NEWSOM: Ban mandatory PE tests — BLOOMBERG’S bet on California — ALEX PADILLA backs Biden — FIONA MA for BLOOMBERG — CA: ‘best state for dating’ — WIENER intros PG&E takeover plan Presented by Facebook

THE BUZZ — IOWA’S BIG NIGHT, CALIFORNIA’S BIG VOTE: The eyes of the nation — and the pundits and the cable stations — were on Iowa Monday. That gave billionaire Mike Bloomberg the run of California on a day in which 15 million voters here started getting their presidential primary ballots in the mail.

And from Sacramento to Fresno to Compton — in a state with 495 Democratic delegates at stake, 10 times the number of Iowa — Bloomberg made clear his message to voters through buttons and signs and speeches: “Vote early.”


CRYSTAL STRAIT, Bloomberg’s state political director, said the campaign has its strategy up and running at full speed in California — dividing the state into seven regions for targeted mail and voter outreach, opening 20 offices, hiring 300 staffers. “He’s doing great, and we’re really feeling the momentum,’’ she said.

THE FORMER NYC MAYOR drew a packed crowd Monday at the ungodly hour of 7 a.m. to the Old Soul at the Alley coffee house and café in Sacramento — among them state Treasurer Fiona Ma, who became the latest state official to endorse Bloomberg.

Ma, born and raised in New York, told POLITICO that, as the California state treasurer, responsible for managing billions of dollars, she is intimately familiar with Bloomberg’s name and “the kind of company he’s built.”

She said her job of protecting billions in investments and bonds in the world’s fifth largest economy involves simply too much chance with Trump in office. “We have to pray he doesn’t tweet … because that moves the market every day,’’ Ma said. “We in California have to depend on a stable economy and we need someone who understands economics, understands global politics, understands market conditions. ... And we need a partner in D.C.”

WHILE IOWA FOLKS ARE USED TO having chances to get up close and personal with presidential hopefuls, Californians are not. And they are getting the chance these days with Bloomberg. Many who turned out to see Bloomberg Monday were still shopping for a candidate — curious, intrigued and open to an alternative in case their favorite falls.

They were people like Luis Larias, 29, a state worker who said, in a confusing presidential race, the billionaire “seems to be more viable every day.’’ He said he was tired of Bernie Sanders’ past and present tussles with Hillary Clinton, calling it “distasteful,’’ and said, “folks may be ready for someone who can provide a fresh start.”

Real estate exec Brian Peace of Sacramento said he loves Bloomberg’s bombastic style. “He’s a winner. He’s actually worth $60 billion,’’ unlike the president, whose net worth is questionable, he said. He was also sold on Bloomberg’s weekend tweet talking trash about Trump’s “fake hair, fake tan” to slap back at POTUS’ “mini-Mike” insults. Bloomberg, he said, “walks the walk. He knows how to take it to Trump.”

BLOOMBERG SPOKE about that tweet to 11-year-old aspiring reporter Rose Lehane of Sacramento, who asked him if maybe candidates might wanna do what adults always tell kids to do — be nicer to each other. The billionaire, nodding, appeared to agree. “What I should do is focus on what I’ll do when I get elected ... on why you should vote for me,’’ he told her with a smile. “I should let you vote right now, [but] you’re probably too young.“ But not letting the chance to close another “vote early“ sale in California, Bloomberg added with a laugh: “But — we can change the law.”

MORE ON BLOOMBERG’S STRATEGY: “Mike Bloomberg has California to himself as Democratic field focuses on Iowa,” by the SF Chronicle’s Alexei Koseff.

BUENOS DIAS, good Tuesday morning. Tonight’s the State of the Union address. All eyes are on Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last year nearly broke the Internet when she delivered the iconic clap that stole the president’s show — and earned her the title of “queen of condescending applause.” You can relive that moment here .

