| | | | |  | | By Brakkton Booker | With help from Rishika Dugyala, Catherine Kim, Alexander Nieves and Teresa Wiltz
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Activists rally against gun violence outside the U.S. Capitol on June 6, 2022. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | What up, Recast family! Congressional and statewide primaries are underway today in seven states, including California. The marquee race is the mayoral contest in the City of Angels. Plus the Jan. 6 select committee takes its hearings to prime time on Thursday. First, we'll kick things off with lawmakers' big push on guns. The House is set to vote on a series of gun control measures this week. The full chamber could vote as soon as Wednesday, as pressure has mounted on Congress to respond to the recent rash of shootings terrorizing communities in New York, Texas, Oklahoma and Pensylvania. There's also some action in the Senate, albeit in the early stages. A small group of senators are talking – two Democrats and two Republicans. By most reports, they're making steady progress in negotiations, but have yet to present concrete proposals to their colleagues. Of course, they'll need at least 10 Republican votes to bring any legislation to the floor, which guarantees the legislation will need to be narrowly tailored on gun safety measures. Democrats will have to decide if incremental progress is better than none at all (Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a leader in negotiations, has already indicated he feels it is). | 
Sen. Chris Murphy speaks during a rally against gun violence outside the U.S. Capitol on June 6, 2022 in Washington, D.C. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | Any framework Senate negotiators propose will fall well short of the broad firearm restrictions many Democrats want, including those laid out by the president in his nearly 20 minute prime-time address last week. The House Votes The House Rules Committee is set to take up two measures Tuesday. The first is a package dubbed the "Protecting Our Kids Act." It's a series of eight bills that would raise the purchase age of all firearms from 18 to 21, ban straw purchases of guns and outlaw the use of high-capacity magazines and bump stocks, which are devices that can be attached to a semiautomatic weapon to make it fire more quickly. Another measure would require background checks for so-called ghost guns, which are unserialized, privately purchased firearms. "Do we have the courage, right here in this body, to imagine the phone call that parents across Uvalde received?" asked Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) during a Judiciary Committee hearing last week, referencing the school shooting at Robb Elementary School two weeks ago. "I know that phone call. Parents across the country know that phone call. It's a sucker punch to my stomach everytime I learn there's another phone call," she said, referencing her son Jordan Davis, who was shot and killed in 2012.
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Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) speaks at the opening of the Giffords Gun Violence Memorial on June 7, 2022 in Washington, D.C. | Nathan Howard/Getty Images | McBath is the lead sponsor of another House bill, "red flag" legislation that would allow a court to intervene and confiscate an individual's firearm if they are deemed to be a risk — either to themselves or others. The House is expected to pass both those measures along party lines. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also signaled her intention to bring an assault weapons ban to a vote–something most House Democrats support. But it won't gain significant traction with Republicans. Such a ban garnered the support of Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.), who represents Buffalo, the site of a recent racist massacre. But he withdrew from his reelection bid days later, after intraparty backlash , report POLITICO'S Anthony Adragna and Oliva Beavers. The Senate Fresh reporting from other colleagues on Capitol Hill show that there's movement – and perhaps even support – for new gun policies in the Senate. Sens. Murphy and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) met with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for two hours on Monday, according to POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine. They report the trio, along with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), is working through a package encouraging states to enact red flag laws, overhaul federal background checks, bolster school safety and provide more funding for mental health programs. One proposal would let authorities dig through juvenile records for young people trying to purchase firearms. The group is also considering enacting a cooling-off period for younger firearms purchasers. Both the Uvalde and Buffalo massacres were carried out by 18-year-old gunmen who purchased their weapons legally.
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The Uvalde massacre was carried out by an 18-year-old gunman who purchased his weapon legally. | Alex Wong/Getty Images | It's unclear what – if anything – the Senate talks may produce, but the negotiations have even been endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm trade association. "We're encouraged by thoughtful, deliberate and sober discussions that are taking place in the Senate right now," Mark Oliva , the organization's managing director, told The Recast. He complained that leaders in the Democratic-led House are "retreating to their corners and … and pushing their gun control ideologies" without an eye toward a solution that Second Amendment advocates can get behind. As always, we'll be watching. All the best,
The Recast Team
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| Power dynamics are changing. With The Recast, you'll get a twice-weekly breakdown of how race and identity are the DNA of American politics and policy. Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Subscribe to the newsletter here.
| | | READY FOR PRIMETIME The House Select Committee hearings gets underway this week, at a time television networks historically air their most-watched programs: 8 p.m. on Thursday.
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Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) are betting that the televised hearings, which are expected to include some taped interviews and some new video footage from the January 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, will be must-see-TV.
As POLITICO reported last week, don't expect much reaction from the White House, either in real time or the following day. For his part, Biden will be hosting the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week. The real audience for these hearings: Attorney General Merrick Garland. "The evidence presented … could impact how aggressively Garland looks into Trump and his inner circle's connections to the insurrection and other attempts to subvert the 2020 vote count," POLITICO noted. Republicans, particularly those in the House closely aligned with Trump, are scheduled to offer counterprogramming of their own that night. Stay tuned!
