The fight over changing California’s congressional district map to create five Democratic-favored seats is one of the most expensive ballot measures in state history, with campaigns to support and oppose the measure already raising more than $215 million. With less than a month left to go in the high-stakes fight, that figure is expected to rise

Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik has been to Democratic National Conventions in the past, but this year just feels different.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” the California Democratic Party regional director told the Washington Examiner. “[The party] is on target with their messaging, and it’s really resonating well with Democrats. No party preference and even moderates seem to be very eager to volunteer and donate.”

Cunningham-Skurnik, a DNC elected board member, is among nearly 500 Californians headed to Chicago to celebrate the nominations of Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) for vice president.

In all, more than 4,000 credentialed delegates will be in the city Monday through Thursday for nightly televised celebrations with speeches to fire up the base.

“This is my third convention,” Cunningham-Skurnik said. “I was a Clinton delegate in 1992, President Obama in 2012, but this one is going to be even more historic in so many different ways. I’ve been a feminist my entire adult life. My degree is in history with a specialization in women’s studies from UCLA. This has been my dream, to get a woman president.”

Cunningham-Skurnik said President Joe Biden’s late decision to step aside and endorse Harris as his replacement has given Democrats a real shot at stopping former President Donald Trump from returning to the White House.

Harris secured the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month, culminating a long career and dramatic rise to become the nation’s first black woman selected as a major party’s nominee. Her nomination also capped one of the most tumultuous months in political history, which not only included Biden withdrawing from the race but also an assassination attempt against Trump.

Harris, born in California to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, has quickly energized voters across the country and raised more than $300 million in a month. She and Walz have hosted rallies with crowds topping 10,000.

“She is bringing so much sunshine to the Democratic Party and not just in California,” Cunningham-Skurnik said. “Look at Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada. The amount of people who showed up … spontaneous and organic. Her crowds will start chanting things and it’s like, ‘Woah!’ These are all things I have wanted our party to do for a very long time.”

Former Sonoma County Mayor Sandra Lowe agrees.

Lowe, who will also be making the five-night, $3,000 trip from the West Coast to Chicago, told the Washington Examiner that some of her friends are wishing they had signed up in advance.

“A lot of people who didn’t try to become a delegate are disappointed now because they would have loved to have been there,” she said. “A little (fear of missing out) going on there. A lot of people thought, been there, done that, went there last time. It’s a beautiful month here in California … I don’t think I’ll do that this year. And then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘What? California? I want to go!’”

In addition to a nightly parade of speakers, performers, and party enthusiasts, the DNC will also adopt and unify a comprehensive party platform, taking formal stances on issues such as reproductive rights, immigration, and economic policy. There will be caucus breakfasts, councils, and meetings where delegates will discuss everything from poverty to military needs.

Giovanni Chavez, the president of California Young Democrats, will also be front and center at the convention.

California Young Democrats is the official youth arm of the party made up of Democrats 13-35 committed to “activating the youth vote, empowering Young Democrats in their community, electing Democrats to office, and building a generation of progressive leadership.”

Chavez, a labor union lawyer, told the Washington Examiner that the group is seeing “a huge resurgence of energy and excitement now that Kamala Harris is at the top of the ticket.”

“Young Democrats will be working hard to get Harris elected,” he said. “We plan on walking doors up and down the ballot in California and in some of our neighboring states. We also plan on hosting a small-donor fundraiser for the Harris campaign. The stakes have never been this high, and now we have momentum on our side.”

In addition to official events, some Californians, such as Skyler Sikes, are expecting to go off-campus for events in downtown Chicago. Sikes, who will be visiting her aunt in nearby Evanston, Illinois, told the Washington Examiner she wants to attend “DemPalooza,” an open-to-the-public event at the McCormick Place convention center.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The name, a nod to the Lollapalooza music festival that Chicago hosts annually, will feature training sessions and an expo with interactive booths, offering everything from making friendship bracelets to getting a Harris-inspired manicure.

“It’s a party and everyone is invited,” DNC deputy executive director Roger Lau said in a statement. The Republican National Convention took place last month in Milwaukee.

2024-08-16 07:00:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3123132%2Fcalifornia-democrats-dnc-kamala-harris%2F?w=600&h=450, Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik has been to Democratic National Conventions in the past, but this year just feels different. “I’ve been waiting for this,” the California Democratic Party regional director told the Washington Examiner. “[The party] is on target with their messaging, and it’s really resonating well with Democrats. No party preference and even moderates seem to be very eager to,

Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik has been to Democratic National Conventions in the past, but this year just feels different.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” the California Democratic Party regional director told the Washington Examiner. “[The party] is on target with their messaging, and it’s really resonating well with Democrats. No party preference and even moderates seem to be very eager to volunteer and donate.”

Cunningham-Skurnik, a DNC elected board member, is among nearly 500 Californians headed to Chicago to celebrate the nominations of Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) for vice president.

In all, more than 4,000 credentialed delegates will be in the city Monday through Thursday for nightly televised celebrations with speeches to fire up the base.

“This is my third convention,” Cunningham-Skurnik said. “I was a Clinton delegate in 1992, President Obama in 2012, but this one is going to be even more historic in so many different ways. I’ve been a feminist my entire adult life. My degree is in history with a specialization in women’s studies from UCLA. This has been my dream, to get a woman president.”

Cunningham-Skurnik said President Joe Biden’s late decision to step aside and endorse Harris as his replacement has given Democrats a real shot at stopping former President Donald Trump from returning to the White House.

Harris secured the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month, culminating a long career and dramatic rise to become the nation’s first black woman selected as a major party’s nominee. Her nomination also capped one of the most tumultuous months in political history, which not only included Biden withdrawing from the race but also an assassination attempt against Trump.

Harris, born in California to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, has quickly energized voters across the country and raised more than $300 million in a month. She and Walz have hosted rallies with crowds topping 10,000.

“She is bringing so much sunshine to the Democratic Party and not just in California,” Cunningham-Skurnik said. “Look at Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada. The amount of people who showed up … spontaneous and organic. Her crowds will start chanting things and it’s like, ‘Woah!’ These are all things I have wanted our party to do for a very long time.”

Former Sonoma County Mayor Sandra Lowe agrees.

Lowe, who will also be making the five-night, $3,000 trip from the West Coast to Chicago, told the Washington Examiner that some of her friends are wishing they had signed up in advance.

“A lot of people who didn’t try to become a delegate are disappointed now because they would have loved to have been there,” she said. “A little (fear of missing out) going on there. A lot of people thought, been there, done that, went there last time. It’s a beautiful month here in California … I don’t think I’ll do that this year. And then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘What? California? I want to go!’”

In addition to a nightly parade of speakers, performers, and party enthusiasts, the DNC will also adopt and unify a comprehensive party platform, taking formal stances on issues such as reproductive rights, immigration, and economic policy. There will be caucus breakfasts, councils, and meetings where delegates will discuss everything from poverty to military needs.

Giovanni Chavez, the president of California Young Democrats, will also be front and center at the convention.

California Young Democrats is the official youth arm of the party made up of Democrats 13-35 committed to “activating the youth vote, empowering Young Democrats in their community, electing Democrats to office, and building a generation of progressive leadership.”

Chavez, a labor union lawyer, told the Washington Examiner that the group is seeing “a huge resurgence of energy and excitement now that Kamala Harris is at the top of the ticket.”

“Young Democrats will be working hard to get Harris elected,” he said. “We plan on walking doors up and down the ballot in California and in some of our neighboring states. We also plan on hosting a small-donor fundraiser for the Harris campaign. The stakes have never been this high, and now we have momentum on our side.”

In addition to official events, some Californians, such as Skyler Sikes, are expecting to go off-campus for events in downtown Chicago. Sikes, who will be visiting her aunt in nearby Evanston, Illinois, told the Washington Examiner she wants to attend “DemPalooza,” an open-to-the-public event at the McCormick Place convention center.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The name, a nod to the Lollapalooza music festival that Chicago hosts annually, will feature training sessions and an expo with interactive booths, offering everything from making friendship bracelets to getting a Harris-inspired manicure.

“It’s a party and everyone is invited,” DNC deputy executive director Roger Lau said in a statement. The Republican National Convention took place last month in Milwaukee.

, Deborah Cunningham-Skurnik has been to Democratic National Conventions in the past, but this year just feels different. “I’ve been waiting for this,” the California Democratic Party regional director told the Washington Examiner. “[The party] is on target with their messaging, and it’s really resonating well with Democrats. No party preference and even moderates seem to be very eager to volunteer and donate.” Then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris speaks to California Democrats on May 16, 2015, in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Cunningham-Skurnik, a DNC elected board member, is among nearly 500 Californians headed to Chicago to celebrate the nominations of Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) for vice president. In all, more than 4,000 credentialed delegates will be in the city Monday through Thursday for nightly televised celebrations with speeches to fire up the base. “This is my third convention,” Cunningham-Skurnik said. “I was a Clinton delegate in 1992, President Obama in 2012, but this one is going to be even more historic in so many different ways. I’ve been a feminist my entire adult life. My degree is in history with a specialization in women’s studies from UCLA. This has been my dream, to get a woman president.” Cunningham-Skurnik said President Joe Biden’s late decision to step aside and endorse Harris as his replacement has given Democrats a real shot at stopping former President Donald Trump from returning to the White House. Harris secured the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month, culminating a long career and dramatic rise to become the nation’s first black woman selected as a major party’s nominee. Her nomination also capped one of the most tumultuous months in political history, which not only included Biden withdrawing from the race but also an assassination attempt against Trump. Harris, born in California to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, has quickly energized voters across the country and raised more than $300 million in a month. She and Walz have hosted rallies with crowds topping 10,000. “She is bringing so much sunshine to the Democratic Party and not just in California,” Cunningham-Skurnik said. “Look at Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada. The amount of people who showed up … spontaneous and organic. Her crowds will start chanting things and it’s like, ‘Woah!’ These are all things I have wanted our party to do for a very long time.” Former Sonoma County Mayor Sandra Lowe agrees. Signage is hung on the exterior of the United Center on Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in preparation for next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Lowe, who will also be making the five-night, $3,000 trip from the West Coast to Chicago, told the Washington Examiner that some of her friends are wishing they had signed up in advance. “A lot of people who didn’t try to become a delegate are disappointed now because they would have loved to have been there,” she said. “A little (fear of missing out) going on there. A lot of people thought, been there, done that, went there last time. It’s a beautiful month here in California … I don’t think I’ll do that this year. And then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘What? California? I want to go!’” In addition to a nightly parade of speakers, performers, and party enthusiasts, the DNC will also adopt and unify a comprehensive party platform, taking formal stances on issues such as reproductive rights, immigration, and economic policy. There will be caucus breakfasts, councils, and meetings where delegates will discuss everything from poverty to military needs. Giovanni Chavez, the president of California Young Democrats, will also be front and center at the convention. California Young Democrats is the official youth arm of the party made up of Democrats 13-35 committed to “activating the youth vote, empowering Young Democrats in their community, electing Democrats to office, and building a generation of progressive leadership.” Chavez, a labor union lawyer, told the Washington Examiner that the group is seeing “a huge resurgence of energy and excitement now that Kamala Harris is at the top of the ticket.” “Young Democrats will be working hard to get Harris elected,” he said. “We plan on walking doors up and down the ballot in California and in some of our neighboring states. We also plan on hosting a small-donor fundraiser for the Harris campaign. The stakes have never been this high, and now we have momentum on our side.” In addition to official events, some Californians, such as Skyler Sikes, are expecting to go off-campus for events in downtown Chicago. Sikes, who will be visiting her aunt in nearby Evanston, Illinois, told the Washington Examiner she wants to attend “DemPalooza,” an open-to-the-public event at the McCormick Place convention center. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The name, a nod to the Lollapalooza music festival that Chicago hosts annually, will feature training sessions and an expo with interactive booths, offering everything from making friendship bracelets to getting a Harris-inspired manicure. “It’s a party and everyone is invited,” DNC deputy executive director Roger Lau said in a statement. The Republican National Convention took place last month in Milwaukee., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/harris-price-controls-1.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s bid for a second term is looking up.

The Democratic mayor, who has been a verbal punching bag for progressives and conservatives upset with her inability to steer San Francisco out of its pandemic downturn, seems to have finally connected with some voters.

Her job approval rating has soared 13 percentage points, according to a new poll by the San Francisco Chronicle.

That means Breed has pulled ahead of her challengers and ranked the voters’ first pick in the November election. About 28% of likely voters polled from July 31 to Monday said they would either rank the incumbent mayor as their first choice or that they were leaning toward it. That is up from 18% in a similar poll taken in February.

In that poll, Breed was in serious danger of losing out to challengers Mark Farrell, a former San Francisco supervisor, and Daniel Laurie, the Levi Strauss heir. Twenty percent of likely voters ranked Farrell as their first choice, with Breed coming in at 18%. Lurie came in third with 16%, followed by Supervisor Ahsha Safai at 8%. 

Since then, a lot has changed.

Breed has worked to emphasize her administration’s effort to reduce crime, crack down on open-air drug dens, and clean up the streets of San Francisco. Her newest push aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) recent executive order that gives local officials more power to sweep homeless encampments.

In the first week since San Francisco began ramping up sweeps, police officers issued at least 13 citations for illegally setting up tents on public property, more than they handed out in the past month combined.

Last week, Breed also ordered city officials to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services such as housing or shelter.

Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total homeless population in 2024.

“We’ve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless,” Breed said in a statement. “But we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Today’s order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend.”

