Katy Murphy
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@Politico California politics editor. Write me at katymurphy@politico.com.
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Articles by Katy Murphy
A Reality Check on the Polls in California’s Most Chaotic Race Original
To make sense of it all, we convened a panel of California-based political reporters who have been breaking news and uncovering shifting dynamics in the race for many months. Melanie Mason, Jeremy B. White, Dustin Gardiner and Blake Jones talked through what surprised them the most, what to watch on Tuesday, and the latest possibility Sacramento is gaming out: two Democrats advancing to the general election. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
1406 Virginia Ave, Fultondale, AL 35068, US
Investment Summary Potential Missing Expenses We noticed that are missing—this is a standard expense and should be considered in your estimate. Net Operating Income (NOI) minus mortgage payments. Calculation: NOI - Mortgage Payments Monthly Cash Flow $197 Capitalization Rate is a rate of return that compares the yearly Net Operating Income (NOI) to the market value.
Zamieszki w Los Angeles. Donald Trump podsyca ogień. Celowo? "Niektóre z tych konfrontacji mogą zakończyć się śmiercią"
*** — Obawiam się, że będziemy świadkami starć między członkami społeczeństwa a federalną agencją imigracyjną, która będzie próbowała dokonywać aresztowań, a niektóre z tych konfrontacji mogą zakończyć się śmiercią, zwłaszcza że Trump zwraca się do sił, które zazwyczaj nie mają doświadczenia w kontrolowaniu amerykańskich tłumów lub ulic — niepokoi się Josh Gerstein, starszy reporter do spraw prawnych. *** Gubernator Kalifornii Gavin Newsom jest znanym przeciwnikiem Donalda Trumpa.
Predictions on What’s Next for the Clash in LA Original
After days of headlines featuring the implosion of his relationship with Elon Musk, President Donald Trump wrested control of the news cycle by deploying National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area in response to immigration protests — and igniting a new political firestorm in the process. It’s the first time in 60 years a U.S. president has taken such a step without a governor’s consent, and the move drew immediate rebukes and a lawsuit from Democratic Gov.
The best (and worst) scenarios for LA disaster aid
Khaled Fouad (left) and Mimi Laine embrace as they inspect a family member's property that was destroyed by Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, California. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images LIVIN’ ON A PRAYER: Joe Biden prayed about it. President Donald Trump threatened to hold it up, and then promised to help. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is working behind the scenes to secure it.
Not so close?
NOT SO CLOSE? New polls suggest the recall race won't be so tight after all, just days before Tuesday’s election — and as Gov. Gavin Newsom gets some big help from former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris. Two surveys released Wednesday found that California voters are likely to reject the recall by a double-digit margin, sparing Gov. Gavin Newsom the fate that befell former Gov. Gray Davis in 2003, as Jeremy B. White reported today.
Housing market boom could be bust for Biden’s recovery
Wall Street investors have bought into the Federal Reserve’s assurances that higher inflation won’t last, but a looming trend will test their composure over the coming months: soaring home and rental costs. With home prices already up about 15 percent from last year and rents soaring at nearly triple their normal rate in just the first six months of 2021, there’s growing concern that housing costs could soon begin to nudge inflation higher.
California board rejects - and then approves - proposal to loosen mask restrictions in workplaces
Industry groups had pushed for the state to completely eliminate masking and distancing mandates for vaccinated workers. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images California's workplace safety board voted Thursday night to approve a loosening of its Covid-19 safety rules — after rejecting the proposal just moments earlier. The decision capped a tumultuous and at times confusing meeting Thursday night.
Axiom of politics
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The French Laundry story became a "kick me" sign on Gov. Gavin Newsom's back. But it seems to have helped the fortunes of Axiom Advisors, the high-powered lobbying firm that shot to notoriety after Newsom attended lobbyist Jason Kinney's birthday dinner at the tony Yountville restaurant during the height of the pandemic.
