the field and enjoyed a solo turn in the spotlight. But Schiff has beaten her to the major California endorsement rollout, leading the aforementioned California fundraiser to reach for some bodily metaphors. Pelosi’s nod, the fundraiser said, is “a big middle finger to Katie.” Porter has touted the virtues of being a relative D.C. newcomer; yesterday, Schiff benefited from his long history. “It’s not a toe,” the fundraiser said. “It’s the whole right leg on the scale.” BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. First lady Jill Biden is scheduled to be in Southern California today. She plans to highlight the administration’s work on cancer research and military families in San Diego before heading to Los Angeles to attend and present at the GRAMMY awards. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Judge Cory Wilson, Judge James Ho and Judge Edith Jones. These three zealots are hellbent on a deranged vision of guns for all, leaving government powerless to protect its people. This is what the ultra-conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court wants.” Gov. Gavin Newsom continues his habit of calling out pro-gun judges by name, this time over a ruling allowing domestic abusers to carry firearms. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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Twitter | BONUS TOTD:
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twitter | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | Top Talkers | | — “‘Disturbing’ force used at Fresno homeless shelters by private security. Here What Happened,” by The Fresno Bee’s Melissa Montalvo: “Four former Pacific Valley Patrol security guards who worked at the city’s shelters said that they were encouraged by their boss, Lopes, to use force, namely pepper spray, against shelter residents and nearby unhoused individuals when they felt threatened.” — “A beautiful sight, a deadly climb. Mt. Baldy is LA's favorite mountain. That's the problem,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Dolan: “On Dec. 28, 43-year-old Jarret Choi had just reached the saddle of nearby Icehouse Canyon and was heading toward picturesque Cucamonga Peak. He lost his footing in a spot where the trail narrows with a steep drop to the left, Vetere said.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — “‘I feel duped’: Inside the fast-food industry’s push to dismantle at a new California labor law,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Suhauna Hussain: “Of voters who told The Times that they mistakenly signed the AB 257 referendum petition, only Culbertson said he attempted to rescind his signature, and none filed notices to California’s election voter complaint portal.” FEUER SURE — Former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer became the latest Democrat to officially leap into the race to succeed Schiff in CA-30 — “Can Silicon Valley congressman win U.S. Senate seat? — San José Spotlight,” by the San Jose Spotlight’s Jana Kadah: “He said while Khanna has strong name recognition in the Bay Area, he needs to increase his statewide presence, especially in Southern California where Schiff and Porter are well known.” — “George Santos benefactor bankrolled group opposing LA's progressive prosecutor,” by The Intercept’s Akela Lacy: “The interest in the Los Angeles district attorney race puts Intrater at the center of a number of Republican efforts. In addition to his support of Santos, whom he has only recently begun to raise questions about, Intrater was a bit player in the Russiagate probe, thanks to his investment firm’s relationship to a Russian oligarch who is also his cousin, and funds given to Donald Trump’s election and inauguration funds, as well as to Trump’s fixer, lawyer Michael Cohen.”
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “California wealth tax proposal likely to stall in Legislature,” by Bloomberg Tax’s Laura Mahoney: “A California bill to impose a new tax on individuals with a global net worth above $50 million is unlikely to advance in the Legislature this year despite national fanfare about its recent introduction.” — “California’s fast food bill prompts Virginia and New York copycats, raising stakes for everyone,” by USA Today’s Medora Lee: “Fast-food companies say they don't object to higher wages or safe working conditions. Instead, they claim to oppose government overreach at the bidding of labor unions and the increased costs taxpayers and consumers would pay at restaurants as a result of the law.” — “Relief from sky-high gas bills is coming: California regulators order utilities to rush credits,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Terry Castleman: “During the public comment portion of the meeting, one caller said she had paid $90 for gas for a one-bedroom apartment over eight days in January, and accused SoCalGas of being a monopoly that needed to be reined in.” — “California union demands 43 percent raises, rejects Gavin Newsom’s ‘pitiful’ contract offer,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Cathie Anderson: “The part that grates most for scientists is that their supervisors garnered hefty pay increases of 18 percent to 43 percent in 2014 after the union waged a court battle on their behalf, arguing that the state of California had violated its own “like pay for like work” when it came to the engineers’ raises.” — “PG&E ordered to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in deadly 2020 Zogg Fire,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Michael McGough: “A Northern California judge has ordered Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to stand trial on charges including involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deadly Zogg Fire, which burned near Redding in 2020.” — “Column: California’s most famous homeless man is dead. His life should guide CARE Court,” Anita Chabria opines for the Los Angeles Times: ”Because in California, if someone like Rippee doesn’t want mental health care, even if they are in deep psychosis, it is nearly impossible for family members to do anything.” — “Millions of Californians are at risk of losing Medi-Cal coverage,” by CaliforniaHealthline’s Phil Galewitz and Angela Hart: “California will move some people who lose Medicaid eligibility to a subsidized private plan on the state’s marketplace, Covered California. Enrollees will have to agree and pay a premium if they don’t qualify for a free plan.” — “California rejected Berkeley’s housing plan. Here’s why, and the potential consequences,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Roland Li: “Berkeley also faces monthly fines up to $100,000 and could lose out on state grant funding if its Housing Element remains out of compliance.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — “Here's how the debt crisis could end if Biden-McCarthy talks fail,” by POLITICO’S Burgess Everett, Sarah Ferris, and Caitlin Emma: “Most Democrats argue that a debt ceiling increase shouldn’t be subject to negotiations, period. And Republicans believe that their position will erode if centrists start breaking ranks with the current GOP position of leaving things to McCarthy.”
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — “Washington wants to break up Google, But Europe is way ahead,” by POLITICO’s Mark Scott: “For the world of antitrust officials, this shift — known as ex ante rulemaking, or efforts to stop potentially anticompetitive behavior before it gets out of hand — is a recognition the current enforcement system is too slow, too complex and too cumbersome to stop companies from scooping up smaller rivals or crowding out new markets before policymakers can respond in time.” — “Meta rebuffed by FTC on barring Khan from within merger case (2),” by Bloomberg Law’s Jon Morgan and Romy Varghese: “A federal judge in California on Wednesday denied the FTC’s request to block the deal while an in-house trial over the Within Unlimited acquisition moves forward. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila agreed to pause the deal for a week while the FTC decides whether to appeal his ruling, move forward with administrative litigation against the merger after it closes or dismiss the case altogether.” — “Silicon Valley’s golden age is fading,” by The Washington Post’s Gerrit De Vynck, Rachel Lerman and Julian Mark: "But the past year of rising interest rates and falling stock prices has shaken the industry, along with the San Francisco Bay region it dominates. Now, tens of thousands of layoffs from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and dozens of other companies have made it clear: The golden age is over."
| | MIXTAPE | | — “California is turning mountain lions into roadkill faster than they can reproduce,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Louis Sahagun — “Bay Area college closure devastates a sports community, reveals larger problem,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneu — “Voices of terror from Monterey Park shooting 911 calls,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Brittny Meja — “South Berkeley Here There encampment closed after 6 years,” Berkeleyside’s Supriya Yelimeli — “California couple charged with attempt to steal $20M from mentally ill man they befriended,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Thaddeus Miller 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 | | | | |  |
