Newsom's Zing Gavin Newsom made a pointed joke about Kamala Harris during a stop on his book tour in Atlanta. He said you would not know Harris without Willie Brown. The line landed like a practiced elbow in a crowded political room. It was short, personal, and clearly aimed at reminding people where San Francisco power circles start and stop. San Francisco Backstory The Harris-Brown history is not new. Willie Brown has acknowledged a relationship and has said he helped Harris get early jobs in California government. Old TV clips and profiles from the 1990s show them together, and those images still get recycled when Washington wants a reminder of how local politics can shape national careers. That is how careers are often built: favors, introductions, and stage time. Why the Zing Matters Why does a quip from a governor matter outside a book tour? For starters, Newsom is positioning himself for national attention and friendly headlines. A swipe like that does more than score laughs. It reintroduces a narrative about political patronage and media framing. Voters hear the joke and take home the idea that personal networks matter more than merit. That is useful to an ambitious politician and…

Supreme Court Ruling Last Friday the Supreme Court said the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unlawful. Six justices agreed. The court did not hand out instructions on refunds. That left the cash question open. When the high court punts on money, the rest of us get to wait for lawyers and agencies to argue over who pays and who gets paid back. FedEx Files Suit FedEx went to the U.S. Court of International Trade and asked for a full refund of the duties it paid after the tariffs were put in place. The company argues it should not be out the money for a government action the court has now called illegal. Expect other big players to watch closely. Corporations do not like leaving millions on the table when a legal door opens. What FedEx Wants The lawsuit seeks repayment of all IEEPA duties FedEx paid. That is straightforward on paper. It becomes messy in practice. There will be arguments about timing, who has standing, and which transactions qualify. Bureaucracies love slow, detailed fights. That means refunds could take years. Tax and trade officials will make their case. So will the companies demanding their cash…