| | | | | |  | | By Carla Marinucci, Jeremy B. White, Graph Massara and Mackenzie Hawkins | Presented by The Great Courses Plus | THE BUZZ — SIXTH TIME'S THE CHARM? After banging at the recall door unsuccessfully five times, conservative drives to oust Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom may suddenly be getting traction. And that's because there's a perfect storm of political developments that could make this latest longshot attempt the one to take very seriously, according to conversations with a host of political insiders on both sides of the aisle. FIRST THINGS FIRST: A recall by Republicans, who still have the albatross of Donald Trump, an unpopular president in solidly blue California, around their necks, remains a longshot. And Democrat Newsom still enjoys the strong approval of the majority of Caifornians, the latest Public Policy Institute of California poll showed. But here are FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS on why the Newsom recall attempt shouldn't be dismissed: | 
A small group of demonstrators listen to a speaker during a protest against a stay-at-home order amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Huntington Beach, Calif., Nov. 21, 2020. | AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez | 1. THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT IS BACKING IT: The California Republican Party and its chair, Jessica Milan Patterson have endorsed it. So has the entire CA GOP House caucus, according to Rep. Devin Nunes, who said as much last week — and said the party is helping to fire up the recall push. "We're encouraging people to sign the petitions,'' Nunes told KMJ host Ray Appleton. "The California delegation as we sit today is … in favor of it.'' Newly reelected Rep. David Valadao confirmed the move. "We all support it," he said. "Our campaign offices all had the petitions there. A lot of our events had folks there gathering signatures.'' And conservative darlings like Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee are also on board, with Gingrich agreeing to do Zoom calls and fundraising. Which leads us to... 2. THEY'VE GOT FUNDRAISING MUSCLE: Anne Dunsmore, a veteran GOP fundraiser based in Irvine whose fundraising work helped elect Rep. Mike Garcia in CA-25, told POLITICO she's now a recall campaign manager and lead fundraiser, and is working her proverbial Rolodex hard. So far, Gingrich's efforts and online fundraising have only produced small donations. But what concerns Democrats is the notion that all the GOP needs is a couple of wealthy political types, party insiders or business moguls — even from another state — to sign on; after all, dropping $1 million into this effort could be a bargain price for an avalanche of national publicity on Fox, OAN and Newsmax, which are already covering Newsom heavily... 3. THE BAR IS INCREDIBLY LOW: "California's governor faces one of the easiest recall requirements in the country,'' said Joshua Spivak , a senior fellow at Wagner College's Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform. "Voters only need to gather the signatures of 12 percent of voter turnout in the 2018 election – in this case, 1,495,709 signatures. California also grants 160 days to gather them. In other states, the signature percentage requirement is more than double and the time to gather is less than half." And, he said, "thanks to the use of initiatives, California has a well-developed signature-gathering industry that can get a recall on the ballot." Plus, the California GOP has one more advantage, as compared to backers of the failed recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. "Wisconsin law requires the elected official to face off in a new election — where he was facing a clear opponent. In California, Newsom would not face an opponent. The vote is simply a yes or no as to whether he should stay in office, with the replacement race further down the ballot." Which means... 4. THE EAGER HORDES AWAIT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: There will be publicity-seekers, true, but some legitimate office-holders who see a gubernatorial recall as an easy opportunity to get on the ballot will do their best to push for it. And don't think Democrats won't consider undermining Newsom if it comes to that. "We've gotten calls from Democrats who are already kicking the tires,'' said one Sacramento insider aligned with a major special interest group. Secretary of State Alex Padila's office confirmed this week the requirements to get on the ballot for the recall would be 65 to 100 nomination signatures and a filing fee of $4,194.94, or 7,000 signatures in lieu of the filing fee. Those minimal requirements have essentially not changed since the recall of Gov. Gray Davis in 2003; back then, 135 candidates made the ballot — and that was before