Specifically, the order mandates that all city and contracted staff members who engage with homeless people offer relocation as the first option. It also requires all first responders to provide information handouts on the city’s relocation services and a contact number. It also establishes a tracking system with publishable data to measure the effectiveness of the city’s various homelessness programs. 

“San Francisco will always lead with compassion, but we cannot allow our compassion to be taken advantage of,” Breed wrote in the order. “This directive will ensure that relocation services will be the first response to our homelessness and substance use crises, allowing individuals the choice to reunite with support networks before accessing other city services or facing the consequences of refusing care.”

The mayor also helped pass a pair of ballot measures related to policing and bringing back businesses to a hollowed-out downtown area. The measures are a hard pivot for the Democratic mayor. One measure would expand police powers and the other would mandate drug screening and treatment for welfare recipients if they want to continue to collect monetary assistance.

Political consultant Jim Ross said he believes Breed’s turnaround could be due to fewer viral stories about lawlessness on the streets. They could also simply be tired of the “doom loop” narrative that constantly paints the city as on the brink of chaos.

“You don’t have the billionaire class beating up on the quality of life in San Francisco like they were a couple years ago,” Ross said. “I think there’s a real benefit that she’s getting from people being done with the ‘San Francisco is descending into chaos’ stories.”

Despite Breed’s uptick in voter support, the other major candidates in the race, Laurie, Farrell, and Supervisor Aaron Peskin, believe they can beat her under San Francisco’s ranked choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates by order of preference. Breed’s campaign seems confident they can’t.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Joe Arellano, Breed’s campaign spokesman, said Lurie and Farrell are “stuck in the mud with stagnant poll numbers.”

“Buying the election didn’t work for billionaire Rick Caruso in L.A., and it won’t work for the billionaire heir in SF, either,” he added.

2024-08-09 20:56:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fstate%2F3116851%2Fsan-francisco-mayor-uptick-polling%2F?w=600&h=450, San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s bid for a second term is looking up. The Democratic mayor, who has been a verbal punching bag for progressives and conservatives upset with her inability to steer San Francisco out of its pandemic downturn, seems to have finally connected with some voters. San Francisco Mayor London Breed delivers her,

San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s bid for a second term is looking up.

The Democratic mayor, who has been a verbal punching bag for progressives and conservatives upset with her inability to steer San Francisco out of its pandemic downturn, seems to have finally connected with some voters.

Her job approval rating has soared 13 percentage points, according to a new poll by the San Francisco Chronicle.

That means Breed has pulled ahead of her challengers and ranked the voters’ first pick in the November election. About 28% of likely voters polled from July 31 to Monday said they would either rank the incumbent mayor as their first choice or that they were leaning toward it. That is up from 18% in a similar poll taken in February.

In that poll, Breed was in serious danger of losing out to challengers Mark Farrell, a former San Francisco supervisor, and Daniel Laurie, the Levi Strauss heir. Twenty percent of likely voters ranked Farrell as their first choice, with Breed coming in at 18%. Lurie came in third with 16%, followed by Supervisor Ahsha Safai at 8%. 

Since then, a lot has changed.

Breed has worked to emphasize her administration’s effort to reduce crime, crack down on open-air drug dens, and clean up the streets of San Francisco. Her newest push aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) recent executive order that gives local officials more power to sweep homeless encampments.

In the first week since San Francisco began ramping up sweeps, police officers issued at least 13 citations for illegally setting up tents on public property, more than they handed out in the past month combined.

Last week, Breed also ordered city officials to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services such as housing or shelter.

Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total homeless population in 2024.

“We’ve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless,” Breed said in a statement. “But we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Today’s order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend.”

Specifically, the order mandates that all city and contracted staff members who engage with homeless people offer relocation as the first option. It also requires all first responders to provide information handouts on the city’s relocation services and a contact number. It also establishes a tracking system with publishable data to measure the effectiveness of the city’s various homelessness programs. 

“San Francisco will always lead with compassion, but we cannot allow our compassion to be taken advantage of,” Breed wrote in the order. “This directive will ensure that relocation services will be the first response to our homelessness and substance use crises, allowing individuals the choice to reunite with support networks before accessing other city services or facing the consequences of refusing care.”

The mayor also helped pass a pair of ballot measures related to policing and bringing back businesses to a hollowed-out downtown area. The measures are a hard pivot for the Democratic mayor. One measure would expand police powers and the other would mandate drug screening and treatment for welfare recipients if they want to continue to collect monetary assistance.

Political consultant Jim Ross said he believes Breed’s turnaround could be due to fewer viral stories about lawlessness on the streets. They could also simply be tired of the “doom loop” narrative that constantly paints the city as on the brink of chaos.

“You don’t have the billionaire class beating up on the quality of life in San Francisco like they were a couple years ago,” Ross said. “I think there’s a real benefit that she’s getting from people being done with the ‘San Francisco is descending into chaos’ stories.”

Despite Breed’s uptick in voter support, the other major candidates in the race, Laurie, Farrell, and Supervisor Aaron Peskin, believe they can beat her under San Francisco’s ranked choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates by order of preference. Breed’s campaign seems confident they can’t.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Joe Arellano, Breed’s campaign spokesman, said Lurie and Farrell are “stuck in the mud with stagnant poll numbers.”

“Buying the election didn’t work for billionaire Rick Caruso in L.A., and it won’t work for the billionaire heir in SF, either,” he added.

, San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s bid for a second term is looking up. The Democratic mayor, who has been a verbal punching bag for progressives and conservatives upset with her inability to steer San Francisco out of its pandemic downturn, seems to have finally connected with some voters. San Francisco Mayor London Breed delivers her State of the City address on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Pier 27 cruise terminal in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Her job approval rating has soared 13 percentage points, according to a new poll by the San Francisco Chronicle. That means Breed has pulled ahead of her challengers and ranked the voters’ first pick in the November election. About 28% of likely voters polled from July 31 to Monday said they would either rank the incumbent mayor as their first choice or that they were leaning toward it. That is up from 18% in a similar poll taken in February. In that poll, Breed was in serious danger of losing out to challengers Mark Farrell, a former San Francisco supervisor, and Daniel Laurie, the Levi Strauss heir. Twenty percent of likely voters ranked Farrell as their first choice, with Breed coming in at 18%. Lurie came in third with 16%, followed by Supervisor Ahsha Safai at 8%.  Since then, a lot has changed. Breed has worked to emphasize her administration’s effort to reduce crime, crack down on open-air drug dens, and clean up the streets of San Francisco. Her newest push aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) recent executive order that gives local officials more power to sweep homeless encampments. In the first week since San Francisco began ramping up sweeps, police officers issued at least 13 citations for illegally setting up tents on public property, more than they handed out in the past month combined. Last week, Breed also ordered city officials to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services such as housing or shelter. Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total homeless population in 2024. “We’ve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless,” Breed said in a statement. “But we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Today’s order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend.” Specifically, the order mandates that all city and contracted staff members who engage with homeless people offer relocation as the first option. It also requires all first responders to provide information handouts on the city’s relocation services and a contact number. It also establishes a tracking system with publishable data to measure the effectiveness of the city’s various homelessness programs.  “San Francisco will always lead with compassion, but we cannot allow our compassion to be taken advantage of,” Breed wrote in the order. “This directive will ensure that relocation services will be the first response to our homelessness and substance use crises, allowing individuals the choice to reunite with support networks before accessing other city services or facing the consequences of refusing care.” The mayor also helped pass a pair of ballot measures related to policing and bringing back businesses to a hollowed-out downtown area. The measures are a hard pivot for the Democratic mayor. One measure would expand police powers and the other would mandate drug screening and treatment for welfare recipients if they want to continue to collect monetary assistance. San Francisco Mayor London Breed gestures during an election night party on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Political consultant Jim Ross said he believes Breed’s turnaround could be due to fewer viral stories about lawlessness on the streets. They could also simply be tired of the “doom loop” narrative that constantly paints the city as on the brink of chaos. “You don’t have the billionaire class beating up on the quality of life in San Francisco like they were a couple years ago,” Ross said. “I think there’s a real benefit that she’s getting from people being done with the ‘San Francisco is descending into chaos’ stories.” Despite Breed’s uptick in voter support, the other major candidates in the race, Laurie, Farrell, and Supervisor Aaron Peskin, believe they can beat her under San Francisco’s ranked choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates by order of preference. Breed’s campaign seems confident they can’t. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Joe Arellano, Breed’s campaign spokesman, said Lurie and Farrell are “stuck in the mud with stagnant poll numbers.” “Buying the election didn’t work for billionaire Rick Caruso in L.A., and it won’t work for the billionaire heir in SF, either,” he added., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24067754253294.jpg.optimal.jpg, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

California may be riding high with a boost in zero-emission vehicle sales, but some are wondering whether the Golden State can keep up with its ambitious plan to lead the nation in the long term.

One in four new car buyers in California opted for zero-emission options for the second quarter, according to California Energy Commission data released Tuesday. ZEV purchases spiked during the spring and early summer, a massive rebound after sales declined the previous three quarters. 

The numbers were good news to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who has touted the state’s dominance in the sector and pushed for cleaner transportation. 

“California continues to prove the naysayers and skeptics wrong because our innovation is simply unmatched,” Newsom said. “Our policies helped lay the groundwork for our transition to clean cars — and now Californians are making the switch in record numbers. Clean cars are here, and they’re here to stay — thanks to California.” 

During a conference call with reporters, Newsom said the goal is for the state to “dominate” the ZEV space. 

“We think this is one of the most significant economic opportunities in our lifetime, to move forward in the context of changing the way we produce and consume energy,” he said. 

The California Air Resources Board in August 2022 approved the landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles in the state by 2035. Some auto experts say the expectations are too high. In order to hit the target, the rate of ZEV adoption has to accelerate much faster, something that is not happening. 

 “We’re seeing that there is a slowdown,” said Ivan Drury, director of auto insights for Edmunds.com. 

There were slightly fewer ZEVs bought or leased between April 2024 and June 2024 than during the same period in 2023 — 118,181 this year to 118,776 in 2023. 

“For [the numbers] to go flat, that’s not confidence-inspiring,” Drury said.

He added that high interest rates, a shaking economy, and uncertainty over the presidential election have some customers rethinking their options. 

“If you’re on the fence at all, it’s almost like the best decision is making no decision right now,” he said.

David Hochschild, chairman of the energy commission, was more optimistic. 

He told reporters that he believes California is still on target to meet its 2035 goal and that the price of batteries in ZEVs will lower over time, making them an easier sell to customers. 

“There is sort of a stairstep dynamic with a lot of these market transformations,” he said during the call. “We’ve seen this, by the way, in other technologies — solar and wind.”

He added that it’s “really important not to mistake the forest for the trees.”

While California’s all-ZEV mandate for new vehicles is slated to go into effect in 2035, there are state-imposed targets along the way.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The first is in 2026. By then, at least 35% of model year 2026 passenger cars and trucks sold must be either electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Four years after that, at least 68% of new vehicles must fall into those categories. 

2024-08-07 21:39:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpolicy%2Fenergy-and-environment%2F3114365%2Fcalifornias-zero-emission-vehicle-sales-up-questions-remain%2F?w=600&h=450, California may be riding high with a boost in zero-emission vehicle sales, but some are wondering whether the Golden State can keep up with its ambitious plan to lead the nation in the long term. One in four new car buyers in California opted for zero-emission options for the second quarter, according to California Energy Commission,

California may be riding high with a boost in zero-emission vehicle sales, but some are wondering whether the Golden State can keep up with its ambitious plan to lead the nation in the long term.

One in four new car buyers in California opted for zero-emission options for the second quarter, according to California Energy Commission data released Tuesday. ZEV purchases spiked during the spring and early summer, a massive rebound after sales declined the previous three quarters. 

The numbers were good news to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who has touted the state’s dominance in the sector and pushed for cleaner transportation. 

“California continues to prove the naysayers and skeptics wrong because our innovation is simply unmatched,” Newsom said. “Our policies helped lay the groundwork for our transition to clean cars — and now Californians are making the switch in record numbers. Clean cars are here, and they’re here to stay — thanks to California.” 

During a conference call with reporters, Newsom said the goal is for the state to “dominate” the ZEV space. 

“We think this is one of the most significant economic opportunities in our lifetime, to move forward in the context of changing the way we produce and consume energy,” he said. 

The California Air Resources Board in August 2022 approved the landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles in the state by 2035. Some auto experts say the expectations are too high. In order to hit the target, the rate of ZEV adoption has to accelerate much faster, something that is not happening. 

 “We’re seeing that there is a slowdown,” said Ivan Drury, director of auto insights for Edmunds.com. 

There were slightly fewer ZEVs bought or leased between April 2024 and June 2024 than during the same period in 2023 — 118,181 this year to 118,776 in 2023. 

“For [the numbers] to go flat, that’s not confidence-inspiring,” Drury said.

He added that high interest rates, a shaking economy, and uncertainty over the presidential election have some customers rethinking their options. 

“If you’re on the fence at all, it’s almost like the best decision is making no decision right now,” he said.

David Hochschild, chairman of the energy commission, was more optimistic. 

He told reporters that he believes California is still on target to meet its 2035 goal and that the price of batteries in ZEVs will lower over time, making them an easier sell to customers. 

“There is sort of a stairstep dynamic with a lot of these market transformations,” he said during the call. “We’ve seen this, by the way, in other technologies — solar and wind.”

He added that it’s “really important not to mistake the forest for the trees.”

