California Policy and Politics Saturday

Pleas and political attacks fill the home stretch of California governor’s race -- With the June 2 primary days away, California’s top three governor hopefuls barnstormed the state Friday, wooing unions, firing attacks and sharpening contrasts in a tight, high-stakes race. A new UC Berkeley-Los Angeles Times poll shows Democrat Xavier Becerra leading with 25%, followed by Republican Steve Hilton at 21% and billionaire progressive Tom Steyer close behind at 19%. Nicole Nixon, Seema Mehta and Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

Hilton, Steyer take sides over transgender athlete AB Hernandez as California primary nears -- As the California primary election nears, two of the top candidates in a tightly contested governor’s race have picked sides in the transgender athlete debate. Noah Furtado in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/30/26

Is Spencer Pratt for Real? -- The former reality star’s dark visions of Los Angeles are resonating in a heated mayoral race, even if they’re far from the truth. Nathan Taylor Pemberton in the New York Times$ -- 5/30/26

Lopez: A second offering to Spencer Pratt, and 5 points about the L.A. mayor’s race -- Well, I gave him a chance, offering my services. I was willing to give the young novice a primer on what a mayor can and can’t do, and let him know City Hall is a reality show like no other he’s been on. But Spencer Pratt didn’t call me in response to my column last week. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

Arellano: Spencer Pratt says Jesus is his role model. His take on homeless people isn’t Christ-like -- Spencer Pratt is a showboat, a loudmouth, a troll and a self-proclaimed villain who seems willing to say anything in his quest to be the next mayor of Los Angeles. Gustavo Arellano in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

Homelessness is down in California and across the country, says new federal report -- The data, showing the first decrease in homelessness in years, provided fuel for activists challenging the Trump administration’s narrative that current homelessness policies are failing and need to be overhauled. Marisa Kendall Calmatters -- 5/30/26

Chabria: A Becerra-Steyer race in November? It’s possible -- The chances are slim that Tom Steyer overtakes Steve Hilton, but it is possible, one expert said. A Becerra-Steyer face-off would force both candidates to define a vision of California beyond generic liberal ideas. Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

Steyer Campaigns on Affordability. Does His Own Mansion Portfolio Matter? -- As Tom Steyer amassed billions of dollars by leading a wildly successful San Francisco hedge fund, he did what many wealthy Californians do. He scooped up luxury homes. Heather Knight and Laurel Rosenhall in the New York Times$ -- 5/30/26

 

Trump adds another controversial Silicon Valley investor to his team -- Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire, who has cultivated a fiery online reputation for attacking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other Muslims, is the latest Silicon Valley venture capitalist to go from giving money to President Donald Trump to serving his administration. Raheem Hosseini in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/30/26

 

California doctors make house calls — to talk about California’s 2026 primary election -- With his white coat on, Dr. Ilan Shapiro walked around Santa Ana making house calls. The pediatrician was on a mission to talk to the community about health — civic health, that is. Kaitlyn Schallhorn in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/30/26

Loans bought California hospitals time. The clock is running out -- When Gov. Gavin Newsom stepped in this month with $25 million in emergency funds for a few California hospitals on the verge of financial collapse, lawmakers and hospital executives around the state hoped it was a sign of more to come — a lot more. Rachel Bluth Politico -- 5/30/26

 

California families sue over Texas-based demand for trans children’s health data -- The Trump administration has launched a baseless and intrusive criminal investigation into hospitals that treat transgender youths after judges refused to identify them or release their medical records, six California families alleged in a lawsuit this week. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/30/26

California attorney general sues 23andMe for data breach -- The exposed data contained sensitive material such as raw genetic information and health reports. Hackers listed the data for sale on the dark web in 2023, Bonta said. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

New 911 records deepen questions about why west Altadena was left vulnerable -- Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies helped evacuate a resident from her home in deep, west Altadena just after 11:30 p.m. the night of the Eaton fire, according to logs of 911 calls obtained by The Times, around the same time a structure fire was reported in the area. The new records raise new questions about why it took almost four hours for authorities to issue evacuation alerts for the rest of the community. Grace Toohey in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

