California Policy and Politics Friday

Updating . . .

Vice President Kamala Harris to Speak With Major Democratic Donors -- Vice President Kamala Harris is set to address a network of major Democratic donors on short notice Friday afternoon, according to two people invited to the call. Theodore Schleifer in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/24

Biden inner circle shifts ‘moment to moment’ as defections grow -- Joe Biden’s campaign chair insisted on Friday that the president is remaining in the race even as the cascade of Democratic defections continue. Adam Cancryn, Jonathan Lemire and Eli Stokols Politico -- 7/19/24

The Roots of Biden’s Defiance: Anger, Fear, Pride and Regret -- President Biden is still bitter about feeling pushed out of the 2016 race by Democratic elites in favor of Hillary Clinton. Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/24

Massive global tech outage affecting SFO, with United flights heavily impacted -- The Bay Area woke up on Friday morning to a global tech outage that has brought airports, businesses and services around the world to a standstill. The outage has been attributed to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company whose software is used to protect millions of computers and networks. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Joseph Serna, Libor Jany and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

How a software error melted down the world’s computer systems -- Digital services rely on a handful of companies’ software-- including those of Microsoft and CrowdStrike that sparked a global technology meltdown. Shira Ovide in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/24

California is a battleground for AI bills, as Trump plans to curb regulation -- With the GOP pledging free rein for the new technology and action in Congress stalled, Sacramento is pushing plans to put guardrails on AI. Gerrit De Vynck, Cat Zakrzewski and Nitasha Tiku in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/24

Barabak, Chabria: Trump’s speech was a dud. What does that mean for his campaign? -- More a Trump tribute than political convening, the Republican National Convention closed out Thursday with an hourlong speech from The Don full of lies, ramblings and ego. Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Garofoli: Donald Trump could have put the race away with his RNC speech. Instead, he blew it back open -- If Donald Trump had ended his speech accepting the Republican Party presidential nomination after 25 minutes Thursday, it would have been lauded as the dawn of a new Trump, remade by his near-death experience six days earlier dodging an assassin’s bullet. Humble. Poignant. Religious. Grateful. But Trump didn’t stop. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/24

 

What Kamala Harris’ record in California tells us about her political future -- No understanding of Vice President Kamala Harris is complete without her California origin story. Melanie Mason, Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte Politico -- 7/19/24

11 Days in July: Inside the All-Out Push to Save the Biden Campaign -- President Biden has repeatedly tried to erase the concerns over his age and mental acuity. But nothing has changed the narrative. Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/24

Top Democrats Prepare for Campaign Without Biden -- Some said it was a matter of when—not if—the president bows out of the 2024 race as new data showed him losing in a landslide. Annie Linskey, Emily Glazer and Tarini Parti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/19/24

Biden ‘absolutely’ still in race despite speculation he is preparing to withdraw, campaign chair says -- President Biden is “absolutely” in the race for a second term, his campaign leader said Friday, beating back growing speculation that he is preparing to withdraw because of concerns from fellow Democrats that he cannot win the race and may be incapable of serving a second term. Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

A month that upended the campaign leaves Trump in his strongest position yet -- Republicans are united coming out of their convention, while Democrats are divided over the fate of President Biden’s candidacy. Dan Balz in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/24

 

Gavin Newsom is ‘all in’ for Biden as defections grow. He’s playing the ‘long game’ -- A growing number of Democrats are saying President Biden can’t win and should step aside. But California’s governor is standing steadfastly behind him — and that could boost Newsom’s future political prospects. Alexei Koseff CalMatters -- 7/19/24

Democratic delegates erupt over Biden’s nomination in private chats -- Messages shared between Democratic delegates and activists in California, the biggest and one of the bluest states, lay bare the infighting over their nominee’s fitness for a presidential run. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 7/19/24

Silicon Valley tech giants urge Gov. Newsom to veto new social media safety laws -- Fans say bills protect kids from online harm, tech lobby says they violate 1st Amendment. Clara Harter in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/19/24

 

These California counties endured the nation’s longest streaks of excessive heat -- As a second July heat wave is expected to broil the state, officials warn that the dangerous and dire consequences of extreme heat events are expected to only worsen — in length and severity — in a warming climate. Grace Toohey and Sandhya Kambhampati in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Inside the Sheriff Department’s secretive investigation into oversight officials -- A look inside former Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s multi-year investigation shows investigators relentlessly pursued a probe focused on supposedly stolen records and document leaks. Alene Tchekmedyian and Keri Blakinger in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

With new California ban on outing trans kids, what happens in these Placer County schools? -- Earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that would bar California school districts from implementing parental notification policies that “out” transgender students to their parents. Jenavieve Hatch in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 7/19/24

Rep. Maxine Waters seeks to stop ‘ridiculous’ $2-billion SoFi transit project ahead of Olympics -- Blasting a $2-billion people mover that would link SoFi Stadium to one of Los Angeles’ newest rail lines, Rep. Maxine Waters is on a mission to halt a project she called “ridiculous.” Rachel Uranga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Workplace

Bay Area adds jobs in June, but tech-dependent regions lose workers -- The Bay Area posted sturdy job gains in June, primarily due to an upswing in the East Bay that was offset by employment losses in the region’s tech-dependent urban centers, the South Bay and San Francisco. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/19/24

Disneyland workers cast ballots in strike authorization vote -- Disneyland workers are participating this week in a strike authorization vote amid contract negotiations with Disney. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Judge grants Wonderful’s request for temporary halt to UFW effort to unionize company’s workers -- After more than a month of deliberation, a Kern County Superior Court judge has sided with Wonderful Co. and issued a preliminary injunction that will temporarily halt a contentious bargaining process between the agricultural giant and the state’s largest farmworker union. Melissa Gomez and Rebecca Plevin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Hollywood crew members ratify new IATSE contract -- Film and TV crew members have ratified a new three-year contract with the entertainment companies after a relatively smooth bargaining period on the heels of two major Hollywood strikes. Christi Carras in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Saks

Saks Fifth Avenue in S.F.’s Union Square switches to ‘appointment only’ shopping, announces layoffs -- Representatives of the posh department store chain, which is headquartered in New York, informed employees at the Union Square location at 384 Post St. that, effective Aug. 28, the store will be converting its operations to “appointment only.” Laura Waxmann in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/24

Homeless

Mayor Breed says ‘very aggressive’ sweep of S.F. homeless encampments will launch in August -- The mayor’s comments — made during an election debate hosted by the firefighter’s union — come about three weeks after the Supreme Court granted cities broad power to evict unhoused people from encampments. Maggie Angst, Elizabeth Wilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/24

UC regents approve $1.5 billion plan to improve crucial Oakland children’s hospital -- The University of California Board of Regents approved a $1.5 billion plan on Thursday to expand UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland that will double the safety net facility’s emergency department space and triple the number of single-patient hospital rooms. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/24

EV

Statewide EV sales growth sees a drop. Tesla, once a California darling, hit hard -- After years of rapid expansion, electric vehicles sales growth in California trended down in the middle of last year and now has turned negative: 101,443 all-electric cars were registered in the state in 2024’s second quarter, down from 102,730 in the second quarter of 2023, a drop of 1.2%. Russ Mitchell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Street

After nearly 18 years in prison for L.A. murder he didn’t commit, man gets $907,340 -- Serving a life sentence for a murder he did not commit, Jofama Coleman studiously avoided calendars. It was just too upsetting to contemplate the passage of months and then years deprived of freedom and separated from his young daughter. Harriet Ryan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

White supremacist leader’s Berkeley rioting charges reinstated by appeals court -- A federal appeals court reinstated rioting charges Thursday against the leader of a white-supremacist group and one of his followers for violence in Berkeley and three other cities in 2017, rejecting a judge’s conclusion that prosecutors had unfairly targeted them while sparing their left-wing antagonists. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/24

One-legged S.F. inmate wins case alleging excessive force by jail guards -- San Francisco jail guards used excessive force against a one-legged inmate who was taken out of his wheelchair and fell while being forced to hop to another cell, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/19/24

Top of the Ticket

Trump Struggles to Turn the Page on ‘American Carnage’ -- On the last night of the G.O.P. convention on Thursday, Donald J. Trump promised to bridge political divides, and then returned to delighting in deepening them. Lisa Lerer and Michael C. Bender in the New York Times$ Alex Leary, John McCormick and Vivian Salama in the Wall Street Journal$ Isaac Arnsdorf and Josh Dawsey in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/24

People Close to Biden Say He Appears to Accept He May Have to Leave the Race -- One person familiar with President Biden’s thinking cautioned that he had not yet made up his mind to leave the race, after three weeks of insisting that almost nothing would drive him out. Michael D. Shear, Peter Baker and Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/24

Kamala Harris allies prepare her defense -- Allies of Kamala Harris are engaged in a delicate, behind-the-scenes effort to make sure the vice president moves to the top of the ticket if President Joe Biden steps aside, according to five people involved in the project or with knowledge of the discussions. Eugene Daniels Politico -- 7/19/24

Why some Silicon Valley investors are backing the Trump-Vance campaign -- For many years, Republicans and ardent supporters of former President Trump haven’t been super popular in Silicon Valley circles. Wendy Lee, Laura J. Nelson and Hannah Wiley in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/19/24

Biden’s Support From Big Donors Is Said to Plummet -- The president’s support from major donors in July is on track to raise half of its June amount if he remains in the race, according to four people briefed on his campaign’s finances. Reid J. Epstein and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/24

Top Democrats Prepare for Campaign Without Biden -- Some said it was a matter of when—not if—the president bows out of the 2024 race as new data showed him losing in a landslide. Annie Linskey, Emily Glazer and Tarini Parti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/19/24

Tester, vulnerable Senate Democrat, says Biden should end his campaign -- Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Thursday became the second Senate Democrat to publicly urge President Joe Biden to step down as the party’s presidential nominee. Jordain Carney and Ursula Perano Politico -- 7/19/24

Sharpton Says He Told Biden That Staying in Race Could Imperil His Legacy -- The message of the call, which Rev. Al Sharpton said took place on Monday, represents a break from the solid core of support influential Black leaders have shown toward President Biden. Reid J. Epstein in the New York Times$ -- 7/19/24

Trump allies begin eyeing a new battlefield if Biden drops out -- As Trump aides gathered in the Trade Hotel adjacent to the Fiserv Forum, they speculated about who Vice President Kamala Harris could pick as her vice presidential nominee if she replaces Biden on the ticket. Alex Isenstadt, Olivia Beavers and Megan Messerly Politico -- 7/19/24

Pelosi has told House Democrats that Biden may soon be persuaded to exit race -- The former House speaker has stepped up her behind-the-scenes role in working to persuade the president to bow out of the campaign. Marianna Sotomayor, Jacqueline Alemany and Paul Kane in the Washington Post$ -- 7/19/24