| | | | |  | | By Lara Korte , Jeremy B. White and Sakura Cannestra | Presented by CVS Health | THE BUZZ: Consider the gauntlet thrown. Nearly a year after Texas passed a controversial bill allowing citizens to enforce a six-week abortion ban, California is now the first state in the nation to allow private individuals to sue those who manufacture or sell illegal guns — escalating California's culture war against Republican states and setting up a legal battle that could make its way to the Supreme Court. Gov. Gavin Newsom, surrounded by activists and gun violence survivors at Santa Monica College Friday morning, signed Senate Bill 1327 by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys). The bill, which Newsom explicitly called for in December, is modeled directly off Texas' Senate Bill 8, which allows private citizens to sue a provider, patient or anyone involved in an abortion before six weeks of gestation. Newsom: "Texas and [Gov.] Greg Abbott and their Republican leadership, if they're going to use this framework, to put women's lives at risk, we're going to use it to save people's lives here in the state of California." AD BUYS: Newsom's reelection campaign also took out full page ads in three Texas newspapers Friday morning, needling Abbott for restricting abortion while doing little to stop gun violence in the state. Abbot should "follow California's lead" if he wants to protect life, the ad said. It's the same kind of messaging Newsom has used in recent weeks — positioning his own plans to expand reproductive health care and educational opporuntunities as the "real pro-life agenda." Just as with Newsom's Fourth of July TV spot in Florida, and last week's D.C. tour, news of the Texas ads rekindled questions about the governor's presidential ambitions, which he again rebuffed, saying he has "sub-zero interest" in a run at the White House. "I've said it in five languages now," he said. "Look, I'm trying to sleep at night. ... I can't take what's happening in this country. Can't take the assault on liberty and freedom, can't take the rhetoric." Considering the $105,000 his campaign spent on the Florida ad, the Texas newspaper ads were a bargain at $30,000 — and, like the TV ad, garnered a lot of earned media, particularly at the national level. NBC dubbed it Newsom's latest "foray into national politics." The New York Times declared he was "raising his profile with hardball tactics." CNN noted that he has "doubled down lately in his challenge of other big state Republican governors, who like him are speculated presidential candidates." BACK TO THE BILL: Presidential speculation aside, SB 1327 has some major hurdles in front of it. As Jeremy noted last week, the bill stands on precarious legal ground and even some Democrats have admitted it employs a dubious legal strategy. ACLU California Action has also warned against using the "flawed logic" of the Texas law to address gun violence. "We believe it is a serious misstep to further entrench that flawed logic," the organization said in May. "In doing so, California will be promoting a legal end-run that can be used by any state to deny people an effective means to have their constitutional rights protected by the courts. This will continue to be replicated in states across the country—and with California's endorsement." It's unclear who, if anyone, will challenge the law in court. But on Friday the Firearms Policy Coalition, a pro-gun nonprofit, released a statement decrying the law, and said, "those in the Golden State who are interested in becoming a potential plaintiff in litigation targeting these newly signed bills are encouraged to visit 2Ahotline.com ." Stay tuned. BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Soak up these last days of summer, folks. We've got one more week until lawmakers make their way back to Sacramento for the final weeks of the legislative session. 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: "Governor Newsom should focus on all the jobs and businesses that are leaving California and coming to Texas." Abbott Press Secretary Renae Eze in response to Newsom's Texas ads. TWEET OF THE DAY: KCBS Radio's Doug Sovern @SovernNation : "A remarkable thing about @GavinNewsom raising his national profile: every single person I've asked in Montana knows who he is. *100%* name recognition. How many Californians could name MT's governor? (Of course, @JenSiebelNewsom 's family has a ranch here & the Newsoms wed here)" WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
