California Policy and Politics Friday

Updating . . .

Ride-hail companies like Uber and Lyft won a major battle in California — but a bigger fight looms -- The Biden administration’s Labor Department has adopted regulations that could classify some, or perhaps all, of the drivers as employees under federal law, entitling them to benefits not available to contractors. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Another Bay Area tech company plans to move headquarters to Texas -- A Verily spokesperson confirmed the relocation to the Chronicle but stressed that the company would maintain a presence in the Bay Area, alongside offices in Boston and Raleigh, N.C. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Gavin Newsom urges Oakland leaders to allow more police chases -- The announcement comes just two weeks after he deployed a surge of California Highway Patrol officers to patrol high-crime areas in the city. Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Wildfire

California's largest wildfire this year explodes by tens of thousands of acres -- The blaze, which state fire officials said was caused by arson, had torched more than 178,000 acres of Butte and Tehama counties as of Friday morning, according to Cal Fire reports. Jill Tucker, Maggie Angst, Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

California’s largest wildfire doubles in size to 164,000 acres, shows explosive growth -- The growth of the fire over two days amid steady winds and hot temperatures has been dramatic, with its remote location making it difficult to fight. It was listed at 164,286 acres Friday morning and 3% contained. Grace Toohey, Hayley Smith and Joseph Serna in the Los Angeles Times$ Dominic Fracassa, Maggie Angst in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Rare fire tornado probably observed in Park Fire near Chico -- As the Park Fire raged Thursday evening, it appears to have spawned a somewhat rare phenomenon, a fire tornado. Just before 6 p.m. Thursday, rotation in the fire plume was picked up by Alert California cameras and was also detected on radar. Greg Porter in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Macy fire gains ferocity, threatening homes near Lake Elsinore -- A fast-moving fire near Lake Elsinore on Thursday has forced the evacuation of dozens of homes and consumed more than 130 acres, according to Cal Fire. Corinne Purtill in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/25/24

Lake County fire prompts evacuation warnings -- The fire, dubbed the Acorn Fire, started at 12:55 p.m. in the community of Upper Lake along Acorn Drive, just east of Highway 20. As of 3:40 p.m., Cal Fire reported the fire to be 151 acres and 0% contained, but smoke from the fire was significantly decreasing after a large plume in the early afternoon. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Insurance

New agreement limits what policyholders would pay to bail out California’s ‘insurer of last resort’ -- On Friday, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced an agreement with the FAIR Plan that would increase the coverage limit for commercial properties it insures and also clarify what happens if a catastrophic fire leaves the insurer unable to pay all of its claims on its own. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

California’s insurance commissioner isn’t sure when the insurance crisis will end, but he has hope -- It’s been nearly five years since California’s home insurance crisis began, and even Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara isn’t sure when it will end, but he says there are signs of hope. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Is this the solution to California’s soaring insurance price due to wildfire risk? -- The insurance industry will soon have the ability to use wildfire models when setting rates. Homeowners in high risk areas already know how these models have made policies hard to get and hard to afford. Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24

Workplace

Major California wine company will lay off its entire workforce -- Major California wine conglomerate Vintage Wine Estates, which announced Wednesday it has filed for bankruptcy, plans a “mass layoff” of all of its employees, according to government filings. Jess Lander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Top of the Ticket

Republicans are already souring on JD Vance -- JD Vance has had a difficult week, and some Republicans aren’t hiding their frustration. Irie Sentner and Jared Mitovich Politico -- 7/26/24

Barack and Michelle Obama endorse Kamala Harris, giving her expected but crucial support -- The endorsement, announced Friday in a video showing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple, comes as Harris builds momentum as their party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse his second-in-command against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump. Bill Barrow Associated Press -- 7/26/24

Spaceman, Senator, V.P. Pick? Kamala Harris Sizes Up Mark Kelly -- The Arizona senator, a Navy veteran and former astronaut, has an almost impossibly strong political résumé. But an overlooked asset is his expertise on the Southern border. Jonathan Weisman and Jazmine Ulloa in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

Garofoli: Most of Kamala Harris’ top VP candidates are white men. It’s the ultimate DEI hire -- When Barack Obama, then a young, first-term senator, locked up the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, his campaign felt it needed to balance the ticket: He needed someone older — preferably with foreign policy gravitas — and yes, someone white. Enter Joe Biden. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/26/24

Kamala Harris spent her political career supporting immigrants. As Vice President, it got more complicated -- Kamala Harris didn’t want to take on the immigration portfolio as vice president in the Biden White House, an unwinnable assignment that she never fully embraced. Kate Linthicum, Andrea Castillo, Patrick J. McDonnell and Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24

‘Kamala the cop’ or ‘soft as Charmin’? Rival narratives about Harris’ crime record could shape the election -- The GOP is trying to rebrand Harris, from aggressive prosecutor to effete San Francisco liberal. But her campaign is also leaning into the former district attorney’s resume. Dustin Gardiner and Myah Ward Politico -- 7/26/24

Deep-blue California is a piggy bank for Kamala Harris — and Donald Trump. How they’re trying to cash in -- Kamala Harris is bringing back Democratic donors who soured on President Biden. Donald Trump is counting on V.P. pick JD Vance to raise money in Silicon Valley. Yue Stella Yu CalMatters -- 7/26/24

