THE BUZZ — ON TO 46, AND HISTORY: This is a day American women have fought for, dreamed about, anticipated for centuries. And it is a day that has its roots in California.

Kamala Devi Harris — born in Oakland, raised in Berkeley — will take her place as the first woman, and first woman of color, to be vice president, standing alongside Joe Biden, the next president of the United States.

SO MANY FIRSTS: Harris, the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, will be flanked by her husband, Los Angeles attorney Douglas Emhoff — soon to be the second gentleman. Harris will take the oath from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to sit on the nation’s highest court. Harris will hold two Bibles: one belonging to Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice, and the other, the same Bible she used for her swearing-in as a U.S. senator and as California attorney general, belonging to Mrs. Regina Shelton, who was like a second mother to Harris and her sister, Maya. Here’s a great piece on this, and on Harris’ Bay Area roots, by the Mercury News’ Julia Prodis Sulek.

At Tuesday’s powerful Covid-19 memorial ceremonies, which honored the 400,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the pandemic, Harris said she hopes today marks a new beginning for the country. "My abiding hope, my abiding prayer, is that we emerge from this ordeal with a new wisdom, to cherish simple moments, to imagine new possibilities, and to open our hearts just a little bit more to one another," she said.

MORE HISTORIC MOMENTS: After her swearing in, Harris will administer the oath of office to Alex Padilla, the son of a short order cook and a housekeeper — and now the first Latino U.S. senator from California in the state’s 170-year history. In a recent interview with POLITICO, Padilla said Proposition 187 — the 1994 anti-illegal immigration state ballot measure — was a turning point for him: After “coming home with a degree in hand,” Padilla was “met with ads on television’’ for the measure, promoted by then-gubernatorial candidate Pete Wilson. Padilla said the messaging suggested “the state was going downhill … and it was the fault of people like my parents. And it was the fault of families like mine.’’

Moved to action: “It was offensive; it was insulting. I was enraged," he said. “I was raised with a lot of community service, but never connected community service to electoral political involvement, to strengthening our political voice. ... And so yes, that's why I made the transition into politics.”

LA HISTORIA CONTINUA — “Alex Padilla, California’s First Latino Senator, on Needing to ‘Walk and Chew Gum’ in Washington,” by NYT’s Jennifer Medina: Padilla “will take office as his state struggles with record Covid rates, especially in the neighborhood he grew up in.”

AND ON THE WEST COAST: California, which served as the “state of resistance” against Trump administration policies during the last four years, will now have a Democratic president — and a Californian as VP — as it seeks to recover from the Covid pandemic and regain some of its economic mojo. Gov. Gavin Newsom, in an open letter to Biden, expressed hope for a more productive relationship between the world’s fifth largest economy and the White House.

SET YOUR ALARMS: Here’s everything you need to know to follow the inauguration, via POLITICO’s Ben Leonard. POLITICO will stream Biden’s inauguration on our homepage and in our newsroom live chat, where POLITICO reporters and editors will break down the ceremony in real time beginning at 11:30 a.m. EDT (8:30 a.m. for us West Coasters). You can also follow along via our live blog throughout the day. And if you’d like to watch Padilla take his own historic oath of office, you can tune into CSPAN at 4:30 p.m. EDT/1:30 p.m. PDT.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Wednesday morning. It may be Inauguration Day, but two potential GOP candidates for governor — former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox — are appearing together via Zoom Wednesday at noon PT for the first time to address donors for Rescue California, the organization pushing for Newsom’s recall. GOP fundraiser Anne Dunsmore said the event is closed to the press — but said the recall effort is “going gangbusters,” and that supporters hope to pick up an additional 75,000-100,000 signatures this week with a new round of mailers going out to voters.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think the Senate is a place of freedom, and people come here to speak their piece, and they do, and they provide a kind of leadership. ... But it’s an important place to have this kind of dialogue. It’s probably the highest-level dialogue that you get in an electoral body.” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) defends the right of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to object to the Electoral College results, via the SF Chronicle’s Tal Kopan.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Rep. @TedLieu finds common ground with a nemesis: “I agree with @senatemajldr Mitch McConnell.” (On Tuesday, McConnell faulted Trump for having “provoked” the Capitol riot.)

VIDEO OF THE DAY: “How Kamala Harris’ California career prepared her for the White House,” by the LA Times’ Jackeline Luna, Claire Hannah Collins and Maggie Beidelman.

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced.

BECERRA’S PARTING SHOTS — Becerra files final volley of environmental lawsuits against Trump administration, by POLITICO’s Debra Kahn and Alex Guillén: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Tuesday that he is involved in nine new lawsuits against President Donald Trump's environmental rollbacks on Trump's last full day in office. … The nine suits filed Tuesday brings Becerra's total number of Trump administration challenges to 122 — 70 of which are environmental.