California legislature holds PPP bill to add tax relief for Covid-restricted industries
California Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins of San Diego speaks in Sacramento, Calif. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers passed a massive state economic relief package Monday that Gov. Gavin Newsom said he could sign as soon as Tuesday, less than a week after it was first unveiled. Newsom touted the agreement during a Monday event in the Bakersfield area on the state's vaccine rollout.
Biden chooses California's Su as deputy Labor secretary
© Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo Julie Su, the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a longtime advocate for low-wage workers, was among the names initially floated for Labor secretary. President Joe Biden has offered Julie Su, who heads California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the role of deputy Labor secretary, and she has accepted, two people familiar with the decision told POLITICO.
Who’s tracking the health trackers?
WHEN HEALTH TECH GETS TOO PERSONAL: If you’re one of tens of millions of people tracking calories, alcohol, moods or even ovulation cycles on a smartphone app, beware: There’s little in the law to stop those app makers from sharing personal data with marketers — even about pregnancy. A recent crackdown on popular menstrual cycle trackers revealed the patchwork state of patient privacy protections and the limited tools at regulators’ disposal.
Democratic control of Washington electrifies blue states that are in the red
Democrats' takeover of the Senate comes as a particular relief to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been counting on federal money to close the state's budget. | Kathy Willens/AP SACRAMENTO — Impending Democratic control of Washington is energizing governors hoping to tap the federal piggy bank to help balance their budgets. The bailout that Republicans squelched last year now appears within reach. The Georgia runoff victories of Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev.
Georgia sweep renews blue state hopes for federal cash
Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock, left, and Jon Ossoff, right, gesture toward a crowd during a campaign rally on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) | Brynn Anderson/AP Photo SACRAMENTO — Impending Democratic control of Washington is energizing governors hoping to tap the federal piggy bank to help balance their budgets. The bailout that Republicans squelched last year now appears within reach.
California leaders fear remote culture could fuel business departures
Oracle Corp. headquarters in Redwood City, Calif. | Paul Sakuma/AP Photo California Tech company departures to lower-cost states during the pandemic stoke worries about companies moving elsewhere. SACRAMENTO — Fed-up Californians have been trading their cramped, pricey apartments for affordable living in cheaper states for decades. Now, California’s businesses are making similar calculations after a monthslong remote work experiment triggered by the pandemic.
California labor secretary in serious contention for Biden Cabinet
California Labor Secretary Julie Su has declined to publicly discuss the role. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California's labor secretary began her legal career fighting for Thai garment workers held captive in a Los Angeles sweatshop. Decades later, she's in serious contention to join the Biden administration as secretary of the U.S. Labor Department, according to sources familiar with transition discussions.
Oracle joins HP and Elon Musk in California-to-Texas move
Oracle's Redwood City, Calif., headquarters are seen in a June 26, 2007 file photo. The tech giant said Friday it will move its headquarters to Austin, Texas. SACRAMENTO — Another Silicon Valley software giant announced Friday it is decamping to Austin, notching a new win for Texas in its ongoing economic and political rivalry with California.
California judge calls L.A. outdoor dining ban 'abuse' of powers
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 22: A restaurant in the West Village serves customers seated at sidewalk tables as the city moves into Phase 2 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on June 22, 2020 in New York City. Phase 2 permits the reopening of offices, in-store retail, outdoor dining, barbers and beauty parlors and numerous other businesses. Phase 2 is the second of four-phased stages designated by the state.
States become worker safety watchdogs as pandemic worsens
"If a national standard isn’t feasible or isn’t well-written, it could be worse than the presently evolving patchwork,” said Rob Moutrie, policy advocate and workplace safety lead for the California Chamber of Commerce. Critics say OSHA has done little to punish companies when their workers get sick or even die from the coronavirus.
