KOUNALAKIS slams TRUMP on trade — GAVIN thanks TRUMP on disaster bucks — ARYAN BROTHERHOOD arrests at CA prison — BIG TECH armed and ready on antitrust fight — BOHEMIAN GROVE’S ‘all male big shots’ may go without sheriffs Presented by Facebook

THE BUZZ: TRUMP GIVETH AND TRUMP TAKETH AWAY — It’s no secret that California has a fraught relationship with President Donald Trump, especially with what Gov. Gavin Newsom has termed “Trumpism“ — his partisan and often bombastic approach to the Golden State on the policy and funding front. But this week has been head-snapping for its back-and-forth with POTUS and his administration on some key issues: disaster aide and tariffs.

THUMBS UP ON THURSDAY: Newsom on Thursday issued a rare thumbs up to Trump — a thank you for finally signing that $19.1 billion disaster funding bill that will aid the victims of last year’s horrific wildfires. BUT THE SAME WEEK, Newsom’s point person on trade issues, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, found herself testifying twice regarding the potentially disastrous effects of the president’s trade and tariff policies on California.

FIRST, NEWSOM’S STATEMENT: "I want to thank President Trump and Congress for bringing much-needed relief to communities impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters. This legislation will bring our state critical disaster funding to help Californians rebuild and recover.”

THE BACKSTORY: “Trump signs long-stalled $19.1B disaster relief bill,” by POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma: “President Donald Trump Thursday signed a package that would deliver $19.1 billion in disaster relief to communities across the country that are still recovering from a spate of catastrophic hurricanes, wildfires and flooding...The legislation was delayed for months prior to that amid partisan infighting.” Story .

THEN THERE WAS THIS: Kounalakis, the former U.S. ambassador to Hungary — who has also been named Newsom’s lead on a new International Affairs and Trade Development Interagency Committee — was called twice to testify this week on the potential impacts Trump’s policies would have on California. On Tuesday, she took her case before the Assembly Select Committee on International Agreements regarding the impacts of Trump’s China and Mexico trade policies. On Wednesday, it was the major China-California Business Forum in Los Angeles.

KOUNALAKIS TELLS POLITICO she’s deeply concerned about how Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, set to go into effect Monday, will affect California: “One of the things that is so frustrating is that here we have something that is affecting us so much, and Donald Trump has enormous authority to make these decisions. It’s hard to even begin to get your head around what 5 percent per month, escalating every month, until it’s at 25 percent from Mexico, will do. Many goods that come in from Mexico will go back and forth as part of the supply chain multiple times before they’re completed. ... People are still kind of in shock around this. This is unprecedented in modern history to have a president advancing foreign policy in such an erratic and unpredictable ways — and without regard to our economy.’’

REGARDING CHINA, THE LG TOLD THE LOS ANGELES FORUM: “Although California does not set trade policy, we have more to gain or lose than any other state. 30 percent of U.S. exports and 40 percent of imports come through California ports, and trade supports 20 percent of the state’s workforce. Every day, $1 billion worth of goods flow through the Port of LA and Long Beach alone — the largest port complex in the country.”

MORE: “China invests more foreign direct investment into our state than any other country; 37 percent of imports coming into our ports are from China, as well as 9 percent of our exports. Tourism is also very important. Last year we welcomed 1.6 million Chinese visitors. California has six tourism offices in China, the most in any country, and we invest $10 million per year in advertising to welcome Chinese guests.” Stay tuned.

BUENOS DIAS, Good Friday morning. It’s National Donut Day! For the record, our favorite is chocolate old-fashioned, but who’s counting (calories)? Krispy Kreme is giving away a free one to customers — be prepared to wait in line. But here’s a tip sheet on how to get more freebies from SFGate.

— QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Who knows how the meeting with St. Peter went? Ellen was upgraded. She got her own room. And a driver.’’ — Presidential candidate and Rep. Eric Swalwell in his bittersweet eulogy for the late Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher, who also served as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control in the Clinton Administration.



