Hilton, Becerra Lead Governor’s Primary

Early returns as of 10 p.m. Tuesday showed Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra leading a crowded race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Under the state’s top-two primary, the two highest finishers advance to November regardless of party. With about half the expected vote counted, Hilton and Becerra held narrow leads over billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer, who trailed in third.

The other Republican, Chad Bianco, was in fourth, behind Steyer. Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan conceded early.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass led early returns but appeared headed to a November runoff, with Republican reality TV star Spencer Pratt and Councilmember Nithya Raman trailing.

Polls closed at 8 p.m., and with most ballots cast by mail, full results will take days. Voters also weighed the first U.S. House races under maps redrawn by Proposition 50, including the San Francisco contest to replace retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Gang Sweep Nets 69 Arrests

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni announced 69 arrests Monday, capping a two-month operation against Sureño and Mexican Mafia gangs across the Central Valley.

Investigators served more than 40 search warrants on May 28 in Fresno, Tulare, and Madera counties. They seized 73 firearms, 55 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of cocaine, 10 grams of powdered fentanyl, and about $165,000 in suspected criminal proceeds.

Officials said the operation solved two homicides and prevented seven planned attacks. One involved a young suspect who allegedly brought a gun to a school in Kingsburg with plans to target a rival gang member.

Five of those arrested were juveniles, and many of the seized guns were unserialized or stolen. “The people we wanted to get, we got them, and they’re off the streets,” Zanoni said.

Google’s Plan: 32 Million Mosquitoes

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has asked federal regulators for permission to release up to 32 million lab-reared male mosquitoes across California and Florida.

The insects, developed by Alphabet’s life sciences arm Verily, carry a natural bacterium called Wolbachia. When the males mate with wild females that don’t carry the same strain, the eggs never hatch, thinning the population over time.

The targeted Culex mosquitoes spread West Nile virus, the leading mosquito-borne illness in the U.S. Because only females bite, Verily says the releases won’t add to the swarms residents swat each summer.

The Environmental Protection Agency is taking public comment through June 5 before deciding whether to grant the permit. Verily pitches the plan as a way to “stop bad bugs with good bugs,” though some critics question the potential ecological impacts and long-term effectiveness of the approach.

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➤ San Francisco: Police officer Brittney Taylor was shot multiple times Sunday night after a Bay Bridge pursuit of a robbery suspect and is expected to survive, authorities said. Norris Reed III, 36, of Oakland, a convicted felon on parole, was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder. (More)

➤ Corning: Police Chief Craig Bassett is retiring June 7 after 30 years with the department in the Tehama County city north of Chico. Sgt. Eduardo Curiel, who has worked alongside Bassett for many years, will take over as chief. (More)

➤ Red Bluff: City officials are considering hiring five law firms to investigate PFAS, or forever chemicals, found in groundwater and pursue claims against responsible parties. The proposed contingency-fee agreement would carry no upfront legal costs for the city. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled a proposed two-year budget Monday aimed at closing a $642 million deficit while protecting or restoring many city services. Lurie said the plan addresses past overspending and prepares for anticipated federal funding cuts. (More)

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➤ Central Valley: California’s High-Speed Rail Authority approved a 2026 business plan Monday targeting Merced-to-Bakersfield service by 2033. The agency says its phased approach could cut projected costs by up to 46%, though some local leaders oppose moving the Merced station out of downtown. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara County: The county issued 84 layoff notices in its proposed budget, most in Health and Social Services, citing deficits tied to rising costs and reduced state and federal funding. Officials say no health centers will close, but union leaders warn of longer waits for benefits like CalFresh. (More)

➤ Madera: Volunteers from Madera Community College and UC Merced planted nearly 3,000 agave plants across five acres to test whether agave can thrive in the Central Valley. The project includes more than 20 agave species from Mexico, and the college plans grower-training courses and an agave distillery. (See Details)