the age of Facebook and Twitter. Social media could multiply that number by 100 or more. Our heads hurt. 5. THE PANDEMIC ISN'T GOING AWAY: At least not before March 2021, when the proponents need to turn in 1.5 million valid signatures. That deadline will come after months of business shutdowns, bad news and economic turmoil, over which Newsom may not have control. But he'll be in charge — and anger at him could get people signing, including the nearly 30 percent of California voters who don't belong to a major political party. BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Something to watch: The SF Chronicle's Bob Egelko explains how Tuesday's federal court ruling on coronavirus restrictions on Nevada churches could have an impact in our state. WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "She had to walk in when George [Moscone] got shot. … She's a tough broad. She ain't a quitter. And she's dealt with tougher stuff than a bunch of headlines." — Former state Senate Pro Tem John Burton on the prospects for the retirement of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who is facing bruising headlines about her reported cognitive decline. TWEET OF THE DAY: Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky @bchesky, in a response to our Twitter question about whether the room-rental service's headquarters will stay in California: "Yes, I spoke to @GavinNewsom about this. Airbnb is staying in California and I'm staying in California. This is a special place." He added : "When I came to San Francisco, I was taken by the unique culture..people believed almost anything was possible, and they were willing to believe in a 26-year-old and his two friends with a crazy idea to let strangers live together. I don't think I would have succeeded in the same way if not for the people I met here." VIDEO OF THE DAY: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refuses to answer when CNN's Manu Raju asks him if Joe Biden won the election. | | | | 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 | | VALLEY FEVER — "A catastrophic year casts a pall of uncertainty across California's agricultural valleys," by Matt Black in the Guardian: "In 2020, California's Central, Eastern Coachella and Imperial valleys were no longer the outlying edges, but the center of the state's troubles. A two-week reporting trip in October and November revealed that not knowing the outcome of so much, not knowing where things will go from here, has created a tenor of uncertainty that vibrated through the small towns and across the broad fields." REQUIEM FOR A NEWSROOM — "The Desperate Last Days of Local News ," by the New Republic's Rachel M. Cohen: "Laurene Powell Jobs, who has a $21 billion net worth, waded into journalism but has made brutal cuts. In 2019, she purchased a majority stake in The Atlantic, and just two months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the company laid off nearly 20 percent of its staff, including 22 editorial employees, despite Powell being financially equipped to help her magazine weather the tough advertising tides of the pandemic many, many times over. Powell Jobs also purchased the award-winning magazine California Sunday in November 2018, only to shutter the entire publication in October." NUTS TO YOU — "A Pistachio Tycoon Picks a Fight With the U.S. Navy," by Bloomberg's Brent Crane: "In California, agricultural interests tend to win the usual battles between long-term community needs and short-term sales targets, but the Navy's influence has given the Ridgecrest area a fighting chance. … In potentially precedent-setting places like Kern County, the question is whether the stakes are finally high enough to force people to farm less—in some cases, much less." | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | WHOA — "Ambulances turned away as hospital emergency rooms overwhelmed," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Paul Sisson: "intensive care capacity across the state continued to dwindle, prompting local hospitals to reach out to Sacramento for staffing help even as the first batches of vaccine began to arrive. … "'We have orders on 60 53-foot refrigerated storage units that are currently standing by now in counties and at hospitals,' Newsom said. 'We just had to order 5,000 additional body bags we just purchased for the state and we just distributed them down to San Diego, Los Angeles, Inyo counties.'" — " With COVID-19 vaccine, California enters new pandemic phase," by the LA Times' Colleen Shalby, Luke Money, Hailey Branson-Potts and Rong-Gong Lin. PANDEMIC PIONEER — "San Francisco General Hospital vaccinates city's first person against the coronavirus," by the SF Chronicle's Catherine Ho, Erin Allday and Michael Williams. — "California Is Coming Apart Over COVID," by New York Magazine's Miranda Green: "While other states have similarly seen infighting, often at the hands of mask skeptics, the latest round of orders from state and local governments are driving a lot of Californians who might otherwise not have strong views on public health politics to question whether their leaders are making good – and fair – decisions." HEALTH CARE CRUSH — "Crush of Obamacare sign-ups expected before deadline as pandemic rages," by the AP's Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar: "In 36 states that use HealthCare.gov, Tuesday is the last day for coverage that starts Jan. 1, while another 14 states and Washington, D.C., have later deadlines. Analysts and advocates who follow the annual insurance sign-ups say interest has grown stronger amid the spiraling COVID-19 pandemic." CARING FOR BUSINESS — "Republicans' proposed COVID liability shield could undo California worker protections, advocates warn," by the LA Times' Sarah D. Wire and Jie Jenny Zou: "Advocates are alarmed that language proposed by Senate Republican leaders is being weighed as part of the next economic aid deal that would prevent the nation's workplace safety overseers — the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or similar state-level agencies — from enforcing certain COVID-related safety regulations." | | | | TODAY - TALKING TRANSITION WITH SENATOR CASEY: From Janet Yellen to Antony Blinken to Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden is building his Cabinet. What can we infer from Biden's nominations so far? Which of his nominees will face the toughest confirmation obstacles in the Senate? Are progressives satisfied with his choices? Join POLITICO for our first Transition Playbook: Live edition featuring Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), who will break it all down. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | TRANSITION TIME | | SORRY, GARCETTI — Biden to nominate Buttigieg as transportation secretary, by POLITICO's Tyler Page and Sam Mintz. GIG ECONOMY ANGLE — Mayor Pete was ahead of the Democratic presidential field in backing labor rights like unionization for gig workers; he rallied with Uber drivers in San Francisco back in 2019. Biden and Harris both eventually got behind treating gig workers as employees by endorsing Assembly Bill 5, the worker reclassification law, and opposing Proposition 22. But Buttigieg's presence in Biden's cabinet could ensure that gig economy labor issues remain in the conversation. ANOTHER BERKELEY ALUM IN THE CABINET? — Biden to tap former Michigan Gov. Granholm to lead Energy Department, by POLITICO's Tyler Page and Zack Colman. GOOGLE THIS — What Barr's departure means for Google, by POLITICO's Alexandra S. Levine: Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen has been highly involved in the Google antitrust efforts; it was Rosen, not Attorney General William Barr, who announced the Oct. 20 suit. But whether Rosen is committed to filing an ad tech case before Jan. 20 or wants President-elect Joe Biden's team to make the call remains an open question. | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | HE'S OUT — Former CAGOP insider Steve Schmidt a leading political analyst and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, announces he's becoming a Democrat, via The Hill's Jordan Williams. SHERIFF IN TOWN — Cooper weighs Assembly departure for Sacramento sheriff run in 2022, by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White. PARDON ME? — "Duncan Hunter Angling for Pardon? Experts Foresee Trump Clemency," by the Times of San Diego's Ken Stone: "Trump may be planning to use his clemency power liberally, extending to his close aides and family." | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — "California workers appear likely to lose two weeks of paid sick leave as COVID-19 surges," by the Sac Bee's Jeong Park and David Lightman: "Congress has yet to extend those leave programs past Dec. 31, and lawmakers remain deadlocked over any compromise. California earlier this year created its own sick leave program, but it is written in a way that it will expire at the same time the federal programs end." — "Sacramento is in a housing boom. Will it be enough to satisfy the Bay Area migration?" by the Sac Bee's Tony Bizjak and Phillip Reese. TIME OUT — "Updated state youth sports guidelines: No games will be played for a long time," by the Sac Bee's Joe Davidson: "High school sports in California will not start before Jan. 25, according to the updated youth sports guidelines posted to the state's Department of Public Health website on Monday night." COP CONTROVERSY — " LAPD union seeks to raise $10 million to fight layoffs and help political allies in 2022," by the LA Times' David Zahniser and Richard Winton: "The Police Protective League, which represents about 9,800 officers, mailed its