| | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Carla Marinucci, Graph Massara and Mackenzie Hawkins | Presented by The Great Courses Plus | THE BUZZ: Historians will mark the beginning of the end of an era of California politics Monday with a decision by Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The long-serving California Democrat is abdicating her role as the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, POLITICO's Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett report. Long-simmering liberal frustration with the octogenarian senator boiled over during the Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett 's confirmation hearings, when ranking member Feinstein's praise and deference for GOP chair Sen. Lindsey Graham infuriated the left and amplified warnings that Feinstein was not up to the job. We don't want to prematurely declare Feinstein's political obsolescence — she will remain one of the longer-tenured members of the Senate even without the Judiciary leadership position and retains spots on the influential intelligence and appropriations committees. Experience and seniority matter, and the ascension of Feinstein's old friend and ally Joe Biden to the Oval Office — combined with junior California Sen. Kamala Harris ' jump to VP — coud shore up DiFi's clout. Feinstein said in a statement Monday that she plans to focus on the worsening "existential threats" of drought and wildfires. | 
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) speaks on the final day of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. | AP Photo/Susan Walsh | But her jettisoning from Senate Judiciary was the culmination of long-building dissatisfaction with DiFi, who will soon become California's longest-serving senator. Even before her SCOTUS confirmation performance, her Democratic Senate colleagues were breaking out the metaphorical knives . And the tension has been particularly obvious in California, where a continual leftward political shift in the decades since Feinstein's San Francisco mayoral tenure has both fueled Democratic hegemony and widened a gulf between Feinstein and the party's restive base. The backlash to her 2017 suggestion that Donald Trump could "be a good president" set the stage for years of pushback from progressives who were spoiling for a fight, not conciliatory centrism. There's a reason the California Democratic Party faithful endorsed former state Senate leader Kevin de León's 2018 challenge to Feinstein. Even though Feinstein handily fended him off, the writing was on the wall, her shifts on issues like the death penalty notwithstanding. There was a "we told you so" flavor to the reaction among California Democrats to national outrage over DiFi's role in the Barrett hearings. By late October, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was alluding to his "long and serious talk" with Feinstein. Looking ahead, all the focus has been on who will fill Harris's Senate seat. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he's winnowing down the list. But in the not-that-unlikely event Feinstein chooses not to run for reelection in 2024, we could see two California Senate seats turn over in the space of a few years. That would mean a generational changing of the guard, elevating a class of politicians whose members cut their teeth in a markedly more liberal California than the one in which Feinstein launched her storied career. BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Mark Ghaly is updating us on coronavirus numbers and county tiers at noon today. He already previewed that some counties will see tighter restrictions, and you can count on him reiterating past pleas to socially distance and stay safe during Thanksgiving gatherings — like his planned Zoom with the Ghaly matriarch. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm blessed because we have many rooms. I'm able to do this without kids jumping on top of me." A quarantining Gov. Gavin Newsom broadcasts from home. TWEET OF THE DAY: Former California politics reporter Jazmine Ulloa @JazmineUlloa (now of the Boston Globe) on a Senate conundrum: "This country. California, where Latinos make up 40% of the pop., has never had a Latino Senator in its 170-year history, despite years of political mobilization by Latinos after the anti-Mexican propositions of the 90s. But without Harris, there [are] no Black women in the Senate." WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. PROGRAMMING NOTE: California Playbook will not publish on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 30. | | | | A message from The Great Courses Plus: Don't be stagnant, keep your mind active with The Great Courses Plus . Learn at your own pace with the ability to stream lectures like the Art of Investing anytime, anywhere. Tap into an expansive selection of over 13,000 video streaming lectures from some of the world's greatest minds. Learning should be enjoyable, so start learning today with The Great Courses Plus! | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | LIVE