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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

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

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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

 

California Policy and Politics Tuesday

Hilton says he has seen no evidence of voting fraud in California, expects to face Becerra -- Republican Steve Hilton, whose endorsement from President Donald Trump pushed him to the front of the gubernatorial field, said he has not seen any evidence of the impropriety the president has alleged about in California’s election results. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

California’s slow vote count faces changes as Supreme Court decision on late ballots looms -- California’s famously slow vote count faces fresh pressure as a looming Supreme Court ruling could force election day receipt deadlines. Election experts say ending the grace period would do little to speed up results, as bottlenecks stem from ballots cast on or before election day. Kevin Rector in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

How Nithya Raman went from last-minute candidate to the L.A. mayor runoff -- With just 115 days to campaign after a surprise entry, Councilmember Nithya Raman secured a spot in the Nov. 3 mayoral runoff against incumbent Karen Bass. Raman relied on a ground game that targeted renters and younger voters, while painting Spencer Pratt as too radical for L.A. Noah Goldberg and David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ Liam Dillon Politico Alyssa Lukpat in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/9/26

Many Californians feared federal meddling in elections before Trump’s latest baseless attacks, poll finds -- Even before President Trump’s latest baseless fraud claims, 41% of California voters lacked confidence that this year’s elections would be free of federal meddling, a new poll found. The survey exposes a sharp partisan divide in trust of local vote counting: 79% of Democrats express confidence in election officials, while 55% of Republicans say they are not confident. Phil Willon, Justine McDaniel and Nicole Nixon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

S.F. Overpaid CEO Act fails, a big setback for unions at City Hall -- A union-backed San Francisco ballot measure that would have raised taxes on big businesses to bolster funding for cash-strapped city services has failed. J.D. Morris in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/9/26

Walters: Egged on by Trump, right-wing ecosystem makes baseless claims of California voter fraud -- In the immediate days after last week’s primary election, the vast community of right-wing bloggers, X users, podcasters and YouTuber influencers trumpeted that California, the state they love to hate, was turning red. Dan Walters Calmatters -- 6/9/26

Why Ro Khanna is standing by Graham Platner -- Ro Khanna has attached himself to risky political causes before. Few carry as much political consequence as the Maine Senate race. Melanie Mason Politico -- 6/9/26

Wildfire

New evidence confirms Edison’s idle line ignited Eaton fire, lawyers say -- New surveillance video and utility data bolster claims that a century-old, idle Edison transmission line ignited last year’s Eaton fire, which killed 19 people and displaced thousands in Altadena, lawyers say. Melody Petersen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

In-home support

Disability rights advocates protest Newsom’s proposed cuts to in-home support services -- H.D. Palmer, deputy director for external affairs for the California Department of Finance, on Monday said some of the proposed cuts are a byproduct of the federal government’s changes in funding and eligibility for health and human services programs. The so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” signed by President Trump last year shifted federal funding away from safety-net programs, he said. Palmer stressed that state budget negotiations are ongoing. Katie King in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

AI

Musicians shortchanged by AI deals with labels, lawsuit alleges -- The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), which has 70,000 members, said Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group “received significant compensation” from the AI companies for past copyright violations and licensed “substantial” portions of their music catalogs to them, but haven’t shared that with the musicians. Wendy Lee in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

‘We were just being ripped off’: Musicians lost thousands after AI bootleggers stole their song -- A viral hit called “Run Run River” turned out to be an AI-tweaked clone of SoCal reggae band Stick Figure’s 2019 song, earning bootleggers thousands without credit or consent. The case exposes a flood of cheaply made, often fraudulent AI tracks on major streaming platforms, siphoning royalties, overwhelming detection systems and blurring the line between fan remix and scam. August Brown in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

Who Will Actually Thrive in the Hybrid A.I.-Human Work Force -- A panel of experts explains how job seekers should prepare for the future of work. The item is in the New York Times$ -- 6/9/26

Workplace

Paramount blasts Netflix, pushes back on Teamsters’ warnings about Warner Bros. deal -- In a letter obtained by Politico, Paramount Skydance accused Netflix of trying to “poison” its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Daniel Miller Politico -- 6/9/26

Housing

This new law could create a million new apartments and condominiums in California -- A sweeping new state law will force cities to allow taller apartments near rail and rapid bus stops, unlocking zoning for more than 1 million homes in urban California. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

Education

What Newsom’s proposed budget means for education in California -- Public school districts would receive $2.4 billion in ongoing special education funding, what Gov. Newsom calls the largest such investment in California’s history. Los Angeles Unified would likely be able to afford recent union salary raises thanks to increased state education funding and cost-of-living adjustments. Howard Blume, Jaweed Kaleem and Kate Sequeira in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

Street

Push to install license plate readers comes amid questions about how data are shared -- Since its creation more than a century ago, the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting has been in the lamppost business and little else. Libor Jany in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/9/26

FIFA

Kurtenbach: Bait, switch, and subpoenas — FIFA shows the beautiful game’s ugly side at 2026 World Cup -- The foundational rule of soccer is simple: you cannot use your hands. But if FIFA has its way, attending a 2026 World Cup match will cost you an arm and a leg. Welcome to the grandest grift in global sports, arriving in our backyard this week. Dieter Kurtenbach in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/9/26

Also

Uber liability fight spreads to new front: A critical federal transit bill -- Last month, California U.S. Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, introduced a controversial amendment into a key funding bill for the nation’s highways and public transit infrastructure to sharply limit ride-hailing companies’ responsibility for damages caused by their drivers. Andrew Graham in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 6/9/26

A Mayor, Her Boyfriend and China’s Mysterious Propaganda Machine -- Eileen Wang pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent. But what could Beijing want from the mayor of a small California city known as the “Chinese Beverly Hills”? Amy Qin in the New York Times$ -- 6/9/26

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The White House is digging in on tariff refunds -- The administration has processed more than half the $166 billion it illegally collected but is resisting paying back billions more. Ari Hawkins Politico -- 6/9/26

Trump Previews Fall Strategy With Baseless Claims of California Vote Fraud -- The president is using the slow count of mail ballots in California to renew his effort to cast doubt on election outcomes he doesn’t like, despite a lack of evidence of any widespread fraud. Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman in the New York Times$ Louise Radnofsky and Laura J. Nelson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/9/26

Donald Trump booed by the crowd during the anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals -- Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited loud boos. Stephen Whyno, Michelle L. Price Associated Press -- 6/9/26

Attorney General Bonta declares victory in battle against Trump’s H-1B visa fees -- A Trump-era increase to employer applicant fees for the country’s H-1B visa program to $100,000 is unlawful, a federal judge ruled on Monday. Haley Parsley in the Sacramento Bee$ Louise Radnofsky in the Wall Street Journal$ Zach Montague in the New York Times$ Lauren Kaori Gurley and Maria Sacchetti in the Washington Post$ -- 6/9/26