THE BUZZ: ONWARD — The big race has been called, but still many questions abound — especially for California. We know Democratic leaders in the Golden State are aiming to be the tip of the spear of the Trump resistance, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta already vowing to continue Kamala Harris’ fight. Some lawmakers are even contemplating coming back for a special session to “Trump-proof” the state’s climate, reproductive rights and immigration policies. But how they'll be able to reach those goals, and how harshly Donald Trump could respond, is still very much up in the air. We asked our POLITICO California colleagues what burning questions they’re contemplating as we head into Trump 2.0: Rachel Bluth, health care reporter — What will this mean for California's ambitious health care moves, especially for abortion? The state has taken on major health care projects in the last few years, from Medicaid reform to opening up abortion access. Many, though not all, require federal approval or funding, and their fate is still uncertain. Key challenges include what happens when that massive Medicaid reform needs to be reauthorized in 2026; whether the state will ever enact long-floated plans for universal coverage if the Trump administration cuts off money to make insurance more affordable; and how California's dozens of new laws to protect abortion could hold up to a hostile administration. Christopher Cadelago, California bureau chief — Can Gavin Newsom walk and chew gum at the same time? Newsom's governorship, when all is said and done, will overlap with four years of Trump — with a recall and a global pandemic sandwiched in between. How does Newsom lead the Trump resistance while managing his relationship with a president motivated by political vendettas against blue California? Debra Kahn, California policy editor — Will California's actual moves match its saber-rattling? We're watching to see exactly how vociferous California's resistance will be, especially given Trump's strong margin of victory. Does he have enough of a mandate to make California less adversarial? Tyler Katzenberger, Playbook contributor — Will Trump’s return push Newsom to support further AI regulations? The president-elect and his party have made no secret of their intent to roll back federal AI rules. California already passed a swath of nation-leading bills to regulate the emerging technology earlier this year, but some dropped short of the finish line — namely state Sen. Scott Wiener’s polarizing proposal for AI safety testing, which Newsom vetoed. Will the governor change his tune if signing further AI regulations could offer the potent political bonus of resisting Trump? Or will he look to placate deep-pocketed tech leaders ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run? Dustin Gardiner, California Playbook co-author — Will the national pro-housing movement sputter? One of the most talked-about aspects of Harris’ platform was her plan to confront the national housing shortage by forcing states and local governments to ease barriers to construction. Her embrace of YIMBY, or Yes in My Back Yard, policies could have been a watershed moment for the movement , which was born out of the Bay Area’s housing crisis. But Trump has a starkly different view, accusing Democrats of leading a “war on America’s suburbs” by trying to upzone neighborhoods for single-family homes. Can YIMBY activists maintain their national momentum as Trump returns to the White House? Could they forge alliances with Republicans in Congress, who might have a sympathetic ear to their argument rooted in supply-side economics? Blake Jones, education and budget reporter — Will Trump punish California with Washington’s purse strings? The former president’s threats to withhold federal funding for disaster relief, education and more may be legally dubious, but any follow-through that survives court scrutiny could put California’s budget in another crunch. State revenue has come in more than $8 billion above projections since April, according to preliminary numbers, but much of that is already promised to other purposes and the state can only afford to backfill so much federal spending. Emily Schultheis, ballot measure reporter — How effectively will Democrats use direct democracy in the Trump era? Democratic officials and activists around the country have used ballot measures to codify things like abortion rights and same-sex marriage — including California's Prop 1 in 2022 , to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, and this year's Prop 3 to remove dormant language on same-sex marriage. To what extent will we see the left use ballot initiatives as a tool to continue passing progressive priorities as they're shut out of power in Washington, and where and how will they succeed? Lindsey Holden, California Playbook PM author — How will Trump’s threats of "mass deportations" impact California’s immigrant workforce? California has the largest estimated undocumented population in the country, including many families with mixed immigration status. In many ways, California's economy runs on undocumented labor, especially the massive agriculture and hospitality industries, raising questions about the impacts on those jobs. Project 2025, which Trump has tried to distance himself from, has also suggested phasing down the federal H-2A guest worker program. GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte. WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.
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