Every weekday at noon, I've gotten in the habit of listening to California Governor Gavin Newsom's press conferences. There's always at least one attention-grabbing line, and it's usually not what's reported.The talks usually last about 45 minutes, during which Newsom runs through information that he thinks is vital for Californians to know about the state's response to the coronavirus crisis. His talking points range from testing availability to volunteer opportunities, from economic relief to homeless services, from the numbers of hospitalized patients to the numbers of masks the state has available from its supplier. The governor answers reporters' questions. And then, a day later, he returns to do it again.
Journalists like me report diligently on the news Newsom gives that people need to know. But every day, there's something else he says that I share with my colleagues, family, and friends. And starting today, in this feature, I'm going to share those moments with you.
Today, there were actually two.
First, Carla Marinucci from Politico said her readers want to know whether Governor Newsom is abiding by his own stay-at-home orders. His reaction (including a line about his famous hair) was pretty sweet:
After answering a final question, Governor Newsom often rambles his way to a close. But today, he chose instead to offer a cavalcade of gratitude:
Appreciated.
