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Presented by Airlines for America: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Ramon Castanos and Matthew Brown | | | THE BUZZ: With national access shrinking by the day, California Democrats are trying to hold the line on abortion. Across the country, advocates and activists got a brief reprieve on Friday when Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito temporarily froze a lower court’s ruling stripping a commonly used abortion pill of certain Food and Drug Administration approvals. Alito issued the administrative stay to give the justices more time to hear two emergency appeals from the Biden administration. Had he not, the ruling would’ve gone into effect Saturday, drastically rolling back access to mifepristone, which is used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S. California state officials, unsurprisingly, have wasted no time deriding the judge and the conservative leaders who have restricted abortion access in the wake of last year’s Roe decision. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week ban on Thursday. The law allows exceptions in cases of rape or incest — but only if the victim can show proof. “In the dead of the night DeSantis strips women of their fundamental freedoms,” Gov. Gavin Newsom remarked on Twitter. Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise visit to Los Angeles on Saturday to join Mayor Karen Bass in bolstering abortion rights advocates at a rally outside City Hall, urging them to “stand up and fight.” The state is also taking legal action. California Attorney General Rob Bonta was among a coalition of 24 attorneys general who filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court Friday urging justices to overturn the ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. The brief argued, in part, that the decision out of Texas undermines the states’ ability to protect abortion access for their own residents, where it is legal. The stay issued Friday is a temporary measure until the court reaches a conclusion Wednesday night, POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein and Josh Gerstein report. The anti-abortion medical groups challenging the pill’s approval have until noon on Tuesday to file their arguments. California Democrats have spoken strongly about protecting abortion, vowing to “not back down,” as the Legislative Women’s Caucus leaders put it. But if the court decides to uphold the Texas judge’s ruling, there’s not much the state can do about it. Last week, the Newsom administration announced it was stockpiling 250,000 of mifepristone’s companion pill, misoprostol, which can be used alone to administer abortions. Doing so ensures Californians access to medical abortions even if mifepristone is in legal limbo, state officials said. Meanwhile in the Capitol, legislators are looking to build on the success of last year’s abortion-rights agenda with a package of 17 bills they say would increase access to reproductive care. Among them are bills to provide more legal protections for both providers and those seeking abortions in California. BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Tuesday is national Tax Day, but not for most Californians. Residents and businesses in the 51 counties affected by winter storms have until October to file their taxes thanks to an emergency extension from the IRS. 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.
| | | | A message from Airlines for America: The U.S. airline industry is dedicated to climate action. Major U.S. carriers contribute just 2% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and have committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To reach that goal, we’ve pledged to work across the aviation industry and with government leaders to make 3 billion gallons of cost-competitive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available for use in 2030. Learn more: Airlines Fly Green | Airlines For America. | | | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent." Hip hop artist E-40 after being ejected from Saturday’s Warriors-Kings game in Sacramento. TWEET OF THE DAY:
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Twitter | WE’RE HIRING — POLITICO is embarking on an exciting expansion in the Golden State and looking for another journalist to join our growing team as a California Playbook author. More in the job description here.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — Dianne Feinstein digs in, by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago and Jennifer Haberkorn: Dianne Feinstein is once more displaying the stubborn approach that’s powered her storied career as pressure mounts on her to return to Washington or resign. Confidants and top allies to the 89-year-old Democratic senator are rebuffing calls for her to not just temporarily remove herself from the Senate Judiciary Committee but step down from her job entirely before her term is up in 2024. — “Schiff reports major cash advantage over Porter and Lee in Senate race,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Seema Mehta: “While Schiff was widely expected to have a large war chest because he had a relatively easy reelection campaign last year, he also raised millions of dollars more than Porter, who also is known as a prodigious fundraiser.” — “Bob Lee killing: Timeline breaks down moments before slaying that shook S.F.,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Rachel Swan: The killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, stabbed three times in a secluded corner of one of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco, stunned a city and raised an outcry from critics who blamed it on an environment of lawlessness and social disorder here. But after an investigation that led to an arrest, police and prosecutors say the shocking slaying was instead a personal attack, and that it followed a series of tense exchanges between Lee and tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni, possibly over Lee’s relationship with Momeni’s sister.”
| | | | A message from Airlines for America:   | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | EYES EMOJI — “Report: Larry Elder presidential bid to begin by end of the month,” by Insider Radio: “Former Salem Radio Network host Larry Elder will “likely” announce that he is entering the 2024 presidential election. according to Salem Radio Network VP of News & Talk Programming Tom Tradup. Elder, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor of California in a recall election in 2021, is expected to make an official announcement by the end of the month.”
