California Policy and Politics Friday

Poll shows Becerra with big early advantage over Hilton in California governor’s race -- Republican Steve Hilton advanced this week to California’s November governor’s race, but the first public look at his matchup with Democrat Xavier Becerra shows the former political commentator starting the general election at a steep disadvantage. John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/26

Gavin Newsom’s race to block a billionaire tax -- Gavin Newsom and powerful Democratic-aligned groups are racing to kill a proposed wealth tax on California billionaires, including going to extraordinary lengths to isolate the union leader championing one of the nation’s most controversial ballot measures. Jeremy B. White Politico -- 6/12/26

Hunter Biden defends Graham Platner on Newsom podcast -- Hunter Biden thinks Graham Platner is getting a raw deal. Jeremy B. White Politico Lia Russell in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/12/26

Workplace

Video game giant Ubisoft cuts more jobs in San Francisco -- Video game company Ubisoft plans to permanently lay off 93 workers at its San Francisco office, according to a state filing. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/26

ServiceNow, Salesforce, other tech firms reveal more Bay Area job cuts -- Several tech firms disclosed plans to chop hundreds of jobs in the Bay Area in fresh disclosures that show the pace of layoffs this year is running ahead of last year’s totals. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/12/26

As Paramount chases $111-billion Warner Bros. acquisition, David Ellison sheds his theater chain -- The Ellison family-controlled Harbor Lights Entertainment has sold its Showcase Cinemas theater chain to a major European cinema group in a $30-million deal. Cerys Davies in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/26

Housing

Mayor Lurie drops plan meant to kick-start housing in favor of taxing foreclosed real estate -- Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Bilal Mahmood are dropping a controversial proposal that would have cut transfer taxes on high-end real estate transactions and instead will focus on a previously planned part of the plan that would tax foreclosures. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/26

Street

Pasadena police officer shoots colleague during ‘horseplay’ in department parking lot, chief says -- A Pasadena police officer shot and wounded a colleague in the shoulder inside the department’s parking garage last September during an incident the police chief described as “unsafe, out-of-policy horseplay.” Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/12/26

Also

Tide sweeps 2 sleeping beachgoers into ocean near Santa Cruz -- Two sleeping beachgoers were rescued from the water near Bonny Doon Beach after they were swept out by the tide, authorities said. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/26

S.F. to see highest-ever summer high tide, flooding — and the forecast just got worse -- The highest summer tide on record is predicted in San Francisco Bay this weekend — a direct consequence of global warming and a surging El Niño — prompting the National Weather Service to tell residents to expect coastal flooding that’s unusual for this time of year. Anthony Edwards in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/12/26

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Trump’s missile diplomacy strategy backfires -- Four months into the war — with oil held hostage in the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran refusing to make key concessions on its nuclear program — the president upped the ante with two days of back-and forth air strikes with the country. He threatened to take “total control” of Iran’s oil industry on Thursday and then canceled the scheduled attacks — all before lunch ended in Washington. Paul McLeary, Nahal Toosi and Jack Detsch Politico -- 6/12/26

How Senate Democrats are planning to push back on potential election interference -- Senate Democrats are war-gaming legal maneuvers and messaging strategies to thwart potential efforts by President Donald Trump or foreign actors to influence the results of the midterms. Lisa Kashinsky Politico -- 6/12/26

Trump and Allies Are Working on Plan to ‘Expunge’ Impeachments -- President Trump and his allies have discussed pushing lawmakers to pass a resolution aimed at voiding his first-term impeachments, according to people familiar with the matter. Annie Linskey, Olivia Beavers and Natalie Andrews in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/12/26

Justice Dept. Pushes Limits of Its Power Over State Elections -- Speaking to a conservative radio host on Monday, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles made an unusually pointed prediction that cast doubt on the results of California’s primary races, even as votes were still being counted. Devlin Barrett in the New York Times$ -- 6/12/26

Postal Service Seeks to Block Mail Ballots in States Resisting Trump Demands -- The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a new rule that would allow it to refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that don’t turn over voter rolls to the federal government. Adam Sella and Nick Corasaniti in the New York Times$ -- 6/12/26

 

California Policy and Politics Thursday

Focus mode Show Search Advertisement California Feds suspend LAHSA from receiving federal money, citing financial mismanagement -- Federal dollars account for about 7% of LAHSA’s budget, money largely used for permanent housing subsidies, and the agency warns thousands of formerly homeless residents could be pushed back onto the streets. Local officials say they will try to minimize the impact of the suspension, with some vowing to fight it. Andrew Khouri and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

ICE retaliated against hunger striking detainees at Adelanto facility, immigration advocates say -- The Immigrant Defenders Law Center said detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center who have taken part in hunger strikes alleged they’ve been zip-tied, threatened with tear gas or placed in solitary confinement. ICE denies there’s a hunger strike or that anyone is being abused. Ruben Vives and Brittny Mejia in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

PG&E shutoffs begin in Bay Area as Northern California braces for heat and fire weather -- The utility said public safety power shutoffs were required through Thursday in parts of Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties. In the Bay Area, the Chronicle’s PG&E outage map showed several public safety power shutoffs Thursday morning in parts of the North Bay. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

 

Becerra heads toward the November election with a major edge over Hilton in governor’s race, poll shows -- Democrat Xavier Becerra opens the general election race for California governor with a commanding 52%-31% lead over Republican Steve Hilton, a new UC Berkeley IGS/L.A. Times poll finds. Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

Walters: If Xavier Becerra is California’s next governor, he’ll be a workhorse rather than a show horse -- In the eight decades since the end of World War II, 11 men have served as governor of California — counting Jerry Brown twice. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/11/26

Spencer Pratt became a voice for L.A.’s disaffected. Where do his supporters go now? -- When Republican Spencer Pratt burst into Los Angeles politics, venting a torrent of online fury against Mayor Karen Bass’ handling of the Palisades fire, he pitched his mayoral campaign as a full-bore challenge to L.A.’s political status quo. Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

California sues Trump administration over planned ICE facility near Gilroy -- The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San José, alleges that the leased land is zoned exclusively for agricultural use and that the federal government violated laws requiring state and county notification, as well as procedural steps required before beginning construction. Andrea Castillo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

Trump administration to probe California’s powerful coastal watchdog -- The Trump administration is planning a review of the powerful California Coastal Commission and other state regulatory agencies that deal with the state’s shoreline, saying they’re likely out of compliance with the nation’s coastal management laws — an assertion critics say is merely a pretense to weaken their authority. Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

Trump DOJ targets UC Davis medical school admissions practices -- The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that the UC Davis School of Medicine discriminated based on race in admissions, the latest Trump administration finding against a medical school after the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling. UC Davis disputed the findings, saying the federal report “does not accurately reflect” its admissions process. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

Congressional Republicans grill unfazed San Francisco superintendent on gender policies -- The hearing gave House Republicans, facing a possible electoral loss in November, a stage for a flashpoint cultural issue popular with conservatives and, they believe, the public at large. San Francisco Unified Superintendent Maria Su, one of three superintendents on the panel, however, may not have provided the fat target Republican leaders had anticipated. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 6/11/26

 

Potentially offensive voter guide statements under scrutiny in California -- California allows candidates to say whatever they want in voter guides. A group of legislators is sponsoring a bill that could keep objectionable material out. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

Democrat Fiona Ma, Republican Gloria Romero to face off in race for lieutenant governor -- Ma, a CPA who serves as state treasurer, and Romero, an adjunct professor and the Senate’s first woman majority leader, defeated prominent Democrats including former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and Newsom cabinet member Josh Fryday. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

Is California on track to flip five House seats for Democrats? What the primary results show -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bid to help Democrats take control of the House faced its first major test this month in the state’s primary elections, which determined the candidates who will face off in the November midterms. With all of the races called, it’s clear: The maps are working as Democrats intended. Sophia Bollag, Alexei Koseff in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

World Cup

How FIFA has remade Levi’s Stadium into ‘San Francisco Bay Area Stadium’ -- Matt Greiner, the 49ers’ ace groundskeeper, meticulously and slowly sprayed white paint on what typically serves as the Niners’ home sideline at Levi’s Stadium. This time, Wednesday’s work was among the finishing touches for the FIFA World Cup. Cam Inman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/11/26

Education

UC to consider reinstating SAT, ACT tests after faculty say students are deficient in math -- Six years after dropping SAT and ACT test requirements, members of an influential University of California admissions board said Thursday that the group will reconsider requiring the standardized tests, a major move favored by faculty who have complained that many students are severely deficient in math. Jaweed Kaleem in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

Stanford lays out plans for the biggest medical facility in its history -- Stanford Medicine plans to begin construction of a major new cancer center in Redwood City as soon as 2029 that, upon completion, will serve the growing number of patients the provider expects to treat in the coming decades. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

Street

Trump DOJ targets UC Davis medical school admissions practices -- The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that the UC Davis School of Medicine discriminated based on race in admissions, the latest Trump administration finding against a medical school after the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling. UC Davis disputed the findings, saying the federal report “does not accurately reflect” its admissions process. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

San Quentin reports possible hantavirus case in inmate -- San Quentin Rehabilitation Center officials confirmed Wednesday that a 38-year-old incarcerated man had contracted a possible case of hantavirus, the rare rodent-borne virus that has drawn renewed attention after a recent cruise ship outbreak. Aidin Vaziri in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

Also

This creepy insect has been found on grapevines. What it could mean for California’s wine industry -- A pest that is considered a major threat to California’s vineyards and its $73-billion wine industry has been found on grapevines sold at Northern and Central California Costco stores between April 21 and May 21, according to authorities. Seamus Bozeman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

California’s new Hells Angels: Teens on e-bikes cut a path of danger -- Signs of the exploding popularity of e-bikes are everywhere. Riders are showing up in massive groups at the beach, kids are popping wheelies on quiet residential roads and scores of others are showing up in emergency rooms with cuts, broken bones or worse. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/11/26

California bicyclist crashes into bear while cruising downhill near popular lake -- The evening ride started like many others, with Don Terres and his wife leaving from their lakeside cabin and pedaling up toward the Dodge Ridge Ski Resort for an hour of exercise before sunset. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/11/26

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Trump threatens to seize Iranian island vital to oil exports, as ceasefire teeters -- U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to launch major strikes on Iran and seize control of its oil industry as escalating attacks between the countries pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war. Jon Gambrell, Aamer Madhani Associated Press -- 6/11/26

The latest U.S. strikes targeted Iran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, an official says -- U.S. strikes against Iranian radars, air defenses and other military targets late Wednesday focused on degrading Iran’s ability to identify and attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday. Eric Schmitt and Abdi Latif Dahir in the New York Times$ -- 6/11/26

Trump and Hegseth Broadcast U.S. Military Strikes Before They Happen -- Commanders do not usually speak publicly about future operations to avoid jeopardizing the mission’s success. Eric Schmitt in the New York Times$ -- 6/11/26

Analysis of Satellite Image and Videos Suggest Precision U.S. Strikes on Iranian Water Facility -- It is unclear if the U.S. intentionally struck the facility or knew what it was. Deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime. Christoph Koettl and Christiaan Triebert in the New York Times$ -- 6/11/26

Trump’s ‘Secret Mission’ to Ferry Oil Past Iran Was Widely Disclosed -- A U.S. military official said the president’s seemingly dramatic announcement on Wednesday referred to a previously reported effort to shepherd commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Eric Schmitt and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times$ -- 6/11/26

'The die has been cast': Trump allies fear it's too late to reverse economic woes -- President Donald Trump is losing the political battle over kitchen table issues that he once dominated. Sam Sutton and Scott Waldman Politico -- 6/11/26

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$ -- 6/11/26