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Fifteen million vote by mail ballots are out in California — more than the population of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada,’’ he told the crowd. “National news is focused on Iowa tonight ..., [but] we’re voting here in California.” Secretary of State Alex Padilla at PPIC on preparations for the March 3 primary in CA.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Mike Madrid @madrid_mike: “Iowa is just prepping America for major reporting delays as a warm up to the California primary.”

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

TOP TALKERS

WHAT A MESS — "'It's a total meltdown': Confusion seizes Iowa as officials struggle to report results," by POLITICO's Natasha Korecki, David Siders and Alex Thompson: "The Iowa caucus results appear to be indefinitely delayed, leaving the Democratic candidates in a lurch."

LEAN IN, PERSONIFIED — “Nearly five years after Sheryl Sandberg lost her husband, the Facebook COO is engaged,” by CNN’s Alicia Lee: “Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is engaged and where else to make the big announcement but on Facebook?”

SOMETHING TO WHINE ABOUT — “No Super Bowl party for inmates after jailhouse wine confiscated,” by the LA Times’ Colleen Shalby: “The concoction of fruit, juices, sugar and yeast — known as pruno — was stored in plastic bags and stashed inside toilets and garbage bags throughout the jail, Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said.”

NO VALLEY FEVER — “Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: I wouldn't start a new company in Silicon Valley today,” by Business Insider’s Rob Price and Matt Weinberger: “It's a resounding rejection of the region by one of its most famous success stories, at a time of already-mounting debate over high living costs, income inequality, and other dysfunction in the region.”

CALIFORNIA LOVE — “California is one of the best states in the country for dating, report says. But why?” by The Sacramento Bee’s Summer Lin: “WalletHub compared the states along dating economics, dating opportunities, and romance and fun.”

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES:

TIME TO PANIC? — “Coronavirus cases in California increasing: Here's what you need to know,” by the LA Times’ Matt Hamilton and Alex Wigglesworth: “California now has six confirmed cases of the new strain of coronavirus. Health officials expect that number to grow but have said the threat to the general public remains low.”

— “Bay Area has highest concentration of U.S. cases — that shouldn’t be a surprise,” by The Mercury News’ John Woolfolk: “With four of the United States’ 11 confirmed cases, Northern California as of Monday had become home to the highest concentration of the coronavirus that is spreading across the globe, a distinction that public health officials say they have been preparing for given the region’s close ties to China.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Tents set up as a coronavirus precaution at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County,” via City News Service.

THE OTHER CONTAGION — “Fear of coronavirus fuels racist sentiment targeting Asians,” by the LA Times’ Suhauna Hussain: “[T]he coronavirus has spread something else besides misinformation and false rumors: xenophobia and anti-China sentiment. People have fielded vitriolic attacks in public spaces, including suspicious looks and nasty comments; they’ve seen others scrambling to avoid them.”

THE TRUMP ERA

JOHNNY WE HARDLY KNEW YE — Former Lockheed Martin exec hired as acting VA deputy chief is fired after five months on the job, via POLITICO’s Caitlin Oprysko.

WHITE HOUSE AIDES TO K STREET ... via D.C. Playbook: Former Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Andrew Francisco of K&L Gates started lobbying for two new clients on Jan. 3, according to a newly filed disclosure. That's the date Denham was allowed to start lobbying his former colleagues under House ethics rules. He'll lobby on agricultural visas for Fresh Harvest and on the administration's China tariffs for MEC Aerial Platform Sales Corp., according to the the disclosures. Denham previously registered to lobby the Trump administration for other clients.

PRESIDENTIAL PURSUIT

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — PADILLA’S CHOICE: California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is endorsing Joe Biden for president, praising the former vice president as a “progressive champion” and “our best bet” for beating Trump.

