| | | | | |  | | By Jeremy B. White, Carla Marinucci, Graph Massara and Richard Tzul | Presented By American Property Casualty Insurance Association | THE BUZZ: Gov. Gavin Newsom and fellow advocates of the California dream have plenty to compare it to these days — from blue bastions to red rivals. In New York, besieged Gov. Andrew Cuomo is indirectly aiding Newsom by depriving him of the title of most endangered blue state governor in America. Watching New York Democrats abandon Cuomo en masse as California Democrats join daily press conferences extolling Newsom's leadership underscores a couple of political truisms: One, don't alienate your friends, and two, elected officials have a keen sense of smell when it comes to the stench of political death. Washington state offered a lesson in contrasts as Gov. Jay Inslee flexed his executive muscles and moved to order schools to resume in-person learning by declaring a state of emergency. That would be inconceivable in California. Republicans have fruitlessly pressed Newsom to open schools by executive order here. The governor has made clear he will not trample local control and override politically allied teacher unions. Shuttered schools have been fueling discontent, even after Newsom signed a school reopening bill — so much so that we saw the schools bill's lead author, San Francisco Assemblymember Phil Ting, publicly calling out his school district for not moving faster, after saying lawmakers would need to "beg" for results. Newsom would rather talk about Texas lately. He has repeatedly invoked America's second-most populous state as an example of what not to do, offering a more subtle version of President Joe Biden's "Neanderthal thinking" rebuke as he assailed Gov. Greg Abbott 's "absolutely reckless" decision to nix masks. Newsom has stressed that California continues to follow the science and pointed to a higher Lone Star death rate. He hewed to those themes repeatedly in his State of the State, noting California's death rate is lower than other large states and calling our vaccination rollout and homelessness program national models. "From the earliest days of the pandemic," Newsom reiterated, "California trusted in science and data." Critics of Newsom would rebut that they see politics superseding science in Newsom's recent moves to loosen restrictions as a recall campaign gathers steam. Much of the state is poised to glide more smoothly into the red tier after hitting a critical vaccine milestone on Friday, which could be critical for schools and businesses ramping up. We're poised to see ballparks and theme parks reopen, albeit not at the full capacity Texas baseball fans may enjoy. Much of this is in the eye of the partisan beholder. If you were to ask CPAC attendees, Florida is the liberated and prosperous counterexample to California; the AP reports that despite divergent approaches, careful California and wide-open Florida have virtually identical infection rates, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis boasted in a front-page NYT story that unlike Miami, "Los Angeles isn't booming." Republicans hoping to recall Newsom are happy to distinguish California's record from other states. Californians are "seeing children in other parts of the country that are able to go back to school, businesses that reopened," California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson told us, which demonstrates how "states have been able to be successful in a Covid world where this governor has failed us." BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Today's show of Democratic unity against the recall features Black elected officials, among them Reps. Karen Bass and Barbara Lee, State Sen. Steven Bradford, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond and LA Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. It's notable that this event includes prominent Black women — a critical Democratic constituency that Newsom frustrated by not replacing Vice President Kamala Harris with another Black woman, of which the U.S. Senate now has none. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This thing started before the pandemic. Look at the petition that's out on the streets. … It's about immigration. It's about our health care policies. It's about our criminal justice reform. It's about the diversity of this state. It's about our clear air and clean water programs, meaning our environmental strategy." Newsom makes his most extensive comment on the recall to date, courtesy of KQED's Marisa Lagos. TWEET OF THE DAY: KQED politics editor @ScottShafer on Newsom's recall woes: "That dinner at French Laundry was very expensive in more ways than one. We won't know what the final tab will be until later this year!" WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. | | | | A message from American Property Casualty Insurance Association: Millions of Californians rely on auto insurance group discounts to save money on car insurance. The Department of Insurance is threatening discounts that help people afford auto and home insurance. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara's costly new regulations would eliminate car insurance discounts for millions of Californians, costing hard-working families and individuals hundreds of dollars that they rely on. Californians must speak out and tell Commissioner Lara to save insurance discounts. Take Action | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | A HOW-TO — "Here is how to get a COVID-19 vaccine beginning Monday in California," by the LA Times' Colleen Shalby and Hayley Smith. 