Becerra Advances in California Governor’s Race

Democrat Xavier Becerra has secured a spot in California’s November general election after the Associated Press called the primary race Friday evening, setting up a potential fall matchup against Republican Steve Hilton to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.

With 68% of votes counted, Becerra held 26.7% to Hilton’s 26.4%, with Democrat Tom Steyer third at 21.0%—though results have not yet been certified and Hilton has not been officially declared the second general election candidate. Becerra’s campaign also said the result makes him the first Latino candidate to advance from a California gubernatorial primary, and if elected in November he would be the state’s first Latino governor since 1875.

Republicans have questioned the extended count, with President Trump alleging fraud and a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney announcing investigations into the state’s mail-in voting system.

Macy Fire Scorches Antelope Valley

A fast-moving brush fire broke out Friday afternoon near the LA-Kern county line, burning roughly 2,000 acres across the Antelope Valley and forcing evacuation warnings in Rosamond.

The Macy Fire ignited around 3:43 p.m. and spread rapidly in dry, windy conditions. Evacuation warnings were issued for the KRN-152-A and KRN-153-A zones, putting Rosamond residents on notice to be ready to leave.

The fire is a stark reminder of California’s year-round fire threat. Just five months after the January 2025 LA fires destroyed more than 18,000 structures and killed 31 people, fire officials are warning of a concerning early start to the 2026 fire season.

As of Saturday morning, the fire remained active. Residents in evacuation zones should monitor the Kern County OES and CAL FIRE for updated containment information.

FBI Disrupts ISIS Plot in California

The FBI arrested three men Friday in a coordinated early-morning operation, including two California residents from San Diego and Sacramento, on charges of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and planning an attack.

All three are U.S. citizens. The Justice Department called the plot a serious and active threat that was disrupted before anyone could be harmed. A third man was arrested in Kansas as part of the same operation.

Officials described the alleged plot as one of the most significant domestic terrorism cases in California this year. The arrests span both Northern and Southern California, with suspects from two of the state’s largest population centers.

The men are expected to make initial appearances in federal court this week. No details about specific attack targets were disclosed in the initial charging documents.

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➤ Berkeley: The UC system is pushing Sacramento for a $12 billion state bond to fund campus research, after deep Trump administration cuts to federal research grants threatened programs at Berkeley, UCSF, UCLA, and UC Davis. (More)

➤ Eureka: California held its first-ever Outdoor Economy Summit this week, bringing together roughly 150 policymakers, Tribal leaders, educators and business officials to discuss how the state’s $88 billion outdoor recreation industry can support economic growth and workforce development in communities statewide. (More)

➤ Fairfield: One person was killed and three others injured, including an 11-year-old child, when a gunman opened fire in the parking lot of a high school graduation ceremony Wednesday night, and no suspects have been identified. (More)

➤ Keysville: Multiple Kern County Fire Department units, search-and-rescue teams, and helicopter resources responded Saturday morning to a rescue incident near Keysville Road and Highway 155, with the nature of the emergency and condition of any patients not immediately available. (More)

➤ Fresno: Fresno County faces significant cuts to health, social services, and safety-net programs as a strained budget forces hard choices. The Board of Supervisors approved interim funding through summer while weighing cuts advocates warn could affect thousands. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: Firefighters battling a two-alarm house fire on Nimrod Court on Friday pulled a cat from the burning home and administered oxygen therapy, with the animal appearing to recover after treatment, according to the Bakersfield Fire Department. (More)

➤ San Diego: City and county leaders, backed by the Prebys Foundation, unveiled a $10.3 million plan to rescue dozens of arts organizations threatened by budget cuts—combining $3M from Prebys with $6M from hotel tax funds. (More)

➤ Beverly Hills: Two restaurants at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire — the iconic hotel featured in Pretty Woman and Beverly Hills Cop — were temporarily shut down by Los Angeles County health inspectors in late May after rodents were found in food preparation areas, with both since reopening after management resolved the issues. (More)

➤ Solvang: The Santa Ynez Valley town known for its Danish-inspired windmills, half-timber architecture, and bakeries landed on National Geographic’s list of the 17 most charming small towns in the United States, praised for preserving Danish traditions while embodying the American dream. (More)

➤ USC dropped Game 2 of the NCAA baseball Chapel Hill Super Regional 4-0 to North Carolina as a Tar Heels starter Jason DeCaro tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout to even the series at one game apiece. Game 3 is set for today. (More)

➤ Cal Poly’s season ended Saturday with a 17-1 loss to West Virginia in the Morgantown Super Regional, as the Mountaineers punched their ticket to their first College World Series. (More)

➤ San Francisco Giants outfielder Jonah Cox etched his name into the record books in unusual fashion, collecting his first career hit off a position player pressed into pitching—then hitting his first career home run, also off a position player on the mound. (More)

➤ Australia and Switzerland played to a 1-1 draw at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego in their final World Cup tuneup ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | Soccer | WNBA | NCAAB | Golf | Tennis

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➤ Gold Rush Prospectors are still out there in the Sierra foothills, panning rivers and working historic Mother Lode sites—and sometimes finding it. For America’s 250th, KCRA checked in on Californians keeping the Gold Rush spirit alive. (More)

➤ Kern County’s Wine in the Pines returns June 20 to Pine Mountain Club, 60 miles south of Bakersfield, with a 1920s Parisian-themed outdoor festival featuring wine, mead, cider, food pairings, live music, and entertainment at 5,500 feet elevation. (More)

➤ A Hidden Waterfall unreachable without trespassing may finally get an official public trail. Landowners and the state are in talks to open legal access to the remote Northern California cascade, long coveted but legally murky. (More)

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Would you support a Republican governor in California?

1. Yes, if the right candidate
2. No, never
3. Depends on the policies
4. Already do / would

Yesterday’s Results:

Are you a native Californian?

1. Yes: 51%
2. No: 49%

California’s one-word state motto dates back to the Gold Rush, and it would sound right at home coming from a prospector who’d just struck it rich. What is it?

Show me the answer