| | | | |  | | By Dustin Gardiner | Presented by Phenomena Global | | 
Gov. Gavin Newsom will be on host duty at this weekend's Democratic Governors Association meeting in Los Angeles. He's urging Democrats to take a measured approach in speaking about their worries for a second Trump presidency. | Gregory Bull/AP | THE BUZZ: KEEP CALM AND GOVERN — Gov. Gavin Newsom will attempt a political balancing act as he welcomes Democratic governors from around the country to Los Angeles for their annual winter meeting this weekend. It’s a gathering that could quickly become enveloped by anxiety over Trump 2.0 and the country’s rightward shift — but Newsom is going to try to skip the hand-wringing. Instead he plans to project a more measured tone about how to deal with President-elect Donald Trump. Watch for a sober message that acknowledges the threats Trump poses without inducing panic. “He'll say what he's been saying for weeks: We're approaching the new administration with an open hand, not a closed fist,” spokesperson Bob Salladay told Playbook. Then added, “At the same time, we're well aware of our historical differences, and we’re prepared for anything." The Democratic Governors Association members can also seek refuge in policy debates. Newsom might speak on a panel about green energy and battery storage. But there will plenty of time for frank political conversations in private meetings Newsom and other nationally-prominent Democrats like New Jersey’s Phil Murphy and Illinois’ JB Pritzker expect to hold. Newsom’s profile in the weeks since Trump’s victory, as a leading national voice of Democratic resistance, will loom large as he seems to relish going on the offensive against the president-elect more than discussing ways to get along. Just yesterday at the southern border Newsom called Trump’s proposed tariffs a “betrayal” of American consumers and needled the president-elect for going back on a trade deal he helped broker. The potential for cooperating with Trump to develop a trade corridor seemed more of a secondary concern. GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@politico.com and tkatzenberger@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @TylerKatzen. WHERE’S GAVIN? At the Democratic Governors Association winter meeting in LA.
| | A message from Phenomena Global: Fear not—the Cavalry is here, and it’s led by Artists. At Phenomena Global, we ignite movement-making culture by channeling capital into creativity, harnessing the power of entertainment to shape hearts and minds. We bring together cultural icons, media powerhouses and top financiers to design strategies that break norms—delivering not just positive returns, but inspiring purpose-driven impact. This is the rise of Cultural Capitalism for Good. Join the movement. | | | |  | HEALTHCARE | | |  Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Matt Rourke, File/AP Photo | SPILT MILK — The CEO of a raw milk company whose products have been repeatedly pulled from California store shelves is poised to join the Trump administration thanks to ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As our colleague Rachel Bluth reports today, Mark McAfee, CEO of the Fresno-based Raw Farm, says he was asked by RFK Jr.’s former White House running mate to apply for a role at the Food and Drug Administration as a “raw milk adviser.” The company has faced safety recall concerns for years, even before the current national furor over bird flu-contaminated milk. This week, the California Department of Public Health issued its latest voluntary recall against Raw Farm after several batches of raw milk products tested positive for H5N1, or bird flu. McAfee insists the crackdowns are about politics, not safety. | | | | REGISTER NOW: As the 118th Congress ends, major decisions loom, including healthcare appropriations. Key focus: site neutrality. Can aligning hospital and clinic costs cut federal spending, reflect physician costs, and lower patient expenses? Join policymakers and providers to discuss. | | | | | | | ON THE HILL | | |  Rep.-elect Lateefah Simon, a Democrat from Oakland. | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images | IN HER FOOTSTEPS — Lateefah Simon hasn’t yet been sworn in as a member of Congress, but she’s quickly following in the footsteps of her mentor, retiring Rep. Barbara Lee, by becoming a rising progressive star on Capitol Hill. Simon was elected as a vice chair of the nearly 100-member Progressive Caucus on Thursday, a feat for an incoming freshman member. She will soon represent Lee’s district in Oakland, one of the most progressive seats in the country. Simon said she looks “forward to continuing” Lee’s legacy of being an outspoken progressive. | | | | A message from Phenomena Global:   | | | | | SAN FRANCISCO | | | 
San Francisco's skyline. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images | RED RIPPLES — Not even San Francisco, where Vice President Kamala Harris got her start, was immune to the swing toward Trump in November. California — notoriously slow to count ballots — is just now finalizing election results, which show a 4-point shift favoring Trump in the state since the 2020 election. In San Francisco specifically, one of the state’s most Democratic counties, Trump earned about 11 percent more of the vote than in 2020. This is something of a feat for the president-elect. The last Republican president to get more of the vote than in their last election in California was Ronald Reagan in 1984, and he was from California. While Trump did not receive a majority in any precinct in San Francisco, his support was highest in parts of the city with large Asian populations, who shifted even more to the right than they did in 2020, according to a November report from the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle found that ethnicity and education level best predicted vote shifts, with the more Asian and less-educated areas more likely to shift to Trump. Chinatown, as well as the southern and western parts of the city, grew Trump’s vote share by as much as 22 percent. — Greta Reich
| | | | Billions in spending. Critical foreign aid. Immigration reform. The final weeks of 2024 could bring major policy changes. Inside Congress provides daily insights into how Congressional leaders are navigating these high-stakes issues. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | CLIMATE AND ENERGY | | OIL DECISION DELAYED — The California Energy Commission had planned to decide this month whether to impose a first-in-the-nation profit cap on oil refiners. It’s kicking that decision to spring, but Newsom's administration says it isn’t backing down. Learn more in last night’s edition of California Climate.