Padilla’s statement: “Joe Biden has the vision and record to beat Donald Trump and restore the American Dream — the same American Dream that inspired my parents to come to the United States in search of a better life. Joe has spent his life serving others and he’s our best progressive champion, because on the issues that working families care about most — from health care and education to immigration and workers’ rights — only Joe has the experience, the relationships, and the broad coalition of support to deliver meaningful improvement in the lives of all Americans.“

And Biden is going up in California with a trio of digital spots targeting a few specific blocs: Democratic primary voters, African Americans and Latinos. You can take a look here at “ Lifetime ”, “ Bring People Together ”; the more strategic “ Vote by Mail for Joe ” tries to take advantage of California’s rolling window for getting ballots in ahead of Super Tuesday.

FOCUS ON RO KHANNA: “Bernie Sanders and the Art of the New Deal,” by Robin Urevich for Capital and Main.

CAMPAIGN MODE

BALLOT NEWS via @scottshafer : “After getting crushed in 2018 backers of rent control qualify another measure for the November 2020 ballot to expand Local Governments' Authority to Enact Rent control on Residential Property.”

DA DOLLARS: Former SF District Attorney George Gascón’s run for the top Los Angeles prosecutor job is attracting national attention and tapping into a national fundraising network for progressive prosecutors: Real Justice PAC, which has poured millions into DA races around the country, disclosed yesterday sending $250,000 Gascón’s way.

SOUTH BAY SAGA: The race to represent the affluent communities of the 13th state Senate district (Sen. Jerry Hill is vacating) is shaping up to be a massive money magnet: the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers channeled $225,000 toward a PAC supporting Democrat Shelly Masur, which comes on top of hundreds of thousands of dollars already poured into this district by realtors, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and candidates themselves.

— “Little and no choice in many Californian legislative races,” by The AP’s Don Thompson: “In 24 of the 100 districts on the ballot, only candidates from one party are running. And in 15 of those districts, the incumbent lawmaker is unopposed and all but assured of re-election.”

IN SAN DIEGO — “GOP’s Dianne Jacob, County Supervisor, Endorses Dem Barbara Bry for Mayor,” by the Times of San Diego’s Chris Jennewein.

GAVINLAND

TEST TRAUMA — “Newsom wants to halt physical fitness test due to bullying, gender issues,’’ by POLITICO’s Mackenzie Mays: “California students would stop taking a mandatory physical fitness test under a proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom intended to protect children from body shaming, bullying and gender identity discrimination.

“State law requires California schools to give all fifth, seventh and ninth graders a test that measures everything from aerobic capacity to flexibility and upper body strength. But starting next year, schools would drop the physical education exam until at least 2023.“

BUCKS FOR TEACHERS — “Teacher bonuses and classroom prep: Inside Newsom’s $900 million plan for California schools,” by the Sac Bee’s Hannah Wiley: The governor’s plan “includes money for professional development, competitive grants and $20,000 bonuses for educators who commit to high-needs schools.”

WALTERS ON GAVIN — “‘California for All’ vs. daunting reality,” by Dan Walters in CalMatters: “Last week, Newsom referred to California as ‘the richest and poorest state,’ and the gap is widening.”

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

BIG FIGHT COMING — “Wiener unveils 'public PG&E' legislation amid union protests,” by POLITICO’s Colby Bermel: “He said cities that want to spin off their own municipal utilities from the publicly-owned PG&E would be able to buy parts of its grid for their own use...Throughout the event, about 60 members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245 and others shouted while Wiener and his allies spoke.” (Pro link)

— “PG&E files revamped plan to exit bankruptcy, create “re-imagined” utility,” by Merc News’ George Avalos: PG&E’s stock rocketed higher on Monday after the embattled utility unveiled a plan to extricate itself from a bankruptcy quagmire that surfaced amid the company’s mountain of debts and liabilities linked to a series of catastrophic wildfires.”

— “Is California ready for a new state park?” by CalMatters’ Julie Cart: Newsom’s proposal to add a new park “is more than just a line item: It is a vote of confidence that an agency embroiled in controversy eight years ago is capable of running the state’s 280 parks.”