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY— " One Day at a Time ... A Comprehensive COVID-19 Timeline," by KCET's Larry Altman, Justin Cram, Victoria Gonzalez and Joshua Letona: "On March 13, 2020, then-President Donald Trump declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency. … Looking back a year ago, we could not have imagined how significantly COVID-19 would change our lives." — Newsom relied on Dodgers, donor-driven foundation for splashy state speech, by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: Newsom relied on $80,000 from a donor-connected foundation, along with complimentary use of Dodger Stadium, to deliver a splashy State of the State speech this week that offered a defense against a mounting recall effort. DUBIOUS DISTINCTION — " L.A. is home to heavy industry — and more federal deals not to prosecute polluters than anywhere else," by the LA Times' Anna M. Phillips: "Companies in these cases weren't required to plead guilty; they weren't convicted of any crimes, according to the agreements. Instead, the government agreed to forgo prosecution for a certain time period or drop the case altogether if the companies paid hefty fines and promised to clean up the environmental damage they had inflicted." WELL, ACTUALLY… — "S.F. mansplainers beware: Supe will track colleagues to find out how much men talk and interrupt," by the SF Chronicle's Heather Knight: "Supervisor Myrna Melgar is celebrating Women's History Month by pointing out how often men talk versus women. In collaboration with the San Francisco Women's Political Committee, she's having someone watch every full board meeting and committee meeting during an undisclosed week in March and track the minutes taken up by men's chatter versus women's." | | GAVINLAND | | — "Bay Area lawmakers pressure Newsom administration after vaccine equity talks hit 'standoff,'" by the SF Chronicle's Alexei Koseff: "Twenty state lawmakers, representing nearly the entire Bay Area delegation, released a letter Friday to Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly and Government Operations Secretary Yolanda Richardson, denouncing the recent changes to vaccine distribution that they said were not equitable and hurt the Bay Area." — "In recall campaign against Newsom, rural California finds its moment," by the LA Times' Hailey Branson-Potts: "California's northern counties have always felt overlooked in the famously liberal Golden State. … But amid a pandemic that has been so tightly intertwined with politics, they have found in the recall movement a response to their broader frustrations. As the effort gains steam, it feels like a win for this part of the state." | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | SPECIAL REPORT— "How the Bay Area failed Latino residents during the COVID crisis," by the Mercury News' Leonardo Castañeda, Fiona Kelliher and David Debolt: "While Latino communities have fared worse against the virus across California, the disparity has been particularly acute in the Bay Area. In the six-county region, Latinos have case rates more than four times those of White residents. Infections among Latinos in the Bay Area are nearly as high as the rates of Latinos in hard-hit Los Angeles County, while White people here have endured a case rate just half as severe as their counterparts to the south." THE BIG CHANGE — " California hits target of 2 million vaccines in low-income areas, clearing way for wider reopenings," by the LA Times' Luke Money and Rong-Gong Lin: "With 2 million doses now having gone into the arms of residents in targeted communities statewide, officials have loosened the criteria for counties to exit the strictest of California's four-tier reopening plan." — " Debate, angst and many questions emerge over L.A. school reopening plans," by the LA Times' Howard Blume, Teresa Watanabe and Stephanie Chavez: "Under the [reopening] agreement, students would learn part time on campus in small, staggered groups and log in the rest of the time from home or work independently. Elementary school students will attend class for half a day Monday through Friday and day care will be available for students in kindergarten through eighth grade from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., when they are not in class." VACCINE HURDLES— "Millions more Californians will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. But they face obstacles," by the LA Times' Colleen Shalby and Hayley Smith: "Judy Mark, president of L.A.-based advocacy group Disability Voices United, said people with disabilities can feel powerless within the state because they don't have a trade union like farmworkers or healthcare workers, and they don't have paid lobbyists or formal representation as a voting bloc." — "Bay Area counties take scattershot approach to vaccinating homeless people against COVID-19," by the SF Chronicle's Shwanika Narayan: "These counties are diverging from a California vaccine plan that hasn't prioritized people experiencing homelessness unless they meet age or occupation requirements. That's a mistake, some local health officials say." DEADLINE — " Will California meet Biden's May 1 goal?" by the Mercury News' Nico Savidge: "The state now administers 200,000 to 240,000 shots per day, [California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Mark] Ghaly said, but will need to give out perhaps twice that many — 350,000 to 400,000 each day — to get closer to Biden's goal." VACCINATING UNHOUSED ANGELENOS— " L.A.'s homeless residents are 50% more likely to die if they get COVID. Now they're a vaccine priority," by the LA Times' Benjamin Oreskes and Doug Smith: "Fewer hotel rooms under contract