FIRST THINGS FIRST: Et tu, Elon? The polarizing and pugnacious Tesla CEO announced on Tuesday he would help launch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign for president, set to take place later today in a Twitter Spaces conversation. Elon Musk, who is also the outgoing CEO of Twitter, has been known to rile up his cadre of loyal internet devotees with far-right conspiracy rants on such matters as the Paul Pelosi attack and George Soros — but his apparent support of DeSantis offers a more explicit statement of his politics than ever before. It puts Gov. Gavin Newsom in a bit of an awkward position, considering that he’s been touting Tesla’s return to the state’s business elite as a sign of California’s economic vitality while also specifically targeting DeSantis in his crusade against red state leaders. Asked for comment on the DeSantis/Musk teamup, Newsom’s campaign didn’t get back to us. Someone who’s not holding back? San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener, who sardonically praised the two as “champions of California’s economic recovery,” on Twitter. “While I’ve criticized Elon for running one of my district’s anchor companies into the ground, he & Governor DeSantis deserve credit for the thousands of jobs they’ve brought to CA in recent months,” he said, referencing Florida’s recent falling out with the Walt Disney Co. THE BUZZ: There are few political fights in the West as existential as water. So when the call came from the feds last year to cut back on a key source, California prepared for a brawl. But after months of quiet negotiations and backroom conversations, the states emerged Monday with a deal — one that not only avoids the potential of mutually-assured self-destruction but also positions California as the main beneficiary in an agreement to curtail usage of the jealously-guarded Colorado River. Our colleague Camille von Kaenel got the inside view from Natural Resources Secretary and key negotiator Wade Crowfoot, who described the arduous process that eventually culminated in California, Arizona and Nevada agreeing to use 13 percent less water for the next three years. As Crowfoot told Camille, the mandate from top leaders was unambiguous: “We very much had clear and constructive pressure from our governors to find a solution,” he said. Read the full story here. For centuries, the Colorado River has watered the western United States, allowing for a flourishing population and abundant food supply in a remarkably arid landscape, including in California, where it is the primary water source for the Imperial Valley’s vast agricultural operations. Frequent use and worsening drought in recent years has resulted in two key reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, dropping to near-dead pool levels, and last year prompted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to issue an ultimatum for the states — make a deal to cut back, or we’ll make one for you. Something needed to be done, but no one wanted to do it. Usage between the states is governed by decades-old river law, and efforts to come to an agreement on who would bear the brunt of the cuts stalled and started for months. California got some bad press for coming out in January asserting its senior claim to the river. That only raised the stakes on the situation for Newsom, who risked being ganged up on and outmaneuvered by less influential and economically powerful states that were already casting skeptical glances at California’s concerns. Two factors helped grease the tracks, Camille notes, including the state’s wet winter and, perhaps more meaningfully, the November election of Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who chose cooperation over combat. In the end, California managed to convince its counterparts that a loss would be felt far beyond its borders, where other parts of the country rely on California-grown produce and food products. The agreement, though notable as it is, is only temporary until states begin talks on a more long-term proposal to sustain the river. They’ll have until 2026 to reach a consensus. If it’s anything like the last round of negotiations, they might want to start soon. BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. Democratic assemblymembers are gathering at the Capitol this morning to promote Isaac Bryan’s bill on referendum reform. Assembly Bill 421 is meant to clear up confusion about ballot measures and set regulations for the state’s paid signature gathering industry. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.
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