FROM FAIR OAKS — Newsom describes quarantine situation during press conference from home, by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: A quarantining Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday his home was sufficiently large and his circle insulated enough from outsiders for his family to wait out having been exposed to people that tested positive for coronavirus. … Newsom said that his family has not been exposed to outsiders and that only the live-in helper has stayed with them. BIG FOR BOUDIN — "In a first for San Francisco, DA Chesa Boudin charges police officer who shot Keita O'Neil with homicide ," by the SF Chronicle's Rachel Swan: "The decision marks the third such occasion in the Bay Area, with the case widely viewed as a test for the progressive district attorney." — "Apple's security chief indicted in Santa Clara County sheriff concealed-gun permit scandal," by the Mercury News' Robert Salonga: "Apple's global security chief has been indicted on allegations he worked with the Santa Clara County undersheriff to gift 200 iPads to hasten the approval of concealed-gun permits for the tech titan's security officers, the latest eye-grabbing development in a corruption probe engulfing the office of Sheriff Laurie Smith." | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | — "Los Angeles to discuss stay-home order as COVID cases rise," by the AP's Brian Melley and Christopher Weber: "If the county orders residents to stay home, it would be the first such action since mid-March when Gov. Gavin Newsom followed several counties and issued a statewide order that closed schools and severely restricted movement, except for essential workers or to buy groceries or pick up food." — "Coronavirus: Will Bay Area schools remain safe amid case surge?" by the Mercury News' John Woolfolk: "Despite growing restrictions to slow the startling wave of new COVID-19 cases, some of the country's most vigilant public health officials aren't ready to give up on keeping classrooms open." — "L.A. County restaurant owners fear they won't survive another COVID-19 shutdown," by the LA Times' Matt Hamilton, Jenn Harris, Garrett Snyder, Alex Wigglesworth and Gale Holland: There "was hope that the next few weeks would help recoup some of the massive losses they've experienced. Then coronavirus cases started surging, prompting L.A. County officials to announce that starting Wednesday night, restaurants and other eateries must once again stop in-person dining outdoors and instead provide only takeout and delivery." VACCINE NO. 3 — "AstraZeneca to seek FDA authorization for vaccine based on foreign trial data , by POLITICO's Zachary Brennan: Data from those trials show the vaccine was about 70 percent effective across two different dosing regimens. … The AstraZeneca vaccine is cheaper and easier to distribute than the other two shots that have proven effective. — "S.F. study could bring U.S. closer to fast, reliable coronavirus tests that report results in minutes," by the SF Chronicle's Catherine Ho: "The study found that a new, rapid antigen test performed almost as well as state-of-the-art tests, commonly referred to as PCR tests, at detecting positives among people who had high levels of the virus and were thus likely infectious. And the results come back to users much quicker, which could improve the coronavirus testing landscape." | | TRANSITION TIME | | OF CARS AND CONSEQUENCES: Car companies had a choice in recent years between Trump and California on market-moving rules around vehicle emissions — and now Trump's loss is accelerating a drive back toward Golden State standards. As POLITICO's Debra Kahn reports , General Motors announced Monday that it is no longer supporting Trump's side in a lawsuit over the feds revoking California's auto emissions autonomy. Instead, the company is now aligning itself with President-elect Joe Biden — and California. That vindicates Ford, which chose California and then leaned into the decision with statewide ads trumpeting Ford's choice while blasting GM and other Trump-choosers. How things change: Back in the summer of 2019, Newsom was crowing about a "checkmate" of the White House via California's Trump-defying deal with automakers; Trump was raging on Twitter about Henry Ford rolling over in his grave; and California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols said car companies had looked to California because they "could not get an ear in the White House." The landscape looks strikingly different now: Nichols is a frontrunner to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who led California into its climate battle against the Trump administration, could land at the federal Department of Justice. CALIFORNIA BACKGROUND — " Biden picks Alejandro Mayorkas for Homeland Security secretary," by the LA Times' Molly O'Toole: "Mayorkas, who was born in Havana, attended UC Berkeley and began working for the government as an assistant United States attorney in the Central District of California, specializing in white-collar crime. … Under the Obama administration, Mayorkas was a primary architect of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and a primary negotiator of the thaw in then-frozen U.S.