Friday, June 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles shortly after claiming victory in the California presidential primary for Democrats. He died the next day.

A new California overpass built for wildlife is already getting attention from the animals it was designed to protect. As we report below in Et Cetera, a recent sighting suggests the crossing may be off to a promising start.

Today’s sponsor, BOXABL, is working to tackle America’s housing affordability crisis with factory-built, foldable homes designed for faster production, easier shipping, and scalable deployment. Later today you’ll receive a message from them detailing the opportunity they offer.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

California Economy Outpaces U.S., Jobs Lag

California’s economy will keep outgrowing the nation’s this year even as unemployment climbs toward a projected 5.6%, according to the latest UCLA Anderson Forecast.

Joblessness hit 5.3% in April, and the forecast said California’s economy continues to outperform the U.S. thanks to a strong tech sector and venture capital. Still, senior economist Jerry Nickelsburg wrote, the overall outlook is “slightly weaker” than three months ago.

The forecast said an oil-price shock from the war in Iran has replaced tariffs as the leading risk to the economy, and California is more exposed than most states because it uses costly low-emission gasoline and its ports run on fuel-heavy trans-Pacific shipping. Nationally, economists compared the moment to the 1970s, when high inflation and slow economic growth hit the U.S. economy.

Housing stayed a weak spot, with permits flat near 110,000 units a year. Deportations are expected to thin the construction workforce, while tariffs raise the cost of imported building materials.

Hilton Leads as Trump Disputes Count

President Trump claimed the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles was investigating California’s slow vote count, as Republican Steve Hilton held a narrow lead in the governor’s primary with about 28%.

With about 56% counted, Democrat Xavier Becerra sat near 26% and Democrat Tom Steyer, who self-funded more than $200 million, trailed around 20%.

On Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of trying to “steal” the governor and Los Angeles mayor primaries through late mail ballots.

California officials pushed back: Secretary of State Shirley Weber urged patience, citing state law protecting “both voting rights and the integrity of elections,” while Newsom’s office dismissed the accusation.

California officials urged patience as vote-by-mail, provisional, and other ballots continue to be counted. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive through June 9, and results are due to be certified by July 10.

Teen Killed after Fairfield Graduation

An 18-year-old was killed and three people, including an 11-year-old, were wounded by gunfire in the Fairfield High School parking lot after a graduation ceremony Wednesday evening.

The gunfire erupted around 7:15 p.m. near Schafer Stadium as the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District wrapped up commencement for Sem Yeto High, a continuation school. The ceremony had drawn a couple hundred people in Fairfield, about 50 miles northeast of San Francisco.

Police said the 18-year-old died at the scene. The wounded, ages 11, 20, and 25, were taken to hospitals, with conditions not released. Officers declared a “large-scale incident.”

No arrests have been announced, and police were searching for the shooter, but said there was no ongoing threat to the community. The Solano County Sheriff’s Office is assisting, and the district said classes will continue this week.

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BOXABL Is Betting on Factory-Built Housing

Boxabl’s goal is ambitious: build homes more like automobiles using factory automation and standardized production.

The company says a single automated factory could eventually produce thousands of homes annually while using significantly less labor than traditional homebuilding methods.

Its foldable Casita homes are designed to ship efficiently and unfold on-site in about one hour. BOXABL also says it is developing stackable housing systems for multifamily and larger residential projects.

BOXABL has announced plans for a proposed SPAC merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), with the combined company expected to under the anticipated ticker symbol $BXBL following closing.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Learn more about the proposed transaction here.

➤ Sacramento: Kimani Jones, 49, was federally charged after authorities say he brought an improvised explosive device and other weapons through a TSA checkpoint at Sacramento International Airport. Investigators said the device contained viable explosive material, and court records show he repeatedly called an FBI tip line before the incident. (See Details)

➤ Vallejo: A Solano County auto-theft task force arrested three people in a crackdown on VIN switching and chop shops, serving warrants May 28. Investigators found a pickup with an altered VIN, a dismantled stolen Dodge Charger, a stolen Harley-Davidson, and three unregistered rifles. (See Details)

➤ Yuba City: A McDonald’s employee suffered severe burns to his face, neck, and upper body after a coworker allegedly threw hot oil on him May 30, police say. Police arrested the suspect, Jalani Bluett, 23, who is charged with battery causing serious bodily injury. (See Details)

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➤ Fresno County: The race to lead the county’s schools remained too close to call as vote counting continued Thursday. Incumbent Superintendent Michele Cantwell-Copher held the lead, while challengers Eimear O’Brien and Johnny Alvarado were locked in a tight race for a November runoff spot. (See Details)

➤ Pacific Grove: Police closed Lovers Point Beach Wednesday after a dead whale was found offshore in the area. Officials said the carcass could attract sharks and other predators to the shoreline, prompting the closure as a precaution. (More)

➤ San Luis Obispo: The city council unanimously approved a nearly $225 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, funding priorities from homelessness to infrastructure. The budget takes effect July 1, when previously approved water and sewer rate hikes of 5.5% and 6.5% also begin, increasing costs for water-reliant businesses. (See Details)

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➤ Pasadena: A U.S. military urban-warfare drill at the vacant former Saint Luke’s Medical Center jolted a residential neighborhood early Thursday with flash bangs, simulated gunfire, and helicopters. Police had warned of activity until 1 a.m., but residents said it ran past 2 a.m. (More)

➤ Westlake Village: A Los Angeles jury awarded the Iskander family $176 million in its lawsuit against Rebecca Grossman and former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson over the 2020 crash that killed brothers Mark and Jacob, 11 and 8. Jurors found both negligent in a case alleging they had been racing before the collision. A punitive-damages phase follows. (See Details)

➤ Fontana: A driver fleeing police sped through a Little League game at Jack Bulik Park with about 200 people present, though no one was hurt. Sergio Ortega, 46, in a suspected stolen vehicle, was arrested after police ended the chase. (See Video)

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➤ New LA Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett used his introductory press conference to pitch LeBron James on staying with the Lakers for a few more years: “I know they’ll accept him with open arms.” (More)

➤ Cal Poly baseball opens its super regional series against West Virginia today after beating Saint Mary’s to reach the program’s first-ever super regional. Then USC opens its own super regional series against North Carolina. (See Schedule)

➤ San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk has had an arrest warrant issued in Santa Clara County on a misdemeanor speeding charge after posting a December video that appeared to show him driving well above the speed limit near Levi’s Stadium. (More)

➤ NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap should wrap up soon. At issue is Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement deal with former Clippers sponsor Aspiration. (More)

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➤ American Airlines will temporarily suspend nonstop flights from LAX to Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Washington Dulles from Aug. 5 to Oct. 5 amid elevated jet fuel prices linked to the war in Iran. The airline expects its jet fuel bill to rise by more than $4 billion this year. (See Details)

➤ Nearly 2,000 SoFi Stadium workers began voting Thursday on whether to authorize a strike, eight days before the Inglewood venue hosts its first FIFA World Cup match. The food and beverage workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 11, are employed by Legends Global. (More)

➤ California has lost its lead in Fortune 500 headquarters, slipping behind Texas on the 2026 list, 56 to 57. Companies based in Texas reported roughly $2.8 trillion in revenue, compared with about $2.7 trillion for California-based firms. (See Details)

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BOXABL’s Growth Story Is Drawing Investor Attention

This company has raised more than $235M from investors as it works toward its goal of transforming the housing industry with factory-built homes.

The company’s foldable housing system is designed to reduce shipping costs and speed up installation. Its flagship Casita unfolds on-site in less than one hour.

The company has announced a proposed merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), which could result in BOXABL trading publicly on Nasdaq under the ticker $BXBL.

Shareholder meetings related to the proposed transaction are expected on June 9, 2026.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Find important information related to the proposed merger here.

BOXABL and FGMC have extended their merger deadline to June 30, 2026, pending shareholder approvals, see SEC Exhibit 99 for further details https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1816937

➤ California ranked as America’s nerdiest state in a new study from Hard Rock Bet, released ahead of this weekend’s Xbox Games Showcase. The ranking weighed comic conventions, STEM workers, comic and gaming stores, and nerd-related Google searches across all 50 states. (See List)

➤ Oroville’s Table Mountain Bridge is lit again after four years of community fundraising and planning, with newly installed lights now shining as part of a Rotary Club-led project. (Read Story)

➤ Three mule deer became the first confirmed animals to use a new wildlife overpass over Route 97 in Siskiyou County before the project officially opens this fall. The roughly $20 million project aims to reduce deadly deer and elk collisions along a key migration corridor. (Read Story)

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