In just four years, four elected Los Angeles city officials have faced criminal charges. Last October, three other city officials were caught on a leaked tape saying racist and anti-gay comments about the Angelenos they were supposed to represent. When so many appointed officials get caught up in scandal, and lose public trust, what can residents do to hold them accountable?
Why it matters: From homelessness to street repairs and aging plumbing, L.A. as a city needs a lot of work and, let’s be real, government officials don’t always work so fast. It requires an engaged electorate to keep officials on task. If you want to seek change in L.A. city or county, there are ways to stay in the know about what is happening in local government and get some action on issues that matter to you, be it bike lanes, trash cans or affordable housing.
Who we spoke to: How To LA podcast host Brian De Los Santos spoke with Brianna Lee, LAist’s Civics and Democracy producer, about how you can hold your local officials — from city council members to school board members — responsible for their actions. She even wrote a guide. Brianna says attending a public meeting, whether in person or online, can help you get a sense of the issues in your community and the dynamics between the elected officials. First step: Pay attention.
Why now: Homelessness is on the rise and climate change is creating other headaches for Angelenos, from heat to flooding. Plus, there’s been all those political scandals of late, mostly recently L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price, who was charged with 10 counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest last June.
Listen to Brian’s conversation with Brianna about the best ways you can get involved in your local government by clicking the player below.
A voter marks their ballot at the Chico Masonic Family Center in Chico on June 2, 2026.
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CalMatters
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Topline:
Californians are voting on more than just the next governor. They’ll determine the general election candidates for eight other statewide offices.
Attorney general: Attorney General Rob Bonta is heading to the general election and will face a challenge from Republican Michael Gates for the role of California’s top cop. Gates is a former trial attorney who served as Huntington Beach city attorney and a deputy United States Attorney. Bonta and his predecessor, Xavier Becerra, used their office to file dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration.
What's next: The top two vote-getters will go on the general election ballot, and voters will make the final call in November.
Read on... for more on who's winning California's statewide races.
They’re also voting on several statewide offices, ranging from the governor’s second in command to the regulator for the state’s insurance market.
The top two vote-getters will go on the general election ballot, and voters will make the final call in November.
Attorney general
Attorney General Rob Bonta is heading to the general election and will face a challenge from Republican Michael Gates for the role of California’s top cop. Gates is a former trial attorney who served as Huntington Beach city attorney and a deputy United States Attorney. Bonta and his predecessor, Xavier Becerra, used their office to file dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration.
State superintendent
Veteran Democratic lawmakers Anthony Rendon, Josh Newman and Al Muratsuchi jumped into the race to become California’s next superintendent of public instruction. In a surprise, two of the most influential education organizations in the state — the California Teachers Association and the California Charter Schools Association — bypassed the veteran lawmakers and instead endorsed Democrat Richard Barrera, the president of the San Diego Unified School District. Sonja Shaw, the former Chino Valley Unified School Board President, was endorsed by both Republican gubernatorial candidates.
Who’s ahead: With 46% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., Shaw is leading with 24.7% of the vote. Barrera has netted 19.7% of the vote.
Lieutenant governor
The role of gubernatorial second in command is largely ceremonial, with the largest responsibility involving standing in when the governor is out. The lieutenant governor also sits on several boards and commissions, and has the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote if the state Senate is gridlocked. Three Democrats netted the most money: Josh Fryday, a member of Newsom’s cabinet, followed by state Treasurer Fiona Ma and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs.
Who’s ahead: With 46% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., Ma leads with 20.6% of the vote, trailed by Romero (19.6%) and Fryday (14.3%).
State controller
Democratic incumbent Malia M. Cohen is heading to the general election to defend her seat as the state’s chief accountant. Herb W. Morgan, a Republican who ran on a promise of exposing fraud in government, will be her challenger. Meghann Adams, a school bus driver from San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood also ran for the seat on a progressive platform as a member of the Peace and Freedom Party.
Secretary of state
Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber is heading to the general election in November for the role of the state’s top elections official. Republican Donald P. Wagner, an Orange County supervisor, will be her challenger. Wagner supports requiring voter ID at the polls and criticized Weber for the state’s slow ballