| | | | | |  | | By Carla Marinucci, Jeremy B. White and Mackenzie Hawkins | Presented by Sutter Health | THE BUZZ — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: California's U.S. Sen.-designate Alex Padilla has been busily preparing for a swearing-in tentatively set for Inauguration Day, putting together a transition team and hiring key operatives, including veteran Capitol Hill insider David Montes to be his chief of staff. Montes — the former chief of staff to Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego and staffer to former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada — has a lot in common with Padilla, his new boss. They are both children of immigrants from Mexico — Montes' late father a former bracero, Padilla's a short order cook, and their mothers both housekeepers. | 
In this screenshot, Secretary of State Alex Padilla addresses the virtual Democratic National Convention on August 20, 2020. | DNCC via Getty Images | Montes, 39, grew up in Southern California, the youngest of three children, and ended up at Harvard and Stanford Law School. Now, in a key role with Padilla, he says he feels a sense of history and of responsibility in embarking on a historic journey with the first Latino U.S. senator in California's 170-year history. And the first order of business, he said, is "all about Covid'' — and the traumatic effects it has had on the lives of Califorians. "People are struggling to stay in their homes. Health care workers are desperate for relief,'' he said. With the help of the Biden administration, he said, California will "stand up and deliver." And "immigration is gonna be a huge issue,'' Montes told POLITICO. "Obviously, it's part of his story, and my story — the California story, and the American story." Padilla will be working hand in hand on that front with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who said this week that the incoming administration will focus on decreasing wait times to obtain citizenship, granting automatic green cards to protected undocumented immigrants and adding immigration judges to decrease backlogs on court hearings. Tentatively, Padilla is set to be sworn in on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day. The secretary of state has been busy preparing his election office staff in California to hand off to Assemblymember Shirley Weber, whom Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed to take on the post as the state's top election official. And as, POLITICO reported, he also brought on a transition team chaired by long-time Padilla adviser Kristin Bertolina Faust and Michael Troncoso, who led Harris' transition into the United States Senate four years ago. And his advisers include Sean Clegg, Juan Rodriguez and David Beltran, of SF-based SCRB Strategies, as well as former Newsom communication director Nathan Click. Padilla told POLITICO recently that he feels the weight of history as his swearing in arrives — a key moment for millions of California Latinos who have waited decades to see one of their own in the U.S. Senate. "As much as this historic milestone is worthy of celebration, it really is an opportunity... to help people and to improve lives,'' he said. "That will matter down the road. So, yes, it's about responsibility — living up to that, and the expectations." BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and California cities and communities begin today a weekend of celebration of his life and teachings, culminating with Monday's federal holiday and Day of Service. For LA listings of events, check here; San Francisco Bay Area here; San Diego here; and Central Valley events here. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You're going to be the first to go. … We didn't buy guns for nothing." Anti-vaxxer delivering threats in testimony to CA state legislators at Thursday's budget public hearing. See Jeremy's story below. TWEET OF THE DAY: Political strategist @josephrodota: "I'm informed the 10-day / 1 million #COVID19 @GavinNewsom vaccine clock began on Jan 6, so the target needs to be hit on Friday." WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. PROGRAMMING NOTE: California Playbook will not publish on Monday, Jan. 18. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 19. | | | | A message from Sutter Health: Disparities in health outcomes and life expectancy based on factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or income, have long been identified as one of the most persistent and significant deficiencies of the U.S. health care system. While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of life as we know it, health equity must be a primary lens that shapes health care as we move forward into a post-pandemic world. Learn more | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | KELLER QUITS — "French Laundry celebrity chef Thomas Keller exits Twitter after year of growing backlash," by the SF Chronicle's Janelle Bitker: "The departure from the social media platform comes after many critiqued him for Tweeting praise of a right wing billionaire." READY OR NOT — Newsom pledges more security as Capitol speakers threaten state lawmakers, by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: He said efforts will include deploying 1,000 California National Guard members to protect the Capitol and other state assets, erecting a chain-link fence around the Capitol building and ensuring the State Operations Center can meet requests for assistance at any hour. Shortly before Newsom unveiled those countermeasures, people allied with California's anti-vaccination movement spoke in vitriolic terms at a budget hearing in the State Senate chambers. They threatened legislators — signaling that the risk of violence could hang over California politicians as the state embarks on a monthslong mass inoculation drive. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — END OF WILLIE'S WORLD: Former San Franciso Mayor Willie Brown's Sunday SF Chronicle column — the gossip-packed weekly fix of opinion, news and bold names that delighted political junkies and readers for more than a decade — is over. The former "Ayatollah of the Assembly" tells POLITICO that the editors of the Chronicle informed him this week that the paper is "going in a different direction. … They're going digital." His last Chronicle column will be on Jan. 24. Hiring Willie Brown was controversial to some in the journalism world, who said it represented a conflict of interest to allow the high-profile attorney — at 86, still a major political player — such a platform. Brown said his approach was "to be people's column... to show people enjoying life, how their world is turning here in San Francisco, right, how much fun it can be, and how informed they can be.'' And for 12 years, it has been a weekly must-read, as Brown's political juice provided Chron readers with scoops and views informed by his unusually interesting connections: As the mentor to Newsom and SF Mayor London Breed, and as the former love interest of Kamala Harris, among others — and as one of California's most legendary politicians. So what happens now? Brown still has a lot of juice — and the energy of a 20 year old. Former Democratic strategist and real estate mogul Clint Reilly bought the rival SF Examiner, and could possibly give his paper an instant shot of notoriety by stealing Brown, and some of the other vets who have recently left the Chronicle. Stay tuned. CORRECTION OF THE DAY via CNN: "A previous version of this story misstated that Rep. Ted Lieu grabbed a crowbar before leaving his office. He grabbed a ProBar energy bar." — h/t Jeremy and PlaybookPlus. | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | 58 DIFFERENT PLANS— "California Counties 'Flying the Plane as We Build It' in a Plodding Vaccine Rollout," by CalHealthline's Anna Maria Barry-Jester: "In California, where public health is largely a county-level operation, the same departments managing testing and contact tracing for an out-of-control epidemic are leading the effort. That puts an already beleaguered workforce at the helm of yet another time-consuming undertaking." BROKEN SYSTEM — "Californians paying price for chaotic rollout of coronavirus vaccine, experts say," by the LA Times' Maura Dolan: "On the state level, vaccine distribution is being at least partially slowed by technical problems with a software program used by California, as The Times reported Friday, citing state and local officials. Another problem is the vast number of healthcare providers across the state and nation, including pharmacy chains, slow to prepare communication plans to notify nearby eligible people that they can come in and quickly get vaccinated." SUPPLY SHORTAGE — " California expands who can get a Covid-19 vaccine. But some counties say they don't have enough supply," by CNN's Cheri Mossburg and Christina Maxouris. — "'We are flying blind': Bay Area politicians say they're in the dark about vaccine rollout," by the SF Chronicle's Trisha Thadani and Sarah Ravani — "1 in 3 L.A. County residents have been infected by coronavirus, new estimate shows," by the LA Times' Luke Money and Rong-Gong Lin II. GETTING IN LINE — "Hundreds line up at Stanislaus site after seniors get priority for COVID-19 vaccine," by the Modesto Bee's Ken Carlson and Deke Farrow. — "Coronavirus relief may shortchange Bay Area landlords, renters," by the Mercury News' Louis Hansen. TALE OF TWO TAHOES — "'Welcome back to paradise': Everything frustrating about the pandemic is happening in South Tahoe," by SFGATE's Julie Brown. | | | | A NEW YEAR, A NEW CONGRESS, A NEW HUDDLE: It was an ugly and heartbreaking week inside the Capitol, particularly for all of those who work on the Hill. How are lawmakers planning to move forward? How will security change? How will a new Senate majority impact the legislative agenda? With so much at stake, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings you the most important news and critical insight from Capitol Hill with help from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the essential guide to understanding Congress. It has never been more important. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | TRUMP ERA | | ONE MORE TIME — PENCE HEADED TO CA: Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence will head to the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, Calif., on Saturday to talk to sailors about "the Trump Administration's historic foreign policy achievements,'' per the White House. SACRAMENTO SIEGE — "CHP denies permit for pro-Trump rally, 6-foot-high fencing added at California Capitol," by the Sac Bee's Sam Stanton. 'MY KEVIN'S' MOMENT— "After Impeachment, Kevin McCarthy's Biggest Test Is Yet to Come," by KQED's Scott Shafer: "On Monday, McCarthy had what he called "an emotional conversation" with Trump, telling the Bakersfield Californian he urged Trump to take responsibility for what happened at the Capitol at the hands of his supporters. But is McCarthy trying to have it both ways – firmly criticizing Trump after leveraging his relationship with him the last four years?" SAN DIEGO SPLIT — "Column: Trump, violent Capitol siege rupture San Diego's congressional delegation ," by the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Smolens: "At the center of it all is Rep. Darrell Issa, the delegation's lone Republican." PODCAST OF THE DAY — Area 45: Hoover Institution's Bill Whalen interviews UC Berkeley law professor John Yoo on "Trump and Impeachment, and the Courts." | | TRANSITION TIME | | TWITTERVERSE: Twitter published a blog post Tuesday outlining how the social media platform will handle the job of transitioning White House accounts to a new administration. "People on Twitter will be able to watch the transition of power take place in real-time as accounts for the White House, President, Vice President, First Lady and White House Press Secretary inherit their new institutional usernames: @Transition46 will become @WhiteHouse, @PresElectBiden will become @POTUS, @SenKamalaHarris will become @VP, @FLOTUSBiden will become @FLOTUS, and @PressSecPsaki will become @PressSec ." In addition, there will be a new account: Doug Emhoff, Harris' husband, will be @SecondGentleman. PORTER PUNTED: Rep. Katie Porter scored multiple viral moments in the last couple of years grilling executives and finance titans on the House Financial Services Committee, but she's now lost her post on the panel. Porter explained she'd asked for a waiver to serve on a third committee but was denied. "I play by the rules," she said. FEAR FACTOR — " For friends and allies of Kamala D. Harris, deadly Capitol attacks prompt fresh fears," by WaPo's Chelsea Janes: "For those who have watched Kamala D. Harris rise, fear will mix with celebration at Wednesday's outdoor ceremony." — "Xavier Becerra's Nonprofit Problem ," James Piereson and Naomi Schaefer Riley opine in the WSJ: "No federal agency works as much with nonprofits as the Department of Health and Human Services. That is one reason Xavier Becerra, President-elect Biden's pick to lead the agency, will face opposition.." | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | THAT WAS FAST: The DCCC's first targeted ad of the 2022 cycle comes after Rep. Mike Garcia, slamming the California Republican for voting against impeachment (he previously voted to reject Electoral College votes). Garcia won his CA-25 seat by around 300 votes, and the early broadside underscores that Democrats believe they can ensure Garcia's Trump-aligned votes will sink him in 2022. A nearly identical ad targets Rep. Young Kim for voting against impeachment (Kim said she'd prefer a censure). EDITORIAL— "Recall is not a 'coup' and certainly no joke," by the LA Times' Editorial Board: "Can someone please get a copy of a dictionary — any dictionary — delivered to the California Democratic Party headquarters?" — "Charles Schwab to End All Political Donations and Shutter PAC ," by the NYT's Lauren Hirsch. OIL FOR RECALL: Modesto-based Boyett Petroleum dropped another $49,000 toward the Newsom recall effort on Thursday, per Secretary of State's website. | | | |   | | | | | GAVINLAND | | BACK TO THE CLASSROOM? — "Dear Gov. Newsom: Your COVID back-to-school plan won't work," by the Sac Bee's Marcos Bretón: "I'm betting CTA will undermine your deeply flawed California Safe Schools for All plan that was released on Dec. 30 and promises to secure equal access to public education for all kids when COVID-19 restrictions start loosen." HITTING THE BOOKS — "Newsom calls textbooks "racket," proposes money to create free ones," by CalMatters' Mikhail Zinshteyn: "As part of Newsom's record-breaking $227 billion spending plan, the governor wants to commit $15 million to create free alternatives to commercial textbooks — a $3.2 billion industry — that colleges and universities can adopt for entire majors." | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | PRICE TAG — "Here's what you're paying for Prop. 22," by the SF Chronicle's Carolyn Said: "So far, four major companies are tacking on new fees to pay for Prop. 22's earnings guarantees and benefits. Prop. 22 gives gig workers accident insurance, a health care stipend if they average at least 15 active weekly hours per quarter, and a guarantee 120% of minimum wage plus 30 cents/mile during "engaged time" — driving to a trip and fulfilling the trip." — "An L.A. councilman lied to the FBI. Probation officials say he deserves no jail time ," by the LA Times' David Zahniser and Michael Finnegan: "Such a mild sentence, prosecutors said, would