California Policy and Politics Sunday

A new push to kill California’s top-two primary emerges amid chaotic governor’s race -- California Democrats are no longer panicking that the party will be locked out of the governor’s race, but the tumultuous campaign has nonetheless moved some stakeholders to press forward with an attempt to scrap the state’s jungle primary. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 5/17/26

Barbak: Californians on a confounding race for governor: ‘I haven’t ... a clue who I’m going to vote for’ -- Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton have emerged as the candidates to beat. But dozens of interviews across the San Gabriel Valley, a prime battleground, find many voters still undecided. And discouraged. Mark Z. Barabak, Robert Gauthier in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

How Hollywood’s production crisis became a key issue in the L.A. mayor’s race -- Placing the concerns of the entertainment industry at the center of the city’s mayoral race would have been unthinkable even in the last election cycle. But the production crisis, which has rocked Hollywood and pummeled its workforce, has reached a critical juncture. Stacy Perman and Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

Mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt heads to the Valley, wooing voters in his rival’s district -- Pratt declined interview requests and did not give a speech, opting instead to talk to voters one by one in Sherman Oaks. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/16/26

L.A. mayoral candidates vie for the crucial Latino vote. Bass has an edge over Pratt and Raman -- Latinos make up 37% of the electorate in Los Angeles, making them a coveted demographic for mayoral candidates. Polls show incumbent Mayor Bass with a big lead over challengers Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman in the race for Latino votes. Melissa Gomez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

The Tech Millionaire Who Wants to Turn the Democratic Party Upside Down -- Saikat Chakrabarti is running on an insurgent message to fill Nancy Pelosi’s House seat in San Francisco. Terell Wright, Geloy Concepcion in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/17/26

 

Pension mischief, Prop. B, crumbling infrastructure: The making of San Diego’s budget crisis -- How did the city find itself in this mess? It’s complicated, but local leaders say there’s plenty of blame to go around. David Garrick in the San Diego Union Tribune -- 5/17/26

‘The timing sucks’: Race is on to safeguard World Cup from drones -- And some — especially local officials in states like California — worry both about the threat and about who will get the blame should something go wrong. “If there’s an incident, or when there’s an incident, there’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing,” said a drone industry official who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about law enforcement issues. Oriana Pawlyk Politico -- 5/17/26

Environment

The world’s largest wildlife crossing and five others are coming to Southern California -- Several new wildlife crossings are underway in Southern California, including a $114-million project in Agoura Hills that is set to open over the 101 Freeway later this year. Planning has also begun for two smaller crossings in the Mojave Desert and three more spanning Interstate 15. Caroline Petrow-Cohen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

The gray wolf’s improbable California comeback continues as population hits modern record number -- There were 55 gray wolves confirmed alive in California at the end 2025, a promising sign for population regrowth after the predator disappeared from the state a century ago. Their presence brings mounting conflict with ranchers. Clara Harter in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

Housing

14,000 apply for California’s housing down payment program -- Expecting to lend funds to 1,500 to 3,000 applicants, the program’s third round could be its last. Amancai Biraben in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/17/26

Workplace

As Los Angeles struggles with a drop in tourism, San Francisco enjoys a renaissance -- One of the byproducts from a year that included ICE raids and destructive fires throughout Los Angeles County, captured nightly on national news, was a tourism dip. Andrew J. Campa in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

Wildfire

‘A long way off from being whole again’: Palisades recovery continues 16 months on -- Homes are rising again across Pacific Palisades, but many residents say recovery remains slow and uneven more than 16 months after the devastating fire. Teresa Liu in the LA Daily News -- 5/17/26

Street

ACLU says Sacramento cops target Black and Latino drivers disproportionately -- A report drawn from data on traffic stops by the ACLU of Northern California alleges that the Sacramento Police Department violates the civil rights of minority residents through biased traffic enforcement. Joe Rubin in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/17/26

Also

Should a high-voltage power line run through California’s largest state park? Critics are furious -- The proposed 140-mile, 500-kilovolt Golden Pacific Powerlink from San Diego Gas & Electric would cut through California’s largest state park, Anza-Borrego. Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

California ‘Rich Dude’ Fights $2.5 Million Fine Over Public Beach Access -- A surfer and dog-collar magnate built his dream home on the coast; then the state’s most powerful regulator cracked down; ‘straight-up extortion’ Jim Carlton, John Francis Peters in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/17/26

Train car found with 6 dead migrants inside came from Long Beach, officials say -- The six victims, from Honduras and Mexico, are believed to have died from heatstroke during the deadly journey, but officials on Thursday said they believed they boarded the boxcar on a Union Pacific train Saturday, during a stop in Del Rio, Texas. Salvador Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

Lopez: L.A.’s cracked sidewalks are a symptom of a bigger breakdown. Does new plan offer real hope? -- Sidewalks and streets could get long-awaited upgrades, but don’t hold your breath. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/17/26

POTUS 47

Ballroom security money nixed by Senate parliamentarian -- President Donald Trump’s hopes of using public funding to secure his proposed White House ballroom are under threat after a Senate official said Saturday a $1 billion Secret Service line item could not be included in a GOP immigration enforcement bill as drafted. Jordain Carney Politico Riley Beggin and Dan Diamond in the Washington Post$ -- 5/17/26

For Trump, Soaring Prices Test Voters’ Finances and Patience -- Just months before another election that may hinge on the economy, the war in Iran has sent gas and other goods soaring. Tony Romm and Ben Casselman in the New York Times$ -- 5/17/26

7 Republicans Voted to Convict Trump. Most Are No Longer in Office -- Senator Bill Cassidy’s defeat means no more than two of them will be left in Congress next year. Tim Balk in the New York Times$ -- 5/17/26

The Oil Shock Is Causing a $45 Billion Rupture in the Economy -- The largest oil disruption in history is widening an economic divide, with Americans spending $45 billion more on gasoline and diesel during the Iran war than the same period a year ago. Surging energy costs disproportionately burden low- and middle-income consumers, while oil-and-gas companies are reporting record earnings. David Uberti in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 5/17/26