| | | | | |  | | By Carla Marinucci, Jeremy B. White and Mackenzie Hawkins | Presented by Sutter Health | THE BUZZ — THE SHOT IN THE ARM: Vaccines aren't going to save anyone from Covid-19. Vaccinations will. Which is why the dismal performance of California to date in getting those vaccines out of the freezers and into the arms of Californians is THE issue for Gov. Gavin Newsom — who has repeatedly portrayed California as America's capital of innovation and the "next coming attraction." Newsom, whose 2021 budget proposal includes $372 million for vaccines, was pressed repeatedly Friday about California's current claim to fame — as ground zero to some of the nation's worst infection, hospitalization and vaccination rates. The state saw a record 695 deaths on Saturday alone. The death toll is now just shy of 30,000 statewide. The world's fifth largest economy — the place that is "inventing the future," as Newsom boasted in a 2020 State of the State address exactly one year ago — is on its knees, with health systems in Los Angeles and other regions buckling under the strain of overload. COMMITTEES GALORE: On Friday, Newsom noted that he launched the first committee of experts to address vaccine distribution back in October — and has since added two more blue-ribbon efforts, totalling nearly 100 people who've been studying the issue for months. Such panels of experts are nothing new to the Newsom administration. Remember the celebrated Business and Economic Task Force, which brought together 100 plus business leaders for... what was the result, again? | 
California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses the state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., in May 2020. Rich Pedroncelli, File, Pool/AP Photo | Rich Pedroncelli, File, Pool/AP Photo | NOW, POLITICS WATCHERS say the clock is running on the governor's response, via POLITICO's David Siders and Carla Marinucci: "It's all fallen apart: Newsom scrambles to save California — and his career." Non-partisan political strategist Joe Rodota, who served as deputy chief of staff to former Gov. Pete Wilson and cabinet secretary for Arnold Schwarzenegger, told POLITICO that Newsom in October "was basically the vaccinator-in-chief" and "Mr.-On-Top-of-It" — swiftly launching logistics and efficacy teams to get the vaccines to Californians as quickly as safely possible. "He said it was all coming," Rodota said. Now? "It's all fallen apart." THREE TIERED SYSTEMS? COHORTS? Newsom's political mentor, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown appeared to agree in a Sunday column entitled, "It's time for California to give the vaccine to anyone who wants it." In the 1950's polio outbreak, "you didn't have to be a genius to find out where the vaccine was being given, or what 'phase' of the plan you were in, to get the pink sugar cube that included the vaccine," Brown said. "Let's do that again. Keep it simple, precise and convenient." THE BOTTOM LINE — Californians now demand to know: When can I get the vaccine? And where? And millions are currently getting the runaround — "Ask your caregiver,'' no, "check with your county health department.'' Newsom, asked Friday when he could promise results , couldn't deliver specifics on dates. "No human being, from the President on down... Anthony Fauci himself could not answer that question," he said. "It's when the vaccines are produced at scale and made available to the state, then we can answer the question.'' He added: "We're hoping by April, May, we're really starting to scale across all of these phases across, all of these tiers." IN HIS DEFENSE: The governor has acknowledged frustrating problems, has put big funding in to address it, vowing to "broaden the flexibility" of the vaccine distribution immediately, and pledged: "The goal is one million vaccinations by the end of next week,'' as Jeremy reported. But, with a recall looming, LATimes' George Skelton said Newsom better go big, and go bold. Now. GO. GO. GO. — "He needs to say ok, we've got to vaccinate the Central Valley and Southern California at scale — that's where all our effort goes,'' Rodota told POLITICO. "And you go to the grocery stores, the regions that have had outbreaks — and go as hard and fast as you can. And move product. … Just go. Go. Go. Go." Says Willie Brown: "Such a program would end the recall talk overnight." BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. The California state Senate and Assembly are set to reconvene today. Lawmakers will begin consideration of the budget proposed on Friday by Newsom. Assembly budget committee chair Phil Ting is set to begin proceedings at 1 p.m.; Senate at 2 p.m. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Growing up, I was surrounded by broken men drinking away their guilt over their participation in the most evil regime in history. Not all of them were rabid anti-Semites or Nazis. Many just went along, step by step. ... They were the people next door. ... My father would come home drunk, once or twice a week, and he would scream and hit us..I saw it with my own eyes. ... It all started with lies, and lies and lies." — Republican former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a moving video post on Twitter, describing last week's pro-Trump insurrection as America's "Night of Broken Glass." TWEET OF THE DAY: Shelby Grad @shelbygrad: Broken heart emoji: "Four full pages of paid obituaries in @latimes Sunday... A much more dramatic way of describing the the losses we are seeing https://latimes.com/projects/coronavirus-lives-lost-in-california" VIDEO OF THE DAY: Rep. Devin Nunes, speaking to millions on @FoxNews Sunday, complaining that "Republicans have no way to communicate" with the removal of Parler from social media platforms. PODCAST OF THE DAY: Inside Golden State Politics, via Bill Boyarsky and Sherry Bebitch Jeffe: "American Carnage" about the events at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. | | | | 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 | | MILITARY TO MOB — "'The storm is here': Ashli Babbitt's journey from capital 'guardian' to invader," by WaPo's Peter Jamison, Hannah Natanson, John Woodrow Cox and Alex Horton: "After a long but undistinguished military career and years of personal travails, Babbitt — a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from Southern California who once supported Barack Obama — believed she had found a cause that gave her life purpose. Within hours, that cause would bring her life to a violent end." PELOSI, THE TARGET OF A VET — "An Air Force Combat Veteran Breached the Senate," by the New Yorker's Ronan Farrow: "Carrying zip-tie handcuffs, he was captured in photographs and videos on the Senate floor and with a group that descended on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office suite." … AND AN EDUCATOR — "Fresno County schools trustee who took part in Capitol raid must resign immediately," by Marek Warszawski for the Fresno Bee: "This is the guy Fresno County foothill residents want overseeing U.S. history curriculum at their kids' schools?" THE HAMMER — FBI arrest man who posted photo of himself with feet up in Pelosi's office, by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein: Richard Barnett was arrested in Little Rock on federal charges including unlawful entry into a restricted area, FBI officials said. In addition, a man elected last year as a delegate to the West Virginia legislature, Derrick Evans, was charged for entering the Capitol without permission. — "Black woman describes terrifying attack by Trump mob in L.A.: 'I'm thinking I'm dead,'' by LATimes' Faith Pinho: "A video posted later showed the woman in the photo, holding a Trump flag in one hand and Nibo's wig in another: "I did that," she boasted. "I did the first scalping of the new civil war." The crowd around her roared in cheers." FRESNO FALLOUT — "Ray Appleton suspended for saying editors should be 'hanged,' says parent company of KMJ," by the Fresno Bee's Thaddeus Miller. SHASTA COUNTY STORMED — "A day before Capitol attack, pro-Trump crowd stormed meeting, threatened officials in rural California,'' by LATimes' Hailey Branson-Potts. GOP OFFICIAL'S CALL — "Bay Area GOP official posts 'citizens take arms' during violent pro-Trump riot," by SFGate's Katie Dowd: "The war has begun! Citizens take arms! FREEDOM SHALL PREVAIL!!! WE MUST DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION TO THE DEATH!" Reynolds wrote. "Drum roll please: Civil war or No civil war?" Santa Clara County Republican Party Central Committee Member Phil Reynolds posted Wednesday. FRINGE FEST — The Capitol siege was far from San Diego. Its fringe ideologies were right at home,'' via San Diego Union Tribune's Kristina Davis. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | NOT SLOWING DOWN — "California records a high of 695 coronavirus deaths in a single day," by the Hill's Jordan Williams. EXTENDED, AS EXPECTED — " Bay Area's stay-at-home order extended as ICU capacity remains below 15%," via KTVU. DEFIANT — "As COVID deaths surge, these California politicians gathered to call for reopenings," by the Sac Bee's Vincent Moleski SOFTWARE SNAFU — " California's government tech system blamed for some vaccine slowdowns, by POLITICO's Victoria Colliver and Alexander Nieves: "California's IT systems have been strained by the pandemic, but now the need to ultimately vaccinate 40 million people has once again exposed glaring holes in the state's data management systems. Glitches in the state's infectious disease reporting system this summer led to underreported tests and forced the state to quickly stand up a new system to manage the massive volume of Covid-19 tests. — "LAPD will arrest anti-mask protesters who harass others, Garcetti says," by the LA Times' Rong-Gong Lin II, Kevin Rector and Ruben Vives: "Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti condemned a group of anti-maskers who descended on Westfield Century City mall on Sunday in protest of COVID-19 health mandates, at times harassing employees and customers." | | TRUMP ERA | | TRUMP'S CALIFORNIA FOCUS — "Trump's Twitter account is gone. So are his attacks on California,'' by the LA Times' Matt Stiles: "The analysis show the president's fraught relationship with California as he attacked its political leaders, criticized its policies and falsely alleged irregularities in its voting — especially as California members of the U.S. House held an investigation and hearings that led to his impeachment in 2019. TWITTER'S TAKEDOWN — "In Pulling Trump's Megaphone, Twitter Shows Where Power Now Lies," by the NYT's Kevin Roose: "Mr. Dorsey and Mr. Zuckerberg considered the evidence, consulted their teams, weighed the trade-offs and risks of inaction — including the threat of a worker revolt that could damage their ability to attract top talent — and decided that they'd seen enough." CANCEL CULTURE... OR CONTROLLING CHAOS? — GOP prepares for battle with new archvillain, by POLITICO's David Siders: Republicans are fuming, but the timing of Donald Trump's Twitter ban couldn't have been better for the party….On Parler on Friday, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a Trump loyalist to whom the president awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday, re-upped a late December podcast in which he lit into "big tech tyrants," writing, "This is what I was warning everyone about last week. Please spread the word before they take us down." — Pelosi asks Joint Chiefs about preventing Trump from launching nukes, by POLITICO's Connor O'Brian and Jacqueline Feldscher | | TRANSITION TIME | | FIRST LOOK — MORAIN MAPPING 'KAMALA'S WAY': The first major biography of Kamala Harris hits the shelves tomorrow, and "Kamala's Way: An American Life,'' published by Simon & Schuster, is an essential road map to understand the life and groundbreaking political journey of the former California prosecutor who next week will become the country's first female vice president. "The goal was to basically be a Bible … and to take it up to the election,'' said author Dan Morain, the former CALMatters' and Sacramento Bee veteran journalist who has covered Harris' political rise for decades. And Morain tells POLITICO even he was surprised by some of the anecdotes and revealing moments he was able to uncover in the research for the book. Among them: Her admiration for the Hindu goddess Kali, a mythological warrior revered by many women for her strength and protection of innocents — and classically depicted holding "the decapitated head of a demon, while "wearing a necklace of severed heads and skirt of bloody arms." The deity is somehow a fitting inspiration for Harris, who was born in America and raised by immigrants— a Jamiacan father and Indian mother — and weaned on political activism. INSTINCTS, TIMING... AND LUCK: Harris, Morain writes, has jumped countless political hurdles in her career by marshaling steely instincts, and a knack for skillful navigation of dangerous political waters. And despite the criticism that she's too cautious, and her own unsuccessful presidential run, the former California AG has surprised the naysayers, and is now poised to become one of the world's most powerful women. Morain said — in a reflection of the fascination with Harris around the globe — the book is already being prepared for publication in dozens of languages, including German, Croatian, Flemish, Portuguese and Hungarian. Congrats! NEW CLOUT — "Kamala Harris gains prominent new role thanks to Democrats' Senate majority,'' by POLITICO's Christopher Cadelago. COVER GIRL — Kamala Harris makes the cover of February Vogue: "Vice President elect Kamala Harris on the road ahead,'' by Alexis Okeowo. | | | |   | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | THE CHALLENGER'S CHALLENGE — "News Analysis: Trump's parting gift to Gavin Newsom is undermining his strongest challenger," by the LA Times' Mark Z. Barabak: "Faulconer has already found ripe pickings in Democrat Newsom's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the debacle at the state's Employment Development Department, which involves billions in squandered unemployment benefits. The problem he faces is President Trump. Or, more specifically, Faulconer's vote in November to reelect Trump." IT'S ON: Democrat Akilah Weber, a physician from La Mesa, announced her candidacy for AD79, the seat held by her mother, Assemblymember Shirley Weber, who has been nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom to become the next California secretary of state. — Also running: Two time Democratic candidate for #CA50 Ammar Campa-Najjar, who has launched an exploratory committee for the AD-79 seat, h/t Rob Pyers. | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | PROSPERING IN A PANDEMIC? — California expects record revenues in stunning Covid budget reversal, by POLITICO's Kevin Yamamura: California's budget has benefited from massive stock market gains and income growth among its most affluent residents, particularly those in the high-flying Bay Area. The budget picture reveals a dramatic disconnect between upper class residents who have built wealth during the pandemic and those struggling to avoid eviction and put food on the table. SCHOOLS — California schools get record $89B in Newsom budget proposal, by POLITICO's Mackenzie Mays: Major proposals announced on Friday include $4.6 billion to address learning loss, including for summer school or an otherwise extended school year; $2 billion for "in-person instruction grants" to encourage elementary schools to reopen campuses starting next month; $400 million for student mental health services; and a $315 million package for teacher professional development focused on how to "reengage" students after nearly a year of school closures. FIRES — Newsom proposes spending $1B on wildfire prevention, by POLITICO's Colby Bermel: The wildfire and forest resilience action plan laid out in his proposed budget proposes $1.074 billion in funding and outlines four goals: increasing the pace and scale of forest health projects, strengthening protection of communities, managing forests to achieve state economic and environmental goals; and driving innovation and measuring progress. | | | | 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 | | PARLEZ-VOUS? — "Apple Suspends Parler From App Store: 'There Is No Place On Our Platform For Threats Of Violence And Illegal Activity'," by Deadline's Erik Pederson: "Apple has removed Parler from its app store, less than a day after it had enacted a 24 ban for the self-described far-right alternative to Twitter, to 'remove all objectionable content.'" | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | — "Beloved L.A. jazz club Blue Whale shuts doors for good due to COVID-19," by the LA Times' Sean J. O'Connell. | | CANNABIS COUNTRY | | FIRE IMPACT — "Some cannabis growers still counting cost of wildfires, but most say industry dodged a bullet," by Marijuana Business Daily's John Schroyer: "Wall, who is an outdoor cannabis farmer and CEO of Luma California, said she does know four farms in Sonoma burned down. But she added that most farmers' fears of fire-related-damage – such as contamination that would cause lab-testing failures – haven't come to pass." | | MIXTAPE | | — "'I Was Up All Night': Pandemic, Racial Justice, Insurrection and the Teachers and Students Working Through it All," by KQED's Vanessa Rancaño, Julia McEvoy and Laura Klivans. — " Pro-Trump and anti-fascist protesters clash in Pacific Beach," via San Diego Union Tribune — "Six inmates escape from Merced County Jail," via ABC30. | | IN MEMORIAM | | END OF A DODGERS ERA — "Hall of Fame Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda dies at 93," via ESPN. | | | | 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 | | | | |
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