Climate

California extends its key climate program, but critics say it’s being weakened -- The plan removes hundreds of millions of emissions allowances but creates a new incentive pool and more free permits for industry, aiming to keep refineries and manufacturing from leaving the state. Environmental justice, transit and housing advocates warned the changes gut the program’s core mission, slash auction revenue by about $2 billion a year and jeopardize frontline climate and public-health protections. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophie Austin Associated PressAlejandro Lazo Calmatters -- 5/30/26

Newsom’s climate rules bend to gas price politics -- California regulators handed Gov. Gavin Newsom a narrow political victory on Friday: an overhaul of the state’s signature carbon market that lets the 2028 potential presidential contender claim he’s advancing his climate agenda, while also fending off attacks over affordability. Camille von Kaenel Politico -- 5/30/26

Fire-prone California could lose hundreds of millions of dollars for wildfire prevention -- The state’s annual budget for wildfire mitigation work could drop by hundreds of millions as two key funding sources dry up. State officials voted to change a program that charges polluters for their emissions, resulting in $200 million less for wildfire mitigation each year. Noah Haggerty in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/30/26

 

A chemical tank nearly exploded. Did California’s regulators miss the signs? -- A tank at a Garden Grove aerospace plant came within a crack of exploding and forcing a toxic chemical cloud over 50,000 evacuated residents — here's what regulators knew before it happened. The chemical at the center of the crisis may fall outside California's toughest safety rules — and three agencies won't say whether the company was required to have an emergency plan. Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Alejandro Lazo Calmatters -- 5/30/26

Nearly 2 million Californians live within 3 miles of a plant like GKN in Garden Grove -- Nearly 2 million Californians live within 3 miles of a chemical plant using methyl methacrylate, the compound involved in the Garden Grove tank crisis over Memorial Day weekend, according to the U.S. EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, the federal system tracking hazardous waste. Jason Henry, Tony Saavedra, Victoria Le in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/30/26

Also

Tahoe’s top attraction is chaotic. Officials hope they’ve found a fix -- Starting mid-June and running through Labor Day, travelers to scenic Emerald Bay will be encouraged to hop on shuttle vans rather than drive. The daily service picks up every 20 minutes or so at two points north and south of the bay and costs $10 roundtrip. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/30/26

POTUS 47

Trump leaves Situation Room meeting with no update on an Iran deal -- The president had promised a "final determination" on Iran after the two-hour meeting. He emerged without one. Megan Messerly Politico -- 5/30/26

Judge orders removal of Trump’s name from Kennedy Center, halts closure -- A federal judge ruled the Kennedy Center board violated federal law by adding President Trump’s name to the landmark arts venue and halted its planned closure for sweeping renovations. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said. Jessica Gelt in the Los Angeles Times$ Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein Politico Lydia Wheeler, Louise Radnofsky and Meridith McGraw in the Wall Street Journal$ Julia Jacobs and Zach Montague in the New York Times$ Jonathan Edwards in the Washington Post$ Michael Kunzelman, Steven Sloan Associated Press -- 5/30/26

Judge Reopens Trump’s I.R.S. Suit and Questions His ‘Weaponization’ Fund -- The ruling was a blow to both President Trump, who had voluntarily dismissed the suit last week, and to the Justice Department, which used the suit to establish a fund likely intended for Trump allies. Alan Feuer and Andrew Duehren in the New York Times$ Maegan Vazquez and Salvador Rizzo in the Washington Post$ -- 5/30/26

Federal Judge Bars Trump From Immediately Setting Up $1.8 Billion Fund -- A judge in Virginia temporarily blocked the Trump administration from transferring money in or out of the fund until the court could hear arguments in June. Zach Montague in the New York Times$ -- 5/30/26

Trump’s $1.8 Billion Settlement Fund Sparks Alarm Inside White House -- President Trump’s top aides have discussed whether he should kill the administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund in exchange for getting immigration enforcement funding passed next month, according to people familiar with the matter. Josh Dawsey, Sadie Gurman and C. Ryan Barber in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/30/26