represent a 'two-tier system of justice,' showing that white-collar defendants receive more lenient treatment than other criminals." — "These Californians don't get stimulus checks — why advocates want Newsom to do more for them," by the Sac Bee's Kim Bojórquez: "Advocates for undocumented Californians want two big changes from Newsom: More cash to noncitizen households and an expansion of healthcare coverage to undocumented seniors." VOTE BY MAIL? — "After Historic Election, California Legislators Consider Keeping Voting Changes," by KQED's Guy Marzorati. — "California Democrats propose higher business taxes to pay for homeless programs," by the SF Chronicle's Alexei Koseff: "Supporters estimate the bill could generate $2.4 billion a year to build supportive housing and emergency shelters, offer rental assistance and provide other services to the more than 150,000 homeless Californians." EDD WOES — " California fighting endless war with unemployment fraud. Why state is a prime target," by the Sac Bee's Dale Kasler: "Hall said the sheer size of California — which has handed out more than $100 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits — makes it an obvious target for fraud. He added that California appears to have been more lenient than some other states when it comes to claims that were backdated — an approach that would enable criminals to tack on additional weeks of benefits to their haul." ENFORCEMENT WORRIES — "Crackdown on unemployment fraud in California is "complete disaster" for some with legitimate claims," by CBS's Anna Werner: "California's Employment Development Department said it froze about 1.4 million accounts that may be fraudulent. Now, many jobless Californians with legitimate claims are struggling to get their money." | | | | KEEP UP WITH THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: It was a dark week in American history, and a new administration will have to pick up the pieces. Transition Playbook brings you inside the last days of this crucial transfer of power, tracking the latest from President-elect Biden and his growing administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes 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. | | | | | | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | OUT OF OFFICE — "San Francisco office market in collapse as tech workers stay home," by the Guardian's Vivian Ho: "New office-leasing activity in 2020 dropped a staggering 71% compared with the year before, according to the real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield, from 7.7m to 2.2m sq ft – the lowest since the early 1990s." OUT OF TOWN — "San Francisco's Tech Workers Make the Big Move," by the NYT's Nellie Bowles: "They have suddenly movable jobs and money in the bank — money that will go plenty further somewhere else." — " Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle are working on digital vaccination records," by the Verge's Jay Peters. | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | — "Macaulay Culkin Among Those Who Want Donald Trump Removed from 'Home Alone 2'," by the Hollywood Reporter's Ryan Parker. — " Trump's Leaving, But Hollywood Must Confront Trumpism In Its Storytelling," Harvard Law professor Alan Jenkins opines for the Hollywood Reporter: "At important moments in our history, Hollywood has helped Americans understand the meaning and gravity of threats to our democratic principles… We very much need that spirit from Hollywood today." | | MIXTAPE | | — "FBI arrests California man in siege of U.S. Capitol," by the LA Times' Michael Finnegan — " California deputy kills mountain lion that stalked family in broad daylight," by SFGATE's Amy Graff. — "Isolated at home, California woman connects by giving," via the AP. — " Disneyland is scrapping its annual pass program," by the LA Times' Todd Martens. | | TRANSITIONS | | Laura Deehan has been announced as the new state director at Environment California and Environment California Research & Policy Center, one of Environment America's flagship state organizations. | | | | A message from Sutter Health: Over the past several years, Sutter Health's dedicated health equity team has examined data to identify ways we can provide better care and access to achieve more equitable outcomes for all patients. As health care providers, we have a unique role and responsibility to eliminate disparities wherever possible. Sutter Health is committed to working with patient advocates, other providers and policymakers toward this goal, which is why we recently launched the Sutter Institute for Advancing Health Equity.
While the existence of health disparities among patient populations is undeniable, so is the ability to fix them. Through our integrated network, Sutter Health is putting its resources, data and reach toward generating robust findings and testing new models that can be shared and implemented nationally. For us, this isn't a step into this work, but a step forward in advancing health equity for all. Learn more | | | 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 subscriber-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 | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment