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A Snapshot of California Public Policy and Politics
   
 
 
 

California Policy and Politics Sunday

Updating . . .

Biden stands down -- July 21, 2024, 1:56 p.m ET.

Barabak: Democratic hopes now rest on Kamala Harris. Is the vice president up to the job? -- Suddenly, Kamala Harris is Democrats’ last best hope to prevent a Trump restoration and the complete MAGA takeover of Washington. It’s a prospect that thrills some fellow Democrats and terrifies others. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/24

Biden endorses Harris as Democratic presidential nominee -- President Biden endorsed Vice President Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said in a post shared on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” Biden made the endorsement moments after announcing that he would no longer seek the Democratic nomination for president. Mariana Alfaro in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/24

Biden’s decision throws the 2024 race into disarray. Here’s the latest -- President Biden, 81, abandoned his bid for re-election and threw the 2024 presidential contest into chaos on Sunday, caving to relentless pressure from his closest allies to drop out of the race amid deep concerns that he is too old and frail to defeat former President Donald J. Trump. Michael D. Shear in the New York Times$ Patrick Svitek and Toluse Olorunnipa in the Washington Post$ Erin Doherty Axios Andrew Restuccia in the Wall Street Journal$ Faith E. Pinho in the Los Angeles Times$ Joe Garofoli, Shira Stein, Sara Libby in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Elena Schneider Politico Colleen Long, Zeke Miller and Darlene Superville in the New York Times$ -- 7/21/24

What happens next now that Biden has dropped out? -- The next nominee must begin locking down the endorsements of delegates. Zach Montellaro and Steven Shepard Politico -- 7/21/24

Is Gavin Newsom a presidential contender? Here’s what he’s said about running -- Newsom has previously said he would not challenge Harris for the nomination if Biden stepped down. He was asked earlier this month whether he still felt that way. “Of course,” he told reporters at a July 10 event. “Yes.” Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/21/24

Harris in driver’s seat for presidential nomination, Biden endorses her -- Several recent polls show Harris is now in close striking distance, within one or two percentage points, in a head-to-head matchup against former President Trump. Noah Bierman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/24

 

Millions of Californians live near oil and gas wells that are in the path of wildfires -- As firefighters continue to battle more than two dozen active wildfires in California, new research has found that millions of people are living in close proximity to oil and gas wells that are in the potential path of flames. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/24

Ridge Fire near Clear Lake blows up to 2,500 acres, with evacuations ordered and buildings threatened -- The 2,500-acre wildfire Ridge Fire that broke out Saturday afternoon east of Clear Lake is threatening approximately 50 buildings as it spreads rapidly northeast. Ida Mojadad in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/21/24

Excessive heat warnings in effect for desert and mountain communities in Southern California -- An excessive heat warning was issued Saturday for Southern California’s inland and desert communities, with triple-digit temperatures forecast through next week, bringing an elevated fire risk to some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/24

With a sweeping blueprint for its future, San Diego acknowledges the lasting imprint of segregation — and seeks to reverse it -- The changes, scheduled for a City Council vote on Tuesday, would be the first major amendments to the city’s general plan since 2008. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/21/24

Families look back on legacy of Port Chicago, fight for exoneration at Concord commemoration -- One hour meant the difference between life and death for Morris Soublet Sr., a 22-year-old sailor assigned during World War II to load ammunition at Port Chicago, a remote naval base constructed between Martinez and Pittsburg in Contra Costa County. Katie Lauer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/21/24

Housing

Builders say city impact fees hinder new housing. A recent Supreme Court ruling may give developers more power to fight them -- Impact fees can add thousands of dollars onto a new home. Developers say they’re keeping projects from penciling out. Kate Talerico in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/21/24

Top of the Ticket

Manchin calls on Biden to withdraw from race -- The West Virginia senator also called on having an open process for picking his successor. Mia McCarthy Politico -- 7/21/24

For Biden, a Decision to Step Aside Would Raise Another Question -- As President Biden grapples with the possibility of dropping his bid for re-election, a secondary question looms: Should he endorse his own vice president as the nominee? Peter Baker in the New York Times$ -- 7/21/24

How Democrats would pick a new candidate if Biden drops out, step by step -- If President Biden decides to stop running for reelection, Democratic delegates will be free to pick a new nominee, possibly at an open convention in Chicago in August. Bonnie Berkowitz, Szu Yu Chen and Adrián Blanco in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/24