and reduced capacity at shelters have meant more people are on the streets struggling to survive, said Mike Dickerson, co-chair of KTown for All, a volunteer homeless outreach group." UNDERCOUNT — " This San Mateo County community went from 10 coronavirus cases to 551 overnight," by the Mercury News' Leonardo Castañeda. | | | | JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST": Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | THE 46TH | | — SHOT: After monthslong delay, congressional leaders stand up intelligence committee, by POLITICO's Melanie Zanona and Kyle Cheney: Congressional leaders on Friday appointed members to the House Intelligence Committee, finally standing up a prestigious panel that became the unlikely forum for the most polarizing investigations and political battles of the Trump era. — CHASER: "GOP leader to try to force Swalwell off panel," by the Hill's Juliegrace Brufke and Rebecca Beitsch: "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he is planning on introducing a resolution to remove Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from the House Intelligence Committee, arguing he is a national security threat due to his former ties with an alleged Chinese spy." | | MADAM VP | | NEXT IN LINE?— "Kamala Harris Carves Out a Role of Her Own," by Susan Milligan: "'Seeing her effectively do the job already in the first month is normalizing this' idea of a female and racial minority in a position of great power, says Moe Vela, a political consultant who was an adviser to Biden when he was vice president. 'It makes more and more Americans more comfortable with it. And the longer that transpires, the more the Republicans are going to get nervous and get really concerned.'" | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | SAN DIEGO SIMMER: More money is flowing into the AD-79 special election triggered by now-Secretary of State Shirley Weber's departure from the Assembly, with a new labor-funded PAC forming to support Democratic labor leader Leticia Munguia. Health care interests have already poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into boosting Democrati Akilah Weber, who just won the San Diego Union-Tribune's endorsement to go with the California Democratic Party nod. IT'S A DATE: Los Angeles voters will fill the vacant Assembly seat just given up by Sen. Sydney Kamlager on May 18, per a proclamation from Newsom. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent the top-two runoff would be July 20. AD-54 is overwhelmingly Democratic, so the most likely runoff scenario would be multiple Democrats splitting the vote. DEM CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD?— "California Democratic leaders to Newsom: 'urgent' to oust party chair," by the SF Chronicle's Joe Garofoli: Democratic leaders "blame [Rusty] Hicks for a variety of Democratic problems, including a failure to engage 'emerging immigrant populations' in Southern California and the Central Valley that contributed to the party's loss of four House seats last year." —"Councilman Joe Buscaino, a longtime LAPD officer, enters race for L.A. mayor in 2022," by the LA Times' Dakota Smith: "Buscaino, 46, who served for 15 years in the Los Angeles Police Department and is currently a reserve officer, is the first City Council member to enter the 2022 mayor's race. Others, including Kevin de León and Mark Ridley-Thomas, have not publicly ruled out a run. City Atty. Mike Feuer announced his candidacy last year and has raised more than $418,000 through the end of December, according to city filings." | | | | A message from American Property Casualty Insurance Association:   | | |
| | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — "California's job losses were worse than expected this winter," by the LA Times' Margot Roosevelt: "Nationwide, a far larger share was recovered by January. With many states avoiding strict lockdowns, 56% of U.S. jobs had returned." — "Grocers sue San Jose and Daly City over forced hazard pay mandates," by Bay Area News Group's Maggie Angst: "Under Daly City's 'hazard pay' legislation, which went into effect immediately after it was passed on March 8, large grocers must pay workers an extra $5 an hour of 'hazard pay' on top of their regular wages. In San Jose, where the ordinance will go into effect in a couple of weeks, grocers will be required to provide employees with raises of $3 an hour. CEQA TAKEDOWN — "How Californians Are Weaponizing Environmental Law," by UCLA's M. Nolan Gray in the Atlantic: "Across the Golden State, CEQA lawsuits have imperiled infill housing in Sacramento, solar farms in San Diego, and transit in San Francisco. The mere threat of a lawsuit is enough to stop small projects—especially housing—from starting in the first place. Indeed, one of the main effects of CEQA has been to exacerbate the state's crippling housing-affordability crisis." — "Ro Khanna keeps the dialogue going," by Jewish Insider's Matthew Kassel: "The three-term congressman vows to continue to speak out on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite criticism from both progressives and pro-Israel advocates." — " Judge orders surveillance, body cameras installed at five California prisons," by the Sac Bee's Sam Stanton: "Lawyers submitted declarations from dozens of current and former inmates at the five state prisons named in the order in which they described being denied their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 'Some of the incidents involve the use of force against mentally or physically disabled inmates even though the disabled inmates appear to have posed no imminent threat to the safety of staff or other inmates,' the judge wrote." EDITORIAL — "COVID proves we are not prepared for future disasters," by the Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial boards: "The failures largely stem from a lack of investment in infrastructure and public health. The solutions begin with ending the gridlock that has kept needed funding from being invested in projects and programs that scream out for attention." | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — "Hundreds of covid cases reported at Tesla plant following Musk's defiant reopening, county data shows," by WaPo's Faiz Siddiqui: "As part of an agreement struck in mid-May allowing Tesla to reopen, Tesla was required to report positive cases to the health department. Despite around 10 cases in May, according to the data, the health department told The Post in early June that there were no known cases of workplace infections affecting county residents." TECH TEAM-UP? — Senior US senator calls for Western tech alliance against China, by POLITICO's Mark Scott: Mark Warner has a message for Europe and America's other democratic allies: We need to work together to beat China on tech. — "Inside Iconiq: How Mark Zuckerberg's banker built a secret Silicon Valley empire and made billions," by Business Insider's Rob Price and Meghan Morris. THERANOS LATEST — " Elizabeth Holmes trial likely delayed because she's pregnant," by CNBC's Yasmin Khorram. ICYMI — "Facebook Told Black Applicant With Ph.D. She Needed To Show She Was A 'Culture Fit,'" by the Intercept's Sam Biddle: "The complaint comes as evidence piles up that large Silicon Valley companies are not diversifying their predominantly white and Asian work forces quickly enough, particularly within high-paying technical and managerial roles. Facebook's latest diversity report, from July, stated that only 3.9 percent of its U.S. employees were Black and 6.3 percent Hispanic." | | HOLLYWOODLAND | | INTERNATIONAL ASPIRATIONS — "WarnerMedia Expects Half of HBO Max Subscribers to Be Outside U.S. by 2025," by the Hollywood Reporter's Etan Vlessing: "HBO Max is set to launch in 60 countries outside the U.S. this year — 39 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean in late June and another 21 territories in Europe in the second half of the year. It's the first foray into international markets for WarnerMedia's streaming platform." — "Inside Woody Allen's Close Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein," by the Daily Beast's Kate Briquelet and Marlow Stern: "The filmmaking legend's abuse allegations are currently being explored in 'Allen v. Farrow.' But he also harbored a tight bond with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein." FROM THE STAPLES CENTER — Full List of Grammy Award winners. | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | | | | MEDIA MATTERS | | END OF AN ERA — "Reflections on a quarter century as opinion leader for The San Francisco Chronicle," by the SF Chronicle's John Diaz: "It's been such a privilege to work with all my colleagues at The Chronicle, past and present, the opinion staffers who made me look good so many times and the folks throughout 901 Mission St. — or, more recently, on Zoom! — whose work inspired me and made me proud to be associated with this organization." | | MIXTAPE | | — "'We are done:' Rally decries wave of anti-Asian hate crimes in the Bay Area," by the Mercury News' Leonardo Castañeda. — " California activist charged in D.C. Capitol riot is honored by Sacramento GOP group," by the Sac Bee's Sam Stanton. — "Woman seen coughing on SF Uber driver in viral video turns herself into police," via KGO. — " After nearly 40 years, man who assassinated Turkish consul in L.A. is getting parole," by the LA Times' Sarah Parvini, Lila Seidman and Tracy Wilkinson. — "Davis police make arrests, seize evidence of EDD fraud, cash, drugs and cars at home," by the Sac Bee's Rosalio Ahumada. — "Miami. Las Vegas. Hawaii. Californians are itching to travel, but what about COVID?" by the SF Chronicle's Annie Vainshtein. — "Catalytic converter thefts skyrocket in California during the pandemic," by the LA Times' Faith E. Pinho. — "Uber bans passenger after racist diatribe against driver reported at LAX," by the LA Times' Alex Wigglesworth. — "Jessica McClintock, influential San Francisco designer who dressed women in calico and lace, dies at 90," by the SF Chronicle's Steve Rubenstein. | | | | A message from American Property Casualty Insurance Association: Individuals just like you save money by buying their auto insurance through groups like unions, clubs, retailers, group memberships, and other associations. These discount programs are called 'affinity group' programs, and California voters approved them at the ballot years ago. Insurance Commissioner Lara is putting these group discounts in jeopardy. While his proposal is well-intentioned, it would eliminate discount programs that save Californians' money.
If insurance companies and groups are restricted or limited from offering discount programs, insurance costs would skyrocket across the state. These new regulations would affect health care workers, teachers, firefighters, veterans, seniors, and other consumers who rely on insurance discounts.
Far too many Californians know the difference that a few hundred dollars can make. These regulations would strip millions of people from savings that they depend on.
Please, tell Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to stand up for Californians and protect our discounts. | | | 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.
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