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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Xochilt Cruz Lopez, a 27-year-old Richmond resident, told KQED’s Forum this week that she was let go from her job after her DACA status lapsed in February. Cruz Lopez, who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years and has been a DACA recipient for 10, said she submitted her renewal paperwork four months before it was set to expire in February. When her status lapsed, her job offered her a 60-day unpaid leave, but on April 15, she said they had to let her go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It offered a lot of protection,” Cruz Lopez said on Forum. “It also allowed me to work, and my job offered benefits: health insurance, vision, dental. All the basic necessities. That’s what I relied on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also said DACA status offers protection from Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a growing concern as the Trump administration ramps up detention and deportation efforts across the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter said that between January and September 2025, at least 270 Dreamers were arrested, and 174 were deported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This administration, at a minimum, is exploiting bureaucratic sloth, but it could be much worse,” Liccardo said. “This could be deliberately stalling these DACA renewals to help DHS make its numbers for deportations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter asks USCIS to respond with a list of what, if any, data it shares with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also requests that DHS and USCIS provide the current processing times and pending application totals for each Bay Area district, as well as details about how any policy or procedural changes since the Trump administration took office might be affecting those timelines, and what steps are being taken to accelerate processing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It requests responses in writing by next Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is certainly my belief that sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Liccardo said. “If we’re able to force disclosure of this kind of information to the public, we may actually prod some better action in the bureaucracy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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A deal to sell the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036060/oakland-pushes-coliseum-sale-next-year-delaying-funds-again\">Oakland Coliseum had fallen apart,\u003c/a> and the Oakland A’s, the city’s last major professional sports team, moved to Sacramento, dealing another blow to the city’s identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the face of these challenges, Lee promised Oakland “stability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I looked at what was taking place in the city because of that instability and chaos and divisiveness, I thought it was the best decision to make for the good of the city to first come in and say we’re going to try to minimize the chaos and the confusion,” Lee said. “And create a path forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That vision was tested last week, when public records revealed a series of inappropriate text messages City Administrator Jestin Johnson had sent about female colleagues in 2024. In one, Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite,” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Barbara Lee, Kyra Mungia, co-founder of Rooted, politicians, teachers and supporters participate in a ribbon cutting during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lee said she was unaware of the texts until they became public and opened an investigation in response. She accepted Johnson’s resignation on Sunday and appointed Assistant City Administrator Betsy Lake as his interim replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I acted decisively,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The texts surfaced alongside documents subpoenaed during the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064908/judge-sets-2026-trial-date-in-bribery-case-of-former-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\"> FBI’s ongoing corruption investigation\u003c/a> into Thao, who appointed Johnson as city administrator in 2023 to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other messages from 2024, Johnson texted former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey, saying a female department head “had me a little giddy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m telling you, you have to sit next to her,” Johnson said. “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”[aside postID=news_12078453 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OakTeacherHousing-32-BL_qed.jpg']Lee alluded to Johnson when she said that she kept former members of Thao’s staff on when she took office a year ago because of the need for stability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted a smooth transition,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pursuit has guided much of the former East Bay representative’s first year in mayoral office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She released her first \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/News-Releases/Oakland-Mayor-Releases-Mid-Cycle-Budget-Measure-E-Spending-Plan\">budget proposal for 2026-27\u003c/a> on Friday, which will determine whether Oakland can maintain or increase critical services, or whether cuts are on the way. Lee has pinned many of her ambitions on Measure E, a new parcel tax on the June ballot that could add $34 million in additional revenue each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee also pointed to her success in reinstating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Working-for-Oakland/Summer-Jobs-and-Internships-for-Youth/Youth-Employment-and-Training\">summer youth employment program\u003c/a>, bringing two new banks to the city and using new AI drone technology to crack down on illegal dumping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has deliberately avoided public fights with the City Council, describing her approach as one of “restraint.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some wonder why I don’t exercise my authority breaking ties,” she said. “Why would I break a tie to create more instability?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her reasoning, she said, is that Oakland needs to change how it’s perceived in order to compete for business investment — and the jobs and economic activity that come with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12015107 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1920x1078.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee reflected on her first anniversary in office this week. The former East Bay representative promised Oaklanders continued stability and growth. \u003ccite>(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I wanted to be able to show the rest of the country and the world and Wall Street that the chaos was going to end,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lee, another way to encourage stability in Oakland is to change the government’s structure. Lee and Council President Kevin Jenkins are pushing a ballot measure to turn Oakland into a “strong mayor” city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland currently operates under a hybrid form of government where power is split between the mayor, city administrator and city council. Lee said that the arrangement makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any form of a hybrid creates confusion, chaos and is really frustrating for residents because they don’t know where the buck stops,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the proposal, power would be concentrated in the mayor’s office, giving the mayor veto power over City Council votes, including the budget, and more direct oversight of city departments. Council could still override a veto with a two-thirds vote. The measure would strengthen the council in other ways, making it full-time instead of part-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038000\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The council’s Rules and Legislation Committee is set to hear the official proposal tomorrow and will decide whether to place it before voters on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, only San Francisco currently uses a true “strong mayor” system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some critics see Lee’s proposal as a power grab. But Lee rejected that characterization, instead arguing that it would make the city more efficient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t need to be involved in a power struggle with anybody in Oakland,” Lee said. “I want this city to function, I want the services to be delivered, and I want you to know who’s accountable, whether it’s me as mayor or whoever is elected as mayor.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/barbara-lee-oakland-mayor-one-year-mark-22265580.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that she would formally announce after the June primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look forward to actually another four years as mayor,” she told KQED. “We have many challenges but many opportunities, and I’m determined that Oakland is going to be the cleanest and safest city in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One year after taking office, Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/barbara-lee\">Barbara Lee\u003c/a> signaled that she would seek another bid for a full term and laid out an ambitious plan to rework city government, even as her administration navigates a recent personnel crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re doing the work that Oaklanders deserve,” Lee told KQED on Wednesday. “But we have a lot more to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee, who was elected last April to replace former Mayor Sheng Thao after a historic and contentious 2024 recall, was elected amidst an estimated $87 million budget shortfall and local concerns about corruption, homelessness, public safety and crime. A deal to sell the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036060/oakland-pushes-coliseum-sale-next-year-delaying-funds-again\">Oakland Coliseum had fallen apart,\u003c/a> and the Oakland A’s, the city’s last major professional sports team, moved to Sacramento, dealing another blow to the city’s identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the face of these challenges, Lee promised Oakland “stability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I looked at what was taking place in the city because of that instability and chaos and divisiveness, I thought it was the best decision to make for the good of the city to first come in and say we’re going to try to minimize the chaos and the confusion,” Lee said. “And create a path forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That vision was tested last week, when public records revealed a series of inappropriate text messages City Administrator Jestin Johnson had sent about female colleagues in 2024. In one, Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite,” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Barbara Lee, Kyra Mungia, co-founder of Rooted, politicians, teachers and supporters participate in a ribbon cutting during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lee said she was unaware of the texts until they became public and opened an investigation in response. She accepted Johnson’s resignation on Sunday and appointed Assistant City Administrator Betsy Lake as his interim replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I acted decisively,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The texts surfaced alongside documents subpoenaed during the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064908/judge-sets-2026-trial-date-in-bribery-case-of-former-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\"> FBI’s ongoing corruption investigation\u003c/a> into Thao, who appointed Johnson as city administrator in 2023 to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other messages from 2024, Johnson texted former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey, saying a female department head “had me a little giddy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m telling you, you have to sit next to her,” Johnson said. “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Lee alluded to Johnson when she said that she kept former members of Thao’s staff on when she took office a year ago because of the need for stability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted a smooth transition,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pursuit has guided much of the former East Bay representative’s first year in mayoral office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She released her first \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/News-Releases/Oakland-Mayor-Releases-Mid-Cycle-Budget-Measure-E-Spending-Plan\">budget proposal for 2026-27\u003c/a> on Friday, which will determine whether Oakland can maintain or increase critical services, or whether cuts are on the way. Lee has pinned many of her ambitions on Measure E, a new parcel tax on the June ballot that could add $34 million in additional revenue each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee also pointed to her success in reinstating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Working-for-Oakland/Summer-Jobs-and-Internships-for-Youth/Youth-Employment-and-Training\">summer youth employment program\u003c/a>, bringing two new banks to the city and using new AI drone technology to crack down on illegal dumping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has deliberately avoided public fights with the City Council, describing her approach as one of “restraint.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some wonder why I don’t exercise my authority breaking ties,” she said. “Why would I break a tie to create more instability?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her reasoning, she said, is that Oakland needs to change how it’s perceived in order to compete for business investment — and the jobs and economic activity that come with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12015107 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1920x1078.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee reflected on her first anniversary in office this week. The former East Bay representative promised Oaklanders continued stability and growth. \u003ccite>(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I wanted to be able to show the rest of the country and the world and Wall Street that the chaos was going to end,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lee, another way to encourage stability in Oakland is to change the government’s structure. Lee and Council President Kevin Jenkins are pushing a ballot measure to turn Oakland into a “strong mayor” city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland currently operates under a hybrid form of government where power is split between the mayor, city administrator and city council. Lee said that the arrangement makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any form of a hybrid creates confusion, chaos and is really frustrating for residents because they don’t know where the buck stops,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the proposal, power would be concentrated in the mayor’s office, giving the mayor veto power over City Council votes, including the budget, and more direct oversight of city departments. Council could still override a veto with a two-thirds vote. The measure would strengthen the council in other ways, making it full-time instead of part-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038000\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The council’s Rules and Legislation Committee is set to hear the official proposal tomorrow and will decide whether to place it before voters on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, only San Francisco currently uses a true “strong mayor” system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some critics see Lee’s proposal as a power grab. But Lee rejected that characterization, instead arguing that it would make the city more efficient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t need to be involved in a power struggle with anybody in Oakland,” Lee said. “I want this city to function, I want the services to be delivered, and I want you to know who’s accountable, whether it’s me as mayor or whoever is elected as mayor.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/barbara-lee-oakland-mayor-one-year-mark-22265580.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that she would formally announce after the June primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look forward to actually another four years as mayor,” she told KQED. “We have many challenges but many opportunities, and I’m determined that Oakland is going to be the cleanest and safest city in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>The felony trial for seven pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011165/felony-charges-against-golden-gate-bridge-protesters-can-go-to-trial-judge-rules\">traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge\u003c/a> in 2024 opened in San Francisco on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The District Attorney’s office has alleged that the activists conspired to and restricted commuters’ freedom of movement, trapping them suspended over a body of water. If found guilty, they could each face 14- or 15-year prison sentences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for the activists said they plan to make the case that their clients believed their actions were necessary to save the lives of Palestinians amid Israel’s military strikes on Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorney Shaffy Moeel said her client, Bhavika Anandpura, felt it was “immediate, urgent [and] necessary” to join the protesters, who chained themselves to parked vehicles and each other across the southbound lanes of the bridge, shutting down traffic in both directions for about four hours in the early morning of April 15, 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She posted on social media, she called Congress, she wrote letters, she joined protests … but nothing changes. The bombings continued, hunger spread,” Moeel said during her opening statement. “By April, this does not feel theoretical anymore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She thought an economic boycott could create real economic consequences that people in power can’t ignore,” Moeel told the courtroom packed with supporters donning keffiyehs. Some of the attendees have also participated in protests calling on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11984203/pro-palestinian-protests-sweep-california-college-campuses-amid-israel-hamas-war\">local colleges to divest\u003c/a> from Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers and on the Port of Oakland to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056544/bay-area-groups-call-for-end-of-military-shipments-to-israel-from-oakland-airport\">end military cargo shipping\u003c/a> through the city’s airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084463\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12084463 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First responders on The Golden Gate 26 on April 15, 2024. A group of Bay Area residents was arrested during a protest against the U.S. role in the war in Gaza on Tax Day. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saman Qadir)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The seven are part of a larger group that participated in a multi-city effort to disrupt local and global economies and put pressure on the U.S. government to halt support for Israel’s war in Gaza on Tax Day 2024. Demonstrators also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982940/protesters-shut-down-880-freeway-in-oakland-as-part-of-economic-blockade-for-gaza\">shut down traffic on Interstate-880 in Oakland\u003c/a>, and staged similar protests in San Diego, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Chicago and Tallahassee, Florida. Demonstrations were also held internationally, across Mexico, Vietnam and Australia, among others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months later, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged 26 Bay Area protesters, self-identified as the “Golden Gate 26,” in connection with the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases against 18 of the defendants, who faced misdemeanor charges, have been dropped since, and an eighth person who initially faced felony charges had their case thrown out by a judge in 2024 due to lack of evidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past, San Francisco has seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081802/search-of-golden-gate-bridge-protesters-social-media-was-illegal-attorneys-argue\">Golden Gate Bridge protests\u003c/a> related to environmental justice and the handling of the AIDS crisis. More recently, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters who shut down westbound travel on the Bay Bridge in November 2023 were charged with misdemeanors and reached a deal with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11970376/demonstrators-pack-the-court-to-support-activists-arrested-for-blocking-bay-bridge-last-month\">San Francisco DA’s office\u003c/a> to avoid jail time.[aside postID=news_12080402 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526_CHADASHBY_9485-KQED.jpg']Compared to those, the charges against the remaining Golden Gate Bridge 26 defendants represent some of the harshest. Each is charged with felony conspiracy, along with a slew of misdemeanors, including unlawful assembly, willful restriction of free movement and multiple counts of false imprisonment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for the defendants asked a judge last year to downgrade the felonies to misdemeanors, arguing their clients had been overcharged and targeted for their political beliefs. But the judge declined, saying his decision was influenced in part by a significant restitution claim from the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bridge operators initially sought \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063531/golden-gate-bridge-agency-drops-163k-restitution-claim-against-pro-palestinian-protesters\">more than $160,000 from the protesters\u003c/a> for lost toll revenue, though they reached a confidential deal last year and dropped their claim. Several individuals who were stuck on the bridge also filed restitution claims, mostly for the day’s lost wages. In a separate deal, 16 of the defendants, not including those facing felony charges, agreed to pay nine claimants a collective $5,300.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The protesters’ attorneys are not disputing that their clients blocked bridge travel, but plan to make the case that they felt their actions were necessary to stop a genocide in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To prove a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justia.com/criminal/defenses/necessity/\">necessity defense\u003c/a>, they’ll need to show that the protesters believed they were facing a real, specific and immediate threat to themselves or others; had no reasonable alternative to the action they took; did not create greater danger than the danger they avoided; and did not contribute to or cause the threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During opening statements, attorneys laid out each protester’s individual circumstances leading up to the action — from one who traveled to Palestine herself, to another who heard a trauma surgeon’s account of treating patients in Gaza, and multiple who said their clients had attended protests, sit-ins and called their representatives without response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12011174\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12011174\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge on April 15, 2024, completely halting traffic for hours as part of a coordinated day of action against Israel’s war in Gaza. \u003ccite>(Paul Kuroda / AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Attorney Nuha Abusamra said her client “believed this was the only way to get U.S. officials to stop sending arms to Israel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Assistant District Attorney Angela Roze cited significant inconveniences the action caused for those trying to travel across the Golden Gate Bridge that morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People missed doctors’ appointments, nurses were missing from their jobs, children were forced to defecate in bags, people had little to no water,” Roze said. “Because these seven individuals decided that their cause, their message, was more important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roze said it is against the law to block traffic, restrict others’ movement and make a plan to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The evidence is clear: these individuals broke the law,” Roze told the jury. “And while you may agree with their message, their cause, and it may be an important one, it does not justify breaking the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that defendants paid Golden Gate Bridge operators $5,300 to settle a restitution claim. That total was paid to settle restitution claims from private individuals.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The felony trial for seven pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011165/felony-charges-against-golden-gate-bridge-protesters-can-go-to-trial-judge-rules\">traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge\u003c/a> in 2024 opened in San Francisco on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The District Attorney’s office has alleged that the activists conspired to and restricted commuters’ freedom of movement, trapping them suspended over a body of water. If found guilty, they could each face 14- or 15-year prison sentences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for the activists said they plan to make the case that their clients believed their actions were necessary to save the lives of Palestinians amid Israel’s military strikes on Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorney Shaffy Moeel said her client, Bhavika Anandpura, felt it was “immediate, urgent [and] necessary” to join the protesters, who chained themselves to parked vehicles and each other across the southbound lanes of the bridge, shutting down traffic in both directions for about four hours in the early morning of April 15, 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She posted on social media, she called Congress, she wrote letters, she joined protests … but nothing changes. The bombings continued, hunger spread,” Moeel said during her opening statement. “By April, this does not feel theoretical anymore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She thought an economic boycott could create real economic consequences that people in power can’t ignore,” Moeel told the courtroom packed with supporters donning keffiyehs. Some of the attendees have also participated in protests calling on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11984203/pro-palestinian-protests-sweep-california-college-campuses-amid-israel-hamas-war\">local colleges to divest\u003c/a> from Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers and on the Port of Oakland to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12056544/bay-area-groups-call-for-end-of-military-shipments-to-israel-from-oakland-airport\">end military cargo shipping\u003c/a> through the city’s airport.