On hand at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek to honor Tauscher, who died in April, were UC President Janet Napolitano, Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Mark DeSaulnier, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, former Assembly Speaker John Perez and Democratic strategist Katie Merrill, her longtime adviser — along with hundreds of others. Swalwell, at 20, was a Capitol Hill intern for Tauscher, whom he called “my political mom.“

— TWEET OF THE DAY: Mike Madrid @madrid_mike: “Trump’s trying to pass the largest tax increase in a generation. Trump’s a protectionist who opposes free trade.Trump’s an isolationist, undoing decades of free market expansion. If you’re a Republican who supports him you may be a pro-life nationalist but you’re no conservative.”

— PODCAST OF THE DAY: Joe Garofoli’s “It’s All Political” grills presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke on why he loves The Clash and why the song “Clampdown” is so integral to his campaign. Listen here .

— WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

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TOP TALKERS

— ZUCKED AGAIN: REAGAN speechwriter Peggy Noonan opines in the Wall Street Journal on why It’s time to “Overthrow the Prince of Facebook.” Op-ed.

—MURDERS, CELLPHONES, DRUGS: “Feds strike at Aryan Brotherhood gang in California prisons,” by Sac Bee’s Sam Stanton: “DEA investigators using court-ordered wiretaps monitored more than 1,800 phone calls during the course of the probe, and used information from some of the calls to move targeted inmates to safety and, in at least one case, warn a target who was not in prison that he was in danger, the documents say.” Story .

— DIG IN: “You Can Now Search the Full Text of 3 Million Nonprofit Tax Records for Free,” by ProPublica’s Ken Schwencke: Story and database .

— “Big Tech Is Armed and Waiting to Repel U.S. Antitrust Onslaught,” by Bloomberg’s Gerrit De Vynck and David McLaughlin: “[W]hile these tech giants will need to bolster their defenses for added scrutiny closer to home, Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc. all have been working publicly and behind the scenes for months to make their cases for why they help competition, rather than harm it, and already have formidable teams in place.” Story .

— ‘ALL-MALE BIG SHOTS‘ GATHERING POSES PROBLEMS: “Sonoma supervisors not crazy about providing deputies to all-male Bohemian Grove,’ via SFChronicle’s Steve Rubenstein: “The annual top-secret Bohemian Grove campout of all-male big shots may have to do without the services of four sheriff’s deputies, after the female-majority Sonoma County Board of Supervisors pushed off a decision on the contract. Story .

THE TRUMP ERA

— SPEAKER SHIFTING: “The evolution of Nancy Pelosi's impeachment talk,’’ by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Lily Stephens: “The speaker has consistently said she won’t impeach Trump, but her rhetoric against the president has become more savage.” Story .

— MILLIONS AT STAKE: “Trump action on fetal tissue research affects California,’’ via Capitol Weekly’s David Jensen: “Trump’s move immediately cost UC San Francisco a $2 million grant aimed at new therapies for HIV. It also drew reaction from California’s $3 billion stem cell agency.” Story .

— PAINTING IT OVER: “Military to spend a month painting border barriers to "improve aesthetic appearance,’” by CBS’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez: “According to the email, the text of which was provided to CBS News by a congressional aide, an unspecified number of service members were set to paint barriers in the California border town of Calexico.” Story .

— IMPEACHMENT CHEAT SHEET: “Here’s where each California Democrat stands on opening an impeachment inquiry on Trump,” by LATimes’ Jennifer Haberkorn and Sarah D. Wire: Story .

— Q&A: “Why Adam Schiff is not there yet on trying to impeach Trump: ‘It’s not a panacea,’” by LATimes’ Christine Mai-Duc: Story .

