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Presented by Californians for Energy Independence: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte, Matthew Brown and Ramon Castanos | Presented by Californians for Energy Independence | THE BUZZ: Twitter’s power is in flux these days, so it seemed fitting that outages bookended the company’s turbulent Wednesday. House Republicans were busy upbraiding executives from the San Francisco tech giant when the lights abruptly flickered off. After six hours of hearings in which conservatives rebuked the company’s alleged censorship and lauded its new leadership, Twitter users were informed they had hit their daily maximums and could no longer post (If Twitter is down and you can’t tweet about it, did it happen?).
The chaotic moments underscored the company’s precarious position, both politically and professionally, under freshly ascended CEO Elon Musk and a new Republican House majority. Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his caucus have long promised to wield their oversight powers aggressively if they took the House, and we saw that Wednesday: Republican after Republican assailed the platform for suppressing conservatives and censoring the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story. While those allegations are not new — Twitter executives have said they made the wrong call, though their former counsel said Wednesday he didn't break the law — the hours-long focus on Twitter underscored the extent to which Republicans will use their majority to continue portraying Big Tech as a liberal-aligned foe. Hearings on Silicon Valley colluding with the government could be in the offing. POLITICO’s Jordan Cairney and Rebecca Kern have the details. Democrats were not persuaded, arguing Republicans failed to prove deliberate bias and misused their newfound power on prolonging a “faux scandal.” It’s not as if Democrats aren’t skeptical of tech’s societal power – President Joe Biden called for restrictions on targeting kids during his State of the Union address, something that Sacramento is trying again this year — but their focus has been more on monopolies and mental health than on censorship. As for the CEO: Musk was not present for the hearing whose focus preceded his tenure. But he was invoked frequently, with two separate Republicans thanking God for his leadership and a third offering a “God bless Elon Musk.” Those paeans punctuated Musk’s political alignment with the right — a development that sits uneasily with the praise Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats have showered on Musk. Musk’s management was in the headlines again by the day’s end. Users’ brief inability to tweet because they’d hit their limits — following an announcement that people could send 4,000-character tweets — prompted another round of questions about the company’s stability amid mass cost-cutting and an exodus of former employees. The CEO emailed his employees urging them to pause a new feature and a planned transition away from data centers, Fortune reported, including one in Sacramento. BUENOS DÍAS, good Thursday morning. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is back in his home state today, highlighting the Biden administration’s work to lower prescription drug costs during a visit to a San Francisco pharmacy. 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: “It is unbelievable to me that I am quoting Elon Musk, but that is how ridiculous this hearing has become. The Oversight Committee, like Twitter or any other social media company, cannot become a free-for-all hellscape.” Rep. Katie Porter on a “free-for-all-hellscape” of a hearing. BONUS QOTD: “I was like, ‘That guy’s dumb.’ Just by knowing that that guy was dumb and he could do it, (we knew) we could totally do this.’” Assemblymember Blanca Rubio on the caliber of some elected officials, via CalMatters. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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dataeditor | WHERE’S GAVIN? In Washington to attend the National Governors Association conference and meet with White House officials.
| | | | A message from Californians for Energy Independence: California energy shutdowns have resulted in about a 25% decrease in local oil production in the last four years - but if California isn’t producing the energy we need locally, it has to come from somewhere else. California now imports 75% of the oil we use - mostly from foreign countries without our same environmental, labor, and human rights standards, resulting in an unstable energy supply, and higher gas prices for working families. Get The Facts | | | THE GOVERNORS SPEAK: Six governors are in the POLITICO hot seat today at our “The Fifty: America’s Governors” event. Will Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.) run against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024? What are Gov. JB Pritzker’s (D-Ill.) plans for the national stage, after signing an assault weapon sales ban, expand abortion coverage and guaranteed paid leave laws in 2023? We’re talking to leaders in toss-up states like North Carolina and Minnesota and will dive into issues from clean energy to cannabis, and abortion to police reform, and how these state dynamics might impact the 2024 presidential cycle. Register here to watch from 9.15 a.m.
| | | | A message from Californians for Energy Independence:   | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — “Newsom told 123 California prisoners they could get out early. Many remain behind bars,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Mackenzie Mays: “While the governor’s clemency power allows him to unilaterally free people he deems worthy, most of the time he doesn’t use it that way. Instead, he sends prisoners to the parole board, allowing its commissioners — who include attorneys, former wardens and correctional officers — to decide their fate.” — “Family business: Meet the Legacy Caucus in the California Legislature,” by CalMatters’ Ben Christopher: “Of the 120 legislators, a dozen have current or former members in their immediate family. And the size of the Legacy Caucus may increase after the next election.” — “Silicon Valley developer goes on hunger strike to protest construction delays,” by The Mercury News’ Marisa Kendall: “Navneet Aron, founder and CEO of Aron Developers, says he hasn’t eaten since last Friday morning. He has spent every weekday since then camped out in City Hall with a sign proclaiming, ‘On hunger strike until death!’”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — “Corporations turn to ballot to combat California's progressive agenda, raising alarms,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Taryn Luna: “This is about corporations not being able to win in the Legislature and trying to hoodwink voters into taking away the progress that Californians have made,” said Tia Orr, executive director of the Service Employees International Union of California.”
