| | | | |  | | By Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White, Chris Ramirez and Juhi Doshi | Presented by Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support | THE BUZZ: Four U.S. senators, three former staffers and one member of Congress laid out troubling details of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's rapidly deteriorating memory in a stunning San Francisco Chronicle report on Thursday, raising questions about the trailblazing California politician's ability to keep representing the state's 40 million residents. The sources, who spoke to the Chronicle's Tal Kopan and Joe Garofoli on the condition of anonymity, painted an unnerving portrait of an aging Feinstein who struggles at times to recognize longtime colleagues and keep up with difficult policy discussions. "There's a joke on the Hill, we've got a great junior senator in Alex Padilla and an experienced staff in Feinstein's office," one staffer for a California Democrat told them.
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Dianne Feinstein. | AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite |
The issue of Feinstein's cognitive function has become a sensitive and at times sore subject for the senior California senator, who turns 89 in June and is close to finishing her third decade in the office. In 2020, as the Senate geared up for a nomination fight over replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, POLITICO reported that colleagues were worried Feinstein would struggle to lead Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. And a few months later, the New Yorker's Jane Mayer raised similar concerns after Feinstein, during a senate committee hearing, asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey the same question twice in a row.
Since then, however, things have worsened and "even those who consider themselves among Feinstein's closest allies worry her health and memory struggles will rapidly deteriorate or cause public embarrassment," the Chronicle report said. Those close to Feinstein have been known to bristle at suggestions that she's not herself, or somehow not capable of doing her job, especially when the same critiques are not lobbed at male octogenarians in the Senate. Both Sen. Alex Padilla and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended DiFi in comments to the Chronicle, noting that she recently lost her husband of four decades and is still a "workhorse" for the people of California. Feinstein also defended her performance in a call with Chronicle editorial board leaders Thursday afternoon after the story ran, saying she "meets regularly with leaders" and that no one has raised concerns to her directly. "I'm not isolated. I see people. My attendance is good. I put in the hours. We represent a huge state. And so I'm rather puzzled by all of this," she told The Chronicle. SO WHAT'S NEXT? Ambitious Democrats were already planning to seek Feinstein's seat whenever she steps aside. The big question, revived by Thursday's report: will that be a contest for an open seat in 2024, when Feinstein's term is up, or an earlier appointment-seeking melee? If she were to retire before then, it'd be up to Gov. Gavin Newsom to name her replacement, putting Newsom in the rare kingmaker position of having appointed both California senators. Feinstein last year said she intended to finish out her term, but her standing among voters has plummeted: only 36 percent of likely voters approved of Feinstein's performance in a March PPIC poll, down eight points from this time last year and her lowest rating ever. BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Wishing a happy and healthy Easter weekend to our observing Playbook readers and a Chag Pesach Sameach to everyone hosting or joining a Passover seder tonight. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I certainly am looking at putting together a campaign." Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who apparently enjoyed her stint taking over in Newsom's absence, talking to Inside California Politics co-host Nikki Laurenzo about a 2026 gubernatorial run. TWEET OF THE DAY: New York Times columnist Ezra Klein @EzraKlein on the Feinstein report: "When sitting senators and staffers are willing to confirm the deterioration of a colleagues' mental capacity to reporters, the situation has gotten very, very bad. This is not the sort of story people participate in lightly." WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | | | A message from Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support: Our initiative is the only one on the November ballot that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year to fight homelessness and fund mental health and addiction treatment in California. Nearly half of the country has legalized online sports betting, proving states can do so safely and responsibly - and generate significant tax revenue. Add your name to support a permanent funding solution to address California's homelessness crisis. | | | |  | Top Talkers | | VAX BILL STALLS — California lawmaker pulls bill to mandate Covid vaccine for all schoolchildren, by POLITICO's Victoria Colliver: A new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found just 4 percent of California voters listed Covid as the most important issue for the state to address, with housing affordability, homelessness, crime and gas prices dominating the priorities. GOOD INTENTIONS … "California created a new unit to address harassment in the Legislature. Is it just making things worse? " by the SF Chronicle's Sophia Bollag: "[Ruth] Ferguson says her experience with the WCU led her to believe the unit doesn't operate independently of the Legislature, as legislative leaders have said." … BAD EXECUTION — "I reported my harassment in the California Legislature. Then state investigators went after me, " opinion by Ruth Ferguson for the SF Chronicle: "Despite previously telling me that the WCU would do everything to keep my identity anonymous, I was informed my name had been shared with my chief of staff." — "Ed Buck sentenced to 30 years in prison for abuses that led to men's drug deaths, " by the LA Times' Matthew Ormseth: "'If Buck were ever released,' [prosecutors] wrote, 'he would feed his compulsion to inject others until the day he died.'"
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | OC ATTACKS: Republicans are assailing Democratic CA-45 candidate Jay Chen over a clip in which Chen told an audience that "you kind of need an interpreter" to process remarks by his opponent, GOP Rep. Michelle Steel, whose first language is not English.
A Chen spokesperson said he was referring to her "nonsensical" responses to questions in a written transcript. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy demanded the DCCC disavow Chen over a "racist attack"; a DCCC spokesperson dismissed this as "gaslighting and deception from the man who has handed over the keys to his caucus to white supremacists."
ANOTHER ONE — "Katie Valenzuela served with new council recall notice just after Sacramento mass shooting," by the Sac Bee's Theresa Clift: "She is the council's most liberal member and a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist."