While California’s all-ZEV mandate for new vehicles is slated to go into effect in 2035, there are state-imposed targets along the way.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The first is in 2026. By then, at least 35% of model year 2026 passenger cars and trucks sold must be either electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Four years after that, at least 68% of new vehicles must fall into those categories. 

, California may be riding high with a boost in zero-emission vehicle sales, but some are wondering whether the Golden State can keep up with its ambitious plan to lead the nation in the long term. One in four new car buyers in California opted for zero-emission options for the second quarter, according to California Energy Commission data released Tuesday. ZEV purchases spiked during the spring and early summer, a massive rebound after sales declined the previous three quarters.  In this Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015 file photo, Darshan Brahmbhatt, plugs a charger into his electric vehicle at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District charging station in Sacramento, California, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) The numbers were good news to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), who has touted the state’s dominance in the sector and pushed for cleaner transportation.  “California continues to prove the naysayers and skeptics wrong because our innovation is simply unmatched,” Newsom said. “Our policies helped lay the groundwork for our transition to clean cars — and now Californians are making the switch in record numbers. Clean cars are here, and they’re here to stay — thanks to California.”  During a conference call with reporters, Newsom said the goal is for the state to “dominate” the ZEV space.  “We think this is one of the most significant economic opportunities in our lifetime, to move forward in the context of changing the way we produce and consume energy,” he said.  The California Air Resources Board in August 2022 approved the landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles in the state by 2035. Some auto experts say the expectations are too high. In order to hit the target, the rate of ZEV adoption has to accelerate much faster, something that is not happening.   “We’re seeing that there is a slowdown,” said Ivan Drury, director of auto insights for Edmunds.com.  There were slightly fewer ZEVs bought or leased between April 2024 and June 2024 than during the same period in 2023 — 118,181 this year to 118,776 in 2023.  “For [the numbers] to go flat, that’s not confidence-inspiring,” Drury said. He added that high interest rates, a shaking economy, and uncertainty over the presidential election have some customers rethinking their options.  “If you’re on the fence at all, it’s almost like the best decision is making no decision right now,” he said. David Hochschild, chairman of the energy commission, was more optimistic.  He told reporters that he believes California is still on target to meet its 2035 goal and that the price of batteries in ZEVs will lower over time, making them an easier sell to customers.  “There is sort of a stairstep dynamic with a lot of these market transformations,” he said during the call. “We’ve seen this, by the way, in other technologies — solar and wind.” He added that it’s “really important not to mistake the forest for the trees.” While California’s all-ZEV mandate for new vehicles is slated to go into effect in 2035, there are state-imposed targets along the way. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The first is in 2026. By then, at least 35% of model year 2026 passenger cars and trucks sold must be either electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Four years after that, at least 68% of new vehicles must fall into those categories. , , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/zeroemissionvehicles.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

President Joe Biden isn’t on the November ballot but his administration has been working overtime to “Trump-proof” science before his exit, putting protections in place to shield government scientists from political interference should former President Donald Trump win another White House term. 

“The Trump administration regularly suppressed, downplayed, or simply ignored scientific research demonstrating the need for regulation to protect public health and the environment,” Romany Webb, deputy director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, wrote.

She added that the Trump administration “routinely prioritized economic interests” over health and science and encouraged a public distrust of science.  

Silencing science

The Trump administration’s efforts to “undermine science” has been documented in the Silencing Science Tracker, an online database with more than 300 entries that records anti-science actions taken by local, state, and federal governments. It has been tracking complaints since November 2016. Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2017.

Jennifer Jones, director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the Washington Examiner that while “there is always an urgent need to defend science” there was an uptick in dissatisfied scientists during the previous administration. 

“I just can’t stress enough how our daily lives depend on good, independent science, free of political interference,” she said. 

Scientists and those who want to protect evidence-based policymaking have several options in play. They include establishing a scientific integrity council, codifying laws prohibiting political interference with the scientific research and federal data used to protect the public, and using collective bargaining agreements negotiated by unions to protect scientists and their work. 

National Institutes of Health

Lyric Jorgenson, the associate director for science policy at the National Institutes of Health, said the plan to safeguard the agency’s independence is critical to its mission. 

“Interfering and manipulating science to hit a partisan agenda is inappropriate and is what we’re working to wall against,” she told Politico. 

NIH is the country’s primary federal agency for medical research. The public needs to be able to believe in its accuracy to “generate rigorous, trusted evidence to inform public health,” Jorgenson added.

The agency, which is made up of 27 different components called institutes and centers, spends more than $40 billion a year on research and has largely operated politics-free. Its roots trace back to 1887, when a one-room laboratory was created within the Marine Hospital Service, a predecessor agency to the U.S. Public Health Service. 

NIH gained prominence and visibility during the Covid-19 global pandemic. And while most turned to the NIH for guidance, some did not. 

As president, Trump pitched hydroxychloroquine as a possible Covid-19 treatment and repeatedly threatened to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert. Their relationship publicly soured after they clashed over the White House’s response to the pandemic, which claimed more than 1.1 million American lives. 

Fauci faced partisan attacks as Trump publicly entertained the idea of firing him, something he technically couldn’t do. 

Schedule F

But now, there is concern by some in the scientific community that if Trump returns for a second term, he might try to re-classify career civil servants, non-partisan government scientists, and fire them at will if he doesn’t like what they have to say or feels they aren’t loyal to him.One month before the 2020 presidential election, the Trump administration issued an executive order that would have done just that. The effort, referred to as “Schedule F,” would have created a new employment category. 

“Because Trump did not remain in office, it is unknown how many federal employees his administration would have swept into Schedule F, or how many would have been fired and replaced,” according to the nonprofit, Protect Democracy.org. “Experts have put the possible numbers in the tens or hundreds of thousands. The Trump official credited with the idea to create Schedule F estimated that it could apply to as many as 50,000 federal workers.” 

Some Trump allies told Axios it would not be necessary to fire that many workers because firing fewer would produce the desired “behavior change.” 

National Weather Service

Trump also came under scrutiny for “Sharpie-gate.” 

In September 2019, he displayed a National Weather Service map in the Oval Office showing Hurricane Dorian’s cone of uncertainty, which identifies the probable paths of the storm’s center.  Trump had insisted on Twitter that Dorian was going to hit Alabama “harder than anticipated.”  The problem was that it wasn’t and that the map had been altered with a Sharpie to indicate that it was. 

The Birmingham office of the National Weather Service had to issue a statement emphasizing that Alabama would not actually be affected. That statement, directly contradicting the president, led to threats by the administration to fire top employees.   

The threat of unemployment led to an unsigned statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration disavowing the National Weather Service’s position that Alabama was not at immediate risk. The move caused anger and accusations from the scientific community that NOAA had bent to political pressure from the president. 

“We come at this work with the understanding that all of our lives are dependent on federal agencies using the best available science whether it’s tracking a dangerous storm, analyzing the impacts of air pollution, or protecting us from infectious diseases like Covid-19,” Jones said. “We want to make sure that policy, rule making, and laws are informed by the best available science and that that science is communicated to the public.” 

Scientific integrity policies

One way Jones told the Washington Examiner is for federal agencies to adopt interim scientific integrity policies. 

“If you look across the federal government, you’ll see different federal agencies are in different stages of having adopted an interim scientific integrity policy,” she said. “Some of them have produced policies that they’ve put up on the federal register and sent out for comment. The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] falls in that bucket. They posted their most recent version in February. You are going to see a number of agencies produce their final scientific integrity policies by the end of the year.” 

Unions

Another path forward for scientists are collective bargaining agreements negotiated by their unions. 

Nicole Cantello, a legislative and political coordinator for the union that represents more than half of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 15,000-plus workforce, told Nature that the Trump administration’s heavy handed approach to science came as a surprise. 

“We really were not prepared to defend the agency the first time around,” she said, calling the administration’s dismissal of science unprecedented. “People don’t want to experience that again and are gearing up for a fight.” 

Provisions that protect government workers who stand up for scientific integrity were also included in union contracts for U.S. Department of Agriculture workers. Negotiators for the union representing 5,000 early-career scientists at the NIH are also pushing for protections. 

Congress

In Congress, a group of bipartisan lawmakers have thrown their weight behind the Scientific Integrity Act. 

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the legislation that would set “clear, enforceable standards for federal agencies and federally-funded research to keep public science independent from political and special interest meddling.”

“Public science must be about the pursuit of truth – not about serving political objectives,” Tonko said in a statement. “As one of only a few engineers in Congress, I’ve worked for many years to ensure that scientific standards are upheld regardless of who sits in the White House.” 

While Trump has been getting the lion’s share of the blame, Jones told the Washington Examiner that almost every single administration – Republican and Democrat- has injected politics into science. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“For years we have been pushing for policies across administrations because the need to protect science and scientists is of utmost importance,” Jones said. “We always watch every election very carefully. We know that our elected officials play a big role in shaping the use of science and the culture of science that any agency might adopt.”

Emails to Trump’s campaign seeking comment were not returned. 

2024-08-07 06:00:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2F3113298%2Fbiden-administration-congress-and-unions-try-to-trump-proof-science%2F?w=600&h=450, President Joe Biden isn’t on the November ballot but his administration has been working overtime to “Trump-proof” science before his exit, putting protections in place to shield government scientists from political interference should former President Donald Trump win another White House term.  “The Trump administration regularly suppressed, downplayed, or simply ignored scientific research demonstrating the need for,

President Joe Biden isn’t on the November ballot but his administration has been working overtime to “Trump-proof” science before his exit, putting protections in place to shield government scientists from political interference should former President Donald Trump win another White House term. 

“The Trump administration regularly suppressed, downplayed, or simply ignored scientific research demonstrating the need for regulation to protect public health and the environment,” Romany Webb, deputy director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, wrote.

She added that the Trump administration “routinely prioritized economic interests” over health and science and encouraged a public distrust of science.  

Silencing science

The Trump administration’s efforts to “undermine science” has been documented in the Silencing Science Tracker, an online database with more than 300 entries that records anti-science actions taken by local, state, and federal governments. It has been tracking complaints since November 2016. Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2017.

Jennifer Jones, director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the Washington Examiner that while “there is always an urgent need to defend science” there was an uptick in dissatisfied scientists during the previous administration. 

“I just can’t stress enough how our daily lives depend on good, independent science, free of political interference,” she said. 

Scientists and those who want to protect evidence-based policymaking have several options in play. They include establishing a scientific integrity council, codifying laws prohibiting political interference with the scientific research and federal data used to protect the public, and using collective bargaining agreements negotiated by unions to protect scientists and their work. 

National Institutes of Health

Lyric Jorgenson, the associate director for science policy at the National Institutes of Health, said the plan to safeguard the agency’s independence is critical to its mission. 

“Interfering and manipulating science to hit a partisan agenda is inappropriate and is what we’re working to wall against,” she told Politico. 

NIH is the country’s primary federal agency for medical research. The public needs to be able to believe in its accuracy to “generate rigorous, trusted evidence to inform public health,” Jorgenson added.

The agency, which is made up of 27 different components called institutes and centers, spends more than $40 billion a year on research and has largely operated politics-free. Its roots trace back to 1887, when a one-room laboratory was created within the Marine Hospital Service, a predecessor agency to the U.S. Public Health Service. 

NIH gained prominence and visibility during the Covid-19 global pandemic. And while most turned to the NIH for guidance, some did not. 

As president, Trump pitched hydroxychloroquine as a possible Covid-19 treatment and repeatedly threatened to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert. Their relationship publicly soured after they clashed over the White House’s response to the pandemic, which claimed more than 1.1 million American lives. 

Fauci faced partisan attacks as Trump publicly entertained the idea of firing him, something he technically couldn’t do. 

Schedule F

But now, there is concern by some in the scientific community that if Trump returns for a second term, he might try to re-classify career civil servants, non-partisan government scientists, and fire them at will if he doesn’t like what they have to say or feels they aren’t loyal to him.One month before the 2020 presidential election, the Trump administration issued an executive order that would have done just that. The effort, referred to as “Schedule F,” would have created a new employment category. 

“Because Trump did not remain in office, it is unknown how many federal employees his administration would have swept into Schedule F, or how many would have been fired and replaced,” according to the nonprofit, Protect Democracy.org. “Experts have put the possible numbers in the tens or hundreds of thousands. The Trump official credited with the idea to create Schedule F estimated that it could apply to as many as 50,000 federal workers.” 

Some Trump allies told Axios it would not be necessary to fire that many workers because firing fewer would produce the desired “behavior change.” 

National Weather Service

Trump also came under scrutiny for “Sharpie-gate.” 

In September 2019, he displayed a National Weather Service map in the Oval Office showing Hurricane Dorian’s cone of uncertainty, which identifies the probable paths of the storm’s center.  Trump had insisted on Twitter that Dorian was going to hit Alabama “harder than anticipated.”  The problem was that it wasn’t and that the map had been altered with a Sharpie to indicate that it was. 

The Birmingham office of the National Weather Service had to issue a statement emphasizing that Alabama would not actually be affected. That statement, directly contradicting the president, led to threats by the administration to fire top employees.   

The threat of unemployment led to an unsigned statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration disavowing the National Weather Service’s position that Alabama was not at immediate risk. The move caused anger and accusations from the scientific community that NOAA had bent to political pressure from the president. 

“We come at this work with the understanding that all of our lives are dependent on federal agencies using the best available science whether it’s tracking a dangerous storm, analyzing the impacts of air pollution, or protecting us from infectious diseases like Covid-19,” Jones said. “We want to make sure that policy, rule making, and laws are informed by the best available science and that that science is communicated to the public.” 