| | | | 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, presented by Cisco, 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. | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “Pamela Price's first month as Alameda County DA sees big moves, leaves many questions,” by The Berkeley Scanner’s Emilie Raguso: “Nearly three weeks ago, in an internal memo about staffing changes and what Price called "our transition to a new season," she directed employees not to speak with the media about any personnel matters including transfers and leaves.” THE HOMELESS QUESTION — “‘The Country Is Watching’: CA’s Homeless Crisis Looms as Newsom Eyes Political Future,” by Kaiser Health News’ Angela Hart: “Gov. Gavin Newsom brims with frustration — and purpose and new ideas — when confronted with what has become an age-old question for California leaders: Why, for all the money and good intentions poured into helping people out of homelessness, does it look worse today than ever? Experts on homelessness say California stands out as the state that has done the most in recent years to address the issue, yet communities are struggling to make headway.” — “San Jose mayor criticized for secret committee meetings,” by the San Jose Spotlight’s Jana Kadah: “San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan created five committees to meet privately and advise him on the city’s most pressing problems, but some say the move lacks transparency and could flout the law.” — “Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong 'not credible:' confidential report finds,” by KTVU’s Lisa Fernandez and Evan Sernoffsky: “Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong was ‘not credible’ when he denied knowing the details of a sergeant’s alleged misconduct in a case that’s at the heart of an unraveling scandal that could cost the chief his job, independent investigators found.” PAUL PELOSI ATTACK — “Lawyers for Accused Pelosi Attacker Ask for More Time To Review New Evidence,” by The San Francisco Standards’ Jonah Owen Lamb: “Lawyers for the man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband asked a federal judge Wednesday for more time to review a heap of new evidence, including forensic images from electronic devices and thousands of other documents handed over by the government.” — “Sacramento sued by disabled residents over homeless camps, tents blocking sidewalks,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Sam Stanton: “The lawsuit, filed late Tuesday in federal court, seeks class-action status and a court order requiring city and county officials to clear Sacramento sidewalks of camps, tents and debris that have proliferated throughout the area in recent years.” — “California secretary of state says state can 'lead the nation' in Black reparations,” by The Sacramento Bee’s Marcus D. Smith: “Weber, a San Diego Democrat who authored the bill creating the state’s reparations committee, said she wanted the panel exploring reparations for African Americans to generate clear and concise language and a path forward. That state-implemented task force was formed to study, analyze, and research the harms of enslavement in California in 2021.” — “This county's population is shrinking the fastest in the Bay Area. Here's why,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susie Neilson: “The county’s median age of 46.9 years is the highest of any Bay Area county, and more than nine years higher than the state overall, according to the 2021 American Community Survey. This means Marin sees more deaths and fewer births than other counties, said Hans Johnson, Senior Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California who studies population change.” — “Did the Sacramento City Council really vote to purchase a tank for police? No,” opines Caity Maple in The Sacramento Bee: “A Rook is a tractor with a shield and a platform that can be raised to allow entry into higher levels of buildings. It is not used at protests or homeless encampments — two questions that were addressed at the meeting. In fact, the Sacramento Police Department has had access to a Rook for years and it has not been used for these purposes.” — “Long before Feinstein, another California senator faced questions about mental fitness,” by KQED’s Scott Shafer: “A similar situation played out more than 40 years ago when Republican S.I. Hayakawa, whose political star fell almost as quickly as it rose, was pressured by members of his own party to retire rather than run for a second term.”
| | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — “Biden seizes on the rare bipartisan rallying cry: Regulate Silicon Valley,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli: “Biden tried to tap into this anger during his State of the Union address by calling for stronger transparency requirements on tech companies and imposing tougher limits on the targeted advertising and personal data that they collect. And he was supported by several House members who represent the valley.”
| | MIXTAPE | | — “Rahsaan Thomas of 'Ear Hustle' released from prison a year after commutation from Newsom,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Mackenzie Mays. — “Supervisor Walton gives protester middle finger in City Hall confrontation,” by The San Francisco Standard’s Josh Koehn. — “Disney to cut 7,000 jobs in major revamp by CEO Iger,” by Reuters’ Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine. — “‘They want the Mission to die’: Neighbors keep fighting beloved S.F. restaurant,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Heather Knight. — “Two people and their pet cat killed in fire at Mar Vista home,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Summer Lin.
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Carmen-Nicole Cox will lead ACLU California Action’s state policy team as director of government affairs. She comes over from the United Way California Capital Region.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Abbe Goldman … Kristen Hayford … David Silver
| | | | A message from Californians for Energy Independence: California energy shutdowns have resulted in about a 25% decrease in local oil production in the last four years - but if California isn’t producing the energy we need locally, it has to come from somewhere else. California now imports 75% of the oil we use - mostly from foreign countries without our same environmental, labor, and human rights standards, resulting in an unstable energy supply, and higher gas prices for working families.
As we transition to a cleaner energy economy, we can continue to produce the oil and gas Californians need locally, where production is the most regulated, and meets the highest environmental standards in the world - rather than increase our reliance on more costly foreign oil and the volatile countries that produce it.
Get The Facts on Energy Independence | | | 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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