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California Policy and Politics Sunday

Mainstream California Democrats survived election night, but their brand remains challenged -- When Nithya Raman stepped up to a podium on the night of L.A.’s mayoral primary election, she thanked her supporters for standing up to the “powerful interests” who spent millions of dollars trying to “preserve this city’s broken and unjust status quo.” Jenny Jarvie in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/7/26

Barabak, Chabria: From here to November: Our columnists size up the California governor’s race -- California’s top-two primary all but sets up a November showdown between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton. Hilton is already diving into MAGA rhetoric and baseless voter-fraud claims, threatening to turn a long-shot campaign into a megaphone undermining California’s election system and democracy nationwide. Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/7/26

Raman closes in on Pratt as more votes in L.A. mayor’s race are tallied -- Spencer Pratt has been in second place since Tuesday, but Nithya Raman has gradually eroded his lead as mail-in ballots were counted. Raman now trails Pratt by 7,494 votes. ‘I think it’s over,’ said one political consultant. The second-place finisher will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s primary, in a Nov. 3 runoff. Noah Goldberg in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/7/26

Deluged With Mail Ballots, California Takes Its Time Counting Votes Again -- Experts say speeding up the count in California would take more resources, but also scaling back rules that expand voting access. Laurel Rosenhall, Jill Cowan and Livia Albeck-Ripka in the New York Times$ -- 6/7/26

Silicon Valley bet big on Matt Mahan for governor. It didn’t pay off -- San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan entered the California governor’s race in late January as Silicon Valley’s disruptive bet: a young centrist Democrat, backed by influential tech leaders, promising to bring accountability and measurable results to Sacramento. Four months later, that experiment collapsed. Grace Hase in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/7/26

A year after L.A. worksite immigration raid at fashion company, former workers still struggling -- A year after federal agents raided L.A. fashion company Ambiance Apparel, detained workers and their families are still living with deportations, stalled cases, lost wages and lingering psychological trauma. Brittny Mejia and Jazmin Alvarado in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/7/26

More airlines suspend LAX routes due to high fuel costs -- American Airlines is joining the list of airlines suspending flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport this summer. It announced a temporary suspension of nonstop flight routes out of LAX to Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Washington Dulles airports. The suspension is set to last through August and September due to rising fuel prices resulting from the conflict in Iran. Lily Wright in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/7/26

What life is like with a $300K income in S.F. — and how that compares to other cities -- It’s no secret that bringing home $300,000 a year doesn’t go all that far in San Francisco. Danielle Echeverria in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/7/26

SoFi stadium workers in L.A. authorize strike ahead of World Cup -- A union representing 2,000 workers at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles that has demanded protection from possible immigration enforcement during the World Cup voted Friday to authorize a possible labor stoppage just a week before the U.S. team’s opening match. David Nakamura in the Washington Post$ -- 6/7/26

World Cup rental demand rises in Bay Area, but trails other U.S. host cities Prices spike for rentals all across the region -- World Cup visitors are already pushing up short-term rental demand and nightly rates across parts of the Bay Area, but early data suggests the surge may be uneven and softer than some local boosters expected. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 6/7/26

Workplace

Can free tuition solve California’s caregiver shortage? -- One of California’s largest senior living facilities has a new solution to the growing shortage of certified nursing assistants, who provide basic care to older patients. Catherine Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/7/26

Health

S.F. General Hospital hit with record fine after fatal stabbing exposed safety lapses -- San Francisco General Hospital was utterly unprepared to deal with workplace violence when a social worker was fatally stabbed there in December, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health said in issuing a record fine against the facility. St. John Barned-Smith in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/7/26

Education

University of California pushes for $12B scientific research bond to counter federal cuts -- The Trump administration has awarded fewer grants toward scientific research or eliminated them altogether, impacting researchers at several California universities. In response, the University of California is pushing to get a $12 billion state bond on the November ballot to fund scientific research at California universities, research institutes and private companies. Michael Burke EdSource -- 6/7/26

Also

California’s forbidden waterfall may finally get a legal trail -- The couple from Chico had driven their station wagon up to Dunsmuir in search of one of California’s most spectacular waterfalls — knowing they’d have to trespass to get to it. Gregory Thomas in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 6/7/26

Earwormy Kars4Kids jingle is back as charity appeals in California court -- The Kars4Kids jingle is back on the air in California after being ordered off the airwaves last month. The catchy jingle that has been getting stuck in heads for nearly three decades was pulled from the air after a California man took Kars4Kids to court for false advertising. Lily Wright in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/7/26

POTUS 47

Trump says he never promised not to start new wars -- President Trump, who campaigned on a central promise to keep the United States out of overseas wars, denied in an interview aired on Sunday that he’d ever made the pledge. Katie Rogers in the New York Times$ -- 6/7/26

Trump Says Iran Has Made a ‘Big’ Nuclear Promise. It Isn’t New -- President Trump’s boasts of securing a commitment from Iranian leaders not to develop a nuclear weapon have puzzled nuclear experts who note that Tehran has made that pledge for more than 50 years. Michael Crowley in the New York Times$ -- 6/7/26

Trump says U.S. open to unfreezing Iranian funds, easing sanctions ‘if they behave’ -- The president, appearing on “Meet the Press,” said the U.S. will help Iran eliminate its enriched uranium if a peace deal is reached — and warned of harsh military action if talks fail. Sammy Westfall in the Washington Post$ -- 6/7/26

Trump acknowledges price pain for farmers as supporters cheer for ending war -- Besides higher fertilizer and fuel prices, the president also talked at length about D.C.’s fountains and his border policies. Isaac Arnsdorf and Cat Zakrzewski in the Washington Post$ -- 6/7/26

Kennedy Center Loses Case Against Musician Who Canceled After Trump Renaming -- A judge sided with jazz performer Chuck Redd, who canceled a 2025 holiday concert after President Trump’s name was added to the building. Mark Walker in the New York Times$ -- 6/7/26