Scientific integrity policies

One way Jones told the Washington Examiner is for federal agencies to adopt interim scientific integrity policies. 

“If you look across the federal government, you’ll see different federal agencies are in different stages of having adopted an interim scientific integrity policy,” she said. “Some of them have produced policies that they’ve put up on the federal register and sent out for comment. The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] falls in that bucket. They posted their most recent version in February. You are going to see a number of agencies produce their final scientific integrity policies by the end of the year.” 

Unions

Another path forward for scientists are collective bargaining agreements negotiated by their unions. 

Nicole Cantello, a legislative and political coordinator for the union that represents more than half of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 15,000-plus workforce, told Nature that the Trump administration’s heavy handed approach to science came as a surprise. 

“We really were not prepared to defend the agency the first time around,” she said, calling the administration’s dismissal of science unprecedented. “People don’t want to experience that again and are gearing up for a fight.” 

Provisions that protect government workers who stand up for scientific integrity were also included in union contracts for U.S. Department of Agriculture workers. Negotiators for the union representing 5,000 early-career scientists at the NIH are also pushing for protections. 

Congress

In Congress, a group of bipartisan lawmakers have thrown their weight behind the Scientific Integrity Act. 

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the legislation that would set “clear, enforceable standards for federal agencies and federally-funded research to keep public science independent from political and special interest meddling.”

“Public science must be about the pursuit of truth – not about serving political objectives,” Tonko said in a statement. “As one of only a few engineers in Congress, I’ve worked for many years to ensure that scientific standards are upheld regardless of who sits in the White House.” 

While Trump has been getting the lion’s share of the blame, Jones told the Washington Examiner that almost every single administration – Republican and Democrat- has injected politics into science. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“For years we have been pushing for policies across administrations because the need to protect science and scientists is of utmost importance,” Jones said. “We always watch every election very carefully. We know that our elected officials play a big role in shaping the use of science and the culture of science that any agency might adopt.”

Emails to Trump’s campaign seeking comment were not returned. 

, President Joe Biden isn’t on the November ballot but his administration has been working overtime to “Trump-proof” science before his exit, putting protections in place to shield government scientists from political interference should former President Donald Trump win another White House term.  “The Trump administration regularly suppressed, downplayed, or simply ignored scientific research demonstrating the need for regulation to protect public health and the environment,” Romany Webb, deputy director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, wrote. FILE – President Donald Trump watches as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, April 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) She added that the Trump administration “routinely prioritized economic interests” over health and science and encouraged a public distrust of science.   Silencing science The Trump administration’s efforts to “undermine science” has been documented in the Silencing Science Tracker, an online database with more than 300 entries that records anti-science actions taken by local, state, and federal governments. It has been tracking complaints since November 2016. Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2017. Jennifer Jones, director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the Washington Examiner that while “there is always an urgent need to defend science” there was an uptick in dissatisfied scientists during the previous administration.  “I just can’t stress enough how our daily lives depend on good, independent science, free of political interference,” she said.  Scientists and those who want to protect evidence-based policymaking have several options in play. They include establishing a scientific integrity council, codifying laws prohibiting political interference with the scientific research and federal data used to protect the public, and using collective bargaining agreements negotiated by unions to protect scientists and their work.  National Institutes of Health Lyric Jorgenson, the associate director for science policy at the National Institutes of Health, said the plan to safeguard the agency’s independence is critical to its mission.  “Interfering and manipulating science to hit a partisan agenda is inappropriate and is what we’re working to wall against,” she told Politico .  NIH is the country’s primary federal agency for medical research. The public needs to be able to believe in its accuracy to “generate rigorous, trusted evidence to inform public health,” Jorgenson added. The agency, which is made up of 27 different components called institutes and centers, spends more than $40 billion a year on research and has largely operated politics-free. Its roots trace back to 1887, when a one-room laboratory was created within the Marine Hospital Service, a predecessor agency to the U.S. Public Health Service.  NIH gained prominence and visibility during the Covid-19 global pandemic. And while most turned to the NIH for guidance, some did not.  As president, Trump pitched hydroxychloroquine as a possible Covid-19 treatment and repeatedly threatened to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert. Their relationship publicly soured after they clashed over the White House’s response to the pandemic, which claimed more than 1.1 million American lives.  Fauci faced partisan attacks as Trump publicly entertained the idea of firing him, something he technically couldn’t do.  Schedule F But now, there is concern by some in the scientific community that if Trump returns for a second term, he might try to re-classify career civil servants, non-partisan government scientists, and fire them at will if he doesn’t like what they have to say or feels they aren’t loyal to him.One month before the 2020 presidential election, the Trump administration issued an executive order that would have done just that. The effort, referred to as “Schedule F,” would have created a new employment category.  “Because Trump did not remain in office, it is unknown how many federal employees his administration would have swept into Schedule F, or how many would have been fired and replaced,” according to the nonprofit, Protect Democracy.org. “Experts have put the possible numbers in the tens or hundreds of thousands. The Trump official credited with the idea to create Schedule F estimated that it could apply to as many as 50,000 federal workers.”  Some Trump allies told Axios it would not be necessary to fire that many workers because firing fewer would produce the desired “behavior change.”  National Weather Service Trump also came under scrutiny for “Sharpie-gate.”  FILE – In this Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019 file photo, former President Donald Trump holds a chart as he talks with reporters after receiving a briefing on Hurricane Dorian in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) In September 2019, he displayed a National Weather Service map in the Oval Office showing Hurricane Dorian’s cone of uncertainty, which identifies the probable paths of the storm’s center.  Trump had insisted on Twitter that Dorian was going to hit Alabama “harder than anticipated.”  The problem was that it wasn’t and that the map had been altered with a Sharpie to indicate that it was.  The Birmingham office of the National Weather Service had to issue a statement emphasizing that Alabama would not actually be affected. That statement, directly contradicting the president, led to threats by the administration to fire top employees.    The threat of unemployment led to an unsigned statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration disavowing the National Weather Service’s position that Alabama was not at immediate risk. The move caused anger and accusations from the scientific community that NOAA had bent to political pressure from the president.  “We come at this work with the understanding that all of our lives are dependent on federal agencies using the best available science whether it’s tracking a dangerous storm, analyzing the impacts of air pollution, or protecting us from infectious diseases like Covid-19,” Jones said. “We want to make sure that policy, rule making, and laws are informed by the best available science and that that science is communicated to the public.”  Scientific integrity policies One way Jones told the Washington Examiner is for federal agencies to adopt interim scientific integrity policies.  “If you look across the federal government, you’ll see different federal agencies are in different stages of having adopted an interim scientific integrity policy,” she said. “Some of them have produced policies that they’ve put up on the federal register and sent out for comment. The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] falls in that bucket. They posted their most recent version in February. You are going to see a number of agencies produce their final scientific integrity policies by the end of the year.”  Unions Another path forward for scientists are collective bargaining agreements negotiated by their unions.  Nicole Cantello, a legislative and political coordinator for the union that represents more than half of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 15,000-plus workforce, told Nature  that the Trump administration’s heavy handed approach to science came as a surprise.  “We really were not prepared to defend the agency the first time around,” she said, calling the administration’s dismissal of science unprecedented. “People don’t want to experience that again and are gearing up for a fight.”  Provisions that protect government workers who stand up for scientific integrity were also included in union contracts for U.S. Department of Agriculture workers. Negotiators for the union representing 5,000 early-career scientists at the NIH are also pushing for protections.  Congress In Congress, a group of bipartisan lawmakers have thrown their weight behind the Scientific Integrity Act.  Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee, listens as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler testifies during a hearing on President Trump’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2020, Tuesday, April 9, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the legislation that would set “clear, enforceable standards for federal agencies and federally-funded research to keep public science independent from political and special interest meddling.” “Public science must be about the pursuit of truth – not about serving political objectives,” Tonko said in a statement. “As one of only a few engineers in Congress, I’ve worked for many years to ensure that scientific standards are upheld regardless of who sits in the White House.”  While Trump has been getting the lion’s share of the blame, Jones told the Washington Examiner that almost every single administration – Republican and Democrat- has injected politics into science.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER “For years we have been pushing for policies across administrations because the need to protect science and scientists is of utmost importance,” Jones said. “We always watch every election very carefully. We know that our elected officials play a big role in shaping the use of science and the culture of science that any agency might adopt.” Emails to Trump’s campaign seeking comment were not returned. , , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP22234559731286-1.jpg.optimal.jpg, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

The United States and China agreed to strengthen coordination and promote “in-depth” drug control at the first senior-level meeting between the two nations. 

The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., this week, was agreed to in November and allowed representatives from both nations to exchange their respective concerns.

The White House said discussions “focused on ways to strengthen coordination on law enforcement actions; disrupt the illicit financing of transnational criminal organization networks, accelerate the scheduling of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals; address the illicit diversion of precursor chemicals; exchange information on emerging threats; and advance progress in multilateral fora.”

The U.S. delegation was led by Jennifer Daskal, a deputy homeland security adviser. Wei Xiaojun, director general of the Ministry of Public Security’s Narcotics Control Bureau, led the Chinese side.

The US-China Counternarcotics Working Group was launched in January, following the 2023 summit in San Francisco between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The leaders agreed to resume bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation after it was put on pause following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan in August 2022. 

The global manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl, has wreaked havoc in the U.S. 

U.S. officials have said China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals synthesized into fentanyl by drug cartels in Mexico. China has indicated in the past that it was taking the problem seriously but did little, if anything, of substance. That has slowly started to change with Beijing shutting down some sellers of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl and drafting new regulations for three other chemicals.  

Chinese police, acting on U.S. intelligence, recently arrested a 27-year-old man named Tong Peiji, alleged to be involved in money laundering for the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.

“We are seeing some meaningful steps,” a senior Biden administration official told the Wall Street Journal. “There is a lot more to do. But we are encouraged particularly by the actions of the last couple of weeks.”

Chinese police have shut down 14 websites, suspended 332 business accounts and 1,016 online shops and operations, and “significantly reduced the number of online advertisements related to fentanyl,” China’s Public Security Ministry said in June.

More than 107,000 people in the U.S. died in 2023 of drug overdoses, of which around 75,000 died from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, a drug that is 100 times more potent than morphine. The overdose fatality count in the U.S. is still about double what it was in 2015. 

In recent months, senior U.S. officials have traveled to China. Last month, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the White House’s director of National Drug Control Policy, said China and the U.S. had agreed to establish a direct line of communication on threats from new synthetic substances.

The U.S. has complained that private companies in China are among the top producers of the chemical building blocks to make fentanyl.

The drug crisis, with footprints in every state in the country, is a major concern and an election issue. The Midwestern swing states are among those that have been hit the hardest.

The Biden administration is making a new policy push to combat fentanyl before his term ends. Former President Donald Trump has in recent days stepped up his attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s failed efforts to slow the illegal drug flow at the border.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

On Wednesday, the White House announced a series of proposals from Biden that include a push on Congress to pass legislation to establish a pill press and tableting machine registry as well as harsher penalties against convicted drug smugglers and fentanyl traffickers. 

He also wants to tighten rules on importers shipping small packages into the U.S. The goal is to improve the detection of fentanyl precursor chemicals that are often sent to the U.S. in low-value shipments that aren’t subjected to the same customs and trade inspections and other barriers. 

2024-08-02 20:28:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpolicy%2Fforeign-policy%2F3109405%2Fus-china-hold-in-depth-talks-drug-control-and-fentanyl-crisis%2F?w=600&h=450, The United States and China agreed to strengthen coordination and promote “in-depth” drug control at the first senior-level meeting between the two nations.  The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., this week, was agreed to in November and allowed representatives from both nations to exchange their respective concerns. FILE – BART police Officer Eric Hofstein displays the,

The United States and China agreed to strengthen coordination and promote “in-depth” drug control at the first senior-level meeting between the two nations. 

The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., this week, was agreed to in November and allowed representatives from both nations to exchange their respective concerns.

The White House said discussions “focused on ways to strengthen coordination on law enforcement actions; disrupt the illicit financing of transnational criminal organization networks, accelerate the scheduling of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals; address the illicit diversion of precursor chemicals; exchange information on emerging threats; and advance progress in multilateral fora.”

The U.S. delegation was led by Jennifer Daskal, a deputy homeland security adviser. Wei Xiaojun, director general of the Ministry of Public Security’s Narcotics Control Bureau, led the Chinese side.

The US-China Counternarcotics Working Group was launched in January, following the 2023 summit in San Francisco between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The leaders agreed to resume bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation after it was put on pause following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan in August 2022. 

The global manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl, has wreaked havoc in the U.S. 

U.S. officials have said China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals synthesized into fentanyl by drug cartels in Mexico. China has indicated in the past that it was taking the problem seriously but did little, if anything, of substance. That has slowly started to change with Beijing shutting down some sellers of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl and drafting new regulations for three other chemicals.  

Chinese police, acting on U.S. intelligence, recently arrested a 27-year-old man named Tong Peiji, alleged to be involved in money laundering for the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.

“We are seeing some meaningful steps,” a senior Biden administration official told the Wall Street Journal. “There is a lot more to do. But we are encouraged particularly by the actions of the last couple of weeks.”

Chinese police have shut down 14 websites, suspended 332 business accounts and 1,016 online shops and operations, and “significantly reduced the number of online advertisements related to fentanyl,” China’s Public Security Ministry said in June.

More than 107,000 people in the U.S. died in 2023 of drug overdoses, of which around 75,000 died from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, a drug that is 100 times more potent than morphine. The overdose fatality count in the U.S. is still about double what it was in 2015. 

In recent months, senior U.S. officials have traveled to China. Last month, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the White House’s director of National Drug Control Policy, said China and the U.S. had agreed to establish a direct line of communication on threats from new synthetic substances.

The U.S. has complained that private companies in China are among the top producers of the chemical building blocks to make fentanyl.

The drug crisis, with footprints in every state in the country, is a major concern and an election issue. The Midwestern swing states are among those that have been hit the hardest.

The Biden administration is making a new policy push to combat fentanyl before his term ends. Former President Donald Trump has in recent days stepped up his attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s failed efforts to slow the illegal drug flow at the border.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

On Wednesday, the White House announced a series of proposals from Biden that include a push on Congress to pass legislation to establish a pill press and tableting machine registry as well as harsher penalties against convicted drug smugglers and fentanyl traffickers. 

He also wants to tighten rules on importers shipping small packages into the U.S. The goal is to improve the detection of fentanyl precursor chemicals that are often sent to the U.S. in low-value shipments that aren’t subjected to the same customs and trade inspections and other barriers. 

, The United States and China agreed to strengthen coordination and promote “in-depth” drug control at the first senior-level meeting between the two nations.  The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., this week, was agreed to in November and allowed representatives from both nations to exchange their respective concerns. FILE – BART police Officer Eric Hofstein displays the fentanyl he confiscated while patrolling the Civic Center Station BART platform in San Francisco, Nov. 20, 2020. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP, File) The White House said discussions “focused on ways to strengthen coordination on law enforcement actions; disrupt the illicit financing of transnational criminal organization networks, accelerate the scheduling of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals; address the illicit diversion of precursor chemicals; exchange information on emerging threats; and advance progress in multilateral fora.” The U.S. delegation was led by Jennifer Daskal, a deputy homeland security adviser. Wei Xiaojun, director general of the Ministry of Public Security’s Narcotics Control Bureau, led the Chinese side. The US-China Counternarcotics Working Group was launched in January, following the 2023 summit in San Francisco between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The leaders agreed to resume bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation after it was put on pause following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) visit to Taiwan in August 2022.  The global manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl, has wreaked havoc in the U.S.  U.S. officials have said China is the primary source of the precursor chemicals synthesized into fentanyl by drug cartels in Mexico. China has indicated in the past that it was taking the problem seriously but did little, if anything, of substance. That has slowly started to change with Beijing shutting down some sellers of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl and drafting new regulations for three other chemicals.   Chinese police, acting on U.S. intelligence, recently arrested a 27-year-old man named Tong Peiji, alleged to be involved in money laundering for the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. “We are seeing some meaningful steps,” a senior Biden administration official told the  Wall Street Journal. “There is a lot more to do. But we are encouraged particularly by the actions of the last couple of weeks.” Chinese police have shut down 14 websites, suspended 332 business accounts and 1,016 online shops and operations, and “significantly reduced the number of online advertisements related to fentanyl,” China’s Public Security Ministry said in June. More than 107,000 people in the U.S. died in 2023 of drug overdoses, of which around 75,000 died from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, a drug that is 100 times more potent than morphine. The overdose fatality count in the U.S. is still about double what it was in 2015.  In recent months, senior U.S. officials have traveled to China. Last month, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the White House’s director of National Drug Control Policy, said China and the U.S. had agreed to establish a direct line of communication on threats from new synthetic substances. The U.S. has complained that private companies in China are among the top producers of the chemical building blocks to make fentanyl. The drug crisis, with footprints in every state in the country, is a major concern and an election issue. The Midwestern swing states are among those that have been hit the hardest. The Biden administration is making a new policy push to combat fentanyl before his term ends. Former President Donald Trump has in recent days stepped up his attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s failed efforts to slow the illegal drug flow at the border. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER On Wednesday, the White House announced a series of proposals from Biden that include a push on Congress to pass legislation to establish a pill press and tableting machine registry as well as harsher penalties against convicted drug smugglers and fentanyl traffickers.  He also wants to tighten rules on importers shipping small packages into the U.S. The goal is to improve the detection of fentanyl precursor chemicals that are often sent to the U.S. in low-value shipments that aren’t subjected to the same customs and trade inspections and other barriers. , , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/fentanyl.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

San Francisco Mayor London Breed ordered city officials on Thursday to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services like housing or shelter.  

Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total homeless population in 2024. 

“We’ve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless,” Breed said in a statement. “But we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Today’s order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend.”

Specifically, the order mandates that all city and contracted staff who engage with individuals experiencing homelessness must offer relocation as the first option.  It also requires all first responders to provide information handouts on the city’s relocation services and a contact number. It also establishes a tracking system with publishable data to measure the effectiveness of the city’s various homelessness programs. 

“San Francisco will always lead with compassion, but we cannot allow our compassion to be taken advantage of,” Breed wrote in the order. “This directive will ensure that relocation services will be the first response to our homelessness and substance use crises, allowing individuals the choice to reunite with support networks before accessing other city services or facing the consequences of refusing care.”

The mayor’s new executive order marks a shift from how San Francisco currently handles its homeless population. 

The change in strategy follows a June 28 Supreme Court ruling that gave city officials more power to crack down on people living on public streets and in parks. San Francisco officials are also ramping up the number of citations and arrests against homeless people who refuse to move indoors. 

Breed’s new directive is her latest effort to clean up the streets of San Francisco, reduce crime, and address the overdose crisis. She is in the middle of a tough re-election fight and has taken a much more aggressive approach to the problems.

While the program of busing people out of San Francisco has been on the table for years, it saw a drastic decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“This is just a fundamental attempt of the mayor to cover up failings of her administration and rebrand something that had already been made permanent,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who authored legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year to expand the city’s flagship relocation assistance program. “It’s very telling that this announcement comes two days after there are videos and reports of people being pushed off the streets, arrested and stripped of belongings, without anywhere to go.” 

Safai was referencing a Tuesday report from the San Francisco Chronicle about Ramon Castillo, a 48-year-old homeless man living in the Mission District. A group of San Francisco police officers came by his tent asking if he wanted shelter, and when he refused, they took him into custody. 

Castillo was arrested, detained for 20 minutes, given a misdemeanor citation for illegal lodging, and released. 

While he sat in the back of the squad car, public works employees came and threw out nearly all of his belongings. 

Castillo’s arrest and trashing of his belongings came two weeks after Breed, a Democrat, announced the city would launch a “very aggressive” crackdown on homeless encampments. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, issued an executive order on July 25 that gave local authorities the green light to start sweeping encampments. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Homeless advocates and other critics have slammed sweeps, arguing they are ineffective. 

One day after Castillo was arrested and his belongings were thrown away, three new tents lined the same block. 

2024-08-02 16:31:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F3108788%2Flondon-breed-orders-city-bus-tickets-homeless-people%2F?w=600&h=450, San Francisco Mayor London Breed ordered city officials on Thursday to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services like housing or shelter.   Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total,

San Francisco Mayor London Breed ordered city officials on Thursday to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services like housing or shelter.  

Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total homeless population in 2024. 

“We’ve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless,” Breed said in a statement. “But we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Today’s order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend.”

Specifically, the order mandates that all city and contracted staff who engage with individuals experiencing homelessness must offer relocation as the first option.  It also requires all first responders to provide information handouts on the city’s relocation services and a contact number. It also establishes a tracking system with publishable data to measure the effectiveness of the city’s various homelessness programs. 

“San Francisco will always lead with compassion, but we cannot allow our compassion to be taken advantage of,” Breed wrote in the order. “This directive will ensure that relocation services will be the first response to our homelessness and substance use crises, allowing individuals the choice to reunite with support networks before accessing other city services or facing the consequences of refusing care.”

The mayor’s new executive order marks a shift from how San Francisco currently handles its homeless population. 

The change in strategy follows a June 28 Supreme Court ruling that gave city officials more power to crack down on people living on public streets and in parks. San Francisco officials are also ramping up the number of citations and arrests against homeless people who refuse to move indoors. 

Breed’s new directive is her latest effort to clean up the streets of San Francisco, reduce crime, and address the overdose crisis. She is in the middle of a tough re-election fight and has taken a much more aggressive approach to the problems.

While the program of busing people out of San Francisco has been on the table for years, it saw a drastic decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“This is just a fundamental attempt of the mayor to cover up failings of her administration and rebrand something that had already been made permanent,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who authored legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year to expand the city’s flagship relocation assistance program. “It’s very telling that this announcement comes two days after there are videos and reports of people being pushed off the streets, arrested and stripped of belongings, without anywhere to go.” 

Safai was referencing a Tuesday report from the San Francisco Chronicle about Ramon Castillo, a 48-year-old homeless man living in the Mission District. A group of San Francisco police officers came by his tent asking if he wanted shelter, and when he refused, they took him into custody. 

Castillo was arrested, detained for 20 minutes, given a misdemeanor citation for illegal lodging, and released. 

While he sat in the back of the squad car, public works employees came and threw out nearly all of his belongings. 

Castillo’s arrest and trashing of his belongings came two weeks after Breed, a Democrat, announced the city would launch a “very aggressive” crackdown on homeless encampments. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, issued an executive order on July 25 that gave local authorities the green light to start sweeping encampments. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Homeless advocates and other critics have slammed sweeps, arguing they are ineffective. 

One day after Castillo was arrested and his belongings were thrown away, three new tents lined the same block. 

, San Francisco Mayor London Breed ordered city officials on Thursday to offer homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town before providing other services like housing or shelter.   Breed said the number of homeless people moving to San Francisco from other states and counties has grown from 28% in 2019 to 40% of the total homeless population in 2024.  San Francisco Mayor London Breed delivers her State of the City address on March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) “We’ve made significant progress in housing many long-time San Franciscans who became homeless,” Breed said in a statement. “But we are seeing an increase in people in our data who are coming from elsewhere. Today’s order will ensure that all our city departments are leveraging our relocation programs to address this growing trend.” Specifically, the order mandates that all city and contracted staff who engage with individuals experiencing homelessness must offer relocation as the first option.  It also requires all first responders to provide information handouts on the city’s relocation services and a contact number. It also establishes a tracking system with publishable data to measure the effectiveness of the city’s various homelessness programs.  “San Francisco will always lead with compassion, but we cannot allow our compassion to be taken advantage of,” Breed wrote in the order. “This directive will ensure that relocation services will be the first response to our homelessness and substance use crises, allowing individuals the choice to reunite with support networks before accessing other city services or facing the consequences of refusing care.” The mayor’s new executive order marks a shift from how San Francisco currently handles its homeless population.  The change in strategy follows a June 28 Supreme Court ruling that gave city officials more power to crack down on people living on public streets and in parks. San Francisco officials are also ramping up the number of citations and arrests against homeless people who refuse to move indoors.  Breed’s new directive is her latest effort to clean up the streets of San Francisco, reduce crime, and address the overdose crisis. She is in the middle of a tough re-election fight and has taken a much more aggressive approach to the problems. While the program of busing people out of San Francisco has been on the table for years, it saw a drastic decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.  “This is just a fundamental attempt of the mayor to cover up failings of her administration and rebrand something that had already been made permanent,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safaí, who authored legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year to expand the city’s flagship relocation assistance program. “It’s very telling that this announcement comes two days after there are videos and reports of people being pushed off the streets, arrested and stripped of belongings, without anywhere to go.”  Safai was referencing a Tuesday report from the San Francisco Chronicle about Ramon Castillo, a 48-year-old homeless man living in the Mission District. A group of San Francisco police officers came by his tent asking if he wanted shelter, and when he refused, they took him into custody.  Homeless man Ramon Castillo (center), 48, get upset after seeing that the Department of Public Works threw most of his belongings out in the trash on Folsom Street near 18th Street in San Francisco, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) Castillo was arrested, detained for 20 minutes, given a misdemeanor citation for illegal lodging, and released.  While he sat in the back of the squad car, public works employees came and threw out nearly all of his belongings.  Castillo’s arrest and trashing of his belongings came two weeks after Breed, a Democrat, announced the city would launch a “very aggressive” crackdown on homeless encampments. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, issued an executive order on July 25 that gave local authorities the green light to start sweeping encampments.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Homeless advocates and other critics have slammed sweeps, arguing they are ineffective.  One day after Castillo was arrested and his belongings were thrown away, three new tents lined the same block. , , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/londonbreed1.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

Kamala Harris’s ascension to the top of the ticket has energized the Democratic base and refocused Republican attack lines. With less than 100 days to go until the election, defining Kamala Harris will take place at lightning speed. This Washington Examiner series will take a closer look at various aspects of her campaign and persona. Part one is on “Kamala the cop.”

Vice President Kamala Harris may be running as America’s “top cop” against former President Donald Trump, but her prosecutorial past is complicated, at best, and littered with land mines. 

Harris has framed her potential matchup with Trump as a tough prosecutor running against a greedy criminal.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds, predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own game,” Harris said at a Wisconsin rally. “So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.”

But there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Harris, her background, allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, and flip-flopping on issues. 

Harris rose through the prosecutorial ranks. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco, California’s attorney general, and vice president of the United States. Today, she’s on the cusp of securing the Democratic nomination for president. 

“During Harris’ runs for California attorney general and U.S. Senate, I saw firsthand what kind of candidate she can be: tough, formidable, disciplined,” wrote Dan Morain, author of Kamala’s Way: An American Life.

“Without a doubt, Republicans should wish they had stopped her when they had their best chance,” he said. 