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084463\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12084463 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260520-GGB-PROTEST-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">First responders on The Golden Gate 26 on April 15, 2024. A group of Bay Area residents was arrested during a protest against the U.S. role in the war in Gaza on Tax Day. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Saman Qadir)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The seven are part of a larger group that participated in a multi-city effort to disrupt local and global economies and put pressure on the U.S. government to halt support for Israel’s war in Gaza on Tax Day 2024. Demonstrators also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11982940/protesters-shut-down-880-freeway-in-oakland-as-part-of-economic-blockade-for-gaza\">shut down traffic on Interstate-880 in Oakland\u003c/a>, and staged similar protests in San Diego, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Chicago and Tallahassee, Florida. Demonstrations were also held internationally, across Mexico, Vietnam and Australia, among others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months later, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins charged 26 Bay Area protesters, self-identified as the “Golden Gate 26,” in connection with the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases against 18 of the defendants, who faced misdemeanor charges, have been dropped since, and an eighth person who initially faced felony charges had their case thrown out by a judge in 2024 due to lack of evidence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the past, San Francisco has seen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081802/search-of-golden-gate-bridge-protesters-social-media-was-illegal-attorneys-argue\">Golden Gate Bridge protests\u003c/a> related to environmental justice and the handling of the AIDS crisis. More recently, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters who shut down westbound travel on the Bay Bridge in November 2023 were charged with misdemeanors and reached a deal with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11970376/demonstrators-pack-the-court-to-support-activists-arrested-for-blocking-bay-bridge-last-month\">San Francisco DA’s office\u003c/a> to avoid jail time.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Compared to those, the charges against the remaining Golden Gate Bridge 26 defendants represent some of the harshest. Each is charged with felony conspiracy, along with a slew of misdemeanors, including unlawful assembly, willful restriction of free movement and multiple counts of false imprisonment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for the defendants asked a judge last year to downgrade the felonies to misdemeanors, arguing their clients had been overcharged and targeted for their political beliefs. But the judge declined, saying his decision was influenced in part by a significant restitution claim from the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bridge operators initially sought \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12063531/golden-gate-bridge-agency-drops-163k-restitution-claim-against-pro-palestinian-protesters\">more than $160,000 from the protesters\u003c/a> for lost toll revenue, though they reached a confidential deal last year and dropped their claim. Several individuals who were stuck on the bridge also filed restitution claims, mostly for the day’s lost wages. In a separate deal, 16 of the defendants, not including those facing felony charges, agreed to pay nine claimants a collective $5,300.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The protesters’ attorneys are not disputing that their clients blocked bridge travel, but plan to make the case that they felt their actions were necessary to stop a genocide in Gaza.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To prove a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justia.com/criminal/defenses/necessity/\">necessity defense\u003c/a>, they’ll need to show that the protesters believed they were facing a real, specific and immediate threat to themselves or others; had no reasonable alternative to the action they took; did not create greater danger than the danger they avoided; and did not contribute to or cause the threat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During opening statements, attorneys laid out each protester’s individual circumstances leading up to the action — from one who traveled to Palestine herself, to another who heard a trauma surgeon’s account of treating patients in Gaza, and multiple who said their clients had attended protests, sit-ins and called their representatives without response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12011174\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12011174\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GGBridgeProtestAprilGetty2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge on April 15, 2024, completely halting traffic for hours as part of a coordinated day of action against Israel’s war in Gaza. \u003ccite>(Paul Kuroda / AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Attorney Nuha Abusamra said her client “believed this was the only way to get U.S. officials to stop sending arms to Israel.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Assistant District Attorney Angela Roze cited significant inconveniences the action caused for those trying to travel across the Golden Gate Bridge that morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People missed doctors’ appointments, nurses were missing from their jobs, children were forced to defecate in bags, people had little to no water,” Roze said. “Because these seven individuals decided that their cause, their message, was more important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roze said it is against the law to block traffic, restrict others’ movement and make a plan to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The evidence is clear: these individuals broke the law,” Roze told the jury. “And while you may agree with their message, their cause, and it may be an important one, it does not justify breaking the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that defendants paid Golden Gate Bridge operators $5,300 to settle a restitution claim. That total was paid to settle restitution claims from private individuals.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the race for California governor, Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra faces allegations that he failed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/xavier-becerra-migrant-children.html\">protect migrant children\u003c/a> when he served as health and human services secretary under the Biden administration. But are those attacks fair?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marisa is joined by the New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2023 investigation into what was happening to the huge influx of unaccompanied migrant children pouring into the U.S. She found that the federal government was not keeping tabs on these minors after they were released to adult sponsors. Most of them, desperate to send money home and pay off sponsors, took illegal jobs that were often punishing and dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And join us for a town hall at KQED with Tom Steyer, a top Democrat in the race for governor. Steyer will be talking with KQED’s Guy Marzorati and taking audience questions on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00pm at KQED headquarters in San Francisco. You can register for the event at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KQED.org/events.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who exposed the reach of migrant child labor during the Biden administration weighs in on gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra’s role and responsibility in the crisis.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the race for California governor, Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra faces allegations that he failed to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/xavier-becerra-migrant-children.html\">protect migrant children\u003c/a> when he served as health and human services secretary under the Biden administration. But are those attacks fair?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marisa is joined by the New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her 2023 investigation into what was happening to the huge influx of unaccompanied migrant children pouring into the U.S. She found that the federal government was not keeping tabs on these minors after they were released to adult sponsors. Most of them, desperate to send money home and pay off sponsors, took illegal jobs that were often punishing and dangerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And join us for a town hall at KQED with Tom Steyer, a top Democrat in the race for governor. Steyer will be talking with KQED’s Guy Marzorati and taking audience questions on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00pm at KQED headquarters in San Francisco. You can register for the event at \u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KQED.org/events.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Democratic voters in the race for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California governor\u003c/a> appear to be consolidating behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tom-steyer\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a>, as Becerra holds an advantage despite candidates’ mounting attacks against him and Steyer’s massive infusions of cash, according to a new survey released Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll, commissioned by the state Democratic Party and conducted by the firm Evitarus, found Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/steve-hilton\">Steve Hilton\u003c/a>, a former Fox News commentator, leading the overall field with support from 22% of likely voters. He was followed by Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083992/xavier-becerra-says-he-will-fight-for-california-who-did-he-fight-for-as-ag\">California attorney general\u003c/a>, with 21%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer received 15%, while 10% of voters supported Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chad-bianco\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, the sheriff of Riverside County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chances of both Republicans advancing past the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">June 2 primary\u003c/a> to the general election appear increasingly slim as the gap between Hilton and Bianco has continued to grow following President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement\u003c/a> of Hilton in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In recent months, I have stated that California Democrats would do whatever was required to ensure that we elect a Democrat as our next governor,” said Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. “These results show we are moving closer to doing exactly that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, the remaining drama over the final two weeks of the primary campaign could come down to whether Becerra, who has surged in the polls over the last month, can maintain his lead over Steyer, a billionaire who has donated a record $193 million to his own campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has gained support in each of the biweekly Evitarus polls since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079800/eric-swalwell-allegations-resign-congress-california-governor-race-who-is-running-primary\">former Rep. Eric Swalwell ended his campaign\u003c/a> in response to accusations of sexual assault. The latest survey, conducted May 14-16, suggests that Becerra has emerged largely unscathed after two weeks of attacks from fellow Democrats in debates and television advertisements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Steyer has remained within striking distance. Since May 2, Becerra has increased his support from 18% to 21%, while Steyer has grown his share from 12% to 15%.[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]The bump in support for the two frontrunners seems to have come at the expense of two other Democrats: former Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/katie-porter\">Katie Porter\u003c/a> and San José Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/matt-mahan\">Matt Mahan\u003c/a>, who both suffered a decline in support compared to the Evitarus poll in early May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There remains room for more movement, as the survey found 13% of likely voters — and 17% of Democrats — remain undecided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With his near-unlimited war chest, Steyer is expected to continue to blanket the state with advertisements in the stretch run of the campaign. The former hedge fund manager has already smashed the state’s self-funding record, held by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who spent $140 million on her own campaign for governor in 2010.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has been aided by political groups operating independently of his campaign. An anti-Steyer super PAC \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083747/pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash\">funded largely by PG&E\u003c/a> and the California Chamber of Commerce has begun including pro-Becerra messaging in its ads. And on Monday, Airbnb, the California Association of Realtors and a pair of Native American tribal governments poured over $3.4 million into a pro-Becerra committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey released Tuesday will be the final one commissioned by the state Democratic Party before Election Day. The polls began as an effort by Hicks to pressure lower-polling candidates to drop out of the race, in order to consolidate the Democratic vote and prevent the party from being locked out of the general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his efforts, two Democrats polling at 1%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, remain in the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Certainly if they honestly assess the viability of their campaign, my guess is that they would call a press conference, suspend their campaign and endorse another candidate,” Hicks said. “Do I expect that to happen? No, I don’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Democratic voters in the race for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">California governor\u003c/a> appear to be consolidating behind \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/tom-steyer\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a>, as Becerra holds an advantage despite candidates’ mounting attacks against him and Steyer’s massive infusions of cash, according to a new survey released Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The poll, commissioned by the state Democratic Party and conducted by the firm Evitarus, found Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/steve-hilton\">Steve Hilton\u003c/a>, a former Fox News commentator, leading the overall field with support from 22% of likely voters. He was followed by Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083992/xavier-becerra-says-he-will-fight-for-california-who-did-he-fight-for-as-ag\">California attorney general\u003c/a>, with 21%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer received 15%, while 10% of voters supported Republican \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/chad-bianco\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, the sheriff of Riverside County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chances of both Republicans advancing past the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">June 2 primary\u003c/a> to the general election appear increasingly slim as the gap between Hilton and Bianco has continued to grow following President Donald Trump’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">endorsement\u003c/a> of Hilton in April.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In recent months, I have stated that California Democrats would do whatever was required to ensure that we elect a Democrat as our next governor,” said Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party. “These results show we are moving closer to doing exactly that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, the remaining drama over the final two weeks of the primary campaign could come down to whether Becerra, who has surged in the polls over the last month, can maintain his lead over Steyer, a billionaire who has donated a record $193 million to his own campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has gained support in each of the biweekly Evitarus polls since \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079800/eric-swalwell-allegations-resign-congress-california-governor-race-who-is-running-primary\">former Rep. Eric Swalwell ended his campaign\u003c/a> in response to accusations of sexual assault. The latest survey, conducted May 14-16, suggests that Becerra has emerged largely unscathed after two weeks of attacks from fellow Democrats in debates and television advertisements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Steyer has remained within striking distance. Since May 2, Becerra has increased his support from 18% to 21%, while Steyer has grown his share from 12% to 15%.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The bump in support for the two frontrunners seems to have come at the expense of two other Democrats: former Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/katie-porter\">Katie Porter\u003c/a> and San José Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/matt-mahan\">Matt Mahan\u003c/a>, who both suffered a decline in support compared to the Evitarus poll in early May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There remains room for more movement, as the survey found 13% of likely voters — and 17% of Democrats — remain undecided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With his near-unlimited war chest, Steyer is expected to continue to blanket the state with advertisements in the stretch run of the campaign. The former hedge fund manager has already smashed the state’s self-funding record, held by former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who spent $140 million on her own campaign for governor in 2010.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra has been aided by political groups operating independently of his campaign. An anti-Steyer super PAC \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083747/pge-spends-millions-against-tom-steyer-whats-behind-clash\">funded largely by PG&E\u003c/a> and the California Chamber of Commerce has begun including pro-Becerra messaging in its ads. And on Monday, Airbnb, the California Association of Realtors and a pair of Native American tribal governments poured over $3.4 million into a pro-Becerra committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey released Tuesday will be the final one commissioned by the state Democratic Party before Election Day. The polls began as an effort by Hicks to pressure lower-polling candidates to drop out of the race, in order to consolidate the Democratic vote and prevent the party from being locked out of the general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite his efforts, two Democrats polling at 1%, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, remain in the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Certainly if they honestly assess the viability of their campaign, my guess is that they would call a press conference, suspend their campaign and endorse another candidate,” Hicks said. “Do I expect that to happen? No, I don’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash?",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a> is smashing self-funding records with an unprecedented $193 million poured into his own campaign as he tries to advance past California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">wide-open primary\u003c/a> for governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The race’s second-largest donor is trying to prevent that from happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E, the Oakland-based utility giant, has shelled out more than $12 million to oppose the Democratic investor, a historic level of spending for the utility in a governor’s race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campaign to sink Steyer’s chances (and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/2055295439365103930?s=20\">recently\u003c/a>, boost former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra), whose ads target Steyer’s career as a hedge-fund manager, reasons that an investor with no government experience is ill-suited to manage the difficult tradeoffs that come with the state’s top job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But central to the conflict between the progressive billionaire and the power behemoth, experts say, is Steyer’s ambitious plan to cut electricity bills. That platform is built on a pledge to wield the governor’s power over appointments to install regulators who will reduce the utilities’ guaranteed profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is a material threat to utility investors,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few areas offer as vexing a challenge for the governor as the oversight of investor-owned utilities in the midst of California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">energy transition\u003c/a> away from fossil fuels. Outside observers are divided over the impact that Steyer could have in a policy area that has thwarted the ambitions (and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-31-mn-6834-story.html\">careers\u003c/a>) of previous governors.[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]But Steyer is relishing the clash, arguing that the utility’s big-dollar effort to stop him is proof of the power it holds — and the change he vows to bring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has cast the state’s three investor-owned utilities — PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — as bogeymen standing in the way of a more affordable life in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve said that we are going to regulate them differently and introduce local competition,” Steyer told KQED. “And they clearly think it’s worth $10 million as a bet to try and defeat me because they want to preserve their monopoly. I think that’s corrupt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">second-highest\u003c/a> electricity rates in the country after Hawaii, and those rates have grown much faster than the national average this decade. At the heart of the price spike are wildfire-related costs that the utilities have passed along in part to customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, Steyer is proposing to appoint reform-minded regulators to oversee the utilities. He promises that those appointees will cut utility profits, more closely examine the cost-effectiveness of wildfire spending and promote small-scale power generation, such as rooftop solar and microgrids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Steyer’s supporters, the politics of a utility crusade are undeniably positive. Voter antipathy toward the state’s large power providers cuts across urban progressives wary of monopoly power, rural residents anxious about utility-sparked fires and suburban solar customers furious about utility efforts to claw back rooftop benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an issue that is felt by not just the progressives but the moderates who also try to fight utility costs,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee, a progressive Democrat from San José who has endorsed Steyer. “We are all lamenting together that utilities have way too much power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>PG&E spends big\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer is leading with a bold promise: a 25% drop in electricity rates. He has paraded that vow in town halls, candidate debates and unceasing television advertisements. On Valentine’s Day, Steyer \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGv3mhkKRPQ\">released\u003c/a> a “break-up message” video outside a PG&E substation in San Francisco in which he called out the company’s CEO, Patti Poppe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s broadsides against the electric giants caught the eye of utility leadership — particularly after former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">amid sexual assault allegations\u003c/a>, making the possibility of a Steyer victory more realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pedro Pizarro, the CEO of SoCal Edison’s parent company, said on an April earnings call that he did not see any “fact basis” to Steyer’s promise of a 25% rate cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943199\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Blue trucks with 'pg and e' logo on them sit parked in a lot with the white and black blurry pattern of a fence in the foreground\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E trucks sit inside a Mission District facility owned by the utility. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have been very pointed about taking on things that are not connected to fact like those, and being outspoken about them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E has gone further — emerging as the top anti-Steyer spender in the closing weeks ahead of the June 2 primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility has contributed $12.6 million to a committee named Californians for Resilient and Affordable Energy, No on Steyer for Governor 2026. That committee has sent $12.5 million to an anti-Steyer independent expenditure committee, called California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, JOBSPAC, sent over $7.7 million to California is Not for Sale — after receiving roughly $2 million from each of the state’s investor-owned utilities in April. A spokesperson for the Chamber said decisions on campaign spending are made by JOBSPAC leadership, not individual donors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11725572\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11725572 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1438\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks past a PG&E sign. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The anti-Steyer super PAC has also drawn contributions from groups representing realtors, homebuilders and correctional officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The television ads funded by California is Not for Sale make no mention of Steyer’s electricity plan. Instead, they take aim at investments made by Steyer’s former hedge fund in private prison companies and fossil fuel projects. Steyer left the firm, Farallon Capital Management, in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission earlier this month, arguing that PG&E is deliberately obscuring its role as the top funder of the ads by donating to the Resilient and Affordable Energy group instead of directly to California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E referred a request for an interview for this story to a spokesperson for the super PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Super PAC: Opposition ‘bigger than any one policy’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is Not for Sale spokesperson Amelia Matier said the group’s spending is not being driven by PG&E — or by opposition to any specific proposal from Steyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is bigger than any one policy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matier argued the connective thread between the businesses spending against Steyer is a shared lack of faith that someone without any government experience could govern the world’s fourth-largest economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075623\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12075623 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Steyer speaks with Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos on Political Breakdown at KQED in San Francisco on March 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The group of people behind the IE just don’t think he’d be a good governor,” she said. “He doesn’t have the experience and know-how, and he wants to make everybody else the big corporate bogeyman — but the reality is that’s him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $12.6 million PG&E has spent against Steyer is hardly a financial avalanche in the context of costly California campaigns. The utility spent over $46 million to support a single initiative, Proposition 16, a failed 2010 measure that would have made it harder for cities and counties to create local power providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the anti-Steyer spending marks PG&E’s largest such outlay in a governor’s race, according to \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1007836&view=contributions&session=1999\">online filings\u003c/a> with the California secretary of state’s office, which date back to 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In splashy television ads, Steyer has declared that he will “bust” the utilities and “break up” their power. But he is not proposing to end California’s current structure of electricity regulation, in which power companies are traded on Wall Street and entitled to a guaranteed rate of return on capital investments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m happy to have investor-owned,” Steyer said during \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">an interview\u003c/a> on KQED’s Political Breakdown. “My issue is we are not regulating them right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A plan to ‘stop their gravy trains’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Much of Steyer’s electricity agenda is built on appointments he is eyeing for the five-member California Public Utilities Commission. The next governor will appoint two commissioners in January and replace three others over the course of their first term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has been at the center of bitter fights between utilities and ratepayer advocates over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910175/california-rooftop-solar-is-at-a-crossroads\">rooftop solar\u003c/a> benefits, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1992639/california-regulators-approve-adding-24-fixed-fee-to-utility-bills\">structure of electricity bills\u003c/a> and wildfire-related spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former CPUC President Loretta Lynch, a frequent agency critic, said regulators have not properly scrutinized utility spending, which has resulted in higher bills for customers. Steyer could bring the first change to that dynamic in decades, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E utility poles in the Mission District on Jan. 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not surprising if you look at it that way that the utilities are going all out to fight the candidates who are going to stop their gravy trains,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he will appoint commissioners who push the utilities to more quickly connect new customers to the grid (spreading the system’s fixed costs more broadly) and incentivize the power providers to spend on solar and battery storage, instead of building expensive new transmission lines and substations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most threatening proposal for California power companies is Steyer’s call for a cut in utility profits, said Wara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The return on equity, set by the CPUC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/cost-of-capital\">currently sits\u003c/a> at roughly 10% for PG&E, SoCal Edison and SDG&E. The rate represents the profit that utilities are authorized to earn — and collect from ratepayers — on shareholder-funded infrastructure investments.[aside postID=news_12082915 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_039-KQED.jpg']Utilities argue that a healthy return on equity is necessary to attract capital and fairly compensate shareholders for the risk of owning power companies that could face massive liability and even bankruptcy if their equipment sparks a wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those guaranteed profit rates have remained steady even at times when borrowing costs across the economy have declined. Utility critics point to research showing that elevated rates \u003ca href=\"https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/WP329.pdf\">create a perverse incentive\u003c/a> for electric companies to pursue costly investments in order to recoup the highest return — all at inflated cost to the customer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A former economist for the parent company of SDG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-18/state-regulators-vote-to-keep-utility-profits-high-angering-customers\">estimated\u003c/a> that reducing the return on equity to 6% would save customers $6.1 billion annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer has floated the idea of reducing the rate of return by 2 percentage points.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that could be accomplished, there is a significant potential savings for California electricity customers,” Wara said. “Of course [utilities] object to that — it would be crazy if they didn’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wara cautioned that a cut to utility profits is not without risk. If California lowers its rate of return and other states do not, shareholders could decide to invest in utilities in parts of the country offering higher profits without wildfire risk. With less cash on hand, California utilities could face higher borrowing costs that, in turn, would raise bills for ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question is how investors in that market respond,” Wara said. “Do they take their money elsewhere? Or do they think these three [California utility] stocks are too big not to have in their utility portfolio?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Difficult tradeoffs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Others see an imperiousness in Steyer’s broadsides against the utilities — a belief that complex reforms can be pushed through without compromise or tradeoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Dodd, a former state senator who worked extensively on utility legislation, has had a recurring question as he’s watched Steyer’s ads promising lower electricity rates: “How the hell is he going to do that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd argued that many of the cost pressures facing utilities and their ratepayers are a result of climate change, as hotter temperatures and shorter windows of precipitation have lengthened California’s fire season. No matter who is governor, power companies will need to spend money to trim trees and bury power lines, while setting aside billions of dollars to pay claims arising from future wildfires caused by their equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks during a town hall event on April 30, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And while governors typically enjoy great sway over state agencies, the commissioners Steyer appoints to the CPUC will still be bound by state law requiring utility rates to be “just and reasonable” — balancing affordability with the need to attract shareholder investment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bottom line is even when you appoint members of the CPUC, they are still taking an oath to the state of California,” Dodd said. “So I don’t think it’s as easy to get done as just [saying] ‘I’m going to replace everybody.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign said he will look for commissioners with a shared vision for regulating the state’s investor-owned utilities.[aside label=\"2026 Bay Area Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/bayarea,Learn about every single race and measure across the nine Bay Area counties' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-Bay-Area-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]Complicating matters, Californians’ desire for rate relief exists alongside their expectations of reliable service and wildfire safety. Steyer’s electricity plan promises to “strengthen safety, bolster reliability, and lower prices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard for me to imagine that we can achieve all of those three things at once,” said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ongoing utility investments to prevent wildfires are likely to keep electricity prices elevated: The CPUC is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/office-of-governmental-affairs-division/reports/2025/2025-sb-695-report_093025.pdf\">projecting\u003c/a> rate increases through 2028 of roughly 6% for PG&E and SDG&E and around 7% for SoCal Edison, compared with an assumed inflation rate of 2.6%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But lowering bills by reducing spending on wildfire mitigation could require the state to accept a higher tolerance for catastrophic blazes. And while strategies such as planned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891810/pge-power-shutoffs-are-affecting-thousands-again-heres-when-they-can-expect-to-get-it-back\">power outages\u003c/a> could help avoid those fires at a relatively low cost, they bring disruption to the daily lives of Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we decide to focus on reducing rates, I think we’re going to have to trade off reliability and tolerate more wildfire risk,” Fowlie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the Legislature have spent much of the last year weighing those tradeoffs. In some ways, Steyer would be showing up in the second act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislation moving through the Senate this year would \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB905\">reduce\u003c/a> utility profits and tap the state budget to pay for certain investments currently funded by ratepayers. And a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">state report\u003c/a> on resilience to natural catastrophes released last month could serve as the starting point for negotiations this summer around reforms to wildfire liability and California’s home insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I think if I was a utility, I would see [Steyer] as signaling that he will continue along this path,” Fowlie said. “And continuing along that path could have implications for how they’re able to conduct their business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "PG&E Spends Millions Against Tom Steyer. What’s Behind the Clash? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">Tom Steyer\u003c/a> is smashing self-funding records with an unprecedented $193 million poured into his own campaign as he tries to advance past California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">wide-open primary\u003c/a> for governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The race’s second-largest donor is trying to prevent that from happening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E, the Oakland-based utility giant, has shelled out more than $12 million to oppose the Democratic investor, a historic level of spending for the utility in a governor’s race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campaign to sink Steyer’s chances (and \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/2055295439365103930?s=20\">recently\u003c/a>, boost former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra), whose ads target Steyer’s career as a hedge-fund manager, reasons that an investor with no government experience is ill-suited to manage the difficult tradeoffs that come with the state’s top job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But central to the conflict between the progressive billionaire and the power behemoth, experts say, is Steyer’s ambitious plan to cut electricity bills. That platform is built on a pledge to wield the governor’s power over appointments to install regulators who will reduce the utilities’ guaranteed profits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That is a material threat to utility investors,” said Michael Wara, director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few areas offer as vexing a challenge for the governor as the oversight of investor-owned utilities in the midst of California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1998536/newsom-signs-climate-energy-bills-charting-state-course-through-perilous-mid-transition\">energy transition\u003c/a> away from fossil fuels. Outside observers are divided over the impact that Steyer could have in a policy area that has thwarted the ambitions (and even \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-dec-31-mn-6834-story.html\">careers\u003c/a>) of previous governors.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But Steyer is relishing the clash, arguing that the utility’s big-dollar effort to stop him is proof of the power it holds — and the change he vows to bring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He has cast the state’s three investor-owned utilities — PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric — as bogeymen standing in the way of a more affordable life in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve said that we are going to regulate them differently and introduce local competition,” Steyer told KQED. “And they clearly think it’s worth $10 million as a bet to try and defeat me because they want to preserve their monopoly. I think that’s corrupt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians pay the \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a\">second-highest\u003c/a> electricity rates in the country after Hawaii, and those rates have grown much faster than the national average this decade. At the heart of the price spike are wildfire-related costs that the utilities have passed along in part to customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, Steyer is proposing to appoint reform-minded regulators to oversee the utilities. He promises that those appointees will cut utility profits, more closely examine the cost-effectiveness of wildfire spending and promote small-scale power generation, such as rooftop solar and microgrids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Steyer’s supporters, the politics of a utility crusade are undeniably positive. Voter antipathy toward the state’s large power providers cuts across urban progressives wary of monopoly power, rural residents anxious about utility-sparked fires and suburban solar customers furious about utility efforts to claw back rooftop benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an issue that is felt by not just the progressives but the moderates who also try to fight utility costs,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee, a progressive Democrat from San José who has endorsed Steyer. “We are all lamenting together that utilities have way too much power.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>PG&E spends big\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Steyer is leading with a bold promise: a 25% drop in electricity rates. He has paraded that vow in town halls, candidate debates and unceasing television advertisements. On Valentine’s Day, Steyer \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGv3mhkKRPQ\">released\u003c/a> a “break-up message” video outside a PG&E substation in San Francisco in which he called out the company’s CEO, Patti Poppe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s broadsides against the electric giants caught the eye of utility leadership — particularly after former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">amid sexual assault allegations\u003c/a>, making the possibility of a Steyer victory more realistic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pedro Pizarro, the CEO of SoCal Edison’s parent company, said on an April earnings call that he did not see any “fact basis” to Steyer’s promise of a 25% rate cut.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11943199\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11943199\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Blue trucks with 'pg and e' logo on them sit parked in a lot with the white and black blurry pattern of a fence in the foreground\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/03/RS34908_P1100952-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E trucks sit inside a Mission District facility owned by the utility. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have been very pointed about taking on things that are not connected to fact like those, and being outspoken about them,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E has gone further — emerging as the top anti-Steyer spender in the closing weeks ahead of the June 2 primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility has contributed $12.6 million to a committee named Californians for Resilient and Affordable Energy, No on Steyer for Governor 2026. That committee has sent $12.5 million to an anti-Steyer independent expenditure committee, called California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, JOBSPAC, sent over $7.7 million to California is Not for Sale — after receiving roughly $2 million from each of the state’s investor-owned utilities in April. A spokesperson for the Chamber said decisions on campaign spending are made by JOBSPAC leadership, not individual donors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11725572\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11725572 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/02/ap_19032839240667-c3ea9c8607ab8c46c7dcbc486a7c0f917e3d5a08-e1549984154270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1438\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks past a PG&E sign. \u003ccite>(Jeff Chiu/AP)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The anti-Steyer super PAC has also drawn contributions from groups representing realtors, homebuilders and correctional officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The television ads funded by California is Not for Sale make no mention of Steyer’s electricity plan. Instead, they take aim at investments made by Steyer’s former hedge fund in private prison companies and fossil fuel projects. Steyer left the firm, Farallon Capital Management, in 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission earlier this month, arguing that PG&E is deliberately obscuring its role as the top funder of the ads by donating to the Resilient and Affordable Energy group instead of directly to California is Not for Sale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E referred a request for an interview for this story to a spokesperson for the super PAC.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Super PAC: Opposition ‘bigger than any one policy’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California is Not for Sale spokesperson Amelia Matier said the group’s spending is not being driven by PG&E — or by opposition to any specific proposal from Steyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is bigger than any one policy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matier argued the connective thread between the businesses spending against Steyer is a shared lack of faith that someone without any government experience could govern the world’s fourth-largest economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075623\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12075623 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260306-TOM-STEYER-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Steyer speaks with Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos on Political Breakdown at KQED in San Francisco on March 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The group of people behind the IE just don’t think he’d be a good governor,” she said. “He doesn’t have the experience and know-how, and he wants to make everybody else the big corporate bogeyman — but the reality is that’s him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The $12.6 million PG&E has spent against Steyer is hardly a financial avalanche in the context of costly California campaigns. The utility spent over $46 million to support a single initiative, Proposition 16, a failed 2010 measure that would have made it harder for cities and counties to create local power providers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the anti-Steyer spending marks PG&E’s largest such outlay in a governor’s race, according to \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1007836&view=contributions&session=1999\">online filings\u003c/a> with the California secretary of state’s office, which date back to 1999.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In splashy television ads, Steyer has declared that he will “bust” the utilities and “break up” their power. But he is not proposing to end California’s current structure of electricity regulation, in which power companies are traded on Wall Street and entitled to a guaranteed rate of return on capital investments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m happy to have investor-owned,” Steyer said during \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075769/tom-steyer-lays-out-vision-for-a-more-affordable-california-in-run-for-governor\">an interview\u003c/a> on KQED’s Political Breakdown. “My issue is we are not regulating them right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A plan to ‘stop their gravy trains’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Much of Steyer’s electricity agenda is built on appointments he is eyeing for the five-member California Public Utilities Commission. The next governor will appoint two commissioners in January and replace three others over the course of their first term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CPUC has been at the center of bitter fights between utilities and ratepayer advocates over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101910175/california-rooftop-solar-is-at-a-crossroads\">rooftop solar\u003c/a> benefits, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1992639/california-regulators-approve-adding-24-fixed-fee-to-utility-bills\">structure of electricity bills\u003c/a> and wildfire-related spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Former CPUC President Loretta Lynch, a frequent agency critic, said regulators have not properly scrutinized utility spending, which has resulted in higher bills for customers. Steyer could bring the first change to that dynamic in decades, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033400\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033400\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/P1100970_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">PG&E utility poles in the Mission District on Jan. 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Sheraz Sadiq/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not surprising if you look at it that way that the utilities are going all out to fight the candidates who are going to stop their gravy trains,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer said he will appoint commissioners who push the utilities to more quickly connect new customers to the grid (spreading the system’s fixed costs more broadly) and incentivize the power providers to spend on solar and battery storage, instead of building expensive new transmission lines and substations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most threatening proposal for California power companies is Steyer’s call for a cut in utility profits, said Wara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The return on equity, set by the CPUC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/electric-costs/cost-of-capital\">currently sits\u003c/a> at roughly 10% for PG&E, SoCal Edison and SDG&E. The rate represents the profit that utilities are authorized to earn — and collect from ratepayers — on shareholder-funded infrastructure investments.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Utilities argue that a healthy return on equity is necessary to attract capital and fairly compensate shareholders for the risk of owning power companies that could face massive liability and even bankruptcy if their equipment sparks a wildfire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those guaranteed profit rates have remained steady even at times when borrowing costs across the economy have declined. Utility critics point to research showing that elevated rates \u003ca href=\"https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/WP329.pdf\">create a perverse incentive\u003c/a> for electric companies to pursue costly investments in order to recoup the highest return — all at inflated cost to the customer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A former economist for the parent company of SDG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-18/state-regulators-vote-to-keep-utility-profits-high-angering-customers\">estimated\u003c/a> that reducing the return on equity to 6% would save customers $6.1 billion annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer has floated the idea of reducing the rate of return by 2 percentage points.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that could be accomplished, there is a significant potential savings for California electricity customers,” Wara said. “Of course [utilities] object to that — it would be crazy if they didn’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wara cautioned that a cut to utility profits is not without risk. If California lowers its rate of return and other states do not, shareholders could decide to invest in utilities in parts of the country offering higher profits without wildfire risk. With less cash on hand, California utilities could face higher borrowing costs that, in turn, would raise bills for ratepayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question is how investors in that market respond,” Wara said. “Do they take their money elsewhere? Or do they think these three [California utility] stocks are too big not to have in their utility portfolio?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Difficult tradeoffs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Others see an imperiousness in Steyer’s broadsides against the utilities — a belief that complex reforms can be pushed through without compromise or tradeoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bill Dodd, a former state senator who worked extensively on utility legislation, has had a recurring question as he’s watched Steyer’s ads promising lower electricity rates: “How the hell is he going to do that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dodd argued that many of the cost pressures facing utilities and their ratepayers are a result of climate change, as hotter temperatures and shorter windows of precipitation have lengthened California’s fire season. No matter who is governor, power companies will need to spend money to trim trees and bury power lines, while setting aside billions of dollars to pay claims arising from future wildfires caused by their equipment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082332\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082332\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/043006TOMSTEYER_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks during a town hall event on April 30, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And while governors typically enjoy great sway over state agencies, the commissioners Steyer appoints to the CPUC will still be bound by state law requiring utility rates to be “just and reasonable” — balancing affordability with the need to attract shareholder investment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bottom line is even when you appoint members of the CPUC, they are still taking an oath to the state of California,” Dodd said. “So I don’t think it’s as easy to get done as just [saying] ‘I’m going to replace everybody.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Steyer’s campaign said he will look for commissioners with a shared vision for regulating the state’s investor-owned utilities.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Complicating matters, Californians’ desire for rate relief exists alongside their expectations of reliable service and wildfire safety. Steyer’s electricity plan promises to “strengthen safety, bolster reliability, and lower prices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard for me to imagine that we can achieve all of those three things at once,” said Meredith Fowlie, faculty director at UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute at Haas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ongoing utility investments to prevent wildfires are likely to keep electricity prices elevated: The CPUC is \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/office-of-governmental-affairs-division/reports/2025/2025-sb-695-report_093025.pdf\">projecting\u003c/a> rate increases through 2028 of roughly 6% for PG&E and SDG&E and around 7% for SoCal Edison, compared with an assumed inflation rate of 2.6%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But lowering bills by reducing spending on wildfire mitigation could require the state to accept a higher tolerance for catastrophic blazes. And while strategies such as planned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891810/pge-power-shutoffs-are-affecting-thousands-again-heres-when-they-can-expect-to-get-it-back\">power outages\u003c/a> could help avoid those fires at a relatively low cost, they bring disruption to the daily lives of Californians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we decide to focus on reducing rates, I think we’re going to have to trade off reliability and tolerate more wildfire risk,” Fowlie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the Legislature have spent much of the last year weighing those tradeoffs. In some ways, Steyer would be showing up in the second act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislation moving through the Senate this year would \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB905\">reduce\u003c/a> utility profits and tap the state budget to pay for certain investments currently funded by ratepayers. And a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cawildfirefund.com/sb-254-natural-catastrophe-resilience-study\">state report\u003c/a> on resilience to natural catastrophes released last month could serve as the starting point for negotiations this summer around reforms to wildfire liability and California’s home insurance market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I think if I was a utility, I would see [Steyer] as signaling that he will continue along this path,” Fowlie said. “And continuing along that path could have implications for how they’re able to conduct their business.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "chad-bianco-pitches-deregulation-and-a-focus-on-fraud-at-kqed-governor-town-hall",
"title": "Chad Bianco Pitches Deregulation and a Focus on Fraud at KQED Governor Town Hall",
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"headTitle": "Chad Bianco Pitches Deregulation and a Focus on Fraud at KQED Governor Town Hall | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Riverside County Sheriff \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081096/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-on-his-faith-cutting-taxes-and-ballot-seizure\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, who has held on as a contender in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/2026-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>, laid out a deregulatory agenda at a KQED town hall on Monday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Day one priority is immediately making our lives better,” the Republican sheriff said. “There are so many things that are hampering that, that are making our lives difficult, and the majority of them are regulatory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When pressed for specifics, Bianco said he would aim to lower gasoline prices by eliminating the state gas tax and regulatory fees at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco has consistently polled in the double digits, even as his numbers dip approaching the wide-open June 2 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">primary election\u003c/a>. Despite being a longtime Donald Trump supporter, Bianco lost the president’s endorsement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">to Steve Hilton\u003c/a> last month — and on Monday, he warned that the former Fox News host’s lack of elected experience should concern voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To be very frank, he’s for me more dangerous than the other Democrats that are running because we have an example of what they’ll do,” Bianco said. “But with him, he’s always behind the scenes. So he’s never run for elected office, he’s never had an elected office that there’s proof of concept with. And that really is what separates me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco also took questions from Bay Area residents on public schools, housing shortages, road conditions, government fraud, the homeowner insurance crisis and immigration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are three highlights from the town hall, moderated by KQED’s Marisa Lagos:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A vow to end sanctuary policy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco was raised in a military family in Utah and moved in 1989 to California, where he’s spent more than three decades in law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said public safety should be the number one priority for the governor and took aim at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016037/california-is-a-sanctuary-state-how-much-protection-will-that-give-immigrants-from-trumps-deportation-plans\">the state’s sanctuary policies\u003c/a>, which he said have made California less safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Vus2mYPQ4\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco argued that if local law enforcement is barred from coordinating with U.S. immigration enforcement about people in their custody, federal agents are forced to take their enforcement operations into communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Trump took office, he said, immigrants’ trust in law enforcement has waned, leading to a “drastic decrease in calls for service” from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not reporting crime anymore because the media, the politicians and everything else have now convinced them that deputies and police officers are the enemy and you have to avoid us,” he said. “And now we know they are being victimized, and they’re afraid to report it to us. That is a failure of politicians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If elected governor, Bianco said he would eliminate sanctuary policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It absolutely must be taken away because it makes us less safe,” he said. “It doesn’t make me safer. It doesn’t make you safer. And it does nothing to prevent or keep safe people who are in this country illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Less regulation, more homes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco kept returning to his promise to reduce government regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breanna Shaw, a student at San Francisco State University, said she’s been unhoused or housing-insecure her whole life. She asked Bianco how he would “address the growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64314/unhoused-students-face-unique-challenges-how-can-schools-help\">student housing insecurity\u003c/a> and its effect on our educated workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBSOWwP4rFg\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco blamed California’s regulatory environment, saying it takes three to five years to build a home in the state, compared with 90 days elsewhere. Much of the price of a home, he said, goes toward recovering fees and permits, driving builders away from affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are no homes, affordable homes, for kids or first-time buyers,” he said. “That’s not like that in any other state. It’s only California because of the regulatory environment. And as the governor, I can remove that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Allegations of waste, fraud and abuse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco said California has “never had a money problem,” but instead has a “horrific spending problem and a lack-of-accountability problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rose Usher, a disabled senior who could not make it to the event, submitted a question in advance about government fraud, saying it concerns her because it reduces the funding and availability of services she relies on. She asked what Bianco would do about issues like senior housing fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1K0MSe6EmA\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response, Bianco said he would audit “every single dollar” that flows from the governor’s budget for fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our own state Finance [Department] has said that we are the most corrupt government in the country as far as fraud, waste and abuse is concerned because we do nothing to track fraud, find fraud, stop fraud, and we just keep letting it happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went after the state Department of Justice for failing in its responsibility to root out fraud, accusing the department of spending too much of its budget on attorneys instead of investigators.[aside postID=news_12083839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3319_1_qed.jpg']“Life should not be about suing people, it should be about going and finding the fraud,” Bianco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco’s focus on fraud has extended beyond state spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080702/internal-emails-show-how-fringe-groups-fueled-sheriff-chad-biancos-ballot-seizure\">seized hundreds of thousands of ballots\u003c/a> from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, launching an investigation into allegations of election fraud in the November special election on Proposition 50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Bianco ignored objections to the investigation from state Attorney General Rob Bonta, the California Supreme Court in April ordered him to halt the investigation and took up Bonta’s case, questioning whether the seizure and investigation were lawful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here’s the dishonesty from the attorney general: They want you to believe I did something wrong,” Bianco said. “There is absolutely nothing wrong of what I did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco told \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/07/chad-bianco-riverside-ballot-seizure/\">the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he would also consider seizing ballots in the primary election if there are allegations of misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "Chad Bianco Pitches Deregulation and a Focus on Fraud at KQED Governor Town Hall | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Riverside County Sheriff \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081096/riverside-county-sheriff-chad-bianco-on-his-faith-cutting-taxes-and-ballot-seizure\">Chad Bianco\u003c/a>, who has held on as a contender in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/2026-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>, laid out a deregulatory agenda at a KQED town hall on Monday night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Day one priority is immediately making our lives better,” the Republican sheriff said. “There are so many things that are hampering that, that are making our lives difficult, and the majority of them are regulatory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When pressed for specifics, Bianco said he would aim to lower gasoline prices by eliminating the state gas tax and regulatory fees at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco has consistently polled in the double digits, even as his numbers dip approaching the wide-open June 2 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083839/what-is-californias-jungle-primary-and-why-does-it-matter-so-much-for-the-governors-race\">primary election\u003c/a>. Despite being a longtime Donald Trump supporter, Bianco lost the president’s endorsement \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078793/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-for-california-governor-giving-gop-a-front-runner\">to Steve Hilton\u003c/a> last month — and on Monday, he warned that the former Fox News host’s lack of elected experience should concern voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“To be very frank, he’s for me more dangerous than the other Democrats that are running because we have an example of what they’ll do,” Bianco said. “But with him, he’s always behind the scenes. So he’s never run for elected office, he’s never had an elected office that there’s proof of concept with. And that really is what separates me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco also took questions from Bay Area residents on public schools, housing shortages, road conditions, government fraud, the homeowner insurance crisis and immigration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here are three highlights from the town hall, moderated by KQED’s Marisa Lagos:\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A vow to end sanctuary policy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco was raised in a military family in Utah and moved in 1989 to California, where he’s spent more than three decades in law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said public safety should be the number one priority for the governor and took aim at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12016037/california-is-a-sanctuary-state-how-much-protection-will-that-give-immigrants-from-trumps-deportation-plans\">the state’s sanctuary policies\u003c/a>, which he said have made California less safe.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/1-Vus2mYPQ4'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/1-Vus2mYPQ4'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Bianco argued that if local law enforcement is barred from coordinating with U.S. immigration enforcement about people in their custody, federal agents are forced to take their enforcement operations into communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since Trump took office, he said, immigrants’ trust in law enforcement has waned, leading to a “drastic decrease in calls for service” from them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not reporting crime anymore because the media, the politicians and everything else have now convinced them that deputies and police officers are the enemy and you have to avoid us,” he said. “And now we know they are being victimized, and they’re afraid to report it to us. That is a failure of politicians.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If elected governor, Bianco said he would eliminate sanctuary policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It absolutely must be taken away because it makes us less safe,” he said. “It doesn’t make me safer. It doesn’t make you safer. And it does nothing to prevent or keep safe people who are in this country illegally.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Less regulation, more homes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco kept returning to his promise to reduce government regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breanna Shaw, a student at San Francisco State University, said she’s been unhoused or housing-insecure her whole life. She asked Bianco how he would “address the growing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/64314/unhoused-students-face-unique-challenges-how-can-schools-help\">student housing insecurity\u003c/a> and its effect on our educated workforce.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/GBSOWwP4rFg'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/GBSOWwP4rFg'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Bianco blamed California’s regulatory environment, saying it takes three to five years to build a home in the state, compared with 90 days elsewhere. Much of the price of a home, he said, goes toward recovering fees and permits, driving builders away from affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are no homes, affordable homes, for kids or first-time buyers,” he said. “That’s not like that in any other state. It’s only California because of the regulatory environment. And as the governor, I can remove that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Allegations of waste, fraud and abuse\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bianco said California has “never had a money problem,” but instead has a “horrific spending problem and a lack-of-accountability problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rose Usher, a disabled senior who could not make it to the event, submitted a question in advance about government fraud, saying it concerns her because it reduces the funding and availability of services she relies on. She asked what Bianco would do about issues like senior housing fraud.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/t1K0MSe6EmA'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/t1K0MSe6EmA'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>In response, Bianco said he would audit “every single dollar” that flows from the governor’s budget for fraud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our own state Finance [Department] has said that we are the most corrupt government in the country as far as fraud, waste and abuse is concerned because we do nothing to track fraud, find fraud, stop fraud, and we just keep letting it happen,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He went after the state Department of Justice for failing in its responsibility to root out fraud, accusing the department of spending too much of its budget on attorneys instead of investigators.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Life should not be about suing people, it should be about going and finding the fraud,” Bianco said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco’s focus on fraud has extended beyond state spending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080702/internal-emails-show-how-fringe-groups-fueled-sheriff-chad-biancos-ballot-seizure\">seized hundreds of thousands of ballots\u003c/a> from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, launching an investigation into allegations of election fraud in the November special election on Proposition 50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After Bianco ignored objections to the investigation from state Attorney General Rob Bonta, the California Supreme Court in April ordered him to halt the investigation and took up Bonta’s case, questioning whether the seizure and investigation were lawful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Here’s the dishonesty from the attorney general: They want you to believe I did something wrong,” Bianco said. “There is absolutely nothing wrong of what I did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bianco told \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/07/chad-bianco-riverside-ballot-seizure/\">the \u003cem>Washington Post\u003c/em>\u003c/a> he would also consider seizing ballots in the primary election if there are allegations of misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-quietly-brings-back-controversial-scoring-policy-for-trans-student-athletes",
"title": "California Quietly Brings Back Controversial Scoring Policy for Trans Student Athletes",
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"headTitle": "California Quietly Brings Back Controversial Scoring Policy for Trans Student Athletes | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>AB Hernandez found out the California Interscholastic Federation was bringing back a controversial scoring policy for track and field events with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081357/they-picked-on-the-wrong-kid-how-families-are-speaking-up-for-trans-athletes\">transgender competitors\u003c/a>, the same way many teens learn important news: checking her phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were driving home when AB checked the app, and she’s like, ‘They’re doing it again,’” her mother, Nereyda Hernandez, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For much of the spring, how the CIF planned to handle this year’s track championship season had been an unknown. Last year, the state’s high school athletics governing body piloted the rule, which allowed an additional competitor to advance and earn a medal in events in which a transgender girl competes and places, after months of anti-trans backlash against Hernandez’s participation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But results from a regional preliminary competition on May 9 noted that 10 girls, instead of nine, would advance in only the three events AB, 17, competed in: high jump, long jump and triple jump. Hernandez’s mother said it signaled to the Riverside County track and field star that the rule would be reinstated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because they had only mentioned it was going to be for the championships, we didn’t think we’d have to deal with it again,” Hernandez said last week. Finding out that the policy would be reinstated, she said, “crushed [AB’s] heart.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She missed school on Monday. I don’t think she’s going to school [Friday],” Hernandez continued. “It’s just been hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084168\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084168\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley wins the invitational girls long jump at 20-3 (6.17 meters) during the 58th Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School on April 11, 2026, in Arcadia, California. \u003ccite>(Kirby Lee/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At Saturday’s Southern Section regional finals in Ventura County, coaches were given written notice that CIF would implement its pilot entry policy again. Before that, the federation had not confirmed that it would reinstate the entry protocol. Last spring, it said the pilot would only apply to that year’s championship meet, which took place May 30 and 31, 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the weekend, Hernandez, a Jurupa Valley High School senior, won the regional finals in each of her three events. During the medal ceremony for the high jump, she and the second-place finisher shared the top spot on the podium and were both given gold medals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout last year’s track season, anti-trans advocates protested during meets and attended CIF meetings, where they called on state leaders to “Save girls sports.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue caught \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12042352/trans-athlete-shines-in-california-high-school-track-finals-ignites-amid-policy-debate\">national attention\u003c/a> ahead of the 2025 championships, when President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California in a post on his social media site Truth Social, saying that the state “continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.” He seemed to invoke AB in his post, referring to an athlete who had transitioned and was set to compete.[aside postID=news_12081357 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260429-CIF-Trans-Athletes-01-KQED.jpg']CIF’s last-minute 2025 rule change, announced days before the championship meet, came amid that mounting pressure. At the meet, AB finished first in the high jump and long jump, and multiple gold medals were awarded in both events. She also placed second in the long jump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student athletes,” the federation said in a statement at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this past weekend’s meet, images of AB sharing the podium with another athlete at the regional finals were circulated by conservative activists on social media, who claimed the policy stole medals from cisgender girls. Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer, called it unfair and a “humiliation ritual” for girls. She and others who reposted her statement repeatedly misgendered AB.