Republicans could file challenges if Biden replaced, Speaker Johnson says -- House Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated Sunday that any attempt by Democrats to sub in a new candidate in place of President Joe Biden is likely to be met by legal challenges. David Cohen Politico -- 7/21/24

The mood in Washington over Biden: Fear, sadness and looking for an escape hatch -- Alarmed group texts that buzz with the latest news. Rank-and-file staff dusting off resumes. A desperate rush to finish top initiatives before the clock runs out. Liz Crampton, Zack Colman, Meredith Lee Hill, Robin Bravender, Daniel Payne and Declan Harty Politico -- 7/21/24

A Week After Shooting, Trump Leaves Unity Behind and Returns to Insults and Election Denial -- A week after an assassination attempt led him to call for unity, former President Donald J. Trump returned to the campaign trail, lashing out at his rivals and claiming persecution. Michael Gold and Simon J. Levien in the New York Times$ Dylan Wells and Hannah Knowles in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/24

GOP’s June fundraising surges as Trump surpasses Biden in cash -- The party’s strongest month in years comes as a growing number of Democrats are calling on Biden to drop out in the wake of a politically devastating debate performance. Maeve Reston and Clara Ence Morse in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/24

Kamala Harris’ tough job: Boosting Biden while chatter around her swirls -- Vice President Kamala Harris had the unenviable job Saturday of asking high-dollar donors in this exceedingly liberal slice of Cape Cod to keep contributing to President Joe Biden’s joint fundraising committee, even as questions swirl about whether he will even continue to be a candidate. Lisa Kashinsky and Kelly Garrity Politico Abbie Cheeseman and Maegan Vazquez in the Washington Post$ -- 7/21/24

Trump Campaign Prepares Attack Plan for Harris in Case Biden Withdraws -- The effort, which includes expansive advertising and polling, assumes that the vice president would be the most likely candidate to replace the president at the top of the Democratic ticket. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 7/21/24

Christian Conservatives March Ahead for God, for Country, and for Trump -- Donald Trump’s followers see more than a man divinely saved from a bullet. They see the rescue of a nation. Elizabeth Dias in the New York Times$ -- 7/21/24

Abcarian: This is among the most consequential lies Trump and Republicans are telling women voters -- When it comes to abortion, Republicans are doing nothing less than gaslighting America. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/24

Why politics could be affecting car sales in California -- Inflation and high interest rates are weighing down sales of new cars and trucks across California, but some industry analysts and dealers suspect another factor is quickly coming into play — anxiety about the upcoming presidential election. Rob Nikolewski in the Orange County Register -- 7/21/24

Also

Carmel-by-the-Sea, a town with no addresses, says the time has come to add house numbers -- The moneyed little town, where homes and businesses have no street addresses, soon will have numbers assigned to its buildings, forgoing a cherished local tradition after too many complaints about lost packages, trouble setting up utilities and banking accounts, and other problems. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/21/24

When Summer Heats Up, Dive Into a Refreshing…100 Degree Pool? -- When David Givot and his family moved to a new house in California’s arid Coachella Valley several years ago, they were thrilled that it came with a pool. And then came summer. Harriet Torry in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/21/24

 

California Policy and Politics Saturday

Updating . . .

More Democrats are calling on Biden to ‘pass the torch’ to Kamala Harris -- Rep. Mark Takano joined the growing chorus of Democrats calling on President Joe Biden to step aside as the party’s presidential nominee — with several voicing strong support for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him. Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing Politico -- 7/20/24

Democratic donors funding an effort to vet potential VP candidates -- The effort to vet potential running mates, should Biden exit and Harris become the nominee, is independent of the Biden campaign. Tyler Pager, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Michael Scherer, Toluse Olorunnipa and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/24

Trump Campaign Prepares Attack Plan for Harris in Case Biden Withdraws -- The effort, which includes expansive advertising and polling, assumes that the vice president would be the most likely candidate to replace the president at the top of the Democratic ticket. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

‘Can she win?’: Why Kamala Harris can’t shake doubts about her political future -- Major reasons Democrats are concerned about tapping Vice President Kamala Harris should President Joe Biden step aside stem from polling and her failed 2020 presidential bid. Jeremy B. White and Eugene Daniels Politico -- 7/20/24