| | A message from CVS Health: Throughout the pandemic, in California and communities across the country, CVS Health has been there. We've opened more than 4,800 COVID-19 test sites, administered 41 million tests and given 67 million vaccines. We've expanded access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine, increased remote access to mental health services and invested in affordable housing to help build healthier communities. We've been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. Learn more. | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | WHO DECLARES EMERGENCY — WHO declares monkeypox an international health emergency , by POLITICO's Daniel Payne and Carmen Paun: And while health experts agree that monkeypox is not nearly as threatening to public health as Covid-19, the declaration urges international action and cooperation to fight the virus as case counts go up and governments scramble to find the right vaccines, therapeutics and public messaging to handle the outbreaks. NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY — " California's fast-moving Oak Fire burns 14,000 acres and forces thousands to evacuate outside Yosemite National Park ," by CNN's Jason Hanna, Rebekah Riess, Sara Smart and Andy Rose: "The fire, which remained 0% contained Sunday morning, began Friday in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near the small community of Midpines, roughly a 9-mile drive northeast of the county seat, the town of Mariposa, state fire officials said." MYSTERY MACHINE HEIST — " Mystery shrouds colossal Brink's heist at I-5 truck stop: Who stole millions in gems, gold? " by the Los Angeles Times' Richard Winton: "In the early hours of July 11, two armed guards left their Brink's big rig, giving a gang of thieves a 27-minute window to make the huge snatch, its total value still a mystery. Estimates range from $10 million to $100 million." — " Pregnant on the Other Side of the Border ," by Capital & Main's Eli Cahan: "Pregnant women, advocates say, make for some of the easiest targets for the cartels that menace, exploit, and extort migrants at the border because they tend to be among the most desperate and most physically vulnerable."
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today . | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | HALE NO: Democratic Redwood City Mayor Giselle Hale jolted peninsula politics on Friday by announcing she was dropping out of the AD-21 race just weeks after securing a top-two spot by a slender 322 votes. Hale cited the toll the race had taken on her family after being inundated around $500,000 in outside opposition (funded by real estate and business interests, law enforcement and the pharmaceutical industry). That means San Mateo Council Member Diane Papan is the next Assembly member as one Dem-on-Dem race comes off the board. — " Her daughters saw ads attacking their mom. Now this California Democrat is ending her campaign ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "In June, [Giselle] Hale just narrowly secured the second spot on the ballot to run for the 21st District Assembly seat in the Nov. 8 election." NEWSOM A 'NO' ON PROP 30 : The governor on Sunday joined the California Teachers Association in formally opposing the ballot measure, which would fund programs to prevent and suppress wildfires and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by raising personal income taxes on those making $2 million or more. Lyft is a major backer of the initiative, and has already poured $8 million into the fight. Newsom in a statement called it a "special interest carve-out — a cynical scheme devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax revenue to their company." The Clean Air California Commission fired back, saying, the "Yes on 30 campaign is disappointed that Governor Newsom would side with the California Republican Party and billionaires to oppose a measure to fight climate change and reduce wildfires." GETTING REDDER — " As Kevin McCarthy's California district gets redder, discontent brews on his right ," by the Los Angeles Times' Jasper Goodman: "The 20th District covers part of California's San Joaquin Valley, awkwardly clawing to the west in its northern half to include Clovis and some of Hanford — both solidly red areas that are new to McCarthy." — " Want to vote on raising California's minimum wage? Judge says not until 2024 ," by CalMatters' Jeanne Kuang: "Californians still won't get a chance to vote on a minimum wage hike this November, after a judge ruled late today that the campaign was at fault for missing a key deadline to get the measure on the ballot." — " Latinos favored Rick Caruso in the L.A. mayoral primary. But they may not swing his way in November ," by the Los Angeles Times' Alejandra Reyes-Veldarde and Iris Lee: "With homelessness, crime and affordable housing on voters' minds this year, Caruso's pitch that he is an outsider who can fix these problems appealed to Latino voters in the primary and could do so head-to-head with the more liberal [Rep. Karen] Bass."
