News: Can Caruso come back?

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Can Caruso come back?

Aug 30, 2022

By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte and Sakura Cannestra

Presented by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West

THE BUZZ: Despite those Hollywood endorsements, some of the drama has gone out of California's marquee mayoral contest.

The clash for control of Los Angeles attracted national attention and tens of millions of dollars ahead of the June primary. The bulk of that money flowed from the bank account of Rick Caruso, the billionaire mall developer who joined the Democratic Party and enlisted a blue chip political team as he sought to vault past initial frontrunner Rep. Karen Bass. Polls finding smog-like malaise afflicting the electorate created an opening for Caruso's message of righting a civic ship adrift.

But then the votes came in. Some prognosticators prematurely read a mood shift in Caruso's election night lead, but that margin evaporated as Bass made up ground amid a broader progressive LA surge. She ended up building up a seven-point lead that allowed her to reclaim the status of favorite heading into a general election matchup.

Caruso finished behind despite his seeming advantages in the primary, where his cash edge and a more-conservative electorate were supposed to buoy his prospects. Now the dynamics have shifted: The Democratic establishment has unified behind Bass, who has picked up both local endorsements and the support of national figures like President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (even as Gov. Gavin Newsom has stayed on the sidelines).

The latest polling cements Bass' status. The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found she'd built a double-digit lead that expands to 21 points when adjusting for the universe of voters who are likely to turn out. Voters had a markedly more favorable view of Bass than they did of Caruso. Meanwhile, the attempt to recall District Attorney George Gascón failed to qualify despite Caruso's support and polling suggesting it would start with a large lead, removing a voter motivator that could have spurred natural Caruso allies to the polls.

All of which has led Angelenos to wonder if Caruso hit his ceiling already. His team said it would be "short-sighted" to extrapolate November's defeat from a second-place June finish. But as POLITICO's Lara Korte and Alexander Nieves report, it may already be too late for Caruso to reinvigorate his campaign.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. All members vote who desire to vote. After all, dozens of them won't be able to this Legislature after the session ends Wednesday, even if they so desire. More below on Monday's big votes.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We want you to wash your children. We even want you to wash your dogs." Assemblymember Laura Friedman on legislation toughening water conservation standards that failed on the Assembly floor.

BONUS QOTD: "McDonald's came into my office and said they'd leave the state or stop franchising in the state. Can we really survive without the golden arches? I mean, think about that for just a second." Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove opposes a bill to regulate fast food industry labor.

TWEET OF THE DAY: LATimes reporter @MackenzieMays on graphic debate over a solitary confinement bill: "a lot of talk about throat slitting happening on the senate floor right now, super casual end of session as usual…"

WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:

Healthcare workers have been through hell during the pandemic. Before the vaccines, as COVID-19 infection and death rates soared, healthcare workers continued to go to work–sometimes without the proper equipment to keep them safe. They put their lives on the line for as little as $15 an hour. They were there for us. Now, it's time we are there for them. Tell lawmakers to increase the minimum wage to $25 for healthcare workers.

TOP TALKERS

LABOR GAINS: Two major union-backed bills advanced to Newsom's desk yesterday: an SEIU-championed measure creating a fast food industry labor regulator cleared both floors by a single vote, surmounting ferocious opposition from the franchise restaurant industry. A United Farm Workers unionization bill that spurred a long march to the Capitol is now en route to Newsom, who has signaled resistance after vetoing last year's version. "I'm hoping the governor, even though we have some disagreements on parts of this, will see his way to signing it," Assemblymember Mark Stone said.

Housing production bills are also bound for the governor. Lawmakers moved quickly after announcing a plan to send Newsom two bills taking different approaches to expedited homebuilding on commercial land — both a measure long supported by the State Building and Construction Trades Council and a bill with less-stringent labor rules that the Trades stopped actively opposing. They also passed a bill easing parking requirements.

One that didn't survive: business-battled legislation to disclose information from defective product settlements fell short on the Assembly floor.

MUSKMANIA — "Silicon Valley's Elite Get Dragged Into Musk-Twitter Trial," by the New York Times' Kate Conver: "So far, lawyers for Twitter and Mr. Musk have issued more than 100 subpoenas, targeting big-name banks (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley), high-profile investors (Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia), well-known advisers, prominent companies that employ Twitter's board members (Salesforce, Mastercard) and members of Mr. Musk's entourage."

— " LAPD officer detained with Crips associate who had gun and drugs, source says," by the Los Angeles Times' Richard Winton and Libor Jany: "Police are investigating not only the officer's actions but also those of his colleagues who detained him, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement to The Times."

CAMPAIGN MODE

PROP 30 OPPO: Ex-Republican mega-donor Bill Oberndorf has dropped $100,000 to fight Proposition 30, which would fund electric vehicle deployment by raising taxes on the rich. Oberndorf was also a top funder of the group backing the Chesa Boudin recall in San Francisco.

— "Facing voter backlash, California Republicans recalibrate their antiabortion stance," by the Los Angeles Times' Jasper Goodman: "But in the two months since the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling overturned Roe vs. Wade, stripping away constitutional protections for abortion, the candidates have been noticeably quiet on the issue. Nationally, Republican candidates in tight races have appeared on the defensive, releasing ads downplaying their antiabortion stances."