Playing both sides

Harris’s opinions and actions, at times, have put her at odds with both sides of the political spectrum. To those on the Right, she wasn’t tough enough. To those on the Left, she was too tough and didn’t do her job speaking up for marginalized communities. She’s also been accused of being a social and political climber, fixated on getting power rather than getting the job done. 

“I hope her past comes back to haunt her,” California-based civil rights attorney Harmeet Dhillon told the Washington Examiner. “She has a terrible record dating from her broken promises of being a tough-on-crime district attorney.”

Cop killer

One of Harris’s most controversial moments came three months into her tenure as San Francisco district attorney in 2004 when a gang member killed a police officer using an AK-47. Three days after the grisly murder, she announced she would not seek the death penalty. The backlash was swift and brutal, not only from law enforcement but also from fellow Democrats. 

The late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) stood in front of thousands of mourners at Officer Isaac Espinoza’s funeral and urged Harris, who was sitting in a pew at the front of the cathedral, to change her mind. Former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who was mayor of Oakland at the time, was among those standing in ovation to Feinstein’s comments. 

It got so bad that the state attorney general threatened to take over the case, and then-Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) asked the Justice Department to step in. 

Harris, the first person of color elected as San Francisco’s district attorney, did not budge. 

She said the death penalty discriminated against poor and black people and seeking it against the cop killer would not prevent more deaths. 

“She let everybody down, the city, the family,” Dhillon said. “And that was like a high point for her and it just went down from there.” 

Nicole Castronovo, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense lawyer, called Harris’s refusal to seek the death penalty “a huge misstep.”

“At the end of the day, she is an extension of law enforcement and she lost a lot of credibility with them,” Castronovo told the Washington Examiner. “She forever lost endorsements from police unions who would normally endorse a prosecutor. It was one of her biggest mistakes politically.”

But that wasn’t the only decision Harris made that angered San Franciscans. 

Catholic church: Sex abuse victims

Joey Piscitelli claimed Harris ignored him and many sex abuse victims of the Catholic church back in the 2000s. 

Piscitelli, who was then a spokesman for clergy sex abuse victims, said Harris didn’t respond when he wrote to tell her that a priest who had molested him was still preaching at a local church. He was once again iced out five years later when he urged her to release records on accused clergy to help alleged victims who were filing lawsuits.

“She did nothing,” said Piscitelli, who went on to become the Northern California spokesman for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. 

Catholics made up large voting blocs in San Francisco and across California. 

“There’s a potential political risk if you move aggressively against the church,” Michael Meadows, a Bay Area attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims, told the Associated Press at the time. “I just don’t think she was willing to take it.”

Before Harris was elected district attorney, a U.S. Supreme Court decision made it impossible to pursue criminal prosecutions of child sexual abuse cases after statutes of limitation had expired. For many victims, that left lawsuits in civil court as the only path for seeking justice.

After becoming district attorney, lawyers representing abuse survivors in civil cases asked her office to release church records on abusive priests. The list had been gathered by her predecessor, Terence Hallinan.

Harris refused.

“It would be virtually impossible to release records without compromising the identity of the victims,” two of her top aides wrote in a joint letter.

The decision was met with a lot of pushback. 

“What she was saying was utter nonsense,” Meadows said. “All she had to do was redact any identifying information.”

Crime lab scandal

A few years later, Harris was caught up in another scandal that threatened to upend her run to become California’s attorney general. 

One of her top deputies had emailed a colleague about a crime lab technician who had become “increasingly UNDEPENDABLE for testimony.” The tech allegedly took cocaine home from the lab and possibly tainted evidence in hundreds of cases. 

Despite knowing this, neither Harris nor those working under her had informed defense attorneys despite rules in place requiring them to do so.

In a scathing ruling in May 2010, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo said Harris’s office violated defendants’ rights by hiding damaging information and was indifferent to demands that it account for its failings. 

Harris wasn’t happy. 

First, she blamed the police for not informing defense lawyers. Then, she publicly estimated that only 20 cases would be affected. She also accused Massullo of being biased because the judge’s husband was a defense lawyer. But as public frustration grew, Harris’s office took the rare step of dismissing about 1,000 drug-related cases.

“She lost the trust of a lot of people,” San Francisco-based programmer Lucy Longhorn told the Washington Examiner. “Her denial. The 180. It gave us whiplash. Then she had the audacity to run for attorney general.”

Chris Kelly, former Facebook general counsel and Harris’s opponent in the Democratic primary, slammed her for her handling of the lab tech case and said Massullo’s ruling showed Harris had “systematically violated defendants’ civil and constitutional rights.”

Cutting deals and withholding evidence

Despite his comments, Harris won the attorney general’s race in 2010, becoming the first black woman to do so. 

But as California’s top cop, Harris and her office were criticized more than once for prosecutorial misconduct and defending convictions in cases where there was evidence of innocence. 

One case involved Johnny Baca, who has been tried twice for the 1995 murders of John Mix and John Adair. 

Prosecutors made a deal with a jailhouse snitch named Daniel Melendez who testified Baca confessed to the crime behind bars. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors would shave time off his sentence. They didn’t tell Baca’s lawyer, knowledge he was entitled to so he could cross-examine Melendez on his motives. 

Baca’s lawyer asked Melendez under oath if he was receiving anything from prosecutors in exchange for his testimony. He lied and said no. A prosecutor then backed up Melendez’s story, also lying in court that he did not cut Melendez any favors. After the details were released, the attorney general’s office effectively moved to drop the case. 

“This decision, as with Harris’s belated implementation of a Brady policy, came only after she had been publicly and humiliatingly backed into a corner by a trio of federal judges,” Nicole Allan wrote in the California Sunday Magazine in 2019. “And, as had been the case with the crime-lab scandal, it unfolded during the early stages of a high-profile campaign.”

Defund the police

Before becoming vice president, Harris once again turned her back on law enforcement, voicing her support for the “defund the police” movement that spread from coast to coast in 2020. 

During a June 9, 2020, radio interview on Ebro in the Morning, she said the movement “rightly” called out the massive amounts of money being poured into police departments and suggested it would be better spent on community services. 

“Defund the police, the issue behind it is that we need to reimagine how we are creating safety,” she said on the New York-based radio show. “And when you have many cities that have one-third of their entire city budget focused on policing, we know that it is not the smart way and the best way or the right way to achieve safety.”

But once Harris signed on as President Joe Biden’s running mate she was singing a different tune. 

By October 2020, her former press secretary, Sabrina Singh, told reporters, “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris do not support defunding the police, and it is a lie to suggest otherwise.”

Her flip-flop is right on brand, Dhillon, a Trump supporter, said. “This woman is now standing in front of cameras posturing as some kind of civil rights hero,” she said. “It makes me sick to my stomach as a civil rights lawyer.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

But others, like Democratic political strategist David McLaughlin, say Harris’s past missteps aren’t likely to damage her campaign going forward and suggest she “absolutely lean in” to her past.

“I’m all the way across the country but I’ll tell you this, she won elections as attorney general, senator, and then vice president with whatever this is being known and it didn’t seem to resonate with the voters of California and the voters of America,” McLaughlin, who is based in Georgia, told the Washington Examiner. 

2024-07-29 11:00:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3101136%2Fkamala-harris-police-image-issues%2F?w=600&h=450, Kamala Harris’s ascension to the top of the ticket has energized the Democratic base and refocused Republican attack lines. With less than 100 days to go until the election, defining Kamala Harris will take place at lightning speed. This Washington Examiner series will take a closer look at various aspects of her campaign and persona.,

Kamala Harris’s ascension to the top of the ticket has energized the Democratic base and refocused Republican attack lines. With less than 100 days to go until the election, defining Kamala Harris will take place at lightning speed. This Washington Examiner series will take a closer look at various aspects of her campaign and persona. Part one is on “Kamala the cop.”

Vice President Kamala Harris may be running as America’s “top cop” against former President Donald Trump, but her prosecutorial past is complicated, at best, and littered with land mines. 

Harris has framed her potential matchup with Trump as a tough prosecutor running against a greedy criminal.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds, predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own game,” Harris said at a Wisconsin rally. “So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.”

But there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Harris, her background, allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, and flip-flopping on issues. 

Harris rose through the prosecutorial ranks. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco, California’s attorney general, and vice president of the United States. Today, she’s on the cusp of securing the Democratic nomination for president. 

“During Harris’ runs for California attorney general and U.S. Senate, I saw firsthand what kind of candidate she can be: tough, formidable, disciplined,” wrote Dan Morain, author of Kamala’s Way: An American Life.

“Without a doubt, Republicans should wish they had stopped her when they had their best chance,” he said. 

Playing both sides

Harris’s opinions and actions, at times, have put her at odds with both sides of the political spectrum. To those on the Right, she wasn’t tough enough. To those on the Left, she was too tough and didn’t do her job speaking up for marginalized communities. She’s also been accused of being a social and political climber, fixated on getting power rather than getting the job done. 

“I hope her past comes back to haunt her,” California-based civil rights attorney Harmeet Dhillon told the Washington Examiner. “She has a terrible record dating from her broken promises of being a tough-on-crime district attorney.”

Cop killer

One of Harris’s most controversial moments came three months into her tenure as San Francisco district attorney in 2004 when a gang member killed a police officer using an AK-47. Three days after the grisly murder, she announced she would not seek the death penalty. The backlash was swift and brutal, not only from law enforcement but also from fellow Democrats. 

The late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) stood in front of thousands of mourners at Officer Isaac Espinoza’s funeral and urged Harris, who was sitting in a pew at the front of the cathedral, to change her mind. Former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who was mayor of Oakland at the time, was among those standing in ovation to Feinstein’s comments. 

It got so bad that the state attorney general threatened to take over the case, and then-Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) asked the Justice Department to step in. 

Harris, the first person of color elected as San Francisco’s district attorney, did not budge. 

She said the death penalty discriminated against poor and black people and seeking it against the cop killer would not prevent more deaths. 

“She let everybody down, the city, the family,” Dhillon said. “And that was like a high point for her and it just went down from there.” 

Nicole Castronovo, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense lawyer, called Harris’s refusal to seek the death penalty “a huge misstep.”

“At the end of the day, she is an extension of law enforcement and she lost a lot of credibility with them,” Castronovo told the Washington Examiner. “She forever lost endorsements from police unions who would normally endorse a prosecutor. It was one of her biggest mistakes politically.”

But that wasn’t the only decision Harris made that angered San Franciscans. 

Catholic church: Sex abuse victims

Joey Piscitelli claimed Harris ignored him and many sex abuse victims of the Catholic church back in the 2000s. 

Piscitelli, who was then a spokesman for clergy sex abuse victims, said Harris didn’t respond when he wrote to tell her that a priest who had molested him was still preaching at a local church. He was once again iced out five years later when he urged her to release records on accused clergy to help alleged victims who were filing lawsuits.

“She did nothing,” said Piscitelli, who went on to become the Northern California spokesman for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. 

Catholics made up large voting blocs in San Francisco and across California. 

“There’s a potential political risk if you move aggressively against the church,” Michael Meadows, a Bay Area attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims, told the Associated Press at the time. “I just don’t think she was willing to take it.”

Before Harris was elected district attorney, a U.S. Supreme Court decision made it impossible to pursue criminal prosecutions of child sexual abuse cases after statutes of limitation had expired. For many victims, that left lawsuits in civil court as the only path for seeking justice.

After becoming district attorney, lawyers representing abuse survivors in civil cases asked her office to release church records on abusive priests. The list had been gathered by her predecessor, Terence Hallinan.

Harris refused.

“It would be virtually impossible to release records without compromising the identity of the victims,” two of her top aides wrote in a joint letter.

The decision was met with a lot of pushback. 

“What she was saying was utter nonsense,” Meadows said. “All she had to do was redact any identifying information.”

Crime lab scandal

A few years later, Harris was caught up in another scandal that threatened to upend her run to become California’s attorney general. 

One of her top deputies had emailed a colleague about a crime lab technician who had become “increasingly UNDEPENDABLE for testimony.” The tech allegedly took cocaine home from the lab and possibly tainted evidence in hundreds of cases. 

Despite knowing this, neither Harris nor those working under her had informed defense attorneys despite rules in place requiring them to do so.

In a scathing ruling in May 2010, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo said Harris’s office violated defendants’ rights by hiding damaging information and was indifferent to demands that it account for its failings. 

Harris wasn’t happy. 

First, she blamed the police for not informing defense lawyers. Then, she publicly estimated that only 20 cases would be affected. She also accused Massullo of being biased because the judge’s husband was a defense lawyer. But as public frustration grew, Harris’s office took the rare step of dismissing about 1,000 drug-related cases.

“She lost the trust of a lot of people,” San Francisco-based programmer Lucy Longhorn told the Washington Examiner. “Her denial. The 180. It gave us whiplash. Then she had the audacity to run for attorney general.”

Chris Kelly, former Facebook general counsel and Harris’s opponent in the Democratic primary, slammed her for her handling of the lab tech case and said Massullo’s ruling showed Harris had “systematically violated defendants’ civil and constitutional rights.”

Cutting deals and withholding evidence

Despite his comments, Harris won the attorney general’s race in 2010, becoming the first black woman to do so. 

But as California’s top cop, Harris and her office were criticized more than once for prosecutorial misconduct and defending convictions in cases where there was evidence of innocence. 

One case involved Johnny Baca, who has been tried twice for the 1995 murders of John Mix and John Adair. 

Prosecutors made a deal with a jailhouse snitch named Daniel Melendez who testified Baca confessed to the crime behind bars. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors would shave time off his sentence. They didn’t tell Baca’s lawyer, knowledge he was entitled to so he could cross-examine Melendez on his motives. 