California families sue state over distance learning inequities
Students take livestream classes while seated in socially distanced protective desks at Westwood STAR Tutoring & Enrichment Center in Los Angeles. | Mario Tama/Getty Images SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Seven families took California to court Monday, accusing the state of failing to ensure "basic educational equality" during a prolonged period of remote learning brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
California paid inmates $1B in fraudulent unemployment benefits, prosecutors say
For months, fraudsters have exploited programs designed to swiftly distribute federal pandemic aid to self-employed and contract workers. | David McNew/Getty Images Inmates in California's jails and prisons have stolen upwards of $1 billion in pandemic unemployment aid, four district attorneys and a federal prosecutor announced Tuesday.
California Democratic lawmaker absent from Covid-19 hearing during Maui conference
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, listens to Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo during a roundtable discussion on March 28, 2019. | Damian Dovarganes/AP SACRAMENTO — A Democratic state lawmaker was absent from a Tuesday legislative hearing titled "Safeguarding Our Frontline Workers During COVID-19" while attending a conference in Maui with lobbyists and other legislators despite warnings not to travel during a coronavirus surge.
‘State-sanctioned segregation’: California’s school closure debate boils over
Hollywood High Teachers Assistant Yolanda Franco conducts class remotely on September 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, Calif. | Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images SACRAMENTO — Pandemic politics have reached a boiling point in California’s school reopening debate. A hands-off approach by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and public pressure from powerful labor unions has led the state’s biggest city districts to keep schools shuttered, leaving most of California’s 6 million public schoolchildren learning at home.
Another California lawmaker confirms Maui attendance, defends event as even 'more urgent'
Assemblymember Heath Flora is pictured at the Capitol. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo Another California lawmaker has acknowledged flying to a conference at a luxury Maui resort despite a troubling surge in Covid-19 cases around the nation. Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon) responded to inquiries about his whereabouts in an email on Wednesday confirming he, too, was at the Fairmont Kea Lani.
Two California lawmakers bought plane tickets for Hawaii conference during pandemic
Umbrellas are closed at an outdoor restaurant on a popular resort in Waikiki, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, in Honolulu. | Marco Garcia/AP SACRAMENTO — Two California assemblymembers reported spending campaign funds on airline tickets to Hawaii for a conference this week, an event that has come under fire because of California's coronavirus surge and official warnings not to travel out of state.
California Lawmakers Head To Maui With Lobbyists Despite Pandemic, Travel Warnings
The pandemic may have “canceled” 2020, but it did not derail an annual gathering of lobbyists and lawmakers on the shores of Maui that brought people from across the country to a luxury resort this week. Roughly 100 people from four states converged at the Fairmont Kea Lani for a four-day legislative conference organized by the Independent Voter Project, said the group’s chair and executive director, Dan Howle.
California lawmakers head to Maui with lobbyists despite pandemic, travel warnings
California lawmakers head to Maui with lobbyists despite pandemic, travel warnings The Fairmont Kea Lani in 2010. | Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Maui Film Festival SACRAMENTO — The pandemic may have “canceled” 2020, but it did not derail an annual gathering of lobbyists and lawmakers on the shores of Maui that brought people from across the country to a luxury resort this week.
Biden’s chance to supercharge digital health
Future Pulse is a weekly newsletter exploring the rapidly changing world of health care and technology. We call out fads from real advances, chronicle experimentation and investigate the tension between innovation, regulation and privacy. Join the conversation! COMMON GROUND: Could health technology provide a thread of continuity between the administrations of Donald Trump and Joe Biden? Will the demands of the pandemic and the pace of innovation just make it too hard to change course?
Google algorithms blamed for giving California voters a biased look at ballot initiatives
An illuminated sign of the Google logo. Google algorithms are being blamed for producing biased excerpts from California's official election guide. | Jens Meyer, File/ AP Photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California officials this week raced to address a quirk in Google algorithms that can give voters a skewed look at ballot measures by producing biased excerpts from the state's official election guide.