-Cuban relations." AND ANOTHER CAL ALUM — "Biden to tap former Fed chief Yellen as first woman to head Treasury," by POLITICO's Victoria Guida: "Currently a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution, the Brooklyn-born [Janet] Yellen has spent most of her career in academia, including a longtime association with the University of California at Berkeley, and at the Fed." A HOUSE DIVIDED — " Divided Washington will test House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's prowess next year," by the SF Chronicle's Tal Kopan: "Pelosi is likely to be one-third of a triumvirate of battle-hardened legislators occupying the main power centers of Washington. It's a dynamic that could result in one of the more productive stretches in recent years — or prove that political dysfunction has become inescapable." | | | | TRACK THE TRANSITION: President-elect Biden has started to form a Cabinet and announce his senior White House staff. The appointments and staffing decisions made in the coming days send clear-cut signals about Biden's priorities. Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, it tracks the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — "The $35 million play to fix Democrats' data problem is shutting down," by Vox's Theodore Schleifer: "Alloy, a group started with $35 million in part from Silicon Valley billionaire Reid Hoffman, said on Monday that it would begin to "wind down its operations" next year after the runoff elections in Georgia. The decision is a huge reversal in fortunes for Alloy, which had massive hype when announced but has failed to live up to its original promise, many Democratic data operatives have said over the course of the year." — " The second congressional coming of Rep. Darrell Issa," by Jewish Insider's Matthew Kassel: "After a brief spell in the political wilderness, Darrell Issa, the former longtime California congressman and car alarm magnate, is now preparing to rejoin his Republican colleagues in the House — and he wants to make clear that he hasn't gotten rusty in the interim." | | THE TRUMP ERA | | — "As coronavirus cases surge again, ICE leaders push to detain more immigrants," by the LA Times' Andrea Castillo: "Now, against the backdrop of the latest and potentially most difficult wave of COVID-19 cases across the state and country, ICE officials are pushing to increase the number of immigrants detained in California. At the same time, advocates are urging California leaders to stop transfers from state prisons and jails to ICE custody and exercise public health oversight." | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | PROSECUTING POLICE — "After decades of quiet, Bay Area prosecutors seek to hold police accountable for on-the-job killings," by the SF Chronicle's Rachel Swan: "For decades, prosecutors in the Bay Area rarely charged police officers who killed civilians while on the job... The charges against former San Francisco Police Department Officer Christopher Samayoa marked the city's first homicide case for a police use of force, and the third such prosecution in the Bay Area." POLICE BODY CAMS — "Review Board Grills Sheriff's Department Over Body Cameras," by Voice of San Diego's Kelly Davis: "No such language is in the San Diego Sheriff's Department's policy, nor does the department have a way to track whether a deputy activated his camera. Sgt. Aaron Meleen, the review board's liaison, said department supervisors do "spot checks" to see if deputies are following body-worn camera guidelines and the department conducts an annual audit that involves pulling a certain number of incidents for review." — " The fossil fuel industry wants you to believe it's good for people of color," by the LA Times' Sammy Roth: "The goal is to bulwark oil and gas against ambitious climate change policies by claiming the moral high ground — even as those fuels kindle a global crisis that disproportionately harms people who aren't white." CROSSING A LINE? — " San Diego police mandate solid-colored masks with no logos to appease concerns," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's David Hernandez: "The directive comes after some community members raised concerns about face coverings that depict the thin blue line flag — a black and white U.S. flag with a blue stripe. … Law enforcement officers and supporters view it as a show of pride in the profession. ... Some community members, however, say the idea behind the thin blue line creates division between police and the communities they serve." — "Fewer internships for Bay Area high school seniors to boost college apps," by CalMatters' Laurence Du Sault. | | | | A message from The Great Courses Plus:   | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — "How Misinformation 'Superspreaders' Seed False Election Theories," by the NYT's Sheera Frenkel: "New research from Avaaz, a