@melmason

California bureau chief, @politico. @latimes/@georgetown/@ucbsoj alum. tell me about your dog. [email protected]

 Los Angeles, CA
Joined March 2009
  • Tweets4.5K
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  • Followers14.3K
353Media
Thrilled to take on this new role with a team that inspires and teaches me something new every day. PLUS I get to officially join the @dustingardiner and @jonesblakej power byline. Thanks to @ccadelago and @davidsiders for the vote of confidence and embarrassingly nice write-up
POLITICO Press@POLITICOPressFeb 24
NEWS🚨 @politico names @melmason California Bureau Chief and Playbook Co-Author. Read More👇 politico.com/blogs/politico-…

POLITICO Names Melanie Mason California Bureau Chief and Playbook Co-Author

politico.com
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Bryan Curtis@bryancurtisOct 24
Traded in my podcast button-down for a sports coat tonight to talk politics w/ @Elex_Michaelson + @melmason
The Story Is@CNNTheStoryIsOct 24
“With Abdul El-Sayed, I think he wants clips like that. His entire political identity is I’m a fighter,” @bryancurtis said. @melmason reacts to a El-Sayed ad: “…I also think it’s really just to amp up the Democratic base…” w/ @Elex_Michaelson
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""What she failed to do over the past year, even onetime supporters and allies of the former vice president say, is give voters a reason to reconsider her if she does." @melmason and @JeremyBWhite on Kamala politico.com/news/2026/10/13…

‘She totally blew it’: How Kamala Harris wasted a year to make her case

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NLDS ✅
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“If the question is, ‘What is the extent that FTB will go to tax someone they think has money?’ The answer is pretty far.” @wrmccart and @JeremyBWhite on the California agency who will be chasing down billionaires if the wealth tax ballot measure passes politico.com/news/2026/10/07…

Billionaires are fleeing California. The tax agency is preparing to chase them.

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Thank you Kiké for reminding us that even though it's 95 degrees, it is, indeed, October
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Congrats to my pal @scottdetrow on the release today of his new biography of Pope Leo, which somehow came out perfectly timed to catch the White Sox's Pope-backed playoff run npr.org/2026/10/03/nx-s1-598…

No one expected Leo to be pope — except everyone who knew him as 'Bob'

When the 2025 conclave began, no one expected an American pope. But by its end, Cardinal Robert Prevost had become Pope Leo. Here's a look behind the scenes.

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Julia Wick@sherlyholmesOct 2
New from me: a dishy look inside the already-underway shadow primary to replace Nithya Raman in CD 4, should she vacate the seat lamaterial.com/p/la-cd4-coun…

Inside the Shadow Primary to Replace Nithya Raman

If the council member becomes mayor, she’d leave an open seat. In her tony L.A. district, the behind-the-scenes jockeying to fill it has begun.

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TODAY: Our 2026 Election Preview brings together @melmason (@politico) @mlagos (@KQED), @LaurelRosenhall (@nytimes), and @ZavalaA (@kcranews) to break down the trends shaping the November election. #PPICevents #Election2026 #CApolitics Learn more: bit.ly/4A9V2pT
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Daniel Miller
@DanielNMillerSep 21
Paramount Skydance and the states that sued to block the company’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery are poised to settle the antitrust litigation, clearing the way for the blockbuster transaction to close. politico.com/news/2026/09/21…

Bonta defends Paramount settlement: ‘resolves the antitrust concerns’

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TV networks are declining to participate in White House pool duties moving forward in response to Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House: “This is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” the TV pool chair wrote in the email. “This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
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Daniel Miller
@DanielNMillerSep 19
New from me and @melmason: Paramount Skydance and the states that sued to block the company’s blockbuster acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery are in advanced talks to settle the antitrust litigation. Details: politico.com/news/2026/09/18…

Paramount, Bonta in talks to settle antitrust litigation

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Sophia Cai
@SophiaCai99Sep 18
Politico White House reporting from the last month. Much more to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter! -politico.com/news/2026/09/03… -politico.com/news/2026/09/01… -politico.com/news/2026/09/17… -politico.com/news/2026/09/09… -politico.com/news/2026/09/02… - politico.com/newsletters/wes… - politico.com/newsletters/wes…

Zuckerberg opposed White House AI proposal in private call with Trump

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Big scoop from @ChaseDiFelice and @JeremyBWhite: Newsom says he wants to take further action on AI safety before leaving office, including raising the possibility of a special session subscriber.politicopro.com/a…

POLITICO Pro: Newsom floats prospect of special session or executive action on AI

The California governor told POLITICO he plans to take further action on AI safety before leaving office.

subscriber.politicopro.com
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Quite the real estate scoop from @DanielNMiller
Daniel Miller
@DanielNMillerSep 16
Scoop: Paramount is actively seeking office space in Nashville, a sign it’s seriously considering moving at least some operations from L.A. amid the antitrust fight over its proposed acquisition of WBD. The company is seeking roughly 400k square feet in the Tennessee capital that it could occupy within two to three years. politico.com/news/2026/09/16…

Paramount is looking for Nashville office space as it weighs leaving LA

politico.com
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Christopher Cadelago
@ccadelagoSep 16
Reid Hoffman casts doubt on Kamala Harris’ 2028 prospects @ POLITICO’s Decoded summit this morning. He also didn’t shut the door on backing AOC(!) “I think she is much more pragmatic than people give her credit for,” he said. politico.com/news/2026/09/16…

LinkedIn co-founder Hoffman casts doubt on Harris 2028 prospects

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Melanie Mason retweeted
Christopher Cadelago
@ccadelagoSep 16
FOLKS … Thrilled to be leading a new chapter here with the launch of Decoded by POLITICO, our new tech vertical dedicated to breaking down the evolution of tech & AI and covering how global power players are grappling w/ an unprecedented moment. politico.com/blogs/politico-…

POLITICO Announces Major Investment in Tech Policy Coverage with Debut of Decoded by POLITICO

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Brian Stelter
@brianstelterSep 16
Heartbroken for NBC's Los Angeles station as the journalists cover the deadly crash of NewsChopper 4. The city's TV news community is tight-knit. The news chopper pilots "look out for one another," as one reporter said on air. "Tremendous camaraderie." Tonight, a terrible loss.
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The largest provider of housing for the formerly homeless in LA's Skid Row is on the verge of financial collapse. @dillonliam reports that the warning signs have been glaring for years politico.com/news/2026/09/15…

Major housing nonprofit in Los Angeles’ Skid Row facing financial collapse

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📅 NEXT WEEK: Join us for our 2026 Election Preview event! @melmason (@politico) moderates a conversation with @mlagos (@KQED, @LaurelRosenhall (@nytimes), and @ZavalaA (@kcranews) on the mood of the electorate ahead of November's election. 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/4A9V2pT
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.@dustingardiner is a terrific reporter and a wonderful colleague who always appreciates a good Real Housewives reference. I’m going to miss working with him a lot but excited to see what he does next
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