— “Soaring insurance deductibles and high drug prices hit sick Americans with a ‘double whammy,’” by LATimes’ Noam N. Levey: “The financial strain is pushing millions of seriously ill Americans to ration their care, jeopardizing their health and even their lives.” Story .

PRESIDENTIAL PURSUIT

— BOO HOO: ”California 2020 Countdown: Is getting booed a good campaign strategy? It worked for Dianne Feinstein,’’ via SJMercury’s Casey Tolan: “Getting booed in front of 3,400 people sounds like a political candidate’s nightmare. But sometimes it can be exactly what they need. Story .

— “Kamala Harris ramps up staff, organizing in Iowa: 'It's game on,’” by the Des Moines Register’s Brianne Pfannenstiel: Story .

— “Kamala Harris Has a Brilliant Idea on Abortion,” by Elise C. Boddie in NYT: “This idea, known as preclearance, is widely considered the single most effective civil rights tool in American history, because it blocks bad policies before they can take root and spread harm across generations.” Op-ed .

— “Democrats Take Aim at Silicon Valley. They Take Its Cash, Too,” by NYT’s Shane Goldmacher and Stephanie Saul: “Silicon Valley had been, until recently, one of the last relatively untainted wellsprings from which to draw campaign contributions. Now, some, particularly on the left, say tech money is suspect, too.” Story .

— “For many black voters, 2020 isn’t about pride or making history. It’s about beating Trump,” by LATimes’ Mark Z. Barabak: Analysis .

—THE THIRD 2020 CALIFORNIAN: “Why Marianne Williamson thinks she can defeat Trump,’’ via PBS: Story .

CAMPAIGN MODE

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — LORETTA’S RETURN? Former Rep. Loretta Sanchez is taking another shot at the Orange County Board of Supervisors, seeking a 2020 rematch after losing to Republican Don Wagner in a March special (back in 2016, she forfeited her House seat to run for the Senate seat ultimately claimed by Kamala Harris). She’s rolling out a team that includes Campaign Manager Michelle Duman, Finance Director Katharine Meyer Borst, Field Director Jessica Fernandez and comms consultant Orrin Evans, who was on the Rep. Gil Cisneros‘ campaign.

— NOT JUST IMPEACHMENT: Mega-donor Tom Steyer’s NextGen California is funding digital ads trying to boost Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push for sustained clean drinking water funding — and they’re targeting districts in areas like the Central Valley, Orange County and the Inland Empire, many of which are represented by vulnerable Dems nervous about the political cost of backing new taxes. Take a look .

— “How debate rules are shaping 2020 candidate spending,” by CNN’s Fredreka Schouten: Story .

— JAW-DROPPING: “Duncan Hunter's defense of accused Navy SEAL brings new scrutiny,” by CNN’s Maeve Reston: “[R]ecently, Hunter made a series of jaw-dropping comments about his own conduct — including taking a photo with a dead enemy combatant — as a Marine while championing the defense of former Navy SEAL Edward "Eddie" Gallagher.” Story .

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— UH OH: “California’s job engine is slowing as U.S. nears recession, UCLA predicts,” by LATimes’ Margot Roosevelt: “‘The California economy is slowing down,” wrote Jerry Nickelsburg, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, released Wednesday. ‘The state is, quite simply, running out of people to be employed.’” Story .

— COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL: “USC says litigation possible over Lori Loughlin's, husband's role in college admissions scandal,” by LATimes’ Matthew Ormseth: “Loughlin and [husband Mossimo] Giannulli are charged with fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for allegedly paying $500,000 to ensure their two daughters were admitted to USC as rowing recruits.” Story .

— “Online degrees made USC the world’s biggest social work school. Then things went terribly wrong,” by LATimes’ Harriet Ryan and Matt Hamilton: “Though USC has yet to detail the full scope and causes of the fiscal emergency, some things are clear: Hiring teachers and administrators for the online program proved costly.” Story .