| | TOP TALKERS | | | | 
Trump appointee David Sacks. | Andrew Caballero-Reyolds/AFP via Getty Images | TECH BROS ASSEMBLE — Trump appointed David Sacks, a wealthy tech tycoon from San Francisco, to serve as the artificial intelligence and crypto czar in his administration, as our colleague Irie Sentner wrote. Sacks, who hosted Trump for a fundraiser at his Pacific Heights mansion earlier this year, has long been a fanboy of the former president. Sacks even spoke at the RNC last summer, using his speech to bash San Francisco as a dystopian failed city. Sacks “will focus on making America the clear global leader” in artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the emerging fields “two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness.”
| | A message from Phenomena Global: Not Resistance, Renaissance.
Phenomena Global unites Hollywood storytelling and Washington strategy to drive bold change through purpose-driven capitalism. Led by Hollywood entertainment leaders and founder Adrian Eng-Gastelum—a fixer for media moguls, artists, philanthropists, and ethical crypto and AI firms—our advisors include global studio executives, top journalists, bipartisan political leaders, a founding Latino Film Institute leader, and Oscar-winning directors. We’re raising capital for 22 projects that include Michelle Rodriguez, Alec Baldwin, Jane Fonda, Ryan Seacrest, and Eva Longoria. | | | NEW RULES — The San Francisco Democratic Party has adopted new guidelines to deal with sexual assault and harassment, a move that comes after a string of scandals involving local political organizers. Party leaders said they would hire an ombudsperson to investigate complaints of misconduct or assault. As the San Francisco Chronicle’s Aldo Toledo reports, the new rules also encourage Democratic clubs to host events that don’t include alcohol. MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN — Billionaire Elon Musk was the sole funder behind a mysterious super PAC that spent millions on ads claiming Trump’s position on abortion was aligned with that of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As our colleague Jessica Piper writes, Musk poured $20.5 million into the group.
| | AROUND THE STATE | | | | 
People walk along Ocean Beach in San Francisco during a tsunami warning on Thursday. | AP | — Here’s why an emergency tsunami warning for residents along the North Coast was so quickly issued and then canceled. (Los Angeles Times) — San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has ditched his plan to find a new City Hall amid a major budget shortfall. (The San Diego Union-Tribune) — A boat with 21 migrants was intercepted off the coastline of Newport Beach, an episode that Mayor Will O’Neill is blaming on California’s sanctuary laws. (The Orange County Register)
| | PLAYBOOKERS | | SPOTTED: DECK THE HALLS — The California State Society held its annual holiday reception last night, returning after a number of years to the Cannon Caucus Room, for an event celebrating the season with the California congressional delegation and staff. SPOTTED: Democratic Reps. Mike Levin, Salud Carbajal, Judy Chu, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Jim Costa, Jimmy Panetta, Kevin Mullins and Republican Rep. Young Kim. Also: Juan Lopez, Jeremy Marcus, Jeremy Tittle, Mark Denim, Rebekah Solem, Robert Edmonson, Kate Kenworthy, Jack Lincoln, Jonathan Gilbert and Sonali Desai. — Cameron Niven is now communications director for Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.). He was previously a regional press secretary at the DNC. STORK ALERT — Rachael Lighty, policy comms and head of HQ2 PR at Amazon, and Alan Butler, associate VP at Morgan Stanley, recently welcomed Emmett Louis Butler, who joins big brother Maxwell. Pic ... Another pic BIRTHDAYS — Janet Fernandez at Elevate Public Affairs … Dana Brisbane … BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Thursday): Jamie McCourt … (was Wednesday): Ryan Kavanaugh ... Jon Fleischman ... Luke Kunin ... Kevin Sussman WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO’s California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form. 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 Rebecca Haase to find out how: rhaase@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 | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment