California Policy and Politics Wednesday

Why the L.A. mayoral runoff is about to be a ‘knife fight’ -- The gloves are off. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman have only begun to wage their Nov. 3 runoff campaigns, but they’re already trading sharp jabs about each other and their records. David Zahniser and Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Why Tom Steyer’s $216-million gubernatorial bid failed -- Californians couldn’t escape billionaire Tom Steyer’s political ads — during newscasts, sitcoms, or sporting events; on streaming services, YouTube, influencers’ social media feeds, or their mailboxes. Even the Puppy Bowl. Seema Mehta and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Arellano: Spencer Pratt could have been a real contender. His greatest enemy was himself -- Spencer Pratt had a few things going for him when he launched an insurgent campaign to become Los Angeles’ next mayor. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton clinches a top spot in governor’s race, will challenge Xavier Becerra -- Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator, clinched one of the top spots in California’s gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, earning him the right to challenge veteran Democratic politician Xavier Becerra in the November election to determine the state’s next governor. Dakota Smith, Nicole Nixon and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ Sophia Bollag in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

Becerra and Hilton spar about electoral integrity as Trump claims California elections are rigged -- As President Trump pushed unfounded allegations that California’s elections are rigged, the security of the ballot box became a major flash point in the state’s race for governor on Tuesday. Seema Mehta and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Executions among issues in play in Becerra-Hilton race -- Out of 573 inmates under death sentences in the state, prison officials say 75 have run out of legal appeals, so their only shield from an order of execution is the moratorium Gov. Gavin Newsom declared after taking office in 2019. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

Californians didn’t buy billionaire Tom Steyer’s ‘class traitor’ message -- The Democratic megadonor shattered spending records with an anti-corporate campaign. But the progressive voters he needed most never fully embraced him. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 6/10/26

Valadao draws progressive challenger Randy Villegas in run-off -- Randy Villegas, a Bernie Sanders-backed progressive and supporter of single-payer health care, has advanced to a run-off against GOP Rep. David Valadao in a crucial House battleground, defeating a more moderate Democrat in California’s Central Valley. Blake Jones Politico Kellen Browning in the New York Times$ Maya C. Miller Calmatters -- 6/10/26

Ken Calvert will face Young Kim in prolonged clash of Republican incumbents -- Young Kim advanced to a run-off against Ken Calvert for one of California’s few safely red House seats Tuesday, extending a treacherous fight between GOP incumbents. Blake Jones Politico -- 6/10/26

Matsui faces generational challenge in November -- California Rep. Doris Matsui will face a generational challenge for the House seat she’s held for more than two decades after she and a progressive Sacramento City Council member both advanced from a top-two primary. Lindsey Holden Politico -- 6/10/26

Rep. Kevin Kiley and Democrat Richard Pan locked in for CA’s 6th District Congressional race -- Rep. Kevin Kiley, who switched from the Republican Party to identify as an Independent earlier this year, will face off against former Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan in the race for California’s new 6th Congressional District seat this fall. Mathew Miranda in the Sacramento Bee$ Jennifer Medina in the New York Times$ -- 6/10/26

Supporters of L.A. County healthcare sales tax declare victory -- Supporters declare victory as late ballots push a half-cent healthcare sales tax ahead with just over 50% support countywide, securing simple-majority passage after trailing in early election-night returns. Rebecca Ellis in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Split verdict on California health taxes as cost-of-living anxiety takes its toll -- As of Tuesday night, L.A. County voters were poised to approve Measure ER, a half-cent sales tax. A similar measure in Contra Costa was far behind. Santa Clara voters were the first to approve such a sales tax. It’s still not enough to fill the hole left by federal health cuts. Ana B. Ibarra Calmatters -- 6/10/26

 

Shaw and Barrera offer starkly different visions for California schools -- A mother with two daughters, a father with two sons, both board presidents of high-performing school districts — at first glance, Sonja Shaw and Richard Barrera seem to have a lot in common. But the two candidates for state superintendent of public instruction have very different ideas about what is best for California’s schools. Diana Lambert EdSource -- 6/10/26

Walters: Two huge California unions clash over money, political clout this election season -- In 1863, just 13 years after California became a state, its superintendent of public instruction, John Swett, founded the California Educational Society with 100 members, all men. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/10/26

Garofoli: A new celeb-studded video touts San Francisco’s resurgence. Here’s who’s behind it -- The creative team behind one of the most viral San Francisco political videos ever is dropping a new “love letter” to the city’s renaissance Wednesday, called “Comeback City,” funded by supporters of Mayor Daniel Lurie. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