| | | | A message from CVS Health:   | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | AN OPEN SECRET — Want to know how much your colleagues make? California might crack open companies' books , by POLITICO's Alexander Nieves: The swipe at inequities in the private sector is the latest example of progressive Democrats in the world's fifth-largest economy trying to shape corporate policy, a first-of-its-kind move that could ripple to other blue states. — " 'Dudes I offed a fed': Inside a far-right militia member's plan to start civil war from the Bay Area ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Joshua Sharpe: "What happened in the Bay Area two years ago appears to fall best under that latter description, tied to a loose confederacy of anti-government individuals calling themselves 'boogaloo bois.'" — " California Politics: Democrats love unions, except when their staffers want to join one ," by the Los Angeles Times' Hannah Wiley: "Not once or twice, but three times the Legislature has rejected a bill to provide collective bargaining rights for its employees, in what advocates have characterized as a blatant display of hypocrisy." — " Truckers are holding the Oakland port captive. Can Newsom end the standoff? " by the Mercury News' Eliyahu Kamisher: "The protest is the latest turn in the winding saga of AB 5, which will require tens of thousands of truckers, along with other independent contractors, to register as employees." SETTLE AND RESETTLE — " Gov. Newsom reacts after federal judge says Caltrans cannot clear Bay Area homeless camp ," by the Sacramento Bee's Amelia Davidson: "On Friday morning, [Judge William H.] Orrick extended the restraining order and said that state officials could not clear the camp until they have a comprehensive resettlement plan." — " Inside the remote California county where the far right took over: 'Civility went out the window ,'" by the Guardian's Dani Anguiano: "Masks are just one symbol of the divisions gripping Shasta county, a remote, heavily forested region in far northern California that has long considered itself an outlier in a deep Blue state." RELEARNING THE HISTORY — " New attack on Proposition 13 involves racial inequity ," opines CalMatters' Dan Walters: "The state's leftward turn in the last quarter-century has spawned new efforts by those who detest Proposition 13 — public employee unions and other advocates of additional spending — to modify or repeal it, but so far they have been unsuccessful." — " In S.F.'s Chinatown, D.A. Jenkins talks safety and Mayor Breed addresses Hsu controversy ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's J.D. Morris: "It was the second year in a row that community members gathered for a public street fair in front of the city's historic Ping Yuen public housing complex on Pacific Avenue."
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY . | | | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | — Biden's Covid condition continues to improve, White House physician says , by POLITICO's Craig Howie: Biden's pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature are normal, the letter said. The president's oxygen saturation is "excellent" and his lungs remain clear, O'Connor noted, and he is not experiencing any shortness of breath.
| | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | — " Elon Musk's Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair ," by the Wall Street Journal's Kirsten Grind and Emily Glazer: "Their falling out is one of a string of personal issues Mr. Musk has faced even as he juggles business challenges, including manufacturing disruptions at Tesla Inc. and a court fight over his desire to withdraw his $44 billion bid for Twitter Inc."
| | HOLLYWOODLAND | | — " Hollywood is heading to Estonia, Bulgaria and beyond. Insiders share how it's happening ," by the Los Angeles Times' Jaweed Kaleem: "In return, Malta hopes, more big Hollywood hits — and hordes of tourists — will make their way to the tiny archipelago nation as competition increases for American dollars and crews in the Mediterranean, Balkans and Baltics."
| | MIXTAPE | | RUFF HOUSING MARKET — " Letting people's dogs poop in your yard for cash? There's an app for that, as the Bay Area housing crisis spawns new tech ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Lauren Helper. EAT IT UP — " 'I can't sell an $18 super burrito': Here's the stark reality of rising food prices ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Caleb Pershan and Yuri Avila — " 2 given life sentences in 2016 killing of California teens ," by the Associated Press. THE PALM AND THE PINE — " Does this curious spot mark the dividing line between Northern and Southern California? " by SFGate's Andrew Chamings. | | TRANSITIONS | | — Van Ornelas is now press secretary for Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). He most recently was senior adviser at 1865 PAC, and is a Filemon Vela and DCCC alum. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Was Saturday: David Dewit | | A message from CVS Health: At CVS Health, we're more than 300,000 caring employees ensuring Californians and millions of Americans can access health care services.
We have been offering COVID-19 vaccines at more than 9,600 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide.
Nothing should stand in the way of mental health and well-being, so we have been increasing remote access to mental health services.
We have been supporting safer pregnancies and expanding access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine.
Recognizing the strong connection between housing and health, we have been investing in affordable housing to support underserved populations and build healthier communities.
Every day, CVS Health works to bring quality, affordable health care into neighborhoods, homes and hands—so it's never out of reach for anyone.
Healthier Happens Together.
Learn more. | | | 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.
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