| | | THE RACE TO LEAD LA LA LAND Let's get to some primary contests, shall we? California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota all have statewide, congressional and local elections today. But we're focusing on the mayoral race in Los Angeles, where a massive field of candidates is vying to become the 43rd mayor of the nation's second largest city. But now, there are just two true contenders in the battle to replace current Mayor Eric Garcetti. Rick Caruso is a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, who made his fortune as a mall developer. He's poured millions of his personal fortune into his campaign. Recent polls show him nipping at the heels of the one-time presumptive frontrunner Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), who is favored by likely voters 38 percent to Caruso's 32 percent. This technically nonpartisan primary battle will end today if one of the candidates secures more than 50 percent of the vote. That's unlikely, so this race is likely heading to a November runoff. I chop it up with POLITICO's Alexander Nieves who breaks down some of the key issues of the race. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. THE RECAST: Alex, this may very well be the marquee race on the political calendar today. What are the biggest issues driving the contest for the next mayor of Los Angeles? NIEVES: This race is all about crime and homelessness. I think that has to do in part with polling that shows crime and homelessness among Californians' top concerns. Caruso has also forced those issues to stay in the news by spending more than $37 million of his own fortune blanketing the airwaves with ads. THE RECAST: I thought you were going to tell me this race was all about the money because of the eye-popping sum that Caruso has spent. It appears to be working though, right?
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Rick Caruso is a Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat, who made his fortune as a mall developer. | Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo |
NIEVES: Don't get me wrong, the reason we're paying so much attention to a L.A. mayor primary is because Caruso has spent a ridiculous amount on a local race. And it's definitely working!
He's all but guaranteed that he'll advance to the general, barring some major flaws in recent polling and Bass grabbing more than 50 percent of the vote. THE RECAST: You bring up Bass, she's a six-term congresswoman, was on Biden's short list to be veep in 2020 and entered the race as the presumptive frontrunner. Why has she not been able to pull away from Caruso given her strong Democratic résumé in a very liberal-leaning city? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Caruso just switch his affiliation to Democrat not too long ago? NIEVES: When Bass got into the race a lot of us presumed she'd pull away from the field. She came in with a bunch of big endorsements and what we thought was a decent funding advantage.
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Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) is favored by likely voters 38 percent to Caruso's 32 percent. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo | She's still a very strong candidate who could walk away with this thing in November if she can make it to a runoff. But I think Caruso's message that he, the friendly billionaire, can run this city like his business has connected with some folks. Bass is positioning herself as an experienced lawmaker and community activist who has a record of getting policies passed. And a PAC supporting her candidacy is running ads calling Caruso a lifelong Republican and carpetbagger, basically. THE RECAST: We're talking L.A., so there are quite a few celebrity endorsements involved in this race. Break down what industry titans are getting involved and who they are backing. NIEVES: L.A races always bring out the celebrity class, but they seem to be particularly interested this time around. The endorsement everyone is talking about is Snoop Dogg backing Caruso.
| Caruso also has commercials featuring Gwyneth Paltrow and Wolfgang Puck, to name a few. The big names behind Bass include filmmakers and showrunners, including JJ Abrams, Shonda Rhimes and Steven Spielberg. Almost forgot Kim K! She's for Caruso, too. Join POLITICO reporters tonight for a live chat starting at 11 pm ET for news and analysis of the day's biggest contests.
| | | IN OTHER POLITICAL NEWS… Rep. Young Kim, an up and comer in the Republican Party – and an honoree on the Recast Power list – is facing a challenge from her right. National Republicans are dumping seven figures to fend off opponents in the state's all-party primary. Florida state Sen. Annette Taddeo is ending her bid for the Democratic nomination to face GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the fall. As POLITICO's Matt Dixon reports, she's jumping into a congressional race to challenge freshman Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, another Power List honoree, for her Miami-area district. Finally, there is the ongoing saga in Texas' 28th Congressional District. On Monday, progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros officially requested a recount in her race against incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar.
| | | THE EXCLUSIVE
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People participate in a vigil to honor the 10 people killed in Saturday's shooting at Tops Friendly Markets on May 17, 2022 in Buffalo, N.Y. | Scott Olson/Getty Images | In POLITICO magazine today, anti-racist educator Tim Wise breaks down how to prevent another Buffalo massacre: Even before the national panic about anti-racist education began, few teachers were comfortable discussing racism with students. I'm a white, anti-racist educator who trains teachers on these issues, and this discomfort is something I've encountered for years for years — long before Critical Race Theory became the new boogeyman. For white teachers, the most common refrain was some version of "I was never taught this stuff," either in school or at home. Few teachers felt their academic training had adequately prepared them to discuss race with students. Many would tell me they feared backlash if they ventured into such areas: backlash from white parents for making their children "feel guilty" or from parents of color if they covered the material badly, causing their children to feel stigmatized. But after the terrorist shooting in Buffalo, allegedly by a young white man who claims he was radicalized online, it is apparent that learning to talk about race is more than an academic issue. It's a matter of life and death. The alleged Buffalo terrorist wasn't radicalized on traditional social media so much as the fever swamps of 4Chan. In places like that, the hateful content is being pushed out not by heartless AI but by cruel young men, long since given over to their baser instincts. Read more here.
| | | THE RECAST RECOMMENDS "P-Valley," based on Katori Hall's play, earned kudos for its frank and sensitive look at life at a Southern strip club. Now it's back for Season 2. We can't wait to check out "Fire Island," a new comedy by Joel Kim Booster. Starring Booster and Bowen Yang of "SNL," it gives Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" a decidedly LGBTQ spin.
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Looking for a new podcast? Look no more. Here's a list of the best podcasts (thus far) of 2022.
Patrice Nganang's new novel, "A Trail of Crab Tracks," the third in a trilogy, unpacks Cameroon's downward slide into the chaos of civil war. We're theater nerds from way back, so we'll be tuning into the Tony Awards this weekend. In the meantime, check out these gorgeous portraits of the nominees. You're going to want to check out this NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert featuring jazz pianist James Francie.
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We're taking you out with the dreamy vibes of Kehlani's "Melt."
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