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “California child care providers are waiting on millions from state,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sophia Bollag: “State and local officials acknowledge that bureaucratic problems are delaying some of those promised funds. Those delays mean some providers are waiting on tens of thousands of dollars, forcing them to fall behind on utility bills and credit card payments.” — “Grieving families air concerns at town hall on deputy 'gangs',” by the Los Angeles Times’ Keri Blakinger: “Hosted by the Civilian Oversight Commission, the meeting was called to give members of the community a chance to tell Los Angeles County officials about the repercussions of so-called gangs — violent groups of inked deputies — that operate with the Sheriff’s Department.” — As AAPI political power grows, leaders want to tackle gun violence, by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli: “Varun Nikore, who has been organizing Asian American and Pacific Islander voters for 25 years, calls what’s going to happen Sunday in San Francisco’s Portsmouth Square the next big test of the community’s growing political power. After seeing national AAPI turnout jump 10 percentage points between the 2016 and 2020 election — more than any other racial or ethnic group — Nikore, executive director of AAPI Victory Alliance, wants to see whether the community is ready to ‘take the next step.’“ — “Can an anti-immigrant bill turn Florida blue the way Prop. 187 did for California?” opines Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times: “The Florida bill, SB 1718, is a grab bag of punitive proposals, requiring hospitals, law enforcement and others to report the immigrants and criminalizing anyone who helps them. It would even repeal state laws allowing college students who grew up in Florida but aren’t U.S. citizens to pay in-state tuition and to practice law.” ‘SOME NERVE’ — “Editorial: If California cities want homeless funding, they better stop blocking housing,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Editorial Board: “The shortage has driven up housing costs for everyone, but the lack of cheap housing makes life particularly precarious for people with low income or struggling with mental health, drug addiction or other challenges; if they lose their housing, it can be extremely difficult to find another home they can afford.”
| | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — “A year ago, Musk asked, 'Is Twitter dying?' He may have his answer,” by The Washington Post’s Faiz Siddiqui, Rachel Lerman and Jeremy B. Merrill: “Twitter has been dramatically transformed under Musk and few — even among some in the billionaire’s corner — say the changes have been for the better. In recent weeks, government agencies, news organizations and powerful social media influencers have questioned the usefulness of the platform, with some major players publicly abandoning their accounts or telling users they can’t rely on it for urgent information.” — “Who owns a song created by A.I.?” by The New York Times’ Ephrat Livni, Lauren Hirsch and Sarah Kessler: “These systems can produce copycats of human works that dilute the market, and they use artists’ production, without their permission, as training data. Some see that as stealing intellectual property: Universal Music Group recently told music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple, to block A.I. systems from scraping its music.”
| | | | A message from Airlines for America: Did you know? U.S. airlines transport more than 2 million passengers and 65,000 tons of cargo per day while contributing just 2 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. And we aren’t stopping there. U.S. airlines are continuously investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and engines, developing sustainable aviation fuel and implementing more efficient procedures – both in-flight and on the ground – to achieve our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. In fact, U.S. airlines improved their fuel efficiency by more than 135% between 1978 and 2021, saving over 5.5 billion metric tons of CO2. That’s like taking more than 28 million cars off the road every year for over 40 years! Learn more: Airlines Fly Green | Airlines For America. | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — “TikTok ban gets final approval by Montana’s GOP legislature,” by The Associated Press. — “What a girl’s goat teaches us about our food,” opines Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times. — “L.A. D.A. Gascón declines to prosecute deputies in shootings of teens,” by the Los Angeles Times' James Queally and Keri Blakinger. — “Antioch officers sent racist, homophobic texts, leaving residents, leaders stunned,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sarah Ravani.
| | BIRTHDAYS | | (Was Sunday): Frances Lanzone of Amazon … Adam Gotbaum … Arezu Kay … Heather Purcell (Was Saturday): former Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) … Rishi Banerjee 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 | | | | |  |