Baca’s lawyer asked Melendez under oath if he was receiving anything from prosecutors in exchange for his testimony. He lied and said no. A prosecutor then backed up Melendez’s story, also lying in court that he did not cut Melendez any favors. After the details were released, the attorney general’s office effectively moved to drop the case. 

“This decision, as with Harris’s belated implementation of a Brady policy, came only after she had been publicly and humiliatingly backed into a corner by a trio of federal judges,” Nicole Allan wrote in the California Sunday Magazine in 2019. “And, as had been the case with the crime-lab scandal, it unfolded during the early stages of a high-profile campaign.”

Defund the police

Before becoming vice president, Harris once again turned her back on law enforcement, voicing her support for the “defund the police” movement that spread from coast to coast in 2020. 

During a June 9, 2020, radio interview on Ebro in the Morning, she said the movement “rightly” called out the massive amounts of money being poured into police departments and suggested it would be better spent on community services. 

“Defund the police, the issue behind it is that we need to reimagine how we are creating safety,” she said on the New York-based radio show. “And when you have many cities that have one-third of their entire city budget focused on policing, we know that it is not the smart way and the best way or the right way to achieve safety.”

But once Harris signed on as President Joe Biden’s running mate she was singing a different tune. 

By October 2020, her former press secretary, Sabrina Singh, told reporters, “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris do not support defunding the police, and it is a lie to suggest otherwise.”

Her flip-flop is right on brand, Dhillon, a Trump supporter, said. “This woman is now standing in front of cameras posturing as some kind of civil rights hero,” she said. “It makes me sick to my stomach as a civil rights lawyer.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

But others, like Democratic political strategist David McLaughlin, say Harris’s past missteps aren’t likely to damage her campaign going forward and suggest she “absolutely lean in” to her past.

“I’m all the way across the country but I’ll tell you this, she won elections as attorney general, senator, and then vice president with whatever this is being known and it didn’t seem to resonate with the voters of California and the voters of America,” McLaughlin, who is based in Georgia, told the Washington Examiner. 

, Kamala Harris’s ascension to the top of the ticket has energized the Democratic base and refocused Republican attack lines. With less than 100 days to go until the election, defining Kamala Harris will take place at lightning speed. This Washington Examiner series will take a closer look at various aspects of her campaign and persona. Part one is on “Kamala the cop.” Vice President Kamala Harris may be running as America’s “top cop” against former President Donald Trump, but her prosecutorial past is complicated, at best, and littered with land mines.  Harris has framed her potential matchup with Trump as a tough prosecutor running against a greedy criminal. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) “I took on perpetrators of all kinds, predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own game,” Harris said at a Wisconsin rally. “So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.” But there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Harris, her background, allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, and flip-flopping on issues.  Harris rose through the prosecutorial ranks. She was elected district attorney of San Francisco, California’s attorney general, and vice president of the United States. Today, she’s on the cusp of securing the Democratic nomination for president.  “During Harris’ runs for California attorney general and U.S. Senate, I saw firsthand what kind of candidate she can be: tough, formidable, disciplined,” wrote Dan Morain, author of Kamala’s Way: An American Life. “Without a doubt, Republicans should wish they had stopped her when they had their best chance,” he said.  Playing both sides Harris’s opinions and actions, at times, have put her at odds with both sides of the political spectrum. To those on the Right, she wasn’t tough enough. To those on the Left, she was too tough and didn’t do her job speaking up for marginalized communities. She’s also been accused of being a social and political climber, fixated on getting power rather than getting the job done.  “I hope her past comes back to haunt her,” California-based civil rights attorney Harmeet Dhillon told the Washington Examiner. “She has a terrible record dating from her broken promises of being a tough-on-crime district attorney.” Cop killer One of Harris’s most controversial moments came three months into her tenure as San Francisco district attorney in 2004 when a gang member killed a police officer using an AK-47. Three days after the grisly murder, she announced she would not seek the death penalty. The backlash was swift and brutal, not only from law enforcement but also from fellow Democrats.  The late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) stood in front of thousands of mourners at Officer Isaac Espinoza’s funeral and urged Harris, who was sitting in a pew at the front of the cathedral, to change her mind. Former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who was mayor of Oakland at the time, was among those standing in ovation to Feinstein’s comments.  It got so bad that the state attorney general threatened to take over the case, and then-Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) asked the Justice Department to step in.  Harris, the first person of color elected as San Francisco’s district attorney, did not budge.  She said the death penalty discriminated against poor and black people and seeking it against the cop killer would not prevent more deaths.  “She let everybody down, the city, the family,” Dhillon said. “And that was like a high point for her and it just went down from there.”  Nicole Castronovo, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense lawyer, called Harris’s refusal to seek the death penalty “a huge misstep.” “At the end of the day, she is an extension of law enforcement and she lost a lot of credibility with them,” Castronovo told the Washington Examiner. “She forever lost endorsements from police unions who would normally endorse a prosecutor. It was one of her biggest mistakes politically.” But that wasn’t the only decision Harris made that angered San Franciscans.  Catholic church: Sex abuse victims Joey Piscitelli claimed Harris ignored him and many sex abuse victims of the Catholic church back in the 2000s.  Piscitelli, who was then a spokesman for clergy sex abuse victims, said Harris didn’t respond when he wrote to tell her that a priest who had molested him was still preaching at a local church. He was once again iced out five years later when he urged her to release records on accused clergy to help alleged victims who were filing lawsuits. “She did nothing,” said Piscitelli, who went on to become the Northern California spokesman for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.  Catholics made up large voting blocs in San Francisco and across California.  “There’s a potential political risk if you move aggressively against the church,” Michael Meadows, a Bay Area attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims, told the Associated Press at the time. “I just don’t think she was willing to take it.” Before Harris was elected district attorney, a U.S. Supreme Court decision made it impossible to pursue criminal prosecutions of child sexual abuse cases after statutes of limitation had expired. For many victims, that left lawsuits in civil court as the only path for seeking justice. After becoming district attorney, lawyers representing abuse survivors in civil cases asked her office to release church records on abusive priests. The list had been gathered by her predecessor, Terence Hallinan. Harris refused. “It would be virtually impossible to release records without compromising the identity of the victims,” two of her top aides wrote in a joint letter. The decision was met with a lot of pushback.  “What she was saying was utter nonsense,” Meadows said. “All she had to do was redact any identifying information.” Crime lab scandal A few years later, Harris was caught up in another scandal that threatened to upend her run to become California’s attorney general.  One of her top deputies had emailed a colleague about a crime lab technician who had become “increasingly UNDEPENDABLE for testimony.” The tech allegedly took cocaine home from the lab and possibly tainted evidence in hundreds of cases.  Despite knowing this, neither Harris nor those working under her had informed defense attorneys despite rules in place requiring them to do so. In a scathing ruling in May 2010, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo said Harris’s office violated defendants’ rights by hiding damaging information and was indifferent to demands that it account for its failings.  Harris wasn’t happy.  First, she blamed the police for not informing defense lawyers. Then, she publicly estimated that only 20 cases would be affected. She also accused Massullo of being biased because the judge’s husband was a defense lawyer. But as public frustration grew, Harris’s office took the rare step of dismissing about 1,000 drug-related cases. “She lost the trust of a lot of people,” San Francisco-based programmer Lucy Longhorn told the Washington Examiner. “Her denial. The 180. It gave us whiplash. Then she had the audacity to run for attorney general.” Chris Kelly, former Facebook general counsel and Harris’s opponent in the Democratic primary, slammed her for her handling of the lab tech case and said Massullo’s ruling showed Harris had “systematically violated defendants’ civil and constitutional rights.” Cutting deals and withholding evidence Despite his comments, Harris won the attorney general’s race in 2010, becoming the first black woman to do so.  But as California’s top cop, Harris and her office were criticized more than once for prosecutorial misconduct and defending convictions in cases where there was evidence of innocence.  One case involved Johnny Baca, who has been tried twice for the 1995 murders of John Mix and John Adair.  Prosecutors made a deal with a jailhouse snitch named Daniel Melendez who testified Baca confessed to the crime behind bars. In exchange for his testimony, prosecutors would shave time off his sentence. They didn’t tell Baca’s lawyer, knowledge he was entitled to so he could cross-examine Melendez on his motives.  Baca’s lawyer asked Melendez under oath if he was receiving anything from prosecutors in exchange for his testimony. He lied and said no. A prosecutor then backed up Melendez’s story, also lying in court that he did not cut Melendez any favors. After the details were released, the attorney general’s office effectively moved to drop the case.  “This decision, as with Harris’s belated implementation of a Brady policy, came only after she had been publicly and humiliatingly backed into a corner by a trio of federal judges,” Nicole Allan wrote in the California Sunday Magazine in 2019. “And, as had been the case with the crime-lab scandal, it unfolded during the early stages of a high-profile campaign.” Defund the police Before becoming vice president, Harris once again turned her back on law enforcement, voicing her support for the “defund the police” movement that spread from coast to coast in 2020.  During a June 9, 2020, radio interview on Ebro in the Morning, she said the movement “rightly” called out the massive amounts of money being poured into police departments and suggested it would be better spent on community services.  “Defund the police, the issue behind it is that we need to reimagine how we are creating safety,” she said on the New York-based radio show. “And when you have many cities that have one-third of their entire city budget focused on policing, we know that it is not the smart way and the best way or the right way to achieve safety.” But once Harris signed on as President Joe Biden’s running mate she was singing a different tune.  By October 2020, her former press secretary, Sabrina Singh, told reporters, “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris do not support defunding the police, and it is a lie to suggest otherwise.” Her flip-flop is right on brand, Dhillon, a Trump supporter, said. “This woman is now standing in front of cameras posturing as some kind of civil rights hero,” she said. “It makes me sick to my stomach as a civil rights lawyer.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER But others, like Democratic political strategist David McLaughlin, say Harris’s past missteps aren’t likely to damage her campaign going forward and suggest she “absolutely lean in” to her past. “I’m all the way across the country but I’ll tell you this, she won elections as attorney general, senator, and then vice president with whatever this is being known and it didn’t seem to resonate with the voters of California and the voters of America,” McLaughlin, who is based in Georgia, told the Washington Examiner. , , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kamala-HArris-July-2024-scaled-1024×683.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

Democrats dragged President Joe Biden for weeks, questioning his physical and mental acuity and whether he could be a winner for them in November. 

During the Republican National Convention, the idea of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House almost felt like a formality. 

Fast-forward a few days and Biden’s decision to drop out of the race, and the lightning quick coalescing round Vice President Kamala Harris has re-energized the Democratic Party and gotten the gears of its well-funded political machine going. 

Within hours of Biden stepping down on Sunday, Democrats, which were divided on a path forward just hours earlier, were all in on Harris. 

In one afternoon, she had taken control of the president’s enormous political operation, managed to contact more than 100 party officials, labor union leaders, and Democratic heavyweights in Congress to ask for their support. The Biden campaign formally recast itself as “Harris for President,” that very afternoon, giving her access to $96 million in cash. And now, she’s clinched a majority of the delegates needed to shore up the nomination.

It helps that no other top Democrat has announced plans to challenge her either. 

“We have 107 days until Election Day,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”

People like former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have complained that the GOP is not up against a candidate but a political “managerial machine,” while conservative strategist Scott Jennings claimed hard launching Harris’s White House bid at record speed might have been something that was always in the works. 

“I was right, though, that the Democrats would turn to Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s replacement,” he said. “Though Harris piously proclaims she wants to ‘earn’ the nomination, anyone can see that the fix is in. Biden was taken out in an undemocratic way, and Harris will be installed through a rigged process. Inspiring.”

Others, like Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report, said Harris is benefitting from an unusual set of circumstances. 

“I think they realized that it was getting late very quickly,” she said. “It’s only three weeks until the convention. We only have four months until Election Day, and that they had spent three weeks basically wringing their hands after the June 27 debate about what to do about Joe Biden, watching their poll numbers really sink very deeply and down ballot candidates really starting to get incredibly nervous about the impact of the top of the ticket on their own races.”

In other words, Democrats were waiting and worrying but the second Biden stepped down, it was go-time. 

Harris has been able to quickly place herself at the top of the minds of donors, delegates, and voters because “Democrats want to turn to the general election as quickly as possible and avoid more chaos and uncertainty,” Elaine Kamarack, founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings, said. 

Harris was also able to shore up support so quickly because people were familiar with her.

“Harris passed the vetting test, and four years in the White House was plenty of time for any other skeletons in her closet to be outed. Not so for the other possible candidates,” Kamarack added. 
It also helps that delegates know and like her. 

“Throughout this long process, everyone has wanted to know what members of Congress, senators, and former presidents have to say,” Kamarack said. “While their influence is heavy, they have only one vote each. No one has managed to actually poll the several thousand state delegates on this topic. Vice presidents traditionally do a lot of political work, and Harris was no different. Of all the people mentioned as successors to Biden, I bet that aside from Biden, Harris is the person who has actually met the most delegates.”

With the momentum rising, Harris’s campaign announced Tuesday morning that it had raised more than $100 million from 1.1 million donors since Sunday afternoon. She also not so subtly went after Trump during a visit to her new campaign headquarters. 

Harris, a former San Francisco prosecutor who took on “predators” and “fraudsters,” told a cheering crowd, “Hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”  

Behind the scenes, Harris tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder to vet her choice of a potential running mate, the New York Times, citing two people briefed on the matter, reported. Her top two political advisers, Sheila Nix and Brian Fallon, made their presence known on a Monday morning senior staff call on the Biden-turned-Harris campaign. 