END OF AN ERA — The full catalogue of Trump’s Twitter feed insults, via NYT’s Kevin Quealy: There’s no shortage of entries for California, its environmental and water policies, high-speed rail, auto emissions policies, congressional districts and, of course, its governor, although Newsom drew far fewer barbs than Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Rep. Adam Schiff.

90210 IN THE NEWS: The FBI’s Los Angeles office announced the arrests of three Beverly Hills residents who’d been charged for their roles in the Capitol riots: Gina Bisignano, John Strand and Simone Gold. In a lengthy interview with the Beverly Hills Courier’s Sam Braslow, Bisignano insisted her role was “passive.’’ But Braslow reports that a widely circulated video shows the salon owner — wearing Louis Vuitton — standing on a Capitol ledge with a megaphone. “This is 1776 and we the people will never give up,’’ she yells. “We will never let our country go to the globalists. George Soros, you can go to hell.’ Read the Justice Department documents.

BIG NUMBERS — “US hits 400,000 dead; California passes 3 million Covid cases — and vaccines are running out,” by the Mercury News’ Nico Savidge: “The state has distributed 3.2 million doses to local governments, of which 1.5 million have been administered, according to State Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. Of the remaining 1.7 million, Ghaly said counties are storing some as they schedule inoculation appointments or mass-vaccination events, as well as second doses of the vaccine to complete its two-shot regimen; other doses have already been administered but have not yet shown up in state data systems.”

— Smaller California counties lost to bigger ones on Covid funds, state audit finds, by POLITICO’s Jeremy B. White: The state’s most populous 16 counties ultimately received nearly twice as much money per person than the 42 remaining counties, the audit concludes: Counties with more than 500,000 residents received between $190 to $197 per person, whereas less populous ones got roughly $102 per resident.

SENIORS STRUGGLE — “‘I have no idea’: The ordeal facing older Californians searching for COVID-19 vaccine,” by the LA Times’ Maria L. La Ganga and Rosanna Xia: “Since Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that Californians 65 and older would now be eligible for vaccination, officials statewide have been flooded with calls from Golden State seniors, amid a spike in hospitalizations and deaths after the holidays. The problem is that there are more people who want to be inoculated, and who are brimming with questions, than there is vaccine to do the critical job.”

UH-OH — “New California Variant May Be Driving Virus Surge There, Study Suggests,” by the NYT’s Carl Zimmer: “Researchers found that the variant originated in California and showed up in more than half of samples tested last week by researchers in Los Angeles.”

— “L.A. County opens 5 vaccine sites, plans to reach 20,000 people daily,” by the LA Times’ Lila Siedman: “The sites are at the Forum in Inglewood, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Cal State Northridge, the Fairplex in Pomona and the L.A. County Office of Education’s Downey Education Center.”

— “How Carlsbad Restaurants Became Ground Zero for Coronavirus Defiance,” by the Voice of San Diego’s Kayla Jiminez and Sara Libby: “Many of them insist they’re simply engaging in a ‘peaceful protest’ against the restrictions and have suggested that labeling their defiance as such means they’re not actually violating the rules.”

ONE MORE — “Rep. Raul Ruiz tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of Biden inauguration," by the Palm Springs Desert Sun’s Maria Sestito.

DRAIN THE SWAMP: In his last hours in office, President Trump has commuted the sentences of 70 people and granted 73 pardons — including to disgraced former California Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham. Cunningham resigned from the House in 2005, after pleading guilty to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion, mail fraud and wire fraud. Trump granted him a conditional pardon.

Also pardoned from California:

— Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski, who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing trade secrets related to self-driving cars. The White House said the pardon came on recommendation of major campaign donor Peter Thiel, among others.

— Chula Vista businesswoman Adriana Shayota, who was convicted of conspiracy to traffic counterfeit goods after federal prosecutors said she and others manufactured and distributed counterfeit 5-Hour Energy drinks that were sold in stores across the U.S.

— “Kevin McCarthy Finds That Charm Has Its Limits,” Miriam Powell opines in the NYT: “Now he is not just disliked, but reviled. No matter how Mr. McCarthy, the House minority leader, tries to finesse the attacks on the 2020 election and the U.S. Capitol, many people — including former friends — will not forgive his blatant acts to embrace and perpetuate dangerous lies that threatened democracy, and lives.”

— How Trump’s fights with tech transformed Republicans’ beliefs on free speech, by POLITICO’s John Hendel.