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, the U.S. Department of Justice also alleged in a lawsuit \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047432/us-sues-california-over-its-refusal-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-girls-sports\">against California’s Department of Education and CIF\u003c/a> that the pilot entry policy failed to remedy Title IX discrimination against cisgender girls. The DOJ is suing the state over its law that allows students to compete on athletic teams that match their gender identity. More than half of the states have adopted policies restricting transgender student athletes’ participation in sports, and the Supreme Court seems \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069570/california-advocates-fearful-as-supreme-court-weighs-bans-of-trans-student-athletes\">poised to uphold\u003c/a> those bans this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, Hernandez said the policy minimizes athletes like her daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of like she’s nonexistent,” she told KQED. “She puts in the work, she participates, but she wants to be honored. She wants to be acknowledged as the person, the athlete she is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the finals on Saturday, Hernandez said her daughter told her, speaking of the policy: “It’s like they see me, but they see past me or through me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hernandez enters next week’s Masters Meet at Moorpark High School with the highest qualifying scores for the high jump, long jump and triple jump. The statewide finals are planned for May 28 and 29 in Clovis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A state high school athletics federation reintroduced a rule allowing an additional competitor to earn a medal in events in which a transgender athlete places. Neither parents nor the Trump administration are happy.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>AB Hernandez found out the California Interscholastic Federation was bringing back a controversial scoring policy for track and field events with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081357/they-picked-on-the-wrong-kid-how-families-are-speaking-up-for-trans-athletes\">transgender competitors\u003c/a>, the same way many teens learn important news: checking her phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We were driving home when AB checked the app, and she’s like, ‘They’re doing it again,’” her mother, Nereyda Hernandez, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For much of the spring, how the CIF planned to handle this year’s track championship season had been an unknown. Last year, the state’s high school athletics governing body piloted the rule, which allowed an additional competitor to advance and earn a medal in events in which a transgender girl competes and places, after months of anti-trans backlash against Hernandez’s participation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But results from a regional preliminary competition on May 9 noted that 10 girls, instead of nine, would advance in only the three events AB, 17, competed in: high jump, long jump and triple jump. Hernandez’s mother said it signaled to the Riverside County track and field star that the rule would be reinstated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because they had only mentioned it was going to be for the championships, we didn’t think we’d have to deal with it again,” Hernandez said last week. Finding out that the policy would be reinstated, she said, “crushed [AB’s] heart.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She missed school on Monday. I don’t think she’s going to school [Friday],” Hernandez continued. “It’s just been hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084168\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084168\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/ABHernandezGetty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley wins the invitational girls long jump at 20-3 (6.17 meters) during the 58th Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High School on April 11, 2026, in Arcadia, California. \u003ccite>(Kirby Lee/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At Saturday’s Southern Section regional finals in Ventura County, coaches were given written notice that CIF would implement its pilot entry policy again. Before that, the federation had not confirmed that it would reinstate the entry protocol. Last spring, it said the pilot would only apply to that year’s championship meet, which took place May 30 and 31, 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the weekend, Hernandez, a Jurupa Valley High School senior, won the regional finals in each of her three events. During the medal ceremony for the high jump, she and the second-place finisher shared the top spot on the podium and were both given gold medals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout last year’s track season, anti-trans advocates protested during meets and attended CIF meetings, where they called on state leaders to “Save girls sports.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The issue caught \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12042352/trans-athlete-shines-in-california-high-school-track-finals-ignites-amid-policy-debate\">national attention\u003c/a> ahead of the 2025 championships, when President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California in a post on his social media site Truth Social, saying that the state “continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.” He seemed to invoke AB in his post, referring to an athlete who had transitioned and was set to compete.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>CIF’s last-minute 2025 rule change, announced days before the championship meet, came amid that mounting pressure. At the meet, AB finished first in the high jump and long jump, and multiple gold medals were awarded in both events. She also placed second in the long jump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student athletes,” the federation said in a statement at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After this past weekend’s meet, images of AB sharing the podium with another athlete at the regional finals were circulated by conservative activists on social media, who claimed the policy stole medals from cisgender girls. Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer, called it unfair and a “humiliation ritual” for girls. She and others who reposted her statement repeatedly misgendered AB.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, the U.S. Department of Justice also alleged in a lawsuit \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047432/us-sues-california-over-its-refusal-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-girls-sports\">against California’s Department of Education and CIF\u003c/a> that the pilot entry policy failed to remedy Title IX discrimination against cisgender girls. The DOJ is suing the state over its law that allows students to compete on athletic teams that match their gender identity. More than half of the states have adopted policies restricting transgender student athletes’ participation in sports, and the Supreme Court seems \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069570/california-advocates-fearful-as-supreme-court-weighs-bans-of-trans-student-athletes\">poised to uphold\u003c/a> those bans this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, Hernandez said the policy minimizes athletes like her daughter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of like she’s nonexistent,” she told KQED. “She puts in the work, she participates, but she wants to be honored. She wants to be acknowledged as the person, the athlete she is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the finals on Saturday, Hernandez said her daughter told her, speaking of the policy: “It’s like they see me, but they see past me or through me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hernandez enters next week’s Masters Meet at Moorpark High School with the highest qualifying scores for the high jump, long jump and triple jump. The statewide finals are planned for May 28 and 29 in Clovis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/nancy-pelosi\">Nancy Pelosi \u003c/a>announced Monday that she is endorsing San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to be her replacement in Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know I love this district. I know the Congress and I know Connie. I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan, and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress,” Pelosi said in her much-anticipated endorsement statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Washington, D.C., for nearly 40 years and became one of the nation’s most powerful politicians, will retire in less than a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan immigrated to San Francisco’s Chinatown from Hong Kong as a child and has represented the Richmond District on the Board of Supervisors since 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I remember seeing San Francisco for the first time when I was 13 years old. I did not speak a word of English but I had heard this was a sanctuary city where anything was possible,” Chan said following the announcement. “Today, to be endorsed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi to follow her in Congress — I know that is true. That’s San Francisco and that is the city we are fighting for.”[aside postID=news_12083100 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/017_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg']\u003c/span>So far, Chan has secured support from labor groups and other politicians, including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she has trailed two of her competitors, also Democrats, in the polls and has raised only a fraction of the war chests they wield. The latest endorsement marks a significant win for Chan and could give her campaign a boost just weeks ahead of the primary, where the top two vote getters will proceed to the general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other candidates include Sen. Scott Wiener, a state lawmaker and former San Francisco supervisor, as well as Saikat Chakrabarti, a former software engineer who previously worked for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and as chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a moderate Democrat by San Francisco standards, \u003c/span>has nabbed endorsements from the California Democratic Party and politicians, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo, as well as groups like the San Francisco arm of Yes In My Backyard, a pro-housing development group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chakrabarti, a more progressive candidate, has positioned himself as an outsider in the race, looking to change the political establishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I decided to run for Congress last year against Nancy Pelosi because I know that we need a new generation of leadership to do more than just stop Trump,” Chakrabarti said in a statement about Pelosi’s endorsement. “Our strategy has never been to win the endorsements of the establishment I’m running against — it’s been to win the votes of people directly.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069070\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069070\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, a candidate for California’s 11th Congressional District, participates in a forum with other candidates at UC Law San Francisco on Jan. 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neither Sanders nor Ocasio-Cortez, two prominent political figures he often cites his work with, has shown public support for his largely self-funded campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I am grateful and humbled by the support I’ve received from thousands of San Franciscans who have joined this campaign,” Chan said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “Speaker Emerita Pelosi has shown by example what we can do when we stand together and we will now fight to make sure our beloved city remains a place of opportunity for all San Franciscans, and the conscience of our nation.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/nancy-pelosi\">Nancy Pelosi \u003c/a>announced Monday that she is endorsing San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan to be her replacement in Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know I love this district. I know the Congress and I know Connie. I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan, and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress,” Pelosi said in her much-anticipated endorsement statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Washington, D.C., for nearly 40 years and became one of the nation’s most powerful politicians, will retire in less than a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chan immigrated to San Francisco’s Chinatown from Hong Kong as a child and has represented the Richmond District on the Board of Supervisors since 2021.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I remember seeing San Francisco for the first time when I was 13 years old. I did not speak a word of English but I had heard this was a sanctuary city where anything was possible,” Chan said following the announcement. “Today, to be endorsed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi to follow her in Congress — I know that is true. That’s San Francisco and that is the city we are fighting for.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>So far, Chan has secured support from labor groups and other politicians, including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But she has trailed two of her competitors, also Democrats, in the polls and has raised only a fraction of the war chests they wield. The latest endorsement marks a significant win for Chan and could give her campaign a boost just weeks ahead of the primary, where the top two vote getters will proceed to the general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other candidates include Sen. Scott Wiener, a state lawmaker and former San Francisco supervisor, as well as Saikat Chakrabarti, a former software engineer who previously worked for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and as chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener,\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> a moderate Democrat by San Francisco standards, \u003c/span>has nabbed endorsements from the California Democratic Party and politicians, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, South Bay Rep. Sam Liccardo, as well as groups like the San Francisco arm of Yes In My Backyard, a pro-housing development group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chakrabarti, a more progressive candidate, has positioned himself as an outsider in the race, looking to change the political establishment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I decided to run for Congress last year against Nancy Pelosi because I know that we need a new generation of leadership to do more than just stop Trump,” Chakrabarti said in a statement about Pelosi’s endorsement. “Our strategy has never been to win the endorsements of the establishment I’m running against — it’s been to win the votes of people directly.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069070\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069070\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260107-SFCongressionalCandidateForum-37-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, a candidate for California’s 11th Congressional District, participates in a forum with other candidates at UC Law San Francisco on Jan. 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neither Sanders nor Ocasio-Cortez, two prominent political figures he often cites his work with, has shown public support for his largely self-funded campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I am grateful and humbled by the support I’ve received from thousands of San Franciscans who have joined this campaign,” Chan said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “Speaker Emerita Pelosi has shown by example what we can do when we stand together and we will now fight to make sure our beloved city remains a place of opportunity for all San Franciscans, and the conscience of our nation.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "xavier-becerra-says-he-will-fight-for-california-who-did-he-fight-for-as-ag",
"title": "Xavier Becerra Says He Will Fight for California. Who Did He Fight for as AG?",
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"headTitle": "Xavier Becerra Says He Will Fight for California. Who Did He Fight for as AG? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As California’s attorney general during the first Trump presidency, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> made headlines as a hero of the Democratic resistance, suing the Trump administration more than 120 times to defend key progressive policies, including the Affordable Care Act, the environment and immigrant and workers rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as Becerra rises to the top of the Democratic field for governor, critics say that on some issues closer to home, he sided with powerful interest groups, including law enforcement and fossil fuel companies — and that on housing, he was as likely to use his power as attorney general to block development as to push for more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As attorney general, Becerra declined to investigate oil companies accused of misleading investors and the public on climate change. And perhaps most notably, Becerra’s office went to court to fight against the release of police misconduct records following California’s passage of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11695714/new-state-laws-reduce-secrecy-around-police-misconduct-shootings\">a landmark transparency law\u003c/a> — and once threatened journalists with criminal charges for possessing records his office had sent them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Xavier Becerra just seems to reflexively have been against any of these measures to improve transparency into police records,” said Jason Paladino, one of the reporters threatened by Becerra’s office. “When you look at the fact that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2019/02/xavier-becerra-police-accountability-progressives/\">one of his major backers throughout his campaigns has been the police unions\u003c/a>, it’s hard to not make that connection that he’s got this powerful constituency in the state, which he feels somewhat beholden to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a characterization that Becerra and his supporters reject. Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for his campaign, said Becerra has “always made decisions based on protecting Californians and defending the law, not on politics or who supported his campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12082334 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Murphy, center left, and friend Kimberley J. Rodler, hold handmade signs in support of Xavier Becerra’s gubernatorial bid during a campaign event at Mount Diablo High School in Concord on April 23, 2026. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those close to Becerra when he was attorney general paint a picture of a hardworking, principled leader who came into office prepared to push back on President Donald Trump and protect Californians — and whose views on issues including the environment and housing were shaped by his upbringing as the son of working-class immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everyone was aggressive in those early days [of Trump],” said Amanda Renteria, who served as Becerra’s chief operating officer for his first year as attorney general. “He really was like, nope, we know what’s coming at us and we’re gonna be ready … from the first conversation I had, he had a real insight about what it meant to have a Trump administration and be in the state of California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra surged in the polls after the exit of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who suspended his campaign in April \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">amid sexual assault allegations\u003c/a> he has denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A complicated record in California\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The attorney general’s office has launched three California governors and is perhaps the position in state government most analogous to the top job: attorneys general confront many of the same policy challenges a governor faces, from housing and homelessness to public safety and the environment, and they oversee a staff of more than 5,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The record Becerra built in Sacramento, particularly on three issues where California’s next governor will face immediate tests — police accountability; climate and the oil industry; and housing — offers the clearest window into how he might actually govern, and whose interests he would protect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet much of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/xavier-becerra-migrant-children.html\">the scrutiny of Becerra’s record\u003c/a> since he surged in the crowded field has centered on his time leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11779670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11779670 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra in August announcing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s so-called “public charge” rule. A federal judge in California sided with them on Friday.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra in August 2019 announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s so-called “public charge” rule. A federal judge in California sided with them. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As California continues to face hostility from a second Trump administration, those federal fights he took on as attorney general are newly relevant — and Becerra has framed himself as the best person to wage them. But on other issues, critics say Becerra struck a cautious tone and was unwilling to buck the status quo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes environmentalists’ critiques of how he handled the fossil fuel industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His time as attorney general was a story of what he didn’t do,” said Kassie Siegel, climate political director at the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. “He did sue the Trump administration 120 times, but he didn’t do the things his successor did that were needed and that he was called on to do.”[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/governor,Learn about the California Governor Election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Governor-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]Melanie Fontes Rainer spent nine years working for Becerra, first in the attorney general’s office and then when he was the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Fontes Rainer, who led a healthcare unit as an assistant attorney general, said Becerra had the foresight when he was appointed attorney general to create that new unit, which focused exclusively on healthcare policy and was able to lead California’s fight against Trump’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At that point, nobody had sued the president in this manner and had necessarily taken on this national role in protecting, whether it was national civil rights or national healthcare,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The expertise in that healthcare unit allowed California to be a leader in other areas, Fontes Rainer said, such as successful actions \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-announces-573-million-nationwide-settlement-mckinsey\">against companies involved in the opioid crisis\u003c/a>. She said Becerra was eager to take on important, progressive issues: \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-applauds-landmark-supreme-court-decision-daca\">winning on behalf of DACA recipients\u003c/a> at the U.S. Supreme Court; \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-state-unions-employers-and-workers-reach-settlement\">suing Sutter Health\u003c/a> on behalf of patients and workers; \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-takes-action-defend-women%E2%80%99s-constitutional-reproductive\">protecting abortion\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joins-multistate-coalition-defending-civil-rights-lgbt\"> LGBTQ rights.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He expects you to work your ass off, because he works his ass off,” she said, adding that Becerra is willing to take on powerful interests if the moment calls for it. “He is never gonna be the leader who is all about himself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics, though, say there were clearly some groups that Becerra didn’t want to challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A fight over transparency\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Becerra received heat for several incidents involving law enforcement, including his \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/ag-xavier-becerra-vallejo-shooting-investigation/\">refusal\u003c/a> to investigate a police shooting in Vallejo — a case his successor \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/us/california-attorney-general-sean-monterrosa-shooting\">later pursued\u003c/a> — and his failure to \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-jail-snitch-becerra-20190427-story.html\">probe\u003c/a> a jailhouse informant scandal in Orange County that led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-civil-rights-violations-orange-county-california-district-attorney-s\">federal investigation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1384331/dl\">settlement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it was his legal battle against \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1421\">Senate Bill 1421\u003c/a> that drew the sharpest criticism from within his own party. The state law, passed in 2018 after years of advocacy by civil liberties groups and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/calif-ag-wont-release-police-records-despite-court-ruling-gets-into-testy-exchange-with-senator\">Democratic lawmakers\u003c/a>, made public for the first time the disciplinary records of police officers accused of sexual assault, use of force and other serious misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the law took effect, the attorney general’s office didn’t just \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11723281/california-attorney-general-refuses-to-release-police-misconduct-files-despite-new-law\">refuse to release its own records \u003c/a>— questioning whether the law applied to records created before the law’s passage — it also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11724499/cities-use-state-attorney-general-letter-to-fight-release-of-police-misconduct-files\">sent guidance to law enforcement agencies that critics say gave police departments across California cover to refuse compliance, too.