PICK ME, CHOOSE ME — "L.A. mayoral hopefuls court Asian Americans, the city's fastest-growing ethnic group," by the LA Times' Jeong Park: "But Bass has had to do damage control for remarks she made 30 years ago after the L.A. riots, which were resurfaced by the Korean-language media a few months ago."
| | | | DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world's most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO's special edition "Global Insider" so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | VOTER VIEWS: Californians are concerned about gas prices and pessimistic about the state's trajectory, according to the new Berkeley/IGS poll . A clear majority of voters said the state is headed in the wrong direction, and 70 percent were feeling a serious pinch from the soaring cost of fuel. Housing and homelessness led the list of paramount issues, followed by crime and public safety and then gas prices — with climate change ranking below fuel costs. High-speed rail remains popular despite cost overruns and delays that have led some Democratic lawmakers to push for diverting funding to local rail: 56 percent of voters support finishing the project. But if you thought expensive gas was pushing Californians to public transit, think again: 71 percent of voters said that's not likely. Full tabs here. LOCKED OUT — " San Francisco Rations Housing by Scoring Homeless People's Trauma. By Design, Most Fail to Qualify," by the SF Public Press' Nuala Bishari: "The survey fails to identify many of the vulnerabilities it was intended to catch. And what was supposed to be an objective tool winds up, as a result of how it's written and administered, making it harder for certain populations — immigrants, young people and transgender people, among others — to get indoors." — "LA Mayor Garcetti says goodbye with next role unclear, " by the AP's Michael R. Blood: "He approaches the end of his term with the city struggling with an unchecked homeless crisis that has spread into virtually every neighborhood, rising crime and housing prices that are out of reach for many working-class families." DESERT ISLAND — " The California island town with no stoplights and no water," by USC Annenberg Media's Juliette Smith: "Water costs five times more per gallon compared to the mainland, and residents have been forced to cut back their water usage by more than 50 percent or face a $250 fine." — " CSU provost faced retaliation after reporting harassment by president's husband, records claim," by the LA Times' Colleen Shalby and Robert J. Lopez: "Critics have said that senior administrators across the system have too much leeway in determining whether cases are formally investigated and settle accusations with quiet payouts to avoid negative public reaction." MOMENT OF GLORY — " California Ran on Nearly 100% Clean Energy This Month," by Bloomberg's Mark Chediak. TOO REAL — " After 'Real Housewives' scandal, scathing audit says California fails to stop corrupt lawyers," by the LA Times' Matt Hamilton. | | | | A message from Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | |
— "Colleagues worry Dianne Feinstein is now mentally unfit to serve, citing recent interactions," by the SF Chronicle's Tal Kopan and Joe Garofoli: "Rather than delve into policy, Feinstein, 88, repeated the same small-talk questions, like asking the lawmaker what mattered to voters in their district, they said, with no apparent recognition the two had already had a similar conversation."
| | HOLLYWOODLAND | |
NICE TRY — "Netflix, Hulu Beat California City That Aimed to Tax Streaming Platforms," by the Hollywood Reporter's Winston Cho: "These municipalities argue that streaming services must pay fees, typically five percent of gross income derived from providing local video programming, that were once traditionally reserved for cable companies needing to use public rights-of-way to lay their lines."
— "Ms. Lauryn Hill Releases Statement Supporting California Bill Attempting to Limit Label Power Over Artists, " by Pitchfork's Evan Minsker: "If signed into law, the bill would repeal an amendment to California's 'Seven-Year Statute' that makes it so record labels can sue artists for damages if they leave after seven years but before fulfilling the required number of albums outlined in their contract."
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | |
— "'Extremely important to the future of civilization': Musk describes a Twitter remade in his own image, " by POLITICO's Quint Forgey: "Musk's remarks echoed the complaints of many Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators, who frequently claim that Twitter places 'shadow bans' on their content by reducing the visibility of their accounts."
— "Google will invest billions in California, Bay Area gets big chunk, " by the Mercury News' George Avalos: "In 2021, Google and the city of San Jose struck a deal whereby the city would receive $200 million from the search giant in community benefits.
| | MEDIA MATTERS | |
— "Charlie Rose Posts New Interview With Warren Buffett Four Years After CBS Firing," by the Hollywood Reporter's Ryan Gajewski.
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | |
— "Fire that torched a Bay Area port believed to be accidental," by the SF Chronicle's Michael Cabanatuan.
— "Feds Cut Funding to SF's Laguna Honda Hospital, Putting Future of Facility in Doubt," via Bay City News. QUITE THE CAPER — " Former Westside Water District Boss Indicted in $25 Million Water Theft," by GVWire's Bill McEwen. — "A San Diego County school chief's comments about Asian students spur backlash, apology, " by the San Diego Union Tribune's Kristen Taketa. — "Sacramento County to build new tiny home community for homeless residents. Here's where," by the Sac Bee's Patrick Riley. | | IN MEMORIAM | |
— "Tim Feerick, bassist for beloved Sacramento band Dance Gavin Dance dies at 34, days before Sacramento music festival," by the Sac Bee's Michael McGough.
| | BIRTHDAYS | |
Bilen Mesfin Packwood, CEO of Change Consulting … former Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), now at Covington … Rishi Banerjee … Maia Daniels
| | | | A message from Californians for Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support: Our initiative is the only one on the November ballot that will generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year to fight homelessness and fund mental health and addiction treatment in California. Nearly half of the country has legalized online sports betting, proving states can do so safely and responsibly - and generate significant tax revenue. Our initiative will also provide millions each year and new economic opportunities for California Tribal nations. Add your name to support a permanent funding solution to address California's homelessness crisis. | | | 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 Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@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 | | | | |
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