A tale of two viruses

Jul 29, 2022

By Jeremy B. White , Lara Korte and Sakura Cannestra

Presented by CVS Health

THE BUZZ: Viral variation brought simultaneous alarm and relief yesterday.

Health officials in both Los Angeles and San Francisco announced very different responses within an hour of each other. Receding coronavirus rates led L.A. officials to hold off on reimposing an indoor mask mandate. Soaring monkeypox cases spurred San Francisco officials to declare a public health emergency.

The possibility of a renewed L.A. order has attracted more attention. Individual cities revolted and declared they would not enforce a county mandate. The prospect of new orders to mask up frustrated precaution-weary Angelenos and sparked another political flashpoint. Republicans both within Los Angeles and far beyond California decried what they called the latest example of liberal pandemic overreach. It divided the board of supervisors, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger denouncing "polarizing" mandates while Supervisor Sheila Kuehl dismissed opponents as "snowflake weepies." Public health chief Barbara Ferrer pointed to county data-crunching that showed a brighter and more up-to-date picture than federal stats; conservatives crowed she'd succumbed to political pressure.

But the growing monkeypox outbreak has hammered San Francisco — where a large population of gay men has been disproportionately impacted and supplies of shots have run low — and amplified calls for a stronger public response. Elected officials, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been pressing the federal government for weeks to move with more urgency and expand access to vaccines. Several critics have invoked the government's inadequate response to HIV (although there are no reported U.S. deaths from monkeypox, a sharp contrast to AIDS or Covid-19). California state lawmakers want an emergency budget allocation.

That desire for swifter action and more resources led San Francisco officials to declare a state of emergency yesterday. "We are in desperate need of more vaccines and desperate need of more treatment," Mayor London Breed said. The mayor also noted cases have doubled in the week since she sought more support from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

Becerra has been under pressure again as monkeypox adds another obstacle to the former California attorney general's tumultuous federal tenure. As the Biden administration said yesterday that it would release another 780,000 vaccine doses, Becerra defended the federal government having done "everything we can" to aid states and cities. He told reporters he's not yet ready to declare a national emergency — something Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon wants — and said it's not inevitable monkeypox becomes endemic. But Becerra offered a warning: "We cannot let this get out of control."

BUENOS DÍAS, good Friday morning. Enjoy your last weekend of legislative recess. Lawmakers return to Sacramento on Monday for a final, frenetic month of policymaking.

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: "We're really, as a society at this point in time with climate change, in need of bigger, bolder action. And we're not getting it. Being in an agency that could be part of that, taking big and bolder actions, and being told that those options are not on the table, was intolerable." Former California water official Max Gomberg tells the LATimes why "gut wrenching" inaction led him to quit.

TWEET OF THE DAY: GOP @RepDarrellIssa on economic contraction: "It's official: Joe Biden's economy has tested negative for growth."

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

— " Hoodwinked: Sherri Papini's kidnapping hoax played on sympathy and entangled innocent people ," by the Sacramento Bee's Ryan Sabalow and Sam Stanton: "She told detectives that she'd spent 22 days locked in a room, a bucket filled with kitty litter for a toilet."

OUT OF WATER AND TIME — " California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for 'gut wrenching' inaction ," by the Los Angeles Times' Ian James: "Now, after 10 years of recommending strategies for making California more water resilient, the board's climate and conservation manager is calling it quits. The reason: He no longer believes Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration are willing to pursue the sorts of transformational changes necessary in an age of growing aridification."

OTTER YOU WORRIED ABOUT? — "M oving sea otters up the Northern California and Oregon coast — and maybe into San Francisco Bay — is feasible, federal government concludes ," by the Mercury News' Paul Rogers: "But there are sensitive economic issues that have to be worked out first, chief among them how it might affect commercial fishermen who catch species such as Dungeness crab that sea otters also like to eat."

CAMPAIGN MODE

HANG WITH YANG: Republican controller candidate Lanhee Chen secured a cross-party endorsement from former Democratic presidential and NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, fresh off pushing a new third party. Yang said in a statement that he believes Chen would be an "independent-minded Controller who will keep watch over how their tax dollars are spent."

— " Is it too easy for write-in candidates in California elections? " by CalMatters' Sameea Kamal: "What did it take for him to make the Nov. 8 ballot? Only about 60 signatures to qualify as a Republican write-in candidate for the June 7 primary, and a mere 37 votes to finish in the top two."

— " A California Democrat running for Congress failed to disclose investments in Moderna and Pfizer stocks ," by Business Insider's Madison Hall: "Jay Chen, who's running against Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in California's 45th Congressional District, did not reveal until July 26 that he owned thousands of dollars of stock in both Moderna and Pfizer — hours after Insider contacted him with records indicating his ownership of his investments."

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 .

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— " This region is suffering from some of the highest inflation in America. Here's how locals are surviving ," by CNN's Natasha Chen: "One of the key factors contributing to higher inflation in the Inland Empire is population growth during the pandemic. People moved from big cities to neighboring counties that were relatively more affordable, like Riverside and San Bernardino counties."

— " They planned a family reunion at a 100-year-old Mariposa homestead. Then the Oak Fire came ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Cabanatuan: "Descendants of Margarite and Garfield Carter, homesteaders who settled in the hills above Mariposa a century ago, were gathering on the family property in Carter Valley last Friday and preparing for a weekend family reunion when they smelled smoke."

— " Judges allow companies to conceal damaging details about products. Could that change in CA? " by the Sacramento Bee's Owen Tucker-Smith: "Despite facing countless lawsuits, Purdue was able to shield damning documents from the public, thanks to broad protective orders granted by judges."

HAPPINESS ABOUND — " Los Angeles Enjoys Its New Bridge a Little Too Much ," by the New York Times' Shawn Hubler and Soumya Karlamangla: "Less than three weeks ago, with fireworks, crowds and the civic joy that only a new Instagram backdrop can muster, America's second-largest city christened a stunning new $588 million landmark: a bridge that would create a 'ribbon of light' between the downtown arts district and the historic bungalows of East Los Angeles."

— " California aims to put EV chargers where drivers need them most ," by the Mercury News' Brooke Staggs: "And California is finalizing a request this week to get $384 million from that sum to subsidize the installation of thousands of fast EV charging stations on its roadways over the next eight years, including along stretches of key Southern California corridors such as the 15, 91 and 210 freeways."

A message from CVS Health:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

— Pelosi and China: The making of a progressive hawk , by POLITICO's Andrew Desiderio: When Chinese officials chased Nancy Pelosi out of Tiananmen Square 31 years ago, the incident launched a surprising foreign policy approach that has pitted her against presidents of both parties and at times aligned her with conservatives.

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— " More Than 350 Gig Workers Carjacked, 28 Killed, Over the Last Five Years ," by the Markup's Dara Kerr: "The Markup has tracked a total of 361 ride-hail and delivery drivers who've been victims of carjackings or attempted carjackings since 2017. We initially reported 124 such incidents last July and now have tracked 237 more."

THIS REALITY — " F.T.C. Sues to Block Meta's Virtual Reality Deal as It Confronts Big Tech ," by the New York Times' David McCabe and Mike Isaac: "[FTC chair Lina] Khan has argued that regulators must stop competition and consumer protection violations when it comes to the bleeding edge of technology, including virtual and augmented reality, and not just in areas where the companies have already become behemoths."

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MIXTAPE

— " Laguna Honda halts discharges after deaths, future of the hospital still unclear ," by the San Francisco Examiner's Sydney Johnson.

— " California state custodian didn't work for 4 years, collected $185,000 in pay and benefits ," by the Sacramento Bee's Wes Venteicher.

— " Longtime East Bay Regional Park District board director to retire ," by the Mercury News' Joseph Geha.

— " Fire at Lakewood YMCA kills 1 man, injures firefighter ," by the Los Angeles Times' Summer Lin.

TIPS & TRICKS — " S.F.'s famed Zuni Cafe got rid of tips. Now servers want them back ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Elena Kadvany.

CORRECTIONS DEPT: Wednesday's Playbook misstated the outcome of this year's CA-45 primary. Republican Rep. Michelle Steel outpolled Democrat Jay Chen by five points, and Steel and Republican Long Pham combined for 57 percent of the vote.

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.

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