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12082916 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2274719112-scaled-e1778887506369.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California gubernatorial candidates former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and San José Mayor Matt Mahan look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 5, 2026, in Monterey Park, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/video/article/california-governor-election-xavier-becerra-22240445.php\">recent interviews,\u003c/a> Becerra has continued to defend how he handled the case, saying he didn’t fight for secrecy but rather clarity to ensure his office was following the law. But even after an appeals court ruled against him, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/calif-ag-wont-release-police-records-despite-court-ruling-gets-into-testy-exchange-with-senator\">his office continued to resist\u003c/a>, and the lawsuits dragged on for six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just an extreme position to take,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, which successfully sued Becerra and other police agencies, along with media organizations including KQED. “That office really fought tooth and nail to keep many of the records under lock and key.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra’s office shocked legal experts again when it \u003ca href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/california-attorney-general-threatens-reporters-legal-action-over-public-record/\">sent a letter to two journalists\u003c/a> at UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program ordering them to destroy a list of 12,000 current and former police officers and applicants who had been convicted of crimes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The list was provided to the reporters by Becerra’s own office and another state agency in response to a public records request. In the letter, the attorney general argued that even possessing the records was a criminal act.[aside label=\"2026 California Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide,Learn everything you need to cast an informed ballot for the 2026 primary election' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-California-Voter-Guide-2026-Primary-Election-1200x1200@2x.png]“It’s either clear ignorance of a core First Amendment principle, or it’s willful disregard of it. Neither of those, I think reflect very well,” Snyder said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The attorney general never made good on his threats, even after the reporters \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11728957/california-keeps-a-secret-list-of-criminal-cops-but-says-you-cant-have-it\">published their story\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Paladino, one of those reporters, said the letter was concerning for numerous reasons: He argued it showed a hostility toward a free press, a misunderstanding of basic First Amendment law, and a willingness to kowtow to law enforcement groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The legal letter was just completely wrong in its interpretation of the law. And it had real implications for press freedom,” he said. “He was given a bunch of chances to sort of be like, oh, in hindsight, we shouldn’t have sent that letter. And at every turn, he has doubled down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article315566424.html\">a recent interview with the \u003cem>Sacramento Bee\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Becerra again insisted that he was following the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I simply repeated what the law says. If you are in possession of information that is confidential and you disclose and you make that information public, or you disclose it, you are subject to action for violation of privacy laws,” Becerra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), one of the state’s top law enforcement lobbying groups, rejected the notion that Becerra took positions in order to score political points with police groups. On the records fight, Marvel said, Becerra simply wanted to make sure the law was on his side before releasing information that could harm an officer’s career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once the cat’s out of the bag, whether the information is accurate or not, it’s out of the bag,” said Marvel, whose group represents more than 85,000 rank-and-file police officers in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PORAC endorsed two of Becerra’s opponents in the governor’s race, Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Democratic former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. But Marvel said he believes law enforcement would have a positive relationship with a Becerra as governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wouldn’t say he’s pro-cop, I’d say he’s pro-public safety,” Marvel said. “If ultimately Xavier Becerra becomes governor, I think I absolutely would have an open door.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Friend or foe of Big Oil?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Becerra touts his environmental work as attorney general, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/01/19/california-attorney-general-files-nine-lawsuits-in-one-day-as-trump-leaves-office/\">lawsuits\u003c/a> targeting Trump’s moves to neuter greenhouse gas emission regulations, to undermine the Endangered Species Act, to roll back vehicle emission standards and expand offshore oil drilling. He also \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-establishes-bureau-environmental-justice\">created an office of environmental justice\u003c/a> to protect vulnerable communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the governor’s race, though, he’s been hit by opponents over his ties to oil companies, with billionaire Tom Steyer in particular \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/TomSteyer/status/2048909407577407797\">attacking\u003c/a> Becerra for accepting donations from the industry, including Chevron’s $39,200 donation to his gubernatorial campaign, the maximum allowed by law. In response, Underland pushed back on Steyer, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/tom-steyer-california-governor-coal.html\">invested in fossil fuel companies\u003c/a> decades ago as a hedge fund manager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Xavier Becerra spent his time as attorney general actually fighting the fossil fuel companies in court — and winning. Unlike Tom Steyer, Becerra didn’t write them checks. He took them to court and won,” Underland said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12069982 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An oil pumpjack stands idle near homes as people walk with dogs on Feb. 9, 2023, in Signal Hill, California. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the questions about Becerra’s relationship with oil companies are unlikely to wane. Last week, the oil drilling company California Resources Corporation \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1490885&view=late1\">contributed $500,000 to an independent expenditure committee \u003c/a>that is supporting Becerra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier, as attorney general, Becerra angered environmental activists when he \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-becerra-exxonmobil-climate-change-schneiderman-20170530-story.html\">stayed mum\u003c/a> on an investigation into ExxonMobil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra’s predecessor, Kamala Harris, reportedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11304131/bay-area-reps-call-on-state-ag-to-investigate-exxonmobil-oil-industry-over-climate-change\">launched\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-global-warming-20160120-story.html\">investigation\u003c/a> into whether the company lied to investors about the links between fossil fuels and global warming. Becerra never addressed the investigation when he was attorney general, and did not file suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Becerra’s successor, Attorney General Rob Bonta, did \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-lawsuit-against-oil-and-gas-companies\">sue ExxonMobil and four other oil companies\u003c/a> on similar grounds. That \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/FINAL%209-15%20COMPLAINT.pdf\">suit\u003c/a> alleges that the oil companies have known for decades about the risks of fossil fuels but denied or downplayed those issues, and seeks to make them pay into a fund to help mitigate the effects of climate change in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s one of three dozen lawsuits like it filed by cities, counties and states in recent years, said Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12076853 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When he was attorney general, Becerra’s office did \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-files-brief-support-lawsuit-oakland-and-san-francisco\">support\u003c/a> some of those local lawsuits, but Siegel said he should have gone further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Center for Biological Diversity gave Becerra a C+ on its environmental scorecard, noting campaign contributions from oil companies and his opposition to a proposed state law that would make fossil fuel companies pay for the effects of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Siegel also pointed to Becerra’s answer in a recent debate, where he said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/california/2026/05/07/becerra-villaraigosa-spar-in-debate-on-migrants/89972962007/\">would support opening up oil drilling again in Kern County \u003c/a>— something he had \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-slams-trump-administration-plan-sell-seven-oil-and-gas\">opposed as attorney general\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to put all the pieces together,” she said. “The environmental consequences of more oil drilling in California would be massive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra didn’t shy away from the issue when \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/live/6doKjDbdjQk?t=3688s\">asked by KQED’s Scott Shafer\u003c/a> why he accepted donations from Chevron and whether he would hold big companies like them accountable as governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becerra noted that there were several lawsuits he \u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">\u003ca href=\"https://stateimpactcenter.org/ag-work/ag-actions/four-ags-filed-lawsuit-challenging-restart-federal-coal-leasing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filed\u003c/a>\u003c/span> or \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joins-lawsuit-block-blm-offering-fossil-fuel-industries\">joined\u003c/a> as attorney general against fossil fuel companies. He also talked about how many people companies like Chevron employ.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Chevron — that’s the problem with politics — they’re not the bad guy,” Becerra said. “Does everybody here drive an electric vehicle? You need Chevron, I need Chevron, my people of the state of California need Chevron.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Renteria said voters shouldn’t assume that just because her former boss isn’t writing off big corporations that he won’t fight for the little guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By nature, he’s like this protector,” she said, adding that he has a natural aversion to anyone “bullying or taking advantage” of people, and will do everything he can to fight on their behalf.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Building less, blocking more\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But on one of the biggest issues facing the state — the need for more housing — critics say Becerra didn’t show that type of aggression as attorney general, instead seeming more interested in blocking housing developments than helping push market-rate development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, for example, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-18/ag-becerra-challenges-housing-projects-in-wildfire-areas\">joined two lawsuits\u003c/a> to halt developments in San Diego County, saying they were in wildfire zones and didn’t include enough affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier, in 2019, Becerra \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2019/01/25/california-sues-huntington-beach-using-new-housing-law/\">sued Huntington Beach\u003c/a> for refusing to add state-mandated low-income housing to its local housing plan, and in 2020, he \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-files-intervene-lawsuit-protect-california%E2%80%99s-affordable\">joined a lawsuit\u003c/a> to ensure that cities comply with state affordable housing laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073370\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction is underway on an affordable housing apartment building at 2550 Irving St. in San Francisco’s Sunset District on May 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becerra points to those lawsuits as evidence of his commitment to ensuring local governments both built more housing in general and affordable housing in particular — and that they complied with state laws mandating more construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the campaign trail this year, Becerra has stressed the state’s housing shortage as a key driver of affordability and promised to use the governor’s office to eliminate hurdles — including aggressively going after cities and counties that aren’t building enough. He has also pledged to declare a state of emergency around housing and embed his own housing experts in agencies across the state government to help remove obstacles to building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Laura Foote, executive director of the pro-housing group YIMBY Action, said she gives Becerra credit for appearing more interested in the issue as a candidate than he did as attorney general, a shift that matches the state’s overall political evolution on the issue.[aside postID=news_12083839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/FTP_9P3A3319_1_qed.jpg']“I think that now there’s sort of a greater recognition that the overall housing shortage is damaging everyone, not just low-income people. He has made that pivot,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But her group, YIMBY Action, which endorsed Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer in the governor’s race, gave Becerra a “C” grade on housing. It noted that when asked about holding cities accountable as attorney general, “he took the opportunity to brag about using CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act), one of the most potent and abused tools of the anti-housing movement, to block a housing development in San Diego.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those lawsuits were successful: After Becerra left the attorney general’s office, Bonta negotiated settlements that led one of the projects to be scrapped entirely; the site, now owned by the state, will be \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-permanent-conservation-san-diego-wildlands\">permanently conserved as open space\u003c/a>. The other proposed project will move forward \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-otay-ranch-village-13-project-settlement-will-reduce\">under a separate settlement\u003c/a>, with thousands of housing units slated for a smaller area than the initial proposal, which will reduce wildfire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In general, Foote said, Becerra seemed to focus almost exclusively on affordable housing as attorney general, like in the Huntington Beach case, which Huntington Beach settled in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a good case for them to weigh in, but I think it did reveal in that administration a preference to be really focused on subsidized affordable housing and pushing back on explicit discriminatory things as opposed to getting involved in the larger housing supply issue overall,” Foote said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044985\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044985\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mockup sits near the stage during a groundbreaking ceremony at 750 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco on June 18, 2025, to mark the start of two affordable housing projects. One will deliver 75 units prioritized for SFUSD and City College educators, and the other at 850 Turk will add 92 family apartments. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But she added that Becerra didn’t have as many tools at his disposal as the current attorney general does, and that he’s promised to focus on accountability if he’s elected governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He has already committed to doing a greater degree of enforcement than we have had under the Gavin Newsom administration. … Is it as much improvement as some of the other candidates have committed to? No, but I think he is already promising to do better than we have done over the last eight years,” Foote said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Becerra leans into his resume on the campaign trail, his opponents are trying to frame that experience as a liability. His campaign is pushing back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The record speaks for itself,” Underland said. “Xavier Becerra took on oil companies, fought cities blocking affordable housing, challenged the Trump administration over environmental rollbacks, and held powerful interests accountable in court.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Xavier Becerra built his national reputation by suing the Trump administration. But as he runs for governor, critics say his record as California’s attorney general is less progressive on policing, Big Oil and housing.",
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"title": "Xavier Becerra Says He Will Fight for California. Who Did He Fight for as AG? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As California’s attorney general during the first Trump presidency, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/xavier-becerra\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> made headlines as a hero of the Democratic resistance, suing the Trump administration more than 120 times to defend key progressive policies, including the Affordable Care Act, the environment and immigrant and workers rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as Becerra rises to the top of the Democratic field for governor, critics say that on some issues closer to home, he sided with powerful interest groups, including law enforcement and fossil fuel companies — and that on housing, he was as likely to use his power as attorney general to block development as to push for more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As attorney general, Becerra declined to investigate oil companies accused of misleading investors and the public on climate change. And perhaps most notably, Becerra’s office went to court to fight against the release of police misconduct records following California’s passage of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11695714/new-state-laws-reduce-secrecy-around-police-misconduct-shootings\">a landmark transparency law\u003c/a> — and once threatened journalists with criminal charges for possessing records his office had sent them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Xavier Becerra just seems to reflexively have been against any of these measures to improve transparency into police records,” said Jason Paladino, one of the reporters threatened by Becerra’s office. “When you look at the fact that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2019/02/xavier-becerra-police-accountability-progressives/\">one of his major backers throughout his campaigns has been the police unions\u003c/a>, it’s hard to not make that connection that he’s got this powerful constituency in the state, which he feels somewhat beholden to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a characterization that Becerra and his supporters reject. Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for his campaign, said Becerra has “always made decisions based on protecting Californians and defending the law, not on politics or who supported his campaigns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082334\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12082334 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/20260423_-XAVIERBECERRA_EG_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Murphy, center left, and friend Kimberley J. Rodler, hold handmade signs in support of Xavier Becerra’s gubernatorial bid during a campaign event at Mount Diablo High School in Concord on April 23, 2026. \u003ccite>(Estefany Gonzalez for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those close to Becerra when he was attorney general paint a picture of a hardworking, principled leader who came into office prepared to push back on President Donald Trump and protect Californians — and whose views on issues including the environment and housing were shaped by his upbringing as the son of working-class immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not everyone was aggressive in those early days [of Trump],” said Amanda Renteria, who served as Becerra’s chief operating officer for his first year as attorney general. “He really was like, nope, we know what’s coming at us and we’re gonna be ready … from the first conversation I had, he had a real insight about what it meant to have a Trump administration and be in the state of California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra surged in the polls after the exit of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who suspended his campaign in April \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079502/rep-eric-swalwell-candidate-for-california-governor-is-accused-of-sexual-assault\">amid sexual assault allegations\u003c/a> he has denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A complicated record in California\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The attorney general’s office has launched three California governors and is perhaps the position in state government most analogous to the top job: attorneys general confront many of the same policy challenges a governor faces, from housing and homelessness to public safety and the environment, and they oversee a staff of more than 5,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The record Becerra built in Sacramento, particularly on three issues where California’s next governor will face immediate tests — police accountability; climate and the oil industry; and housing — offers the clearest window into how he might actually govern, and whose interests he would protect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet much of \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/xavier-becerra-migrant-children.html\">the scrutiny of Becerra’s record\u003c/a> since he surged in the crowded field has centered on his time leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11779670\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11779670 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra in August announcing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s so-called “public charge” rule. A federal judge in California sided with them on Friday.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS38601_GettyImages-1168450763-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra in August 2019 announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s so-called “public charge” rule. A federal judge in California sided with them. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As California continues to face hostility from a second Trump administration, those federal fights he took on as attorney general are newly relevant — and Becerra has framed himself as the best person to wage them. But on other issues, critics say Becerra struck a cautious tone and was unwilling to buck the status quo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes environmentalists’ critiques of how he handled the fossil fuel industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“His time as attorney general was a story of what he didn’t do,” said Kassie Siegel, climate political director at the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. “He did sue the Trump administration 120 times, but he didn’t do the things his successor did that were needed and that he was called on to do.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Melanie Fontes Rainer spent nine years working for Becerra, first in the attorney general’s office and then when he was the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Fontes Rainer, who led a healthcare unit as an assistant attorney general, said Becerra had the foresight when he was appointed attorney general to create that new unit, which focused exclusively on healthcare policy and was able to lead California’s fight against Trump’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At that point, nobody had sued the president in this manner and had necessarily taken on this national role in protecting, whether it was national civil rights or national healthcare,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The expertise in that healthcare unit allowed California to be a leader in other areas, Fontes Rainer said, such as successful actions \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-announces-573-million-nationwide-settlement-mckinsey\">against companies involved in the opioid crisis\u003c/a>. She said Becerra was eager to take on important, progressive issues: \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-applauds-landmark-supreme-court-decision-daca\">winning on behalf of DACA recipients\u003c/a> at the U.S. Supreme Court; \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-state-unions-employers-and-workers-reach-settlement\">suing Sutter Health\u003c/a> on behalf of patients and workers; \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-takes-action-defend-women%E2%80%99s-constitutional-reproductive\">protecting abortion\u003c/a> and\u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joins-multistate-coalition-defending-civil-rights-lgbt\"> LGBTQ rights.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He expects you to work your ass off, because he works his ass off,” she said, adding that Becerra is willing to take on powerful interests if the moment calls for it. “He is never gonna be the leader who is all about himself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics, though, say there were clearly some groups that Becerra didn’t want to challenge.