Harris makes a forceful case for Israel-Gaza cease-fire after Netanyahu meeting -- Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in private Thursday and followed it with a strikingly forceful call on his government to get a cease-fire deal done and ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza. Myah Ward and Jonathan Lemire Politico Peter Baker in the New York Times$ Tyler Pager and John Hudson in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/24

Harris Narrows Gap Against Trump, Times/Siena Poll Finds -- In a survey taken after President Biden stepped aside, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are locked in a tight race separated by a single percentage point among likely voters. Shane Goldmacher, Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

A Lot of Major Shifts Beneath the Surface in a New Trump-Harris Poll -- The changes among groups cancel out for now, and Trump leads narrowly, but there’s a tie when candidates like Kennedy Jr. are considered. Nate Cohn in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

Harris says she’s ‘ready’ to debate Trump in September, accusing him of ‘backpedaling’ -- Vice President Kamala Harris said on Thursday that she’s “ready to debate Donald Trump,” agreeing to the Sept. 10 date previously set to be hosted by ABC News. Myah Ward Politico -- 7/26/24

Now Facing Harris, Trump Backs Off Commitment to Debate in September -- Advisers to former President Donald J. Trump said they would not commit to another debate, one they had already agreed to participate in, now that the Democrats have changed candidates from President Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris. Maggie Haberman and Shane Goldmacher in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

Harris Touts Tough-on-Crime Image That Was Once a Liability -- Kamala Harris’s rise from California prosecutor to vice president mixed progressive reforms with law-enforcement cooperation. Jim Carlton and Zusha Elinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/26/24

The Kamala Harris Vibe Shift -- For many Democrats, a race that felt like a dispiriting slog suddenly feels light. Even hopeful. Jess Bidgood in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

Polls show some good early signs for Kamala Harris -- There are indications she has gained among some key groups. But the race remains close -- and stubbornly so. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/24

Trump struggles to find line of attack against Harris: ‘They are literally grasping at straws’ -- As Republicans rev up their anti-Kamala Harris campaign, they’re having a hard time finding a consistent line of attack. Irie Sentner and Jared Mitovich Politico -- 7/26/24

Trump botches Kamala Harris’s first name, again and again and again -- Harris’s supporters accuse Trump and other prominent Republicans of intentionally bungling the pronunciation or using it as a racist dog whistle. Meryl Kornfield in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/24

Harris, Trump take fresh aim at each other as presidential race enters post-Biden phase -- Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump entered a new phase of the presidential race on the morning after an Oval Office speech in which President Biden formally bowed out — each taking new aim at the other as they sprint toward November. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24

Future Forward launches a $50 million pre-convention ad blitz for Harris -- The ad backup counters a short-term advantage that Republicans have had in ad spending in swing states since Sunday. Michael Scherer in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/24

Vance Denigrated Harris for Being Childless. Her Blended Family Is Defending Her -- JD Vance’s 2021 insult of “childless cat ladies” has sparked bipartisan outrage at a moment when women’s choices are seen as a galvanizing political force. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

Inside JD Vance’s Short-Lived Career as a Venture Capitalist -- Five years, three firms, two SPAC deals and a bankruptcy are the hallmarks of his stint in the tech industry. Angel Au-Yeung in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/24

In Vance’s ‘Hillbilly’ home, his story rings true — but not always his message -- JD Vance shaped his image in his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” about his roots in rural Kentucky. Many there question his theories about the White working class. Michael Kranish in the Washington Post$ -- 7/26/24

The Evolution of Usha Vance -- An accomplished Yale-educated lawyer, she has left her job at a top firm as she adjusts to the life of a high-profile political spouse. Joseph Bernstein and Katherine Rosman in the New York Times$ -- 7/26/24

Education

Newsom set an ambitious goal to launch 500,000 Californians into new careers. Many are firefighters -- In his 2018 campaign, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would create 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. So far, the state has registered more than 180,000 new apprenticeships. Many of them are firefighters. Adam Echelman CalMatters -- 7/26/24

Street

Advisor to L.A. County district attorney pleads not guilty to 11 felonies over use of sheriff’s records -- A lawyer for Diana Teran, a top aide to L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón, argued in court that she had committed no crimes when she flagged several sheriff’s deputies’ names for possible inclusion on a list of problem officers. Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24

LAPD officer pleads no contest to falsely identifying people as gang members -- Prosecutors alleged Braxton Shaw falsified dozens of interview cards that police fill out while in the field, labeling as gang members 43 people who had made no such admission or had outright denied affiliation. Some of those people ended up in a state gang database. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24

Also

Walters: California has seen many towns created, but as population drops a big project has stalled -- When California emerged from its colonial beginnings nearly two centuries ago and began coalescing into a distinct society, its towns and villages tended to be located either on navigable rivers, such as Sacramento, or around the 21 missions that Spanish explorer priests had established, such as San Diego. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 7/26/24

‘Get out of here!’ Pair of TikTok videos reignite debate over access to California beaches -- A pair of TikTok videos that show homeowners blocking off beaches in Malibu and Laguna Beach from the public have sparked a social media frenzy — though it was not immediately clear if any laws were broken. Noah Goldberg and Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24

Lopez: Inside a robotaxi, throwing caution -- and logic-- to the wind -- Despite some trepidation -- and fear of mishaps -- these seniors rejected human drivers and climbed into driverless cars. What happened next may surprise you. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/26/24