members ballots last week asking them to donate $22 per paycheck for the next 48 weeks to help the union support its allies, attack those it views as enemies and inform the public of the dangers associated with eliminating hundreds of positions at the LAPD." — "El Chingon restaurant chooses Texas over California for expansion," by the Dallas Morning News' Jeremy Hallock. NEWS YOU CAN USE — "How to Negotiate a Rent Reduction During the Pandemic," by KQED's Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez. — "Assemblyman Adam Gray says he's lost another committee assignment over water battles," by the Modesto Bee's Ken Carlson. — "CA sheriff refuses to release 1,800 inmates after judge's order: 'Serious threat' to community," by Fox News' Caleb Parke. ZUCKED AGAIN — "San Francisco may 'condemn' naming hospital for Facebook CEO," by the AP's Janie Har: "The nonbinding resolution does not have the force of law and would not require the hospital to do anything if approved. … But [Supervisor Gordon Mar] said the resolution would send the message that San Francisco is not for sale and that a public hospital that caters to the poor should not bear the name of someone whose social media platform endangers public health, spreads misinformation and violates privacy." | | | | A message from The Great Courses Plus:   | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | OPEN LETTER TO BRIAN CHESKY — "Airbnb's CEO is now worth $11 billion. Here's how he can help revive San Francisco," by the SF Chronicle's Heather Knight: "You likely wouldn't be reaping these riches without San Francisco. Your idea for Airbnb was born in October 2007, when a design conference came to the city, and hotels quickly sold out." Chesky might just have to respond; he confirmed to POLITICO Tuesday that unlike some of his tech titan peers, he has no plans to move his company out of the City by the Bay. — " Boeing's ousted CEO resurfaces at Silicon Valley 'driver optional' tractor maker," by Bloomberg's Julie Johnsson: "Former Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg is joining Monarch Tractor, a Silicon Valley startup that's angling to be the Tesla Inc. of the agriculture world." — "Yelp moves $10 million of its cash reserves into Black-owned banks," by CNN's Chauncey Alcorn. MOVING IN — "Amazon spends $200 million for S.F. site once slated for housing," by the SF Chronicle's Roland Li. | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | TOURING TINSELTOWN — "How Hollywood Tour Bus Companies Are Surviving the L.A. Tourism Bust," by the Hollywood Reporter's Kirsten Chuba: "The handful of tour companies that have returned face a new world, now bringing in just 5 to 6 percent of the revenue they saw at the same time last year." THE ROYAL PODCAST? — "Prince Harry and Meghan expand media push with exclusive Spotify deal," by Axios' Oriana Gonzalez. | | | | JOIN THURSDAY - CLOSING THE HEALTH CARE GAP: Another Covid-19 outbreak is taking a significant toll on the health of the Latino community. As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to assume office, how will his administration address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on communities of color, particularly Latinos? Join POLITICO for a virtual conversation on the policy, economic and cultural barriers Latinos confront in accessing quality health care and how the pandemic can create an opportunity to identify solutions. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | MEDIA MATTERS | | SAC BEE SURVEY — "Will your California job come back when the pandemic ends? Help us explore the future of work," by the Sac Bee's Jeong Park. | | MIXTAPE | | — "Melrose shooting: One killed, one wounded by gunfire in Hollywood," via KABC. — " Santa Ana man sentenced to death in 1995 torture slaying of 18-year-old woman dies in cell," via the AP. — "L.A. city attorney files multimillion-dollar lawsuit against underground nightclub LA Party Society," by the LA Times' Lila Seidman. — "23 vehicles impounded, 2 drivers arrested as authorities bust Sacramento sideshow," by the Sac Bee's Michael McGough. — "Boy, 17, arrested in fatal stabbing of hiker near San Diego," via the Bay Area News Group. — "Upscale home for dementia patients sued over deaths in COVID-19 outbreak," by the LA Times' Harriet Ryan. | | TRANSITIONS | | — Nancy Juarez has been named chief of staff for Rep.-elect Marie Newman (D-Ill.). She most recently was deputy chief of staff/legislative director for Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.). | | BIRTHDAYS | | Scott Sadler, known to friends as "the personification of Malcom Gladwell's connectors", hits the big 6-0 … Kelsey Knight … Heather King … Sony's Christina Mulvihill ... Susan Estrich | | | | 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. 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