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A fight over transparency\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Becerra received heat for several incidents involving law enforcement, including his \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/ag-xavier-becerra-vallejo-shooting-investigation/\">refusal\u003c/a> to investigate a police shooting in Vallejo — a case his successor \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/13/us/california-attorney-general-sean-monterrosa-shooting\">later pursued\u003c/a> — and his failure to \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-jail-snitch-becerra-20190427-story.html\">probe\u003c/a> a jailhouse informant scandal in Orange County that led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-civil-rights-violations-orange-county-california-district-attorney-s\">federal investigation\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1384331/dl\">settlement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it was his legal battle against \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1421\">Senate Bill 1421\u003c/a> that drew the sharpest criticism from within his own party. The state law, passed in 2018 after years of advocacy by civil liberties groups and \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/calif-ag-wont-release-police-records-despite-court-ruling-gets-into-testy-exchange-with-senator\">Democratic lawmakers\u003c/a>, made public for the first time the disciplinary records of police officers accused of sexual assault, use of force and other serious misconduct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the law took effect, the attorney general’s office didn’t just \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11723281/california-attorney-general-refuses-to-release-police-misconduct-files-despite-new-law\">refuse to release its own records \u003c/a>— questioning whether the law applied to records created before the law’s passage — it also \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11724499/cities-use-state-attorney-general-letter-to-fight-release-of-police-misconduct-files\">sent guidance to law enforcement agencies that critics say gave police departments across California cover to refuse compliance, too.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082916\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12082916 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2274719112-scaled-e1778887506369.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California gubernatorial candidates former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, businessman Tom Steyer, businessman Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and San José Mayor Matt Mahan look on during a CNN California Governor Primary Debate at East Los Angeles College on May 5, 2026, in Monterey Park, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/video/article/california-governor-election-xavier-becerra-22240445.php\">recent interviews,\u003c/a> Becerra has continued to defend how he handled the case, saying he didn’t fight for secrecy but rather clarity to ensure his office was following the law. But even after an appeals court ruled against him, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ktvu.com/news/calif-ag-wont-release-police-records-despite-court-ruling-gets-into-testy-exchange-with-senator\">his office continued to resist\u003c/a>, and the lawsuits dragged on for six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was just an extreme position to take,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, which successfully sued Becerra and other police agencies, along with media organizations including KQED. “That office really fought tooth and nail to keep many of the records under lock and key.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra’s office shocked legal experts again when it \u003ca href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/california-attorney-general-threatens-reporters-legal-action-over-public-record/\">sent a letter to two journalists\u003c/a> at UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program ordering them to destroy a list of 12,000 current and former police officers and applicants who had been convicted of crimes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The list was provided to the reporters by Becerra’s own office and another state agency in response to a public records request. In the letter, the attorney general argued that even possessing the records was a criminal act.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s either clear ignorance of a core First Amendment principle, or it’s willful disregard of it. Neither of those, I think reflect very well,” Snyder said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The attorney general never made good on his threats, even after the reporters \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11728957/california-keeps-a-secret-list-of-criminal-cops-but-says-you-cant-have-it\">published their story\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Paladino, one of those reporters, said the letter was concerning for numerous reasons: He argued it showed a hostility toward a free press, a misunderstanding of basic First Amendment law, and a willingness to kowtow to law enforcement groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The legal letter was just completely wrong in its interpretation of the law. And it had real implications for press freedom,” he said. “He was given a bunch of chances to sort of be like, oh, in hindsight, we shouldn’t have sent that letter. And at every turn, he has doubled down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article315566424.html\">a recent interview with the \u003cem>Sacramento Bee\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Becerra again insisted that he was following the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I simply repeated what the law says. If you are in possession of information that is confidential and you disclose and you make that information public, or you disclose it, you are subject to action for violation of privacy laws,” Becerra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), one of the state’s top law enforcement lobbying groups, rejected the notion that Becerra took positions in order to score political points with police groups. On the records fight, Marvel said, Becerra simply wanted to make sure the law was on his side before releasing information that could harm an officer’s career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Once the cat’s out of the bag, whether the information is accurate or not, it’s out of the bag,” said Marvel, whose group represents more than 85,000 rank-and-file police officers in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PORAC endorsed two of Becerra’s opponents in the governor’s race, Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Democratic former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. But Marvel said he believes law enforcement would have a positive relationship with a Becerra as governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wouldn’t say he’s pro-cop, I’d say he’s pro-public safety,” Marvel said. “If ultimately Xavier Becerra becomes governor, I think I absolutely would have an open door.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Friend or foe of Big Oil?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Becerra touts his environmental work as attorney general, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/01/19/california-attorney-general-files-nine-lawsuits-in-one-day-as-trump-leaves-office/\">lawsuits\u003c/a> targeting Trump’s moves to neuter greenhouse gas emission regulations, to undermine the Endangered Species Act, to roll back vehicle emission standards and expand offshore oil drilling. He also \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-establishes-bureau-environmental-justice\">created an office of environmental justice\u003c/a> to protect vulnerable communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the governor’s race, though, he’s been hit by opponents over his ties to oil companies, with billionaire Tom Steyer in particular \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/TomSteyer/status/2048909407577407797\">attacking\u003c/a> Becerra for accepting donations from the industry, including Chevron’s $39,200 donation to his gubernatorial campaign, the maximum allowed by law. In response, Underland pushed back on Steyer, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/tom-steyer-california-governor-coal.html\">invested in fossil fuel companies\u003c/a> decades ago as a hedge fund manager.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Xavier Becerra spent his time as attorney general actually fighting the fossil fuel companies in court — and winning. Unlike Tom Steyer, Becerra didn’t write them checks. He took them to court and won,” Underland said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12069982 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/OilDrillingGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An oil pumpjack stands idle near homes as people walk with dogs on Feb. 9, 2023, in Signal Hill, California. \u003ccite>(Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the questions about Becerra’s relationship with oil companies are unlikely to wane. Last week, the oil drilling company California Resources Corporation \u003ca href=\"https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1490885&view=late1\">contributed $500,000 to an independent expenditure committee \u003c/a>that is supporting Becerra.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier, as attorney general, Becerra angered environmental activists when he \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-becerra-exxonmobil-climate-change-schneiderman-20170530-story.html\">stayed mum\u003c/a> on an investigation into ExxonMobil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra’s predecessor, Kamala Harris, reportedly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11304131/bay-area-reps-call-on-state-ag-to-investigate-exxonmobil-oil-industry-over-climate-change\">launched\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-global-warming-20160120-story.html\">investigation\u003c/a> into whether the company lied to investors about the links between fossil fuels and global warming. Becerra never addressed the investigation when he was attorney general, and did not file suit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Becerra’s successor, Attorney General Rob Bonta, did \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-lawsuit-against-oil-and-gas-companies\">sue ExxonMobil and four other oil companies\u003c/a> on similar grounds. That \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/FINAL%209-15%20COMPLAINT.pdf\">suit\u003c/a> alleges that the oil companies have known for decades about the risks of fossil fuels but denied or downplayed those issues, and seeks to make them pay into a fund to help mitigate the effects of climate change in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s one of three dozen lawsuits like it filed by cities, counties and states in recent years, said Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12076853 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When he was attorney general, Becerra’s office did \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-files-brief-support-lawsuit-oakland-and-san-francisco\">support\u003c/a> some of those local lawsuits, but Siegel said he should have gone further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Center for Biological Diversity gave Becerra a C+ on its environmental scorecard, noting campaign contributions from oil companies and his opposition to a proposed state law that would make fossil fuel companies pay for the effects of climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Siegel also pointed to Becerra’s answer in a recent debate, where he said he \u003ca href=\"https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/california/2026/05/07/becerra-villaraigosa-spar-in-debate-on-migrants/89972962007/\">would support opening up oil drilling again in Kern County \u003c/a>— something he had \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-slams-trump-administration-plan-sell-seven-oil-and-gas\">opposed as attorney general\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have to put all the pieces together,” she said. “The environmental consequences of more oil drilling in California would be massive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra didn’t shy away from the issue when \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/live/6doKjDbdjQk?t=3688s\">asked by KQED’s Scott Shafer\u003c/a> why he accepted donations from Chevron and whether he would hold big companies like them accountable as governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. California will hold its primary election on June 2, where the top two finishers advance to the general election in November regardless of party affiliation. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becerra noted that there were several lawsuits he \u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">\u003ca href=\"https://stateimpactcenter.org/ag-work/ag-actions/four-ags-filed-lawsuit-challenging-restart-federal-coal-leasing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filed\u003c/a>\u003c/span> or \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joins-lawsuit-block-blm-offering-fossil-fuel-industries\">joined\u003c/a> as attorney general against fossil fuel companies. He also talked about how many people companies like Chevron employ.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Chevron — that’s the problem with politics — they’re not the bad guy,” Becerra said. “Does everybody here drive an electric vehicle? You need Chevron, I need Chevron, my people of the state of California need Chevron.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Renteria said voters shouldn’t assume that just because her former boss isn’t writing off big corporations that he won’t fight for the little guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By nature, he’s like this protector,” she said, adding that he has a natural aversion to anyone “bullying or taking advantage” of people, and will do everything he can to fight on their behalf.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Building less, blocking more\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But on one of the biggest issues facing the state — the need for more housing — critics say Becerra didn’t show that type of aggression as attorney general, instead seeming more interested in blocking housing developments than helping push market-rate development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2021, for example, he \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-18/ag-becerra-challenges-housing-projects-in-wildfire-areas\">joined two lawsuits\u003c/a> to halt developments in San Diego County, saying they were in wildfire zones and didn’t include enough affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier, in 2019, Becerra \u003ca href=\"https://www.capradio.org/articles/2019/01/25/california-sues-huntington-beach-using-new-housing-law/\">sued Huntington Beach\u003c/a> for refusing to add state-mandated low-income housing to its local housing plan, and in 2020, he \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-files-intervene-lawsuit-protect-california%E2%80%99s-affordable\">joined a lawsuit\u003c/a> to ensure that cities comply with state affordable housing laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073370\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073370\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/250519-AffordableHousingFile-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction is underway on an affordable housing apartment building at 2550 Irving St. in San Francisco’s Sunset District on May 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Becerra points to those lawsuits as evidence of his commitment to ensuring local governments both built more housing in general and affordable housing in particular — and that they complied with state laws mandating more construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the campaign trail this year, Becerra has stressed the state’s housing shortage as a key driver of affordability and promised to use the governor’s office to eliminate hurdles — including aggressively going after cities and counties that aren’t building enough. He has also pledged to declare a state of emergency around housing and embed his own housing experts in agencies across the state government to help remove obstacles to building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Laura Foote, executive director of the pro-housing group YIMBY Action, said she gives Becerra credit for appearing more interested in the issue as a candidate than he did as attorney general, a shift that matches the state’s overall political evolution on the issue.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I think that now there’s sort of a greater recognition that the overall housing shortage is damaging everyone, not just low-income people. He has made that pivot,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But her group, YIMBY Action, which endorsed Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer in the governor’s race, gave Becerra a “C” grade on housing. It noted that when asked about holding cities accountable as attorney general, “he took the opportunity to brag about using CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act), one of the most potent and abused tools of the anti-housing movement, to block a housing development in San Diego.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those lawsuits were successful: After Becerra left the attorney general’s office, Bonta negotiated settlements that led one of the projects to be scrapped entirely; the site, now owned by the state, will be \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-permanent-conservation-san-diego-wildlands\">permanently conserved as open space\u003c/a>. The other proposed project will move forward \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-otay-ranch-village-13-project-settlement-will-reduce\">under a separate settlement\u003c/a>, with thousands of housing units slated for a smaller area than the initial proposal, which will reduce wildfire risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In general, Foote said, Becerra seemed to focus almost exclusively on affordable housing as attorney general, like in the Huntington Beach case, which Huntington Beach settled in 2020.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was a good case for them to weigh in, but I think it did reveal in that administration a preference to be really focused on subsidized affordable housing and pushing back on explicit discriminatory things as opposed to getting involved in the larger housing supply issue overall,” Foote said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044985\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044985\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250618-NEWTEACHERHOUSING-20-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mockup sits near the stage during a groundbreaking ceremony at 750 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco on June 18, 2025, to mark the start of two affordable housing projects. One will deliver 75 units prioritized for SFUSD and City College educators, and the other at 850 Turk will add 92 family apartments. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But she added that Becerra didn’t have as many tools at his disposal as the current attorney general does, and that he’s promised to focus on accountability if he’s elected governor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He has already committed to doing a greater degree of enforcement than we have had under the Gavin Newsom administration. … Is it as much improvement as some of the other candidates have committed to? No, but I think he is already promising to do better than we have done over the last eight years,” Foote said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Becerra leans into his resume on the campaign trail, his opponents are trying to frame that experience as a liability. His campaign is pushing back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The record speaks for itself,” Underland said. “Xavier Becerra took on oil companies, fought cities blocking affordable housing, challenged the Trump administration over environmental rollbacks, and held powerful interests accountable in court.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Every registered voter in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> should by now have received their ballot for the state’s June 2 primary election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But why are voters in the East Bay cities of Fremont, Hayward, Livermore and Pleasanton about to receive \u003cem>another \u003c/em>ballot in their mailbox?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s because the sudden resignation of former Rep. Eric Swalwell \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079746/rep-eric-swalwell-says-he-is-resigning-from-congress-amid-sexual-assault-allegations\">following sexual assault allegations\u003c/a> created a vacancy in California’s 14th Congressional District, where these voters live. A special primary election to fill that seat will be held on June 16, just two weeks after California’s regularly scheduled primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as a result of California’s monthlong window of early voting, there will be two weeks of overlap between voting in the primary election and special election — meaning thousands of voters in this district might be juggling two different ballots during that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a guide to help East Bay voters sort through the unexpected election wrinkle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jump straight to:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WhoisrunninginthespecialelectiontoreplaceSwalwell\">Who is running in the special election to replace Swalwell? \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#IfSwalwellwasmyrepresentativehowcanIcastmyballot\">If Swalwell was my representative, how can I cast my ballot?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Why is there a special election for Congress in the 14th District?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Swalwell decided last year to run for governor instead of seeking another term in Congress. A crowded field of candidates jumped into the primary to succeed him in representing the 14th District — with the top two finishers in the June 2 primary, regardless of party, advancing to the November general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on April 10, Swalwell was accused of sexual assault by a former staff member in reports published by the\u003cem> San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> and CNN. Since then, more women have come forward with sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which Swalwell has denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078891\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078891\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eric Swalwell is interviewed on Political Breakdown by Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer at KQED in San Francisco on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On April 12, Swalwell \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079583\">suspended\u003c/a> his campaign for governor. A day later, he announced he was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079746/rep-eric-swalwell-says-he-is-resigning-from-congress-amid-sexual-assault-allegations\">resigning\u003c/a> from Congress — a position he’d have otherwise continued to serve in for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swalwell’s departure leaves a vacancy in a district that includes Castro Valley, Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton and Union City, and parts of Dublin, Fremont, and San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On April 14, Gov. Gavin Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026.04-Special-Election-Proclamation-CA-District-14-SIGNED-1.pdf\">called\u003c/a> a special election to fill the seat as soon as possible during the few months between Swalwell’s resignation and when his East Bay seat would change hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why isn’t this special election being held \u003cem>with \u003c/em>the June primary?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First off, combining the special election vote with the June 2 primary would not have been legal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with an election already underway to succeed Swalwell, Newsom could have chosen to leave the seat open until January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12075788 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Rep. Eric Swalwell addresses the press in Hayward on March 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, he called the special election within hours of Swalwell’s resignation and scheduled it for Aug. 18, the earliest date allowed under state law, which requires at least 126 days between the governor’s proclamation and an election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this vote to replace Swalwell in the 14th District first needed a \u003cem>primary \u003c/em>election. And since California election rules require a primary to be held nine Tuesdays before the special election, this has resulted in the June 16 primary special election date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With control of the House of Representatives separated by just a handful of votes, Newsom moved quickly to get a representative in the safely Democratic 14th District. For comparison, when Republican Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068742/northern-california-republican-congressman-doug-lamalfa-dies-at-65\">Doug LaMalfa died in January\u003c/a>, Newsom waited 10 days before calling a special election.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhoisrunninginthespecialelectiontoreplaceSwalwell\">\u003c/a>Who is running in the special election to replace Swalwell in his East Bay congressional district?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Eleven candidates are on the special election ballot. State Sen. Aisha Wahab, former BART Director Melissa Hernandez and educator Rakhi Israni are the most notable Democrats in the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also on the ballot: Democrats Alisha Cordes, a business administrator, administrative law judge Sheriene Ridenour and businessman Jot Thiara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Republicans running are real estate investor Wendy Huang, florist Dena Maldonado, businessman Tom Wong and educator Jack Wu. Victor Zevallos, a financial business strategist, is running as an independent.[aside label=\"From the 2026 Voter Guide\" link1='https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/alameda,Alameda County: Your Voter Guide to Navigate the Candidates and Issues on Your Ballot' hero=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2026/04/Aside-Voter-Guide-2026-Local-Elections-Alameda-County-1200x1200@2x.png]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What about the ‘regular’ June 2 primary election that was already planned to fill Swalwell’s seat as of January?