Gig companies open the door to campaigning by app Original
Bad actors and rival nations have already manipulated tech platforms in attempts to shape American political outcomes. Given how much data is stored on their servers, data privacy experts fear the tech companies themselves could influence the electorate when they face an existential threat like the gig companies do in California.
'Too sweet of a pie': Cybercriminals steal $8B in Covid relief funds Original
State officials are seeing big surges in unemployment applications indicating that criminals are trying to game the system. | Paul Sakuma/AP Photo The Secret Service and Labor Department have been warning states for months that criminal networks are trying to steal billions of dollars in federal pandemic unemployment aid. But the overburdened and antiquated state systems that send out the checks have been unable to stop a lot of the fraud.
Federal stimulus impasse endangers California budget relief Original
The Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. | AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite A new infusion of federal aid looks increasingly unlikely to materialize in the coming weeks, dimming hopes that California will restore billions of dollars state leaders trimmed from the budget as part of an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom. The final budget deal included more than $11 billion in cuts and deferrals that would be restored if the state receives $14 billion in federal Covid-19 relief by Oct. 15.
California's embattled UI agency will take 2-week 'reset,' won't resolve backlog until January
Unionized hospitality workers wait in line to apply for unemployment benefits at the Hospitality Training Academy Friday, March 13, 2020, in Los Angeles. | AP Photo California's embattled unemployment agency will not accept new unemployment claims for the next two weeks, accepting a recommendation from a governor-appointed Strike Team dispatched less than two months ago, its director announced late Saturday night.
California expands family leave protections to millions of small business workers
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news briefing. | AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday extended job protections to millions of workers at small businesses in California if they need time off to care for themselves, a child or another relative. Newsom signed CA SB1383 (19R) by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), to expand the California Family Rights Act, which extends unpaid protections to workers who take family leave.
California has to replace millions of N95 masks decertified by federal government
Protective masks hang in a decontamination unit. | AP Photo/Michael Dwyer SACRAMENTO — California has to replace millions of N95 masks it distributed statewide as part of a $90 million deal after Silicon Valley manufacturer Advoque lost its temporary federal certification.
California: Fraud likely driving suspicious spike in unemployment claims
Hospitality workers wait in line in a basement garage to apply for unemployment benefits. | AP Photo Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that he was aware of the likelihood of fraudulent claims and that the state was investigating them.
POLITICO Q&A: Former 2020 contender Andrew Yang
We’re used to thinking of you on the national stage. What compelled you to get involved in a campaign to rework California’s data privacy law? I've been trying to activate people on data and privacy rights nationwide for a number of months. It was one of the issues I ran on during my presidential campaign, and then, when my campaign concluded, I started this data dividend project [advocating for people to get paid when tech companies profit off their data].
'Galvanize this moment': California lawmaker hopes newborn speech will propel family leave
In this still image from California State Assembly video, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks addresses lawmakers on a housing bill while holding her one-month-old daughter Elly in her arms during the final hours of the California legislative session. | California State Assembly via AP SACRAMENTO — It was a revolution with a baby and a blanket.
Andrew Yang takes lead role in California data privacy campaign
Andrew Yang speaks at a forum. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo SACRAMENTO — Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang is throwing his weight behind California’s November data privacy ballot measure — not just endorsing the initiative but chairing its advisory board, the Proposition 24 campaign announced Monday. Impact: Yang’s involvement could bring more visibility and cachet to the effort, given the tech entrepreneur’s national profile and popularity among younger voters.
A California cage match: Amazon squares off against eBay in Statehouse brawl
Amazon has faced dozens of suits over defective or faulty products sold through its Marketplace. | David McNew/Getty Images SACRAMENTO — The tech industry is closely watching a California proposal that would hold Amazon and other online marketplaces liable for defective products that injure customers. With days left in the legislative session, Etsy, eBay and other tech giants are trying to stop the measure in its tracks. But there is a surprising new exception: Amazon itself.