California Democrats are rallying around Donald Trump for this reason -- The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has revived efforts in California to let candidates spend more money on their own security. Eric He Politico -- 7/20/24

Times reporter was leaked list of problem deputies. The Sheriff’s Department investigated her -- Under former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, detectives secretly investigated and urged the state attorney general to prosecute a Los Angeles Times reporter who wrote on a leaked list of problem deputies. Keri Blakinger and Alene Tchekmedyian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/24

L.A. County Superior Court hit by ransomware attack, believed to be unrelated to CrowdStrike outage -- The Los Angeles County Superior Court system was hit by a ransomware attack Friday morning, prompting officials to disable network systems through at least the weekend. Andrew Khouri in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/24

S.F. nonprofits give foil and pipes to fentanyl users. Critics say it’s making drug crisis worse -- Health experts say that giving out equipment to users, whether it’s foil or clean needles for injection, is an important part of keeping users safe and getting them connected to long-term treatment. Carolyn Stein in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/24

Inglewood’s $2 billion people mover loses funding in U.S. House budget -- Rep. Maxine Waters persuades key committee to remove $200 billion from the project, but Mayor James T. Butts Jr is confident the funds will be restored. Jason Henry in the Orange County Register -- 7/20/24

Wildfire

PG&E could cut power in these 2 Bay Area counties this weekend -- Some PG&E customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties could see their power switched off Saturday and Sunday as part of the utility’s efforts to lessen the risk of its equipment starting a wildfire. Dominic Fracassa in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Caelyn Pender in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/20/24

Cal Fire: Lawn mower caused massive French fire near Yosemite -- Cal Fire announced Thursday the origin of the 908-acre fire near Yosemite: improper lawn mower use. Cameron Duran in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/20/24

Water

California reservoir levels dropped by billions of gallons in July -- From July 1-18, about 4.1 billion gallons of water evaporated from California’s biggest reservoir, Shasta Lake. This loss highlights challenges water managers face not just this summer, but in a hotter, drier future with a thirstier atmosphere. Jack Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/24

Workplace

Southern California’s jobs picture is improving; glimmer of hope seen in Hollywood employment -- Still, at 5.2%, the state’s jobless rate is tied with Nevada for the highest in the country; the national unemployment figure averaged 4.1% last month. But with 22,500 jobs added over the month, California is on pace with the rest of the nation. Don Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/24

The White-Collar Hiring Rut Is Here. That’s Bad News for Young College Grads -- After a pandemic boom, hiring is down for jobs that require a bachelor’s degree. ‘These companies just got way, way too bloated.’ Vanessa Fuhrmans and Ray A. Smith in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/20/24

Homeless

San Diego is about to lose more than 700 shelter beds. A plan to help plug the hole is controversial -- The reasons for the losses are legion — some properties are set to be redeveloped, others face the end of their permits — but all will further strain a system that regularly turns away people asking for help. Blake Nelson, Noah Lyons in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 7/20/24

Homeless paradise on Oakland beach to meet its end after worries over trash and access -- For the past four years, a small settlement of shanties and recreational vehicles has had a stunning view of the bay, nestled along a pristine beach just to the north of the Bay Bridge toll plaza. But that is all expected to come to a noisy end with bulldozers and police on Tuesday. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/24

Top of the Ticket

Biden family grapples with pressure on their patriarch to step aside -- Family members seek to provide private support while confronting a new level of scrutiny amid Democratic calls for Biden to end his candidacy. Matt Viser in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/24

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris or Someone Else? The Convention Rules Might Decide -- It’s been decades since America last witnessed an actual contested convention, so it’s easy to forget something important as Democrats barrel toward a possible convention fight next month: The most intense — and critical — battles almost always happened before any ballots were cast for the candidates. Jeff Greenfield Politico -- 7/20/24

Wall Street’s Masters of the Universe Are Masters of None in 2024 Race -- Mr. Vance, a harsh critic of corporate interests and a former venture capitalist, solidified a feeling in the world of high finance that the balance of power in the party had suddenly shifted westward to Silicon Valley. Maureen Farrell and Rob Copeland in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Pelosi voiced support for an open nomination process if Biden drops out -- Some California House Democrats don’t want the process to replace the president on the ticket to seem like a Kamala Harris coronation. Sarah Ferris and Christopher Cadelago Politico Annie Karni and Robert Jimison in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Call With Harris Struggles to Reassure Major Democratic Donors -- On a call, Vice President Kamala Harris told about 300 donors that there was little to worry about. Several listeners said they found the call to have little value. Theodore Schleifer and Lisa Lerer in the New York Times$ Eugene Daniels and Elena Schneider Politico -- 7/20/24