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hernandez, Huang, Israni, Maldonado and Wahab are also running in a field of nine candidates seeking a full term on the June 2 state primary ballot. Essentially, they want to not only fill Swalwell’s seat in January, but also to start earlier, thanks to the special election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other candidates are only running in the regularly scheduled June 2 primary. You can learn more about the field, their supporters and where they stand on key issues in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/alameda/congress-14th-district\">KQED Primary Voter Guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The June 2 primary will take place under \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064834/how-prop-50-just-rewrote-californias-2026-congressional-map\">new congressional district lines approved by California voters last year through Proposition 50\u003c/a>, while the special election will take place under the current district lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The differences are subtle: the current district includes all of Castro Valley, while the new district splits the city and takes in a greater number of voters from Dublin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So not all East Bay voters who receive a special election ballot — to decide who’ll fill Swalwell’s seat for several months in 2026 — will get to vote on his long-term replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"IfSwalwellwasmyrepresentativehowcanIcastmyballot\">\u003c/a>Swalwell was my representative. How can I cast my ballot in the special election?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>All voters in the 14th District under the current lines will receive a special election ballot in the mail beginning on May 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">return or cast their ballots at the same drop boxes and voting locations\u003c/a> already open for the June 2 primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On June 3, the day after the primary, 28 drop boxes will remain open around the 14th Congressional District for the area’s voters to use, according to Cynthia Cornejo, Alameda County’s interim registrar of voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additional vote centers for the special election will open their doors on June 6.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Read more about tips for filling out your vote-by-mail ballot, including how to correct a mistake. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>When does the winner of the special election take office?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If one candidate receives a majority of the votes in the June 16 election, they win the election outright and head to Washington to be sworn into Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062766\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12062766 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/GettyImages-2244994619-scaled-e1778879389849.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1327\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter drops his ballot in a drop box inside of San Francisco City Hall on Nov. 4, 2025 in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But if no candidate receives a majority, the top two finishers advance to a runoff on Aug. 18. Ballots for that runoff would be mailed out to voters in mid-July. The winner of that race will be sworn in with just a couple of months to serve until the term ends in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The June 16 special election will cost Alameda County approximately $6 million, Cornejo said. If the race heads to a runoff in August, the county would be on the hook for another $6 million in election costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is Swalwell still running for governor?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Swalwell’s name is still on the June 2 primary ballot for governor, even though he has suspended his campaign and disappeared from public view.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swalwell’s exit from the governor’s race came after the deadline for candidates to remove their names from the ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result, the disgraced former Congress member remains one of the 61 names on the ballot for California’s top job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Every registered voter in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> should by now have received their ballot for the state’s June 2 primary election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But why are voters in the East Bay cities of Fremont, Hayward, Livermore and Pleasanton about to receive \u003cem>another \u003c/em>ballot in their mailbox?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s because the sudden resignation of former Rep. Eric Swalwell \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079746/rep-eric-swalwell-says-he-is-resigning-from-congress-amid-sexual-assault-allegations\">following sexual assault allegations\u003c/a> created a vacancy in California’s 14th Congressional District, where these voters live. A special primary election to fill that seat will be held on June 16, just two weeks after California’s regularly scheduled primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as a result of California’s monthlong window of early voting, there will be two weeks of overlap between voting in the primary election and special election — meaning thousands of voters in this district might be juggling two different ballots during that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a guide to help East Bay voters sort through the unexpected election wrinkle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jump straight to:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WhoisrunninginthespecialelectiontoreplaceSwalwell\">Who is running in the special election to replace Swalwell? \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#IfSwalwellwasmyrepresentativehowcanIcastmyballot\">If Swalwell was my representative, how can I cast my ballot?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Why is there a special election for Congress in the 14th District?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Swalwell decided last year to run for governor instead of seeking another term in Congress. A crowded field of candidates jumped into the primary to succeed him in representing the 14th District — with the top two finishers in the June 2 primary, regardless of party, advancing to the November general election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on April 10, Swalwell was accused of sexual assault by a former staff member in reports published by the\u003cem> San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> and CNN. Since then, more women have come forward with sexual assault and misconduct allegations, which Swalwell has denied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078891\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078891\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-ERIC-SWALWELL-ON-PB-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eric Swalwell is interviewed on Political Breakdown by Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer at KQED in San Francisco on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On April 12, Swalwell \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079583\">suspended\u003c/a> his campaign for governor. A day later, he announced he was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079746/rep-eric-swalwell-says-he-is-resigning-from-congress-amid-sexual-assault-allegations\">resigning\u003c/a> from Congress — a position he’d have otherwise continued to serve in for the rest of the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swalwell’s departure leaves a vacancy in a district that includes Castro Valley, Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton and Union City, and parts of Dublin, Fremont, and San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On April 14, Gov. Gavin Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026.04-Special-Election-Proclamation-CA-District-14-SIGNED-1.pdf\">called\u003c/a> a special election to fill the seat as soon as possible during the few months between Swalwell’s resignation and when his East Bay seat would change hands.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why isn’t this special election being held \u003cem>with \u003c/em>the June primary?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>First off, combining the special election vote with the June 2 primary would not have been legal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with an election already underway to succeed Swalwell, Newsom could have chosen to leave the seat open until January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12075788\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12075788 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260309-DEAF-DEPORTEE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Rep. Eric Swalwell addresses the press in Hayward on March 9, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Instead, he called the special election within hours of Swalwell’s resignation and scheduled it for Aug. 18, the earliest date allowed under state law, which requires at least 126 days between the governor’s proclamation and an election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this vote to replace Swalwell in the 14th District first needed a \u003cem>primary \u003c/em>election. And since California election rules require a primary to be held nine Tuesdays before the special election, this has resulted in the June 16 primary special election date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With control of the House of Representatives separated by just a handful of votes, Newsom moved quickly to get a representative in the safely Democratic 14th District. For comparison, when Republican Rep. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068742/northern-california-republican-congressman-doug-lamalfa-dies-at-65\">Doug LaMalfa died in January\u003c/a>, Newsom waited 10 days before calling a special election.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhoisrunninginthespecialelectiontoreplaceSwalwell\">\u003c/a>Who is running in the special election to replace Swalwell in his East Bay congressional district?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Eleven candidates are on the special election ballot. State Sen. Aisha Wahab, former BART Director Melissa Hernandez and educator Rakhi Israni are the most notable Democrats in the race.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also on the ballot: Democrats Alisha Cordes, a business administrator, administrative law judge Sheriene Ridenour and businessman Jot Thiara.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Republicans running are real estate investor Wendy Huang, florist Dena Maldonado, businessman Tom Wong and educator Jack Wu. Victor Zevallos, a financial business strategist, is running as an independent.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What about the ‘regular’ June 2 primary election that was already planned to fill Swalwell’s seat as of January?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Hernandez, Huang, Israni, Maldonado and Wahab are also running in a field of nine candidates seeking a full term on the June 2 state primary ballot. Essentially, they want to not only fill Swalwell’s seat in January, but also to start earlier, thanks to the special election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other candidates are only running in the regularly scheduled June 2 primary. You can learn more about the field, their supporters and where they stand on key issues in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/alameda/congress-14th-district\">KQED Primary Voter Guide.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The June 2 primary will take place under \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064834/how-prop-50-just-rewrote-californias-2026-congressional-map\">new congressional district lines approved by California voters last year through Proposition 50\u003c/a>, while the special election will take place under the current district lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The differences are subtle: the current district includes all of Castro Valley, while the new district splits the city and takes in a greater number of voters from Dublin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So not all East Bay voters who receive a special election ballot — to decide who’ll fill Swalwell’s seat for several months in 2026 — will get to vote on his long-term replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"IfSwalwellwasmyrepresentativehowcanIcastmyballot\">\u003c/a>Swalwell was my representative. How can I cast my ballot in the special election?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>All voters in the 14th District under the current lines will receive a special election ballot in the mail beginning on May 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Voters can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082074/california-primary-2026-dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide\">return or cast their ballots at the same drop boxes and voting locations\u003c/a> already open for the June 2 primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On June 3, the day after the primary, 28 drop boxes will remain open around the 14th Congressional District for the area’s voters to use, according to Cynthia Cornejo, Alameda County’s interim registrar of voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additional vote centers for the special election will open their doors on June 6.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082075/california-primary-elections-2026-faq-governors-race-vote-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Read more about tips for filling out your vote-by-mail ballot, including how to correct a mistake. \u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>When does the winner of the special election take office?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If one candidate receives a majority of the votes in the June 16 election, they win the election outright and head to Washington to be sworn into Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062766\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12062766 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/GettyImages-2244994619-scaled-e1778879389849.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1327\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter drops his ballot in a drop box inside of San Francisco City Hall on Nov. 4, 2025 in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But if no candidate receives a majority, the top two finishers advance to a runoff on Aug. 18. Ballots for that runoff would be mailed out to voters in mid-July. The winner of that race will be sworn in with just a couple of months to serve until the term ends in January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The June 16 special election will cost Alameda County approximately $6 million, Cornejo said. If the race heads to a runoff in August, the county would be on the hook for another $6 million in election costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is Swalwell still running for governor?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Swalwell’s name is still on the June 2 primary ballot for governor, even though he has suspended his campaign and disappeared from public view.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Swalwell’s exit from the governor’s race came after the deadline for candidates to remove their names from the ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result, the disgraced former Congress member remains one of the 61 names on the ballot for California’s top job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bar patios are one of the few remaining places \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Franciscans\u003c/a> can legally smoke in public. But on Monday, a committee of city supervisors will consider eliminating the exception for patio smoking, and join over 50 other cities in the Bay Area with similar bans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal has sparked a heated debate between patrons and bar owners, who say their businesses are already hurting, and public health experts — who say anti-smoking laws have played a significant role in reducing tobacco consumption from 42% to less than 15% nationally, since the 1960s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Rather than allowing or even encouraging this behavior, we should take every effort to try to educate the public, and to try to protect both the customers as well as the employees of these establishments,” Dr. John Maa, a surgeon at Chinese Hospital, said. “We want to reduce their risks of heart disease, of stroke, and of cancers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maa is the former president of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society, which co-sponsored the proposal, along with major medical groups such as the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maa said the ban builds off of a 2014 city law, which prohibited outdoor smoking at restaurants, but granted an exception for bars and taverns with outdoor patios after pushback from bar owners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pushback has carried over into this fight: more than 2,000 small business owners and residents have signed an online \u003ca href=\"https://www.change.org/p/small-businesses-and-residents-of-san-francisco-oppose-the-smoke-free-places-ordinance\">petition\u003c/a> opposing the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we respect the Board’s concern for public health, we believe this legislation is misguided in its scope, timing, and priorities — and we urge the Board to reject it,” the petition reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084014\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084014\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/PXL_20260515_172446739-scaled-e1778890672540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1506\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lex Montiel, who owns and operates the San Francisco Eagle, said he’s worried about the indirect impact the city’s proposed anti-smoking ordinance would have on business, on May 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Desmond Meagley/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lex Montiel, who owns and operates the San Francisco Eagle, said he’s worried about the indirect impact the ordinance would have on business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Eagle is a historic leather bar in SoMa, with a large covered patio — an important draw for customers, many of whom enjoy cigars and cigarettes in the space, Montiel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since COVID, the bar’s economic position has been tenuous, he said, and his clientele relies on the covered patio to provide them a space to dress freely and socialize with others in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If [a customer] is smoking and we have to push them out to the street on a jockstrap, we definitely would lose that customer,” he said. “We will not be able to offer a safe space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montiel said the city is “overreaching” with the ban. While the health of his clientele and his employees is important to him, he said, he doubts that his employees are exposed to dangerous levels of secondhand smoke while at work. Montiel said that he hasn’t received complaints, and he is “very, very strict” about preventing smoking and vaping inside the bar.[aside postID=news_12068987 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/zyngetty.jpg']Maa said Montiel’s claims, and other arguments against the ban, are based on misinformation. He pointed to decades of public health research, which shows that whenever someone smokes outside, others around them risk inhaling particles in concentrations that can increase the risk of disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also said the tobacco industry has “targeted” the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups in their marketing, and credited the San Francisco-based nonprofit LGBTQ Minus Tobacco for their contributions to “championing” the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s only a small incremental step forward — that over 400 cities in America have already done,” he said. “San Francisco is simply trying to catch up with the rest of the nation here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Maa said, it’s hard to evaluate whether changing the law will also change the behavior of existing smokers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who wrote and sponsored the legislation, said she knows her proposal has been controversial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As with all things in San Francisco, everybody has an opinion,” she said. Some of the messages she’s received, however, have been “ very personal, very toxic” and, in some cases, threatening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She told KQED that she empathizes with the concerns of both smokers and business owners, but nonetheless, “there’s no question” that “secondhand smoke causes cancer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill faces its first hurdle in front of the city’s Land Use and Transportation Committee on May 18. To pass, it must be approved by at least two members of the committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bar patios are one of the few remaining places \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Franciscans\u003c/a> can legally smoke in public. But on Monday, a committee of city supervisors will consider eliminating the exception for patio smoking, and join over 50 other cities in the Bay Area with similar bans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proposal has sparked a heated debate between patrons and bar owners, who say their businesses are already hurting, and public health experts — who say anti-smoking laws have played a significant role in reducing tobacco consumption from 42% to less than 15% nationally, since the 1960s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Rather than allowing or even encouraging this behavior, we should take every effort to try to educate the public, and to try to protect both the customers as well as the employees of these establishments,” Dr. John Maa, a surgeon at Chinese Hospital, said. “We want to reduce their risks of heart disease, of stroke, and of cancers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maa is the former president of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society, which co-sponsored the proposal, along with major medical groups such as the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maa said the ban builds off of a 2014 city law, which prohibited outdoor smoking at restaurants, but granted an exception for bars and taverns with outdoor patios after pushback from bar owners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pushback has carried over into this fight: more than 2,000 small business owners and residents have signed an online \u003ca href=\"https://www.change.org/p/small-businesses-and-residents-of-san-francisco-oppose-the-smoke-free-places-ordinance\">petition\u003c/a> opposing the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we respect the Board’s concern for public health, we believe this legislation is misguided in its scope, timing, and priorities — and we urge the Board to reject it,” the petition reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12084014\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12084014\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/PXL_20260515_172446739-scaled-e1778890672540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1506\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lex Montiel, who owns and operates the San Francisco Eagle, said he’s worried about the indirect impact the city’s proposed anti-smoking ordinance would have on business, on May 15, 2025. \u003ccite>(Desmond Meagley/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lex Montiel, who owns and operates the San Francisco Eagle, said he’s worried about the indirect impact the ordinance would have on business.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Eagle is a historic leather bar in SoMa, with a large covered patio — an important draw for customers, many of whom enjoy cigars and cigarettes in the space, Montiel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since COVID, the bar’s economic position has been tenuous, he said, and his clientele relies on the covered patio to provide them a space to dress freely and socialize with others in the community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If [a customer] is smoking and we have to push them out to the street on a jockstrap, we definitely would lose that customer,” he said. “We will not be able to offer a safe space.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Montiel said the city is “overreaching” with the ban. While the health of his clientele and his employees is important to him, he said, he doubts that his employees are exposed to dangerous levels of secondhand smoke while at work. Montiel said that he hasn’t received complaints, and he is “very, very strict” about preventing smoking and vaping inside the bar.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Maa said Montiel’s claims, and other arguments against the ban, are based on misinformation. He pointed to decades of public health research, which shows that whenever someone smokes outside, others around them risk inhaling particles in concentrations that can increase the risk of disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also said the tobacco industry has “targeted” the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups in their marketing, and credited the San Francisco-based nonprofit LGBTQ Minus Tobacco for their contributions to “championing” the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s only a small incremental step forward — that over 400 cities in America have already done,” he said. “San Francisco is simply trying to catch up with the rest of the nation here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Maa said, it’s hard to evaluate whether changing the law will also change the behavior of existing smokers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who wrote and sponsored the legislation, said she knows her proposal has been controversial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As with all things in San Francisco, everybody has an opinion,” she said. Some of the messages she’s received, however, have been “ very personal, very toxic” and, in some cases, threatening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She told KQED that she empathizes with the concerns of both smokers and business owners, but nonetheless, “there’s no question” that “secondhand smoke causes cancer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill faces its first hurdle in front of the city’s Land Use and Transportation Committee on May 18. To pass, it must be approved by at least two members of the committee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"order": 1
},
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
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