— IT ALL STARTED WITH: “California’s largest wildfire was caused by a hammer, Cal Fire says,” by Sac Bee’s Dale Kasler: “Cal Fire said Thursday that the Ranch Fire last July began when a property owner in Potter Valley, in Mendocino County, was hammering a metal stake into the ground to install a shade barrier. The hammering created a spark that lit up vegetation on the ground.” Story .

— MORE DISTURBING HEALTH DATA via POLITICO Pro Health’s Angela Hart: “Medical exemptions for childhood vaccinations have now quadrupled following a 2015 California law that ended personal belief and religious exemptions, according to new state Department of Public Health data .“ POLITICO Pro content .

— “California’s high-speed rail fail could pay off for other states,” by POLITICO’s Christian Paz: “[A]s California struggles to preserve its two grants from the Federal Railroad Administration, analysts and advocates of passenger rail service hope that the Golden State’s loss provides opportunities for other rail projects in the Midwest and Northeast.” Story .

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— “Google locks up Santa Cruz’s Looker for $2.6 billion,” by the Merc’s Rex Crum: “Google expects that addition of Looker will help it provide better analytical tools that customers can use to draw information out of their data for business operations.” It’s Google’s biggest acquisition since Nest in 2014. Story .

CANNABIS COUNTRY

— “Eaze Hit With Lawsuit Over Credit Card Payments,” by Leafly’s Ben Adlin: “In a 72-page complaint filed Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court, plaintiff Herban Industries claims that Eaze set up a system ‘designed to conceal the true nature’ of cannabis purchases in order to allow customers to pay with credit or debit cards.” Story .

HOLLYWOODLAND

— “Hollywood Writers Attempt Life Without Agents,” by the New Yorker’s Emily Witt: “The conflict has not stopped television from getting made. It has just changed the process.” Story .

MIXTAPE

— “Warriors fan who shoved Raptors player is a part owner,” by Axios’ Ina Fried: Story .

— “Judge finds Sacramento sheriff violated public records act, orders release of deputy records,” by Sac Bee’s Sam Stanton: Story .

— “LA Might Make It Illegal To Keep Your Engine Running While Parked,” by LAist’s Ryan Fonseca: Story .

— “Lost, Stolen, Sold: S.F. Violates Homeless Property Policy,” by SF Weekly’s Nuala Sawyer: “ Story .

— “LAX power outage brings chaos, questions, anger,” by LATimes’ Hannah Fry and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde: Story .

— THE BIRDS! “Crows Are Crowding Your Bay Area Skies. Why?” by KQED’s Dan Brekke: Story .

— “California has 4th best state economy, by two measurements,” by the OCRegister’s Jonathan Lansner: Column .

EVENTS

— RAPPER COMMON, STOCKTON MAYOR MICHAEL TUBBS TOGETHER: “Stockton, CA - The Gathering for Justice, a nonprofit founded by Harry Belafonte and led by Carmen Perez, will join forces with Grammy-winning artist, actor and activist Common as well as Mayor of Stockton Michael Tubbs for the Imagine Justice concert and additional community programming on Friday, June 7.“ DETAILS: Roundtable community discussion with Common, Tubbs and community leaders: 2:15 p.m., City Hall, Community Activation & Resource Fair, 4:30 p.m. MLK Plaza, Stockton. Imagine Justice Concert Featuring Common: 6:30 p.m. — doors open, show starts at 7:30 p.m., Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium. Info here .

BIRTHDAYS

Laura Pereyra … Chris Ortman, SVP at MPAA ... former Rep. Mel Levine (D-Calif.) is 76

MEA CULPA: A POLITICO story by Carla Marinucci Thursday incorrectly reported that the @DevinCow Twitter parody account is affiliated with Republican strategist Liz Mair. Rep. Devin Nunes has filed a $250 million defamation suit against the @DevinCow Twitter account and another parody account labeled @DevinNunesMom. He has filed a separate suit against Mair, who is getting legal fundraising help online.

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