Debra Kahn
POLITICO
California, United States
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Past articles by Debra:
Is woke capitalism winning?-
THE BIG IDEA DISNEY'S MOUSETRAP — For a while, maybe between the 2003 debut of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and a doomed 2016 bathroom law in North Carolina, corporations had a free ride when it came to social issues. Companies extended benefits to lesbian and gay couples and won plaudits. They touted their environmental bona fides and won plaudits. They embraced racial and ethnic diversity… → Read More
The kitchen of the future won’t be cooking with gas
Despite local successes for environmental activists in Seattle, New York and other cities, there's plenty of infighting among Democrats and their allies over natural gas. → Read More
Newsom makes big announcements that are light on details
Some of Gov. Newsom’s goals, like a much-trumpeted effort to expand parental leave to six months, remain nearly as distant as the day they made headlines. → Read More
Newsom's looming threat: Summer blackouts
A deepening drought and potential for heat waves threaten to unleash a new political nightmare for Newsom: widespread power outages. → Read More
Why Newsom still isn't getting the vaccine
Even as more vaccines are available, California politicians are afraid of being seen as line-cutters — and no one more than recall-threatened Newsom. → Read More
California thought it could delay climate disaster. Now millions of acres are burning.
The nation’s most populous state now seems incapable of protecting itself from a global catastrophe. → Read More
Hide the silverware: Plastic forks rule as restaurants reopen
Disposable plates and drinking straws are staging a comeback in California and across the country. too. → Read More
Is it safe to come out? SF Bay Area may provide clues for the nation
As the Bay Area goes, so may go much of the country that has followed its example. → Read More
Bend it like the Bay Area: Doctors see flatter curve after 2 weeks of social isolation
After 14 days, doctors at area hospitals are now reporting fewer cases than they expected to see at this point. → Read More
California fights Trump on everything — except water
The president and the Golden State are closer on the issue of water than you might think. → Read More
Legislative frustrations simmered during Newsom's first session as governor
Some observers attributed missteps and muddled communications to the Capitol inexperience of Newsom himself and top aides. → Read More
California raises the caution flag on ‘green jobs’
Democratic candidates’ promises of a clean-energy boom range from modest to outlandish, but California’s experience suggests they won’t match reality. → Read More
California's Newsom wrestles with Trump tax return bill
Jerry Brown vetoed a similar measure in 2017, but state Democrats are pressing the issue. → Read More
EPA: Wheeler: Racist anti-Obama meme 'absolutely offensive'
ESCALON, Calif. — Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said today that the racist post he "liked" on social media is "absolutely offensive." → Read More
AUTOS: Trump is about to weaken car rules. 5 things to watch
With the Trump administration set to weaken Obama-era fuel economy standards for passenger cars and trucks, a chasm is opening between red and blue states. → Read More
CALIFORNIA: NRG stops work on gas plant after regulators signal defeat
NRG Energy Inc. yesterday asked California regulators to halt review of the company's proposed natural gas plant as its future is considered. → Read More
CALIFORNIA: Water users feel heat as Brown asks them to pay for tunnels
California water users are about to decide whether to back Gov. Jerry Brown's (D) bid to revamp the state's main water hub, but some still have questions about the costs and benefits of the plan. → Read More
CALIFORNIA: Grid regionalization dead for now, bill author says
A bid to expand California's electricity grid operator to cover the West is dead for the year and will be taken up again next year, with the fate of another bill to boost in-state renewable energy also in question. → Read More
SOLAR ECLIPSE: Grid operators take a stunning event in stride
LENOIR CITY, Tenn. — As the moon's shadow raced across the U.S. yesterday, 1,900 utility-scale solar power plants and many thousands of rooftop solar cells dozed off or shut down, one after the other, their electric currents disappearing from power networks from coast to coast. → Read More
CLIMATE POLICY: China is about to have the world's biggest carbon market
BEIJING — As the United States reverses its climate policies, the world's top greenhouse gas emitter is in the midst of setting up a national carbon-trading system. → Read More