Twelve more Democrats, including two senators, call on Biden to drop out -- The calls on Friday for Biden to abandon his reelection bid from a growing number of lawmakers came as the campaign said he is “absolutely” not dropping out. Toluse Olorunnipa, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Marianna Sotomayor in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/24

Dems to Biden: Time’s up. Get out -- Another wave of Democrats has renewed calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race on Friday — a sudden burst of defectors at the end of a week of crisis for the Biden campaign that’s been defined by leaks and whispered conversations about the president’s potential exit. Ally Mutnick, Sarah Ferris, Mia Mccarthy and Irie Sentner Politico -- 7/20/24

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democratic ‘heavyweight,’ asks Biden to bow out of presidential race -- Over the last week, the calls for President Joe Biden to bow out as the presumptive Democratic Party nominee have grown louder, and now, one of the Bay Area’s most prominent Democrats, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, is chiming in. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/20/24

California abortion rights advocate sweats Biden drag on House races -- Jodi Hicks, president of Planned Parenthood California, indicated Democrats were taking a big risk in losing the House if they stuck with President Joe Biden. Christopher Cadelago Politico -- 7/20/24

Many Black and Hispanic Democrats Hold Firm for Biden, Eyeing Harris’s Future -- The lawmakers and donors who have been the most outspoken about keeping President Biden in the race are driven by a concern that ditching him could also mean bypassing his vice president. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Robert Jimison and Erica L. Green in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Black Democrats, Resisting Calls for Biden to Exit, Insist Harris is Only Alternative -- Some Black Democrats are speaking out against what they see as a disregard for their voice as the party frets over Mr. Biden’s candidacy. Robert Jimison in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Michael Moritz, Democratic Megadonor, Urges Biden Exit: ‘Clock Has Run Out’ -- Mr. Moritz became one of the party’s top contributors to go public with his fears about the president’s candidacy, saying that Mr. Biden had a choice: “vanity or virtue.” Shane Goldmacher and Theodore Schleifer in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Secluded in Rehoboth, Biden Stews at Allies’ Pressure to Drop Out of the Race -- As he recovers from Covid, the president has grown resentful toward Democratic congressional leaders and former President Barack Obama. Peter Baker, Michael D. Shear and Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Behind the scenes as Joe Biden lost control of the Democratic Party -- Many Democrats described the first three weeks of July as a kind of nightmare — too extraordinary to be real, too unexpected to be believed. Michael Scherer, Tyler Pager, Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Paul Kane and Marianna Sotomayor in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/24

Republicans say they will trust the election results as long as Trump wins -- With many Trump supporters confident he will win in November, there was less talk of stolen elections at the Republican National Convention. Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Patrick Marley and Azi Paybarah in the Washington Post$ -- 7/20/24

McManus: We were promised a ‘softer’ Donald Trump. What we got was a fully Trumpified Republican Party -- But for viewers who watched the whole 92-minute stem-winder, which devolved into a meandering list of bogus claims and well-worn grievances, the lesson was that there is no New Trump. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/24

Republicans Grapple With Next Moves if Democrats Replace Biden -- Candidates trying to flip congressional seats have spent months yoking their opponents to the president. A new nominee could scramble that strategy. Kellen Browning, Simon J. Levien and Chris Cameron in the New York Times$ -- 7/20/24

Also

Lawsuit claims Tesla ‘Autopilot’ killed father of two in Santa Clara County crash -- Jason Bolton turned on Tesla’s controversial “Autopilot” system while driving his Model 3 to a business meeting in the Bay Area from his Fresno home. Ethan Baron in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 7/20/24

A car with no front or back that has no steering wheel: What S.F.’s next robotaxis could look like -- The toaster box-shaped robotaxi that pulls into a parking space outside a waterfront office park in Foster City resembles a carriage more than a conventional car. Ricardo Cano in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 7/20/24

This Silicon Valley Investor Is Building a Shrine to Failure -- It started with an FTX bobblehead. Now the Failure Museum is a collection of more than 1,000 relics from business fiascoes—and it’s expanding. Ben Cohen, Andria Lo in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/20/24