News: POLITICO California Playbook: CALEG key races — DOJ sues GOOGLE — BECERRA escalates CAGOP standoff

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

POLITICO California Playbook: CALEG key races — DOJ sues GOOGLE — BECERRA escalates CAGOP standoff — BIDEN mulls WHITMAN for Cabinet post

Oct 21, 2020

By Jeremy B. White, Carla Marinucci, Graph Massara and Mackenzie Hawkins

Presented by Noom

THE BUZZ: Don't count on 2020 being the year California Republicans break the Democratic supermajority.

As we hurtle toward the electoral finish line, it's clear the beleaguered CAGOP is unlikely to deprive Democrats of the two-thirds margins they wield in both houses of the Legislature. That's a long-term goal for Republicans, but the map and the money and Dem-trending demographics don't favor that outcome: In addition to a massive cash advantage, the Democrats have 4.7 million more registered voters, although the GOP is guaranteed to pick up Assemblymember Christy Smith's seat after two Republicans advanced from a primary field fractured by several Democrats.

State Sen. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) listens as lawmakers debate at the Capitol, in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

State Sen. Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar) listens as lawmakers debate at the Capitol, in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, June 24, 2020. | AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

Instead, the California Republican Party is largely playing defense on a half-dozen Assembly and state Senate seats. There are some endangered incumbents who failed to muster a majority of primary votes, like senators Ling Ling Chang and John Moorlach ; some GOP incumbents who fared better but have to surmount massive Democratic spending, like Assemblymembers Steven Choi and Phillip Chen; and an open seat the GOP is determined to keep in SD-23. Party money and outside spending by business, labor and law enforcement have flooded in.

Then there are the Democrat-on-Democrat duels — those internecine clashes that shape the nature of Democratic dominance as interest groups vie for friendly faces in the Legislature. Incumbents like Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer are fending off Democratic challengers, while Democratic clashes over safe open seats have drawn massive outside spending like metal to a magnet. Republicans have seen their own internal dramas, with GOP-turned-independent Assemblymember Chad Mayes battling a party-backed opponent while former Sen. Janet Nguyen, having ousted apostate Assemblymember Tyler Diep in the primary, is facing a well-funded Democratic opponent.

Feeling overwhelmed? Not to worry! Jeremy put together a handy guide of the races to watch. A reminder for those of you who are anxious to know the outcome: If 2018 and the March primary are any indications, we likely won't know the results of some of these races until days or even weeks after Election Day.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Coronavirus aid watch: Speaker Nancy Pelosi blew through a self-imposed deadline for a deal with the White House on Tuesday but said she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made enough progress to keep taking today.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I've had a long and serious talk with Senator Feinstein. That's all I'm going to say about it right now." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on calls for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to give up her post as Senate Judiciary ranking member. Other Senate Democrats were similarly tight-lipped.

TWEET OF THE DAY: NYT media reporter Ben Smith @benyt on a late tech-funded ad blitz: "The greatest minds of Silicon Valley and Madison Avenue have come together to conclude that the best investment is 'late TV ads that come just before Election Day'"

WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

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TOP TALKERS

— "Trump administration launches antitrust salvo against Google," by POLITICO's Leah Nylen: The Trump administration's suit, coming just two weeks before Election Day, is the most concrete manifestation yet of Washington's growing bipartisan anger at the tech giants' heft and wealth. But with no Democratic attorneys general joining DOJ's case, it raises questions about the lawsuit's future in a potential Joe Biden administration.

EX-CON'S PERSPECTIVE — "Kamala Harris, mass incarceration and me ," by Reginald Dwayne Betts in the NYT: "Many progressives mistrust her for her past as a prosecutor. As an ex-convict — and also the son of a crime victim — I can tell you it's not that simple."

— "White Santee customer berates Black Starbucks barista in viral video," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Andrew Dyer.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

OF MICKEY AND MAJOR LEAGUES — "California outlines path for sports fans and Disneyland — in concept," by POLITICO's Victoria Colliver: The new guidelines for professional sports allow outdoor stadiums and racetracks to reopen in counties that have lowered infections enough to reach the orange tier, the second-least restrictive. Teams there can play with up to 20 percent capacity, with additional restrictions such as ticket purchasers having to live within a 120-mile radius and a face-covering mandate. …

The state also released rules for reopening theme parks that allows smaller venues to reopen in counties with lower rates of infection — but brings no immediate relief to Disneyland or other major Southern California attractions. The large attractions won't be allowed to open until their counties are in the yellow tier — which no Southern California county has reached — and those parks will have to limit capacity with 25 percent capacity with reservations.

LOOSE BALL — " 49ers get OK from state to sell tickets, but Santa Clara County says no," by the SF Chronicle's Rusty Simmons and Michael Lerseth.

— "California's feared surge of virus cases hasn't happened," by the AP's Adam Beam: "Near the end of September, with coronavirus cases falling and more schools and businesses reopening, Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration urged restraint, citing a statistical model that predicted a startling 89% increase in virus hospitalizations in the next month. That hasn't happened."

— "San Francisco restaurants can increase indoor capacity to 50% starting Nov. 3," by the SF Chronicle's Tara Duggan.

— "Few cases so far as Bay Area kids return to classrooms," by the Mercury News' John Woolfolk.

ELECTIONLAND: POLITICO is partnering with Electionland, a ProPublica project tracking problems that can prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots in California and around the country. We're part of a coalition of U.S. newsrooms that are investigating issues related to voter registration, pandemic-related changes to voting, the shift to vote-by-mail, cybersecurity, voter education, misinformation and more. Tell us here if you're having trouble voting.

THE TRUMP ERA

— "Lawyers say they can't find the parents of 545 migrant children separated by Trump administration," by NBC's Julia Ainsley and Jacob Soboroff.

PRESIDENTIAL PURSUIT

SECRETARY WHITMAN? — "Biden eyes GOP candidates for Cabinet slots," by POLITICO's Megan Cassella and Alice Miranda Ollstein: Among the names being floated for possible Biden Cabinet posts are Meg Whitman , the CEO of Quibi and former CEO of eBay (who ran against Gov. Jerry Brown in 2010).

FOCUS ON HARRIS — "President Kamala Harris? Trump campaign argues it could happen quickly if Biden wins," by the Sac Bee's David Lightman: "No evidence exists of such a plan. But day after day, his backers portray Harris, the first woman of color to run on a major party's presidential ticket, as a dangerous radical ready to benefit from a Nancy Pelosi plot to sideline Biden."

IMPACT — "Healthcare for millions of Californians on the line in the election," by the LA Times' Noam M. Levey: "California has done more over the last decade than almost any state to expand health insurance, bolster services for its most vulnerable residents and improve the quality of its clinics and hospitals. … But the gains — largely made possible by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare — now hang in the balance of the presidential election."

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CAMPAIGN MODE

— "McCarthy locking up support despite fears of GOP losses," by POLITICO's Melanie Zanona and John Bresnahan: House Republicans face the possibility of sinking further into the minority on Nov. 3. President Donald Trump is trailing in key polls. But Kevin McCarthy is confident he'll remain House GOP leader in the next Congress.

BECERRA TURNS UP THE HEAT — "California wants court to force Republicans to divulge ballot box details," by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: "Becerra wants the California GOP to share the locations of the boxes and the identity of voters who have used them. In a court filing, Becerra argued that such information is critical to ensuring that votes are counted and that the California Republican Party is abiding by election laws governing how it collects ballots. …

The Republican Party vowed to fight back , with spokesperson Hector Barajas excoriating Becerra in a statement for "an abuse of power" and "authoritarian bullying tactics" in violating Californians' privacy. "The California Republican Party will not provide the Secretary of State or Attorney General a list of Californians who attend religious services, frequent firearms retailers, participate in political events or engage in any other lawful activity," Barajas said.

WSJ'S VIEW — " California Ballot-Harvest Boomerang," via the Editorial Board: "The GOP's ballot depositories don't threaten election security any more than Democrats' door-to-door operations."

— "California's Democratic base to Newsom: Pick a filibuster foe to replace Kamala Harris if she wins," by the SF Chronicle's Joe Garofoli: "The filibuster is the rule that allows a minority of 40 senators in the 100-member chamber to block a vote on any bill. Its elimination is rapidly moving up the to-do list for Democrats, noting that Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has shown little willingness to reach across the aisle, is likely still to be leading Republicans next year even if they lose the Senate."

