THE BUZZ: There’s one thing Californians seem to be forgetting when it comes to the race to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein — Dianne Feinstein.

The seat itself has been the subject of much rabble-rousing in recent weeks as powerhouse Democrats throw their hats in the ring to be her successor. Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff are working their donor rolodexes as we speak, and Rep. Barbara Lee is expected to announce any day now. (Rep. Ro Khanna is apparently waiting to see what Lee does.)

But underscoring what is sure to be a contentious and expensive intraparty battle is an uncomfortable truth: Feinstein has not yet said whether or not she will run for reelection.

At 89, she’s the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving Democrat in the Senate. For years, voters (and the party itself) have been shifting away from her centrist politics. More recently, concerns about her health are dominating the conversation, including reports about her cognitive acuity, which her office continues to rebuff.

There was a time when no one would dare challenge Feinstein, but the nearly universal reverence no longer seems to be a barrier as 2024 approaches and the question of whether the senator will run for a seventh term remains unanswered. Democratic hopefuls, and even Nancy Pelosi, are looking forward without a clear signal from the senator.

As POLITICO’s David Siders put it this weekend, the situation is "the electoral equivalent of clearing the dessert from the dinner table as one guest sits there, nibbling at the main course chicken dish that had been served hours prior."

Meanwhile, the after-party could turn into an ugly family feud. Pelosi’s endorsement of Schiff came early in the race (and included a caveat if Feinstein runs), but California’s many Democrats will soon be expected to pick a side. With three or more well-connected members of Congress vying for power, the battle for coveted endorsements could get awkward.

Until then the question remains — Will Feinstein run again? She told Bloomberg we can expect a decision in the spring. But there is one telling sign. While Porter and Schiff are already touting fundraising totals above $1 million, Feinstein raised less than $600 in the last reporting period. 

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Tom Girardi, the longtime Los Angeles lawyer known for his vast political network and appearances on the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” is expected to appear in federal court today to be arraigned on charges of wire fraud and embezzlement. His dementia diagnosis could play a role.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up at [email protected] and [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I would dial down the moralizing about other people’s lack of courage and make the points you want to make, because when you do it the other way, the coded message is, ‘Why can’t they be more like me?’ And that’s an unappealing message.” Obama strategist David Axelrod, giving some advice to Gov. Gavin Newsom, via The Los Angeles Times. 

TWEET OF THE DAY:

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

SETBACK ON SETBACKS — One of the Legislature's landmark 2022 climate change laws is on hold until voters can weigh in at the next general election. A referendum challenging Senate Bill 1137 qualified for the 2024 ballot on Friday. The law, which Newsom championed and oil interests vehemently fought, prohibits new or modified oil wells within 3,200 feet of schools and houses, among other locations.

The referendum on oil setbacks joins another referendum on the FAST Act which would establish a fast food council to set wages and working conditions in fast food eateries.

— “Karen Bass’ mission: Get 17,000 people off the streets of Los Angeles in a year,” by POLITICO’s Alexander Nieves:  “Soon after taking office in December, Bass got the City Council on board with a state of emergency that gives her office more power to expedite affordable housing development, execute lease agreements with building owners and sign contracts with service providers.”

— “California won't require COVID vaccine to attend schools,” by The Associated Press’ Adam Beam: “Children in California won’t have to get the coronavirus vaccine to attend schools, state public health officials confirmed Friday, ending one of the last major restrictions of the pandemic in the nation’s most populous state.”

— “As Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter launch Senate campaigns, the race to replace them begins,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Melanie Mason and Seema Mehta: “Though a recent bare-bones fundraising report shows little evidence of a reelection campaign, Feinstein has repeatedly said her official decision would not come until the spring, at the earliest. But with the primary scheduled for March 2024, candidates — both for the Senate and prime House seats that may become vacant — have been antsy to kickoff their campaigns.”

ABOUT THAT SPECIAL SESSION — “Editorial: Big Oil reaps record profits while the planet burns. California should curb its greed,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Editorial Board: “Such measures could rein in oil industry greed and save Californians money. Unfortunately, Newsom and the Legislature seem to have made little progress two months after convening a special session to focus on it.”

—“S.F. hoped to mandate treatment for up to 100 more mentally ill homeless people. Years later, no one is in the program,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mallory Moench: “While the program was meant to help more of these people, in particular those impaired by drug addiction who aren’t covered under other forms of conservatorship, the reality is that the requirements were so onerous, few people met the criteria, according to the health department.”

— “This is what it looks like to try to count America’s homeless population,” by The New York Times’ Conor Dougherty, Jack Healy and Campbell Robertson: “There is one factor — the high cost of housing and difficulty of finding anything affordable — that rises above the rest. The numbers bear this out, explaining why expensive West Coast cities like Los Angeles have long had the nation’s worst homeless problems, why growing cities like Phoenix are now seeing a troubling rise.”

—“Oakland allowed to remove last residents from Wood Street homeless encampment,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sarah Ravani:  “But the remaining unhoused residents, who have built a community of makeshift shelters and tents on city land, are reluctant to leave and say Oakland’s shelter options are inadequate. They say they don’t want to lose the close-knit community they’ve built at Wood Street and are demanding that the city create a shelter with more wraparound services, support and freedom.”

—“California wants people to switch to all-electric appliances. But what happens when the power goes out?,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Claire Hao: “More than 2.6 million PG&E customers lost power in storms from New Year’s Eve to Jan. 15, according to the utility. Tens of thousands of Californians lost power in the September heat wave when transformers and other equipment failed in the brutal temperatures.”

—“Fresno D.A. blamed Newsom after a police officer death. But facts and experts back Newsom’s account,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bob Egelko: “Newsom said the district attorney was trying to blame him for her own malfeasance.”

—“In Big Sur, living with nature's beauty but trapped by its fury,” by The New York Times’ Victoria Kim: “It is an exacting price those living in Big Sur have grown familiar with, paid for in repeat evacuations during wildfires and mudslides, and periods of isolation ever since Highway 1 was completed in 1937 along the coast.”

—“Los Angeles gives star treatment to P-22, the ‘Brad Pitt’ of mountain lions,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Alicia A. Caldwell

— Allan Zaremberg, former president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, died last week. Newsom in a statement on Friday praised his 23 years at the helm of the organization and called Zaremberg “a fair and decent man to his core.”

— Rex Hime, longtime president and CEO of the California Business Properties Association, died over the weekend. He was a California Republican Party delegate and one time state senate candidate.

(Was Saturday): Eric Garcetti … Hunter Biden … Blair Bender ... Jerry Adler 

(Was Sunday): Apple’s Trevor Kincaid … CAA’s Ali Spiesman … Alex Key of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation … Tom Reynolds … Shelly Palmer

Harvey Lee Block ... Michael Pollan ... Paul Kujawsky

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