— Feds preparing to charge woman with felony theft of laptop from Pelosi’s office, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney: Riley June Williams — who was already facing misdemeanor charges for her presence in the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attacks, while insurrectionists and rioters swarmed the building — was arrested Monday after first fleeing police. The initial evidence against her included witness testimony suggesting Riley had told friends she planned to sell Pelosi's laptop to Russian intelligence.

TRANSIT TRANSITION — “Santa Clara County’s top transit leader joins the Biden administration,” by the Mercury News’ Maggie Angst.

NO, REALLY, IT’S INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK — Biden's narrow path to an infrastructure dream, by POLITICO’s Tanya Snyder: Biden wants to enact a mammoth infrastructure plan that would juice the economy, boost hiring and fight climate change, an enormously ambitious effort he’s pitched as a cornerstone of his presidency.

“I think we go big or go home,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), vice chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

BAY AREA TO BIDEN — “Santa Clara University president to deliver Mass for Joe Biden before inauguration,’’ by the Mercury News’ Emily Deruy.

— “Kamala Harris could preside over Trump impeachment trial if John Roberts doesn’t,” by Fox News’ Tyler Olsen: “The Constitution is not clear on who should preside over impeachments for former presidents. If Roberts does not preside over a Senate trial, Harris would likely have the choice of whether to preside herself.”

BRUSH BACK PITCH — “Giants owner Charles Johnson asks QAnon-backing Rep. Lauren Boebert for refunds,” by the SF Chronicle’s John Shea.

PRESSER PRESSURE — “Newsom’s COVID-19 briefings often leave more questions than answers, some officials say,” by the LA Times’ Phil Willon, Taryn Luna and Melody Gutierrez: “Once a reassuring elixir to millions of Californians facing the harrowing unknowns of a contagious, deadly virus, Newsom’s briefings — streamed on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter and covered extensively by California news outlets — appear to have lost the impact they commanded in the spring.”

NAMING NEWSOM — “50 Bay Area restaurants, wineries sue Gavin Newsom over outdoor dining ban,” by the SF Chronicle’s Janelle Bitker: “The lawsuit in Napa County Superior Court calls the outdoor dining ban ‘arbitrary, irrational and unfair’ and argues that there isn’t scientific data supporting the restrictions.”

MANSON’S FINAL MOVE — “Correspondence from one of California's darkest chapters,” by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal’s Emily Alvarenga: “As their relationship continued to blossom, Channels received an envelope from Manson that contained his will, which bequeathed him with Manson’s entire estate.”

BRAGGING RIGHTS — “5 inventions a day. 529,000 jobs. Incomes average $151,656. UC’s brag sheet is eye-popping,” by the LA Times’ Teresa Watanbe: “Every college has its brag sheet. But the University of California has taken it to a whole new level with a 123-page report of exhaustive detail on jobs created, research performed, start-up businesses launched, tax dollars generated and students served.”

— “Facebook posts promoting violence still circulated even after insurrection,” by CNN’s Donie O'Sullivan, Brian Fung and Mallory Simon.

BRACING FOR CHANGE— “Silicon Valley braces for tougher regulation in Biden’s new Washington,” by WaPo’s Tony Romm and Elizabeth Dwoskin: “On the eve of his inauguration, Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress are pledging to take aim at the country’s largest social media platforms out of concern that they imperil the very fabric of American democracy — and the billions of people who use these digital services every day.”

— “Netflix Tops 200 Million Subscribers Amid Pandemic,” by the Hollywood Reporter’s Natalie Jarvey.

— “Paramount+ Will Officially Launch March 4,” by Gizmodo’s Catie Keck.

— “California man allegedly hid 3 months at Chicago airport due to coronavirus,” via the AP.

— “La Mesa police officer detained Black man unlawfully, records show,” by the San Diego Union-Tribune’s David Hernandez.

— “Human remains found in Fairfield identified as man who went missing in 2018,” by the SF Chronicle’s Steve Rubenstein.

— “California man held on $5M bond after five pipe bombs, illegal weapons found at home, business,” by Fox News’ Danielle Wallace.

— “Adopting instead of buying pets gets a boost from Bidens,” by the LA Times’ Soumya Karlamangla.

— “Scam artists are using San Francisco's coronavirus safety rules to trick renters looking for a good deal,” by the SF Chronicle’s J.K. Dineen.

— “Why there are oil wells all over Southern California,” by the LA Times’ Patt Morrison.

— “Larger than life artwork celebrates Ruth Bader Ginsburg in San Jose,” by KTVU’s Lisa Fernandez.

— The Bay Area’s Cecilia Vega, former SF Chronicle and KGO-TV reporter, is announced as ABC News’ chief White House correspondent. “I may be the first Latina for an English language network to hold this title, but mark my words, I won’t be the last,’’ she tweeted.

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