Governor’s Race a Dead Heat

With one week to California’s June 2 primary, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra are virtually tied at the top of the governor’s race, and 92% of California voters have yet to return their ballots.

Hilton, a former Fox News host, leads the most recent poll commissioned by state Democrats at 22%. Becerra, a former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services and California attorney general, followed at 21%.

Billionaire investor Tom Steyer trails at 15% despite spending nearly $200 million of his own money on the campaign. Under California’s top-two open primary, the two leaders advance to November regardless of party.

The crowded field has fueled concerns among Democrats that Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco could both advance to the general election.

Yosemite Crowds Surge without Reservations

Yosemite National Park’s first summer without timed-entry reservations opened with hour-and-a-half gate waits, full parking lots by 7:30 a.m., and roughly 100,000 more visitors so far this year than at the same point last year.

Visitors described shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and cars parked illegally on meadows and along roadsides. “There’s just not enough capacity, like infrastructure and the employees to handle all of this traffic,” visitor Andranik Arakelyan said.

Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden announced the end of the reservation system in February, citing analysis showing most weekdays maintained stable traffic flow and available parking. He said targeted management strategies, including real-time traffic monitoring and added staffing at key intersections, would handle peak days.

Environmental advocates and Yosemite Union employees disagree. A March survey found 85% of responding workers opposed the decision and predicted frustrated visitors. Conservationist Beth Pratt said, “We cannot be managing them like an amusement park.”

Explosion Avoided, GKN Faces DA Probe

Roughly 16,000 Orange County residents remained under evacuation Tuesday, away from their homes for a sixth day, after officials eliminated the threat of a catastrophic explosion at GKN Aerospace’s compromised chemical tank in Garden Grove.

A crack in the tank vented pressure that had been climbing for days, allowing about 34,000 of the evacuated residents across six cities to return home Monday. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday, and President Trump approved a federal emergency declaration Monday.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer opened a criminal investigation Saturday and called for whistleblowers, citing GKN’s $909,935 settlement with regional regulators over 2020 air-quality violations. Spitzer called the situation “irresponsible” and said he was “angry” about the danger posed to nearby neighborhoods.

GKN apologized for the disruption, saying it is “working round the clock” with fire, environmental, and other relevant agencies. The 2025 settlement noted the company admitted no wrongdoing but did not dispute the listed violations.

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➤ San Francisco: An Alcatraz City Cruises ferry struck Pier 31 multiple times while docking Sunday evening, shattering windows and reportedly sending one woman tumbling down a staircase. No injuries were reported. The company called it a “docking incident” under investigation. (More)

➤ Sutter and Yuba counties are weighing support for a proposal to split California into two states, driven by Republican frustration over redistricting and control by Democrats in Sacramento. Analysts say the measure faces long odds in the Legislature despite growing backing from some rural counties. (More)

➤ Fairfield: A police officer involved in the violent arrest of a high school student last week has been linked to a separate 2025 arrest involving similar excessive force allegations. The officer was administratively reassigned as community advocates accused the department of allowing a pattern of aggression. (More)

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➤ Tulare County: Investigators identified the pilot killed in a Saturday morning plane crash near Woodlake Airport as 74-year-old Michael Hill of San Bernardino County. Authorities said the plane went down near Road 204 and Avenue 336 shortly after takeoff. Federal aviation investigators are examining what caused the crash. (More)

➤ Central Valley: Swiss pesticide maker Syngenta will voluntarily phase out Gramoxone SL 3.0 in California by April 1, 2028, removing its paraquat-based weed killer from use across the Central Valley. The herbicide is banned in more than 70 countries and has been linked to Parkinson’s disease. (More)

➤ Madera County: The California High-Speed Rail Authority opened the Road 26 grade separation last week, marking the 60th completed structure along the first 119 miles of Central Valley construction. The project has now created roughly 19,200 jobs and generated nearly $25 billion in statewide economic activity. (More)

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➤ East LA: Cleanup continues from Friday’s 2,400-gallon crude oil spill near Cesar Chavez and Eastern avenues, where a ruptured pipeline sent oil into storm drains and the L.A. River. Containment booms were deployed to keep the slick from reaching the ocean, while about 25 oiled birds were being treated. (More)

➤ Jurupa Valley: Riverside County’s Bain Fire remained 95% contained Monday evening after burning 1,473 acres in the Santa Ana River bottom since May 19. All evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted as crews continue mop-up operations. (More)

➤ Orange County: Richard Raymond Ramirez, a convicted serial rapist and murderer sentenced to death for the 1983 rape and stabbing death of 22-year-old Kimberly Gonzalez in Garden Grove, died Sunday at a prison medical facility in Stockton, state officials said. (More)

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➤ The Lakers hired former Pelicans executive Rohan Ramadas as assistant general manager. Before entering the NBA, Ramadas spent more than a decade as a rocket scientist at the Aerospace Corporation. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, former Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma placed a $36,000 bet on reality TV star Spencer Pratt to become the next mayor of Los Angeles. (More)

➤ SoFi Stadium ranked No. 1 in a new NFL stadium travel guide that ranked 11 venues across the country. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | MLB | Soccer

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➤ SKS Copack of Cerritos recalled specialty beverage mixes distributed in 25 states under brands including Angel Specialty Products, Royal Gold, Boba Time, FANALE, and DENDA because of possible salmonella contamination linked to a supplier’s nonfat dry milk powder. No illnesses have been reported. (More)

➤ San Francisco-based Everlane, the “radical transparency” fashion brand founded in 2011, is being acquired by Shein as the retailer struggles with slowing sales, rising debt, and growing competition. (More)

➤ Ophthalmologists are California’s highest-paid occupation with an average annual wage of $347,690, according to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Nationally, cardiologists topped the rankings in 14 states, including Washington and Texas. (More)

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➤ About 40 human-powered art sculptures rolled and sand-crawled across a roughly 50-mile course from Arcata to Ferndale over Memorial Day weekend as Humboldt County’s Kinetic Grand Championship returned for its signature three-day spectacle. (More)

➤ Jacaranda trees across Los Angeles burst into their signature “purple snow” weeks ahead of schedule this year, with blooms appearing in late April instead of their usual May or June peak. Pasadena Urban Forestry Program Coordinator Michael King said March’s record heat wave may have accelerated the flowering. (More)

➤ Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna, who goes by “The Malibu Artist” on YouTube, captured a great white shark biting one of his cameras off the Southern California coast in late April, cracking the camera’s dome housing as he kayaked through waters thick with baitfish and sea lions. (More)

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Should Yosemite bring reservations back?

1. Yes. Require timed-entry reservations
2. No. Keep open access for all visitors
3. Compromise. Busy weekends only

Yesterday’s Results:

Are you a birdwatcher?

1. Casually, I notice and enjoy them: 34%
2. It’s not really my thing: 27%
3. Yes, binoculars and a list: 20%
4. I’d like to try it: 19%

The Golden Gate Bridge’s iconic “International Orange” color almost didn’t happen. What color scheme did the U.S. Navy originally propose to improve visibility for ships?

Show me the answer