Another thing helping Harris are all of the endorsements coming in from high-profile Democrats like Biden, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), to name a few. Former President Barack Obama is the only Democratic big hitter who has yet to endorse her.

“President Biden’s very quick endorsement went a long way to make sure the Democratic mayors and other local elected officials across the country united around the vice president,” Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb told the Hill. 

Bibb said he was glad it happened fast. 

“This is a unique opportunity to be united as a party, because this is going to be a hard election,” he said. 

The excitement for Harris was also palpable among Democratic-allied groups, including the American Federation of Teachers. The union’s president, Randi Weingarten, noted that the convention’s order of business had been changed on Monday to endorse Harris. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“You’re seeing Democrats from all of the Democratic ideologies; you’re seeing them all come home,” Weingarten said. Even though Harris has been on a roll, Walter warned not to get too comfortable. 

“They’re conveying the Biden campaign to the Harris campaign, but that’s going to be an integration that’s going to take a little bit of time. I’m sure there are going to be some bumps along the way there,” she said. “And then Harris has to go out and perform as a candidate. She hasn’t had to do that as a candidate since she was on the — well, not even on the trail in 2020, when they were sort of campaigning remotely, and then before that in her failed bid for the nomination. So this is a very different experience that she is going to have to get up to speed on.”

2024-07-23 22:48:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3096380%2Fmanagerial-machine-right-place-right-time-explaining-kamala-harris-rapid-rise%2F?w=600&h=450, Democrats dragged President Joe Biden for weeks, questioning his physical and mental acuity and whether he could be a winner for them in November.  During the Republican National Convention, the idea of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House almost felt like a formality.  Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her campaign headquarters,

Democrats dragged President Joe Biden for weeks, questioning his physical and mental acuity and whether he could be a winner for them in November. 

During the Republican National Convention, the idea of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House almost felt like a formality. 

Fast-forward a few days and Biden’s decision to drop out of the race, and the lightning quick coalescing round Vice President Kamala Harris has re-energized the Democratic Party and gotten the gears of its well-funded political machine going. 

Within hours of Biden stepping down on Sunday, Democrats, which were divided on a path forward just hours earlier, were all in on Harris. 

In one afternoon, she had taken control of the president’s enormous political operation, managed to contact more than 100 party officials, labor union leaders, and Democratic heavyweights in Congress to ask for their support. The Biden campaign formally recast itself as “Harris for President,” that very afternoon, giving her access to $96 million in cash. And now, she’s clinched a majority of the delegates needed to shore up the nomination.

It helps that no other top Democrat has announced plans to challenge her either. 

“We have 107 days until Election Day,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.”

People like former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have complained that the GOP is not up against a candidate but a political “managerial machine,” while conservative strategist Scott Jennings claimed hard launching Harris’s White House bid at record speed might have been something that was always in the works. 

“I was right, though, that the Democrats would turn to Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s replacement,” he said. “Though Harris piously proclaims she wants to ‘earn’ the nomination, anyone can see that the fix is in. Biden was taken out in an undemocratic way, and Harris will be installed through a rigged process. Inspiring.”

Others, like Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report, said Harris is benefitting from an unusual set of circumstances. 

“I think they realized that it was getting late very quickly,” she said. “It’s only three weeks until the convention. We only have four months until Election Day, and that they had spent three weeks basically wringing their hands after the June 27 debate about what to do about Joe Biden, watching their poll numbers really sink very deeply and down ballot candidates really starting to get incredibly nervous about the impact of the top of the ticket on their own races.”

In other words, Democrats were waiting and worrying but the second Biden stepped down, it was go-time. 

Harris has been able to quickly place herself at the top of the minds of donors, delegates, and voters because “Democrats want to turn to the general election as quickly as possible and avoid more chaos and uncertainty,” Elaine Kamarack, founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings, said. 

Harris was also able to shore up support so quickly because people were familiar with her.

“Harris passed the vetting test, and four years in the White House was plenty of time for any other skeletons in her closet to be outed. Not so for the other possible candidates,” Kamarack added. 
It also helps that delegates know and like her. 

“Throughout this long process, everyone has wanted to know what members of Congress, senators, and former presidents have to say,” Kamarack said. “While their influence is heavy, they have only one vote each. No one has managed to actually poll the several thousand state delegates on this topic. Vice presidents traditionally do a lot of political work, and Harris was no different. Of all the people mentioned as successors to Biden, I bet that aside from Biden, Harris is the person who has actually met the most delegates.”

With the momentum rising, Harris’s campaign announced Tuesday morning that it had raised more than $100 million from 1.1 million donors since Sunday afternoon. She also not so subtly went after Trump during a visit to her new campaign headquarters. 

Harris, a former San Francisco prosecutor who took on “predators” and “fraudsters,” told a cheering crowd, “Hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”  

Behind the scenes, Harris tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder to vet her choice of a potential running mate, the New York Times, citing two people briefed on the matter, reported. Her top two political advisers, Sheila Nix and Brian Fallon, made their presence known on a Monday morning senior staff call on the Biden-turned-Harris campaign. 

Another thing helping Harris are all of the endorsements coming in from high-profile Democrats like Biden, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), to name a few. Former President Barack Obama is the only Democratic big hitter who has yet to endorse her.

“President Biden’s very quick endorsement went a long way to make sure the Democratic mayors and other local elected officials across the country united around the vice president,” Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb told the Hill. 

Bibb said he was glad it happened fast. 

“This is a unique opportunity to be united as a party, because this is going to be a hard election,” he said. 

The excitement for Harris was also palpable among Democratic-allied groups, including the American Federation of Teachers. The union’s president, Randi Weingarten, noted that the convention’s order of business had been changed on Monday to endorse Harris. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“You’re seeing Democrats from all of the Democratic ideologies; you’re seeing them all come home,” Weingarten said. Even though Harris has been on a roll, Walter warned not to get too comfortable. 

“They’re conveying the Biden campaign to the Harris campaign, but that’s going to be an integration that’s going to take a little bit of time. I’m sure there are going to be some bumps along the way there,” she said. “And then Harris has to go out and perform as a candidate. She hasn’t had to do that as a candidate since she was on the — well, not even on the trail in 2020, when they were sort of campaigning remotely, and then before that in her failed bid for the nomination. So this is a very different experience that she is going to have to get up to speed on.”

, Democrats dragged President Joe Biden for weeks, questioning his physical and mental acuity and whether he could be a winner for them in November.  During the Republican National Convention, the idea of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House almost felt like a formality.  Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, Monday, July 22, 2024. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool) Fast-forward a few days and Biden’s decision to drop out of the race, and the lightning quick coalescing round Vice President Kamala Harris has re-energized the Democratic Party and gotten the gears of its well-funded political machine going.  Within hours of Biden stepping down on Sunday, Democrats, which were divided on a path forward just hours earlier, were all in on Harris.  In one afternoon, she had taken control of the president’s enormous political operation, managed to contact more than 100 party officials, labor union leaders, and Democratic heavyweights in Congress to ask for their support. The Biden campaign formally recast itself as “Harris for President,” that very afternoon, giving her access to $96 million in cash. And now, she’s clinched a majority of the delegates needed to shore up the nomination. It helps that no other top Democrat has announced plans to challenge her either.  “We have 107 days until Election Day,” she said in a statement. “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.” People like former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have complained that the GOP is not up against a candidate but a political “managerial machine,” while conservative strategist Scott Jennings claimed hard launching Harris’s White House bid at record speed might have been something that was always in the works.  “I was right, though, that the Democrats would turn to Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s replacement,” he said. “Though Harris piously proclaims she wants to ‘earn’ the nomination, anyone can see that the fix is in. Biden was taken out in an undemocratic way, and Harris will be installed through a rigged process. Inspiring.” We’re not up against a candidate. We’re up against a managerial machine. pic.twitter.com/0pmr5O8p78 — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 22, 2024 Others, like Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report, said Harris is benefitting from an unusual set of circumstances.  “I think they realized that it was getting late very quickly,” she said. “It’s only three weeks until the convention. We only have four months until Election Day, and that they had spent three weeks basically wringing their hands after the June 27 debate about what to do about Joe Biden, watching their poll numbers really sink very deeply and down ballot candidates really starting to get incredibly nervous about the impact of the top of the ticket on their own races.” In other words, Democrats were waiting and worrying but the second Biden stepped down, it was go-time.  Harris has been able to quickly place herself at the top of the minds of donors, delegates, and voters because “Democrats want to turn to the general election as quickly as possible and avoid more chaos and uncertainty,” Elaine Kamarack, founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings, said.  Harris was also able to shore up support so quickly because people were familiar with her. “Harris passed the vetting test, and four years in the White House was plenty of time for any other skeletons in her closet to be outed. Not so for the other possible candidates,” Kamarack added. It also helps that delegates know and like her.  “Throughout this long process, everyone has wanted to know what members of Congress, senators, and former presidents have to say,” Kamarack said. “While their influence is heavy, they have only one vote each. No one has managed to actually poll the several thousand state delegates on this topic. Vice presidents traditionally do a lot of political work, and Harris was no different. Of all the people mentioned as successors to Biden, I bet that aside from Biden, Harris is the person who has actually met the most delegates.” With the momentum rising, Harris’s campaign announced Tuesday morning that it had raised more than $100 million from 1.1 million donors since Sunday afternoon. She also not so subtly went after Trump during a visit to her new campaign headquarters.  Harris, a former San Francisco prosecutor who took on “predators” and “fraudsters,” told a cheering crowd, “Hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”   Behind the scenes, Harris tapped former Attorney General Eric Holder to vet her choice of a potential running mate, the New York Times, citing two people briefed on the matter, reported. Her top two political advisers, Sheila Nix and Brian Fallon, made their presence known on a Monday morning senior staff call on the Biden-turned-Harris campaign.  Another thing helping Harris are all of the endorsements coming in from high-profile Democrats like Biden, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), to name a few. Former President Barack Obama is the only Democratic big hitter who has yet to endorse her. “President Biden’s very quick endorsement went a long way to make sure the Democratic mayors and other local elected officials across the country united around the vice president,” Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb told the Hill.  Bibb said he was glad it happened fast.  “This is a unique opportunity to be united as a party, because this is going to be a hard election,” he said.  The excitement for Harris was also palpable among Democratic-allied groups, including the American Federation of Teachers. The union’s president, Randi Weingarten, noted that the convention’s order of business had been changed on Monday to endorse Harris.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER “You’re seeing Democrats from all of the Democratic ideologies; you’re seeing them all come home,” Weingarten said. Even though Harris has been on a roll, Walter warned not to get too comfortable.  “They’re conveying the Biden campaign to the Harris campaign, but that’s going to be an integration that’s going to take a little bit of time. I’m sure there are going to be some bumps along the way there,” she said. “And then Harris has to go out and perform as a candidate. She hasn’t had to do that as a candidate since she was on the — well, not even on the trail in 2020, when they were sort of campaigning remotely, and then before that in her failed bid for the nomination. So this is a very different experience that she is going to have to get up to speed on.”, , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kamala-Harris-voters-campaign9833.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Barnini Chakraborty,

The sprawling federal investigation that came to light last month with the FBI raids of Oakland, California, Mayor Sheng Thao’s house as well as two others close to her has now expanded to the Oakland Police Department. 

The U.S. attorney’s office has ordered the OPD to turn over all internal phone number directories since the start of March, according to new federal grand jury subpoenas served to the city attorney’s office. 

In addition, it is seeking all Oakland police reports since April 1 involving the Duong family, the owners of curbside recycling contractor California Waste Solutions, who are also politically connected and whose homes were raided alongside Thao’s on June 20. 

“This is significant because we appear to be entertaining a massive corruption investigation that is currently underway by the grand jury, at the instruction of the Department of Justice,” professor Greg Woods, with the Department of Justice Studies at San Jose State University, told ABC 7. 

The subpoenas weren’t ordered necessarily to uncover wrongdoing by OPD but could be to see if any potential victims have filed complaints related to the investigation. 

“They would call the Oakland Police Department to report such an encounter, such as potential victimization,” Woods added. 

Woods said the call records could also help establish a timeline and would also grant the FBI access to learn about the nature of the calls, which could go toward determining probable cause. 

Separately, a July 10 subpoena from the Department of Justice seeks information on “all sources of federal funding the City has received” from the beginning of 2021. 

“The federal funding request validates a theory that the FBI may be investigating alleged illegal campaign donations from executives at Cal Waste Management,” the SFist wrote. “Those executives had also been working on a new recycling plant at the Oakland Army Base, which is stalled. That same base was going to be used as a ‘tiny homes for the homeless’ site proposed by Oakland businessman Mario Juarez, who’s been accused of being a ‘straw donor’ who funneled the Cal Waste Solutions executives’ illegal donations in his own name.”

Thao has said, without providing any evidence, that the raid was connected to a recall effort against her. She also said “radical right-wing forces” and a “handful of billionaires” from the San Francisco Bay Area and Piedmont, a small city in Alameda County, were “hell-bent” on removing her from office. 

Her attorney resigned as soon as he saw the press conference, telling reporters he had no idea she was having one or proclaiming her innocence. 

Thao has vowed not to resign. She is also facing a recall in November. 

If voters recall Thao, Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas would serve as interim mayor. The area’s election office would have 120 days to set up a special election to elect a new mayor.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

No charges have been filed, and Thao has denied any wrongdoing.

Woods says this type of FBI grand jury investigation could go on for months, if not into next year.