'C'mon, ladies!' Siebel Newsom's mask PSA gets blowback from overburdened moms
A new state public health mask PSA starring Jennifer Siebel Newsom and directed at California moms is drawing sharp criticism from women who say it is perpetuating gender stereotypes. | Sarah Morris/Getty Images SACRAMENTO — California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a women's rights advocate whose 2011 documentary explored problematic portrayals of girls and women in the media, is now getting heat for her own messaging about gender.
Shadow schools? Class is in session - at the YMCA and roller rink
The prolonged crisis has forced American communities into a late-summer frenzy to replace what schools provided on the ground. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images SACRAMENTO — A roller rink. The YMCA. Houses of worship. All are creating makeshift classrooms this fall as school campuses remain closed around the country because of the pandemic. For working parents, it brings much-needed relief to the exhausting months since coronavirus began.
Newsom provides path for elementary schools to open, strictly limits youth sports
A California classroom sits empty. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images SACRAMENTO — California elementary schools that want to open their doors for in-person learning must consult with parents, labor unions and others on campus and demonstrate their plans for contact-tracing and other public health measures that have been widely implemented in summer camps and child care settings, according to new guidelines released Monday night.
Newsom economic task force has star-studded cast. Why can't it solve the reopening?
Gov. Gavin Newsom wearing a mask. | AP Photo/Hector Amezcua, Pool SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Almost 100 days ago, California Gov. Gavin Newsom tapped Apple’s Tim Cook, Disney’s Bob Iger, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and scores of other business and labor luminaries to chart the state’s economic recovery. The public is still waiting for a road map.
These California privacy initiative opponents might surprise you
People using computers | Getty Images SACRAMENTO — The biggest threat to California's privacy ballot initiative may come from the privacy world itself — not Silicon Valley or other deep-pocketed business interests. The Consumer Federation of California, the ACLU of California and Media Alliance have gone public with scathing critiques of Proposition 24 — a move that will complicate the pro-consumer narrative of a campaign to rewrite the state's landmark Privacy Act.
Oakland Schools police return
Breaking News Coronavirus: ‘This is far from over’ as new cases, hospitalizations spike in California OAKLAND — Greg Hom, an Oakland Schools police officer, waited five years to be asked back to work after the school district shut down its independent law enforcement department in 2001. Hom finally reported for duty again in late November, after his union won a legal battle that forced the district to reopen the department.
California quietly inks second N95 mask deal with Silicon Valley company
N95 mask | Al Bello/Getty Images SACRAMENTO — California inked a $90 million respirator contract with a Silicon Valley retail display and packaging company this month just as a closely watched deal with another N95 supplier appeared at risk of falling apart because of federal certification delays. The state agreed to pay Santa Clara-based Advoque $2.25 each for roughly 40 million N95 respirators, according to a June 3 contract.
Businesses ask Congress to bail out governments, sensing tax targets on their backs
A person looks inside the closed doors of the Pasadena Community Job Center in California. | Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo SACRAMENTO — City halls and statehouses are getting a boost in their scramble for federal aid from an unexpected source: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, whose primary job is to look out for big businesses, says if help doesn’t come, states and cities will likely lay off more workers, cut services and raise taxes, deepening the economic crisis.
Parents are ready to return to work, but where will their kids go?
Preschool child. | Matt Cardy/Getty Images SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The resurgence of California's economy — the fifth largest in the world — could rest on one sector in particular that's been shattered by the pandemic: child care. Steep revenue losses and costly new health and safety requirements are putting beleaguered child care programs out of existence in the high-cost state just as more parents return to the workplace.
Is Hotel California a permanent answer to homelessness?
California was the first state to secure FEMA reimbursement to shelter people experinecing homelessness individually in hotel rooms as a way to limit the spread of Covid-19. | (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) California The governor’s idea is eliciting some optimism in a high-cost state with some 150,000 people experiencing homelessness. SACRAMENTO — California Gov.
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