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

SAN QUENTIN SHUFFLE — "California ordered to halve San Quentin population after showing 'deliberate indifference,' court says," by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: The ruling from the state's First Court of Appeals sends a clear message that officials overseeing San Quentin have not done enough to protect inmates from the coronavirus after a summer outbreak. … The court ordered officials to reduce the prison's population to 50 percent of where it stood in June — a figure recommended by a team of experts after they investigated viral spread that has already killed dozens and sickened hundreds at San Quentin.

— " Scarce insurance fuels dramatic shift to state plan in wildfire-prone areas, new state data shows," by POLITICO's Debra Kahn.

— "Compton residents feel under siege from Sheriff's Department and are demanding reforms," by the LA Times' Kailyn Brown: "The department's Compton station has been the site of ongoing and sometimes violent protests after several deputy-involved killings — and become a focus of allegations of deputy gangs accused of serious misconduct. In the backdrop is a nationwide movement to force a reckoning over racial justice issues and hold law enforcement more accountable."

SCHOOL STANDOFF — " S.F. public schools don't have a timeline for reopening. But pressure is building to plan for a return," by the SF Chronicle's Jill Tucker: "In recent days, the pressure on the public schools has mounted, with politicians and public health experts deriding the district and the teachers union for failing families even as several private schools have so far safely welcomed kids back to class."

— " La Niña: Is California heading into another drought?" by the Mercury News' Paul Rogers: "A commonly held assumption among many Californians is that La Niña means a dry winter is coming, and in years when the opposite occurs, El Niño, a wet winter is considered more likely. So brown lawns and water rationing are just around the corner, right?"

— " Garcetti advisor Rick Jacobs to 'take a leave' amid sexual misconduct allegations," by the LA Times' Dakota Smith.

— "S.F.'s new Caren Act makes false, racially charged complaints illegal," by the SF Chronicle's Trisha Thadani: "The hope is that the legislation will spur people to use more discretion when calling 911 for a nonemergency. The law applies to those who feel they were harassed or embarrassed by a 911 caller, on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, disability, gender identity, weight or height."

POLITICO'S CALIFORNIA BALLOT TRACKER: No state does ballot initiatives quite like California, and interest groups are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to sway voters. It's all here in POLITICO's guide to California's 2020 ballot initiatives.

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— "A shadowy AI service has transformed thousands of women's photos into fake nudes: 'Make fantasy a reality,'" by WaPo's Drew Harwell: "Some tech giants have taken a stand against deepfakes and other 'manipulated media.' But because the system's source code has already been widely shared by online copycats, the experts see no clear way to stop similar software from creating, hosting and sharing fake nude images across the unregulated Web."

— "Uber's Self-Driving Car Killed Someone. Why Isn't Uber Being Charged?" by Slate's Jesse Halfon.

HOLLYWOODLAND

— "With COVID-19 stimulus stalled, L.A. clubs face doomsday scenario: 'We're in the deep end, drowning,'" by the LA Times' August Brown: "Do they take out onerous business loans and risk total personal ruin later if the COVID-19 pandemic persists another year? Do they throw in the towel now, when a vaccine or stimulus bill might be just around the corner in a Biden administration?"

STARS BACK DEMS — "A 'Fundraiser About Something': 'Seinfeld' Stars to Reunite for Texas Democrats," by the Hollywood Reporter's Jackie Strause.

CANNABIS COUNTRY

— "Cannabis delivery operator, trade groups sue L.A. over social equity rules," via Marijuana Business Daily.

MEDIA MATTERS

DOZENS IN CA — "Here Are the Hundreds of Sites in a Pay-to-Play Local News Network," by the NYT's Davey Alba and Jack Nicas.

GLOBAL PULSE, GLOBAL PURPOSE: At a high-stakes moment when global health has become a household concern, it is pivotal to keep up with the politics and policy driving change. Global Pulse connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the people and politics driving global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today for this new weekly newsletter.

MIXTAPE

— "Watchman could have saved lives in California boat fire," by the AP's Stefanie Dazio and Tom Krisher.

— " Choker or Champion? Why the 2020 World Series will define Clayton Kershaw," by Deadspin's Rob Parker.

— "Hail S.F.'s Emperor Norton! Even the pandemic couldn't quiet this ghost," by the SF Chronicle's Heather Knight.

— "California police recover lizards stolen from reptile store," via the AP.

— "'Victims of child abuse': California survivors urge others to take action against Boy Scouts," by the Fresno Bee's Brianna Calix.

BIRTHDAYS

Former Rep. Jerry Lewis … Gyan Parida …

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