— “LAPD scandal opens window into California's secret gang database as reforms debated,” by the LA Times’ Anita Chabria, Leila Miller and Nicole Santa Cruz: “Law enforcement has rebuffed critics’ fear of unfair additions as rumor without evidence — until now.”

HOUSING HITS — “Suburban sprawl wins again in the battle against California's housing crisis,” by George Skelton in the LA Times: “OK, perhaps Senate Bill 50 was a bit heavy-handed, utopian and unrealistic, asking too much of Californians who love their ranch-house culture. … But the status quo is unsustainable.”

TINY HOMES — “Are tiny homes the answer to California's homelessness crisis?” by POLITICO’s Victoria Colliver: “Proponents contend these temporary structures are far better than current sprawling tent encampments. … But for many, these communities can bring to mind Hooverville-style shanty towns. And it remains unclear whether offering people their own door is more effective in moving them toward permanent housing than traditional shelters.” (Pro links)

FIRST SF’S MARKET STREET, NOW… “L.A. considers bold makeover for Hollywood Boulevard: Fewer cars, bike lanes, wider sidewalks,” by the LA Times’ Laura Nelson and

Priscella Vega: “If approved, the proposal would narrow Hollywood Boulevard to a center turn lane and one travel lane in each direction roughly between La Brea Avenue and Vine Street.”

MORE AB 5 PUSHBACK — “California’s gig-worker law faces push-back, even from some it’s intended to help,” by the OC Register’s Brooke Staggs: “Many freelancers say they don’t understand how the bill affects them, or how it touches their industries, and they’re getting conflicting advice about how to navigate the new law.”

TESTING, TESTING — “University of California faculty task force backs keeping ACT, SAT for admissions,” by POLITICO’s Bianca Quilantan: “[T]he task force found that standardized test scores at the UC are ‘better predictors of first-year GPA than high school grade point average, and about as good at predicting first-year retention, undergraduate grade point average and graduation.’”

SILICON VALLEYLAND

SUPERCHARGED — “Tesla jumps 19.9%, biggest one-day gain in 6 years,” by CNBC’s Jessica Bursztynsky.

BIG BUCKS — “YouTube is a $15 billion-a-year business, Google reveals for the first time,” by The Verge’s Nick Statt: “This is the first report under newly instated Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who took over as the chief executive of the entire company late last year after co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped back from day-to-day duties.”

— “The Uneasy Promise of Life in Silicon Valley,” by Malcolm Harris in The New Republic: “As Anna Wiener puts it in her new book Uncanny Valley, selling out is ‘our generation’s premier aspiration, the best way to get paid.’ It’s not selling out, it’s ‘cashing in,’ and who can blame anyone for that?”

YOUR DREAM HOME, AND WHAT A STEAL — “Outrageous Sports Fanatic Estate Lists For $53.9 Million In Silicon Valley,” by Keith Flamer in Forbes.

CANNABIS COUNTRY

CANNABIS CULTURE?— “'This was supposed to be reparations' Why is LA's cannabis industry devastating black entrepreneurs?” by the LA Times’ Sam Levin: “Fewer than 20 of the 100 businesses on track to receive a license through the program appear to be black-owned, according to estimates from advocates, who say the community most disproportionately targeted by marijuana arrests is again facing discrimination.”

GONNA TAKE YOU HIGHER — “New cannabis compound could get you 30 times higher than THC,” by the New York Post’s Hannah Sparks.

MIXTAPE

— “Staples Center removes public’s massive Kobe Bryant memorial,” via The AP.

— “1 dead, 5 wounded in California Greyhound bus shooting, suspect in custody,” by NBC’s Elisha Fieldstadt and Mohammed Syed.

— “California man wielding knife fatally shot by Yuma deputy,” via The AP.

— “Walgreens to pay $7.5 million to settle fake pharmacist lawsuit,” by Merc News’ Joseph Geha.

BIRTHDAYS

Belated Feb. 1 — Jerry Roberts, legendary former SF Chronicle managing editor and CALBUZZ co-founder.

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