Workplace

Kaiser spent $1 billion to withstand a major strike. What did it cost? -- The Oakland-based nonprofit health giant spent big on temp workers and stuck to its guns, but at cost of fraying labor relationship, experts say. Grant Stringer in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/10/26

Medicaid cuts reignite clash between California health worker unions, hospitals -- SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, with about 120,000 members, has put forward two ballot initiatives to cap the pay of medical executives and require community clinics to spend the bulk of their revenues on patient care. The California Hospital Assn. has responded with its own ballot proposal that would make it tougher for unions to spend money on political initiatives in the future. Bernard J. Wolfson KFF Health News in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Salesforce cuts jobs for third time in nine months -- The tech giant, which is the city’s largest employer, is laying off 63 workers in the tech and product division, 21 in general administration and two in sales and distribution, all based in Salesforce Tower, according to a state filing. Roland Li in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

We Asked 16 Economists About the Future of Work and AI How economists think AI will change the job market, and how to prepare -- Will artificial intelligence improve workers’ lives, or hand them the equivalent of a pink slip? Te-Ping Chen, Justin Lahart, Audrey Valbuena in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/10/26

Sam Altman’s eye-scanning startup reportedly lays off employees -- Sam Altman’s eye-scanning startup reportedly laid off employees on Monday, the same day his better-known company, OpenAI, said it had taken a formal step toward going public. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

Forget Coders. The Real A.I. Threat Is in the Back Office -- As artificial intelligence spreads, millions of middle-class jobs in human resources, billing and payroll could be at risk. Most are held by women. Ben Casselman in the New York Times$ -- 6/10/26

Wildfire

Putah Fire near Wine Country triples in size, threatening residents before red flag warning -- A wildfire near the edge of Northern California’s Wine Country nearly tripled in size Tuesday, growing to 869 acres as firefighters raced to strengthen containment lines before red flag warning conditions were expected to arrive Wednesday, Cal Fire said. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

A huge fire threatened to burn a pristine California island. Inside the fight to preserve this oasis -- It’s been just days since firefighters reached full containment of the 18,379-acre blaze on Santa Rosa Island. Crews are now assessing the damage to this ecological and cultural oasis. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Clean Water

‘It’s an injustice’: Shrinking state funds could slow fixes for Californians with toxic water -- In a neighborhood flanked by grapevines and orange groves on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, people cannot drink the water from their faucets because it’s contaminated. Ian James in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Housing

VA promise of 800 new homes on West L.A. campus this year shrinks to 260 -- Five months after promising up to 800 units of new temporary housing on its West Los Angeles campus by this fall, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is calling for bids to build fewer than a third of that number with a delivery date seven months later. Doug Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/10/26

Street

How a George Floyd-inspired California law accidentally weakened police accountability -- Investigations into fatal shootings by California police now take so long that officers often can’t be decertified or prosecuted. Nigel Duara and Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett Calmatters -- 6/10/26

Also

The chemical that caused the Garden Grove evacuations is stored all over California -- Four facilities in California store equal or greater amounts of methyl methacrylate, the chemical that nearly caused an explosion in Garden Grove. Despite the risks, the facilities aren’t required by state or federal law to have an emergency plan. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Calmatters -- 6/10/26

Pacifica demolishes beloved cafe as pier crumbles into the ocean -- As dozens gathered to watch Tuesday morning, two large excavators tore into the hexagonal roof and orange walls of Chit Chat Cafe, a longtime refuge for fishermen and tourists atop the popular Pacifica Municipal Pier. Megan Fan Munce in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

Fairfield mayor resigns just before meeting surrounding questions about her residency -- Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy resigned Tuesday, hours before the City Council was scheduled to discuss an outside investigation into whether she lived in the Northern California city she was elected to lead. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/10/26

POTUS 47

Inflation hits 3-year high, highlighting affordability challenge for Americans -- Rising gas prices pushed inflation to its highest level in three years last month, a headache for the Federal Reserve and a potential political challenge for the Trump administration as midterm elections near. Christopher Rugaber Associated Press Harriet Torry in the Wall Street Journal$ Lydia DePillis in the New York Times$ -- 6/10/26

Inside the White House Freakout Over the Epstein Files -- The president’s top advisers gathered in a series of Situation Room meetings as they struggled to contain a scandal engulfing Donald Trump himself. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 6/10/26

Trump wins years of guaranteed funding for immigration crackdown -- A GOP bill lets ICE and CBP keep spending money at a scale that will transform immigration enforcement, and with fewer checks and balances. David Nakamura and Jarrell Dillard in the Washington Post$ -- 6/10/26