What comes after Dianne Feinstein's death

Friday, September 29, 2023:

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Up first: Sen. Dianne Feinstein dies at age 90

In other news: The “child care cliff,” CVS pharmacists walk out, and the looming government shutdown

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—Izzie Ramirez, Future Perfect deputy editor

What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for California’s Senate elections

Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein died Thursday night at 90. Feinstein was the longest-serving woman in the US Senate and a vocal advocate for gun control measures. 

The lowdown: Feinstein died as she was preparing to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.

• Her death brings to an end a messy, sometimes ugly chapter of national politics centered on her age and health. She faced numerous calls to step down as stories spread over the last year about her perceived mental decline.

• The senator announced her retirement in February, planning to leave Congress at the end of her term. California Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee are all running to replace her.

• For now, there’s an opening in the Senate that California Gov. Gavin Newsom will need to fill — and he will face intense pressure over his decision. Newsom has said he won’t choose anyone currently campaigning to fill the seat and that he would nominate a Black woman should Feinstein vacate her seat early.  

The stakes: Porter, Schiff, and Lee still have five months before California’s primary day, when voters will decide which two candidates move on to a likely Democrat-versus-Democrat general election contest. 

Politics reporter Christian Paz explained what Feinstein’s death means for California and why filling Feinstein’s seat will be a challenge. 

“A lot of it has to do with just how strong inertia is in politics, especially in Congress,” Christian  told me. “She had seniority, had a ton of influence in getting many California politicians to where they are, had money and name recognition to fend off rivals in earlier contests, and had a pretty iconic political career in the Bay Area, in California, and in the Senate.”

Because of California rules, Newsom’s appointed senator will still have to appear on the ballot if they want to stay in their seat between November 2024 (when the state will hold a general Senate election) and January 2025 (when whoever wins in November 2024 will be sworn in). His appointee could also attempt to jump in the primary against the three candidates currently in the race. All this means a big change for California’s Senate delegation, and perhaps an even bigger change for the Senate Democratic caucus.

“Now California has to elect a new senator who will be starting off at the bottom of the Senate pack,” Christian said. “Feinstein was a centrist and moderate, though was much more progressive for the era that she got her start in politics. But this is where political inertia comes in again. Her party, including in the senate, moved to the left much faster than she could.”

Read Christian’s full piece here »

A program that saved child care for millions is expiring. What now?

Matt Roth/Washington Post via Getty Images

Yet another thing for parents to worry about surfaces. Parents and child care providers are bracing for the end of an instrumental federal program that has stabilized child care programs and reduced costs for families over the past three years. Here’s what you need to know. 

• Issued as part of the American Rescue Plan for Covid recovery, the $24 billion program for child care is set to end Saturday. It marked the largest investment in child care in US history and allowed fragile businesses to cover rent and maintenance and raise wages for their notoriously underpaid staff. [Vox]

• Many experts are worried, and are referring to the program’s end as a “child care cliff.” The expiration is expected to renew strain on the child care sector, which is expensive for parents, offers poor pay for providers, and has tight profit margins for child care businesses. Several outlets reported that more than 70,000 child care centers will close. [Axios]
  
  
• Experts in child care policy told Vox, however, that the cliff is much more complicated than it may seem. Social policy reporter Rachel M. Cohen explains how. [Vox]

🗣️ “It seems as though the mosquitoes are winning.”
— Entomologist Eric Ochomo in the New York Times’s latest story on how mosquitos are a growing public health threat, reversing years of progress on diseases like malaria, dengue, and others. 

• 23 million people are at risk of flooding in the New York tri-state area. I would know — the outside of my apartment looks like a river. Flash flooding can be very dangerous, especially to those who live in basement apartments, commute, or work outside. [NBC]
  
  

• Pharmacists are also tired of CVS. One week after pharmacists walked out from dozens of stores in the Kansas City area — citing unsafe staffing conditions — the chain promised changes. But another round of walkouts is putting more pressure on the company’s leaders. [NPR]  
  
  

• Have you noticed purple lighting in your neighborhood? People in cities and towns are anecdotally seeing more purple-hued streetlights. Whether you think the lights are unsettling or vibey, the reality is that they pose a safety hazard since the tone can affect how drivers and pedestrians see their surroundings at night. [Scientific American]
  
  

• Taylor Swift’s economic boost comes for the NFL. Since the singer was romantically linked with Chiefs player Travis Kelce, her stardom has boosted NFL viewership and merchandise sales. [Insider]

Everything you need to know about government shutdowns

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