Gov. Newsom seeks to safeguard key policies (and maybe his 2028 aspirations)

Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

• Gov. Newsom takes his wishlist to D.C.
• Mountain fire is the most destructive in years. Could it have been much worse?
• 12 of L.A.’s best bakeries for holiday pies.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

Gov. Newsom’s highly visible effort to shield California from Trump

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to “Trump-proof” California from President-elect Donald Trump’s conservative agenda took him to the U.S. Capitol this week.

The governor is slated to meet with members of California’s congressional delegation and key Biden administration officials to lobby for a slate of protections and policies that advance his administration’s to-do list for the Golden State.

First on Newsom’s agenda: approval from the Environmental Protection Agency on long-awaited waivers so California’s uniquely high-bar vehicle emissions standards can be implemented.

Those include rules that would eventually ban the sale of gas-powered yard equipment and phase out diesel engines in trains operating in the state.

A reporter asks California Gov. Gavin Newsom questions on the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol Building following the governor’s meeting with Amy Klobuchar on July 14, 2022.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Newsom is also expected to advocate for federal relief funding for wildfires and other disasters, which Trump has threatened to withhold from states that don’t support his policies.

And he’ll be “pushing the Biden administration to sign off on efforts by California to use Medicaid funding to test new or expanded programs for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and have significant behavioral needs,” Times reporter Matt Hamilton wrote.

Not a ‘closed fist’ but ‘not naive’

Newsom launched a preemptive strike last week when he called a special session of the Legislature to boost legal funding for the inevitable litany of lawsuits the state would lob after Trump returns to office.

That didn’t go over well with the former and future president, who took to his Truth Social platform to slam Newsom (or “Newscum” as he’s been nicknamed by Trump) for his attempts at “stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again.’”

California’s Democratic leaders were already digging their ideological trenches before Trump’s election victory.

Then-President Trump speaks with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Paradise, Calif., after a wildfire on Nov. 17, 2018.

(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

State Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta began strategizing months ago on what his office could implement should Trump win, prepping for a potential barrage of environmental, immigration and civil rights lawsuits.

Newsom has said his role as California’s lead Trump resister is not partisanship for partisanship’s sake.

“I revere this country, I revere the presidency, and I want our president to succeed and our job — my job — is not to wake up every single day and get a crowbar and try to put it in the spokes of the wheel of the Trump administration,” Newsom said during a Zoom call with donors that was later posted to his X account. “In that spirit of an open hand, not a closed fist, that’s how we want to proceed. That said … I’m not naive either, and we’re pragmatic and we will stand firm.”

Is Newsom eyeing the White House?

The governor plays coy, but political analysts and insiders note that Newsom is positioning himself (along with a few other prominent Democrats) to run for president in four years.

“California’s position automatically elevates Newsom, who has spent the last few years boosting his profile in the culture wars against Republicans, raising millions of dollars for Democratic candidates and touring the nation as a surrogate for Biden and Harris, in talks about 2028 presidential contenders,” my colleague Taryn Luna reported last week.

Newsom’s massive fundraising for Vice President Kamala Harris helped him grow a list of small Democratic donors to nearly 30 million emails and phone numbers, Politico reported. He also strove to raise his national profile by launching a political action committee last year, “Campaign for Democracy,” to push back on Republican leaders and their conservative agendas in other states.

And with his final term as governor ending just a few days into 2027, watch for Newsom to find ways to keep his political momentum going as his party takes on a remodeling project (or maybe not).

Today’s top stories

Beverly Hills Fire Capt. Kevin Kennedy surveys homes destroyed by the Mountain fire along Esteban Drive in Camarillo.

(Al Seib / For The Times)

The Mountain fire could have been much worse

• The Mountain fire could have been a second coming of the 2018 Woolsey fire or even the 2017 Thomas fire — if not for a few conditions that changed on the ground last week.
• After the Mountain fire destroyed homes in the hillside community overlooking Camarillo, many residents helped one another and were eager to rebuild.
• The fire’s path of destruction can be seen in these before-and-after satellite photos.