➤ Hollister: Police are seeking two people who vandalized city sidewalk-survey robots in separate incidents, both captured by the robots’ cameras. One suspect knocked a unit onto its side, while another struck two robots and doused one with what appeared to be beer. (See Details)

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➤ Otay Mesa: Federal prosecutors charged four people with drug distribution after investigators uncovered a cross-border tunnel linking Tijuana to a fake “Buy 4 Less” store. Authorities say the tunnel’s U.S. exit was hidden beneath the store, and agents seized more than 2,269 pounds of cocaine from vehicles tied to the operation. (More)

➤ Palmdale: A 5-year-old girl reported abducted by her father in Carson City, Nevada, was found safe in Palmdale on Tuesday after a multi-agency task force located her during a traffic stop. The father was later arrested nearby and is awaiting extradition to Nevada; the girl is being returned to her mother. (More)

➤ Chula Vista: Flagship Cruises launched daily ferry service Monday between Chula Vista’s bayfront and downtown San Diego, the first ferry to link the South Bay to the city. One-way fares run $15, with the first boat at 8 a.m. and a roughly 45-minute crossing. (See Details)

➤ Ventura County: Sheriff’s deputies are again handing out 7-Eleven coupons for free Slurpees to kids caught doing good deeds like wearing a bike helmet, picking up trash, or helping someone. The program, “Operation Chill,” is in its 31st year locally. (See Details)

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➤ Steph Curry signed a 10-year endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning, ending a seven-month sneaker free agency. The agreement will include basketball products, athleisure, and a golf line. (More)

➤ Hall of Fame NBA coach Rick Adelman died this week at 79. He coached the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors during a 29-season NBA coaching career, winning 1,042 games in total. (More)

➤ Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg, whose now-bankrupt banking company is at the center of an NBA investigation into the LA Clippers, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for defrauding investors out of $248 million. (More)

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

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➤ Developers plan to turn the shuttered Phillips 66 refinery in Carson into a 3.9 million-square-foot logistics hub near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The project would replace oil infrastructure with six warehouses but still faces environmental cleanup and regulatory reviews. (More)

➤ Marvell Technology shares jumped more than 20% Tuesday after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the Santa Clara-based semiconductor firm the next trillion-dollar company at the Computex show in Taipei. Marvell supplies networking and connectivity chips used in AI data centers. (More)

➤ Mountain View-based Alphabet said it will raise $80 billion through a stock sale to help fund its AI infrastructure expansion, including a $10 billion investment from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Shares of the company fell about 2% Monday. (More)

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➤ Rady Children’s Health in Orange County became the first hospital in the world to launch a Disney-themed MRI experience that lets kids choose characters like Mickey Mouse or Spider-Man and turns scans into an interactive story. An 8-year-old cancer patient completed his first MRI without anesthesia. (See Video)

➤ Los Osos’ iconic 26,000-pound bear statue was moved to make way for construction of a new $30 million bridge over Los Osos Creek. The statue, a local landmark since the 1990s, will eventually be relocated again when the earthquake-safety bridge project is completed next year. (See Photos)

➤ Southern California theme parks are rolling out summer attractions. Six Flags Magic Mountain will open Looney Tunes Land, featuring four themed areas, on June 6, while Disneyland is highlighting a new mission on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and offering summer tickets for children ages 3 to 9 starting at $50. (See Details)

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It’s heating up across California. What’s your go-to way to beat the heat?

1. A frozen treat
2. Pool or beach day
3. Crank the AC
4. Head for the mountains or lake
5. Other (reply to tell us)

Yesterday’s Results:

A new “smart freeway” on the 15 aims to ease congestion. What would actually improve your drive?

1. Fewer people on the road: 29%
2. Nothing ever helps: 20%
3. More lanes: 19%
4. Smarter signals and sensors: 17%
5. Other: 15%

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia bills itself as the “Thrill Capital of the World.” What Guinness World Record does it hold among all theme parks in the world?

Show me the answer