global human rights group, the Elections Integrity Partnership and The New York Times shows how a small group of people — mostly right-wing personalities with outsized influence on social media — helped spread the false voter-fraud narrative that led to those rallies." BIG BROTHER BEZOS — "Secret Amazon Reports Expose Company Spying on Labor, Environmental Groups," by Vice's Lauren Kaori Gurley: "The documents show Amazon analysts closely monitor the labor and union-organizing activity of their workers throughout Europe, as well as environmentalist and social justice groups on Facebook and Instagram. They also reveal, and an Amazon spokesperson confirmed, that Amazon has hired Pinkerton operatives—from the notorious spy agency known for its union-busting activities—to gather intelligence on warehouse workers." | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | — "Ousted Amazon Studios boss responds to harassment claims," by the LA Times' Stacy Perman: "Isa Hackett, executive producer of one of Amazon's most popular series, "The Man in the High Castle," had gone public with claims that [Roy] Price had made lewd comments and unwanted sexual advances toward her two years earlier. … He denied claims of sexually harassing Hackett and chalks up the episode to a failed attempt at humor — a mistake, he says, that was conflated with abuse and cast as predation." | | CANNABIS COUNTRY | | — "Appellation program, cooperatives might give small California cannabis farmers a boost," by Marijuana Business Daily's John Schroyer: "Small marijuana farmers in California who've struggled in recent years – either to launch their own brands, expand their businesses or survive the transition to the new legal market – might have a brighter future, thanks in part to various programs and ventures now in the works." | | | | DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT 2020: POLITICO will feature a special edition Future Pulse newsletter at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators determined to confront and conquer the most significant health challenges. Covid-19 has exposed weaknesses across our health systems, particularly in the treatment of our most vulnerable communities, driving the focus of the 2020 conference on the converging crises of public health, economic insecurity, and social justice. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage from December 7–9. | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — "9 Bay Area restaurants still offering Thanksgiving meals," by the SF Chronicle's Janelle Bitker. — " San Jose: Two killed, three wounded in stabbing spree at Grace Baptist Church; suspect arrested," by the Mercury News' George Kelly. — "Jan Morris perfectly captured the world — and Los Angeles too," by the LA Times' David L. Ulin. — "Rent is falling in Los Angeles. Head east, you'll find the opposite," by the LA Times' Andrew Khouri. | | MEDIA MATTERS | | END OF AN ERA… BUYOUTS AT THE CHRONICLE: The Hearst-owned San Francisco Chronicle is losing a crowd of reporters and managers — including some of its most well-known staffers — after offering buyouts this month. Sources confirm that 10 Guild members and four managers have accepted the buyouts. Among them: Phil Matier, who ranks as one of the city's most experienced reporters and whose scoop-filled column has been a mainstay of the paper for decades (he's also among the most prolific journalists in the state, as a radio reporter, as a KCBS "Insider'' and a reporter/commentator on KGO-TV); Trapper Byrne, who has been a backbone of the paper as the metro desk editor since 1997, managing coverage of some of the biggest breaking stories in California before he became politics editor in 2018; and editorial page editor John Diaz, who joined the paper in 1990 — and who, since 1997, has overseen the paper's award-winning commentary and opinion pages through seven presidential elections and some of the city's most turbulent times. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, now at the Aspen Institute and Bipartisan Policy Center, is 76 | | ENGAGED | | Varun Anand, a Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign alum who is now GM of employee benefits at Newfront Insurance, proposed to Hannah Smith, who leads West Coast government relations at Grubhub. Pic ... Another pic | | | | A message from The Great Courses Plus: Are you an inquisitively curious individual that loves learning? Join a community of life-long learners, and learn more about any topic with The Great Courses Plus. Stream thousands of videos by some of this world's brightest minds. From the Art of Investing to the Theory of Everything, quench your thirst for knowledge with courses designed for the endlessly curious cat. With The Great Courses Plus, you'll enjoy being able to learn anytime, anywhere at your own pace. Now there's nothing keeping you from starting your educational journey. Learn now with The Great Courses Plus! | | | 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. 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