Santa Ana voters rejected a measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races

• The proposal, known formally as Measure DD, would have been a first in Southern California.
• Experts say the measure’s defeat in Santa Ana, a predominately Latino community, may indicate that Latino voters are shifting their attitudes about immigration.

The Phillips 66 refinery closure in South Bay is fueling the imaginations of developers

• Potential replacements for the 650-acre refinery complex include housing and distribution centers for e-commerce merchants, both of which are in high demand.
• Oil giant Phillips 66 announced last month it will close the twin refineries in Carson and Wilmington late next year, a welcome surprise for community activists who have complained about pollution.

What else is going on

• Democrat George Whitesides will represent northern Los Angeles County in Congress after winning one of the nation’s most fiercely contested House races.
• LAUSD abruptly ended new admissions rules for gifted students amid a heated debate with many parents.
• A U.S. appeals court stopped work on modular shelters on the VA’s West L.A. campus.
• After giving an anti-Trump lecture, a Moreno Valley teacher was placed on leave.
• LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr targeted a nascent union with a return-to-office ultimatum, federal labor regulators say.

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Commentary and opinions

• Victorious Republicans are once again falling for the mandate trap, columnist Jonah Goldberg argues.
• What can a new President Trump really do on Day One? Columnist Doyle McManus provides a guide for the worried.
• Trump’s election says a lot about trust in journalism, columnist LZ Granderson writes.
• A record number of teachers are leaving the job. Former high school English teacher Lauren Quinn explains why she’s one of them.
• An “honorable” discharge is a part of a dishonorable system, argues Ryan Haberman, an Army veteran and senior policy analyst at Rand.

This morning’s must reads

(Jean Chung/Jean Chung / For The Times)

He was a huge TV star. Now he’s broke and lives in an amusement park. Im Chae-moo made a small fortune as a heartthrob actor in South Korea. He spent it all on a theme park for children that he is fighting to keep open.

Other must reads

• An embattled boxer wants to be the relatable anti-hero.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your downtime

The revitalized and reopened Helms Bakery sells pies whole and by the slice in options such as corn cream pie with figs.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• 🥧 Looking for an outstanding pie this Thanksgiving? Los Angeles is home to several bakeries that can help you out.
• A culinary renaissance is alive in Long Beach, including a French-Californian neo-bistro and the state’s first women-focused sports bar.
• 🎸 Sting talks about his life and career — and why he’ll never wear spandex — ahead of a five-night stand at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

Staying in

• 🐧 In “The Penguin” finale, Cristin Milioti found a glimmer of hope for Sofia.
• 🤠 Actor Cole Hauser wants more “Yellowstone,” especially a spinoff for Rip and Beth.
• 📚 Anna Moschovakis’ “An Earthquake Is a Shaking of the Surface of the Earth” takes on a world defined by disruption, dislocation and uncertainty at every turn, our critic wrties.
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for breakfast pizza.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

A question for you: What books, movies, TV shows, songs or works of art have inspired you?

Bill Pucciarelli writes: “The Rolling Stones song ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ has been the single most inspiring philosophy in the bulk of my 75 years. It’s not just the song title, but the second line as well: ‘But if you try sometime you’ll find, you get what you need.’

“As I look back on my life, those lines have guided me to a successful and meaningful life. I’ve tried to instill this philosophy on my own five children. I’ve not gotten everything I’ve wanted, a Red Ferrari stands out, but I’ve worked hard my whole life, and it’s given me everything I need.”

Feel free to email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might be included in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

Today’s photo comes from Phyllis Smith of San Luis Obispo: Morro Bay and Morro Rock as seen from Tidelands Park.

Phyllis writes: “Prior to moving to Morro Bay from the San Joaquin Valley, we would visit in the summer to enjoy the cooler weather and the beaches. While we moved to San Luis Obispo many years ago, it’s still one of my favorite places to spend time, eat delicious seafood and go for beach walks.”

Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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