— " Tangled Web: How All 3 Nonprofits That Paid DA Brooke Jenkins Have Links to the Chesa Boudin Recall," by the San Francisco Standard's Michael Barba and Matt Smith: "Jenkins began working as a consultant for the nonprofits after quitting her job as a San Francisco assistant district attorney, saying she was going to volunteer as a spokesperson for the recall campaign. One of the nonprofits was registered at the same address, by the same person and with a nearly identical name as the committee behind the recall."

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

HEALTH HANDLINGS — "California will pour money into fight against monkeypox outbreak," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "The emergency spending package was unveiled over the weekend, as part of the state's final budget for the current fiscal year. LGBTQ legislators had called on the state to step up its efforts to combat the outbreak, particularly as many criticize the federal government over its sluggish response to the crisis."

— " After-school care lacking in California's ambitious expansion of transitional kindergarten," by KPBS' Claire Trageser: "After school programs are often run by outside organizations with their own staff, not public schools. Depending on the district and school, these programs may be licensed child care programs that parents pay for, or state funded enrichment and care programs. Either way, there are not enough slots to serve all students."

WILDFIRE FIREWOOD — " As forests go up in smoke, so will California's climate plan," by the Los Angeles Times' Tony Briscoe: "Now, with recent fires having killed more than 13% of all giant sequoias — a species that grows only in California's western Sierra — scientists and officials are growing increasingly concerned that the state is nearing a tipping point in which its forests emit more climate-warming carbon dioxide than they absorb."

— "San Jose Unified discriminated against Christian group that doesn't let LGBTQ students serve as leaders, court rules," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Bob Egelko: "The fellowship had chapters of athletes at three San Jose high schools — Pioneer, Willow Glen and Leland — that were recognized as official student organizations from the early 2000s until 2019, when the district implemented its current discrimination policy and withdrew recognition of all three."

THE SHOW MUST GO ON — "Editorial: Scrap the small stuff, lawmakers ," opines the Los Angeles Times' editorial board: "But California's big problems are harder to address when policymakers and their staff get bogged down with minutia. Too many bills amount to legislative clutter."

A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— "For many with student loans, the interest hurts the most. This congressman would know," by the Los Angeles Times' Arit John: "Forty-three million Americans owe a collective $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt. About $85,400 of that belongs to Eric Swalwell."

SILICON VALLEYLAND

TOKEN TRADING TANKS — "Trading volume on top NFT marketplace OpenSea down 99% since May," by Fortune's Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez: "What was once a red-hot market fueled by FOMO during the crypto bull market of 2021 is now just a trickle, with trading volume on the most popular NFT marketplace, OpenSea, down 99% in just under four months."

HARDSTOP — "Tesla hit with proposed class action over phantom braking issue ," by Reuters' Tom Hals and Hyunjoo Jin: "This adds to growing public and regulatory scrutiny of Tesla's driver assistant technology, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk promising full self-driving by this year-end."

— "Facebook Agrees to Settle 4-Year Lawsuit Over Cambridge Analytica Scandal ," by Gizmodo'sDell Cameron: "Court filings show that, at least in principle, a deal has been struck in San Francisco federal court between lawyers defending the company now called Meta and the two law firms that represent millions of users burned in the 2018 data-privacy disaster now known simply as the Cambridge Analytica scandal."

— " Inside 'crypto Woodstock,' where technologists plot a utopian future," by the Washington Post's Taylor Lorenz: "Despite this dim outlook, over 500 people recently took over the campus of Idyllwild Arts Academy, a private arts boarding school in Idyllwild, Calif., for a weekend festival that local media deemed to be the 'crypto Woodstock.'"

INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

HOLLYWOODLAND

— "Months after that slap, Chris Rock says he turned down hosting the Oscars next year," by the Los Angeles Times' Josh Rottenberg: "Referencing the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, Rock told the crowd at Arizona Financial Theatre that going back to the awards ceremony would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson 'to go back to the restaurant' where she left her eyeglasses before being killed."

MEDIA MATTERS

— Maggie Angst is now covering politics for the Sac Bee, coming over from the East Bay Times.

MIXTAPE

PLAYING KETCHUP — "Bay Area highway littered with tomatoes after truck spill," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Jessica Flores.

— "'Sickened': Antisemitic banners prompt investigation by UC Davis campus police," by the Sacramento Bee's Michael McGough.

— " Get ready for Southern California's hottest and longest heat wave of the year," by the Los Angeles Times' Alexandra E. Petri.

— "Scientists are listening to blue whales off California's coast. Here's what their songs reveal ," by the Los Angeles Times' Tara Duggan and Yoohyun Jung.

A message from SEIU United Healthcare Workers West:

During the height of the pandemic, with COVID-19 infections and deaths on the rise, schools and businesses across California were closing. But healthcare workers continued to go to work, risking their lives to care for their patients. Even when protective equipment was scarce and there were no vaccines to slow the spread, they showed up for us and our communities. For many healthcare workers, they put their lives on the line for as little as $15 an hour.

These heroes deserve better. Together, we can make a difference. Contact your state lawmakers. Tell them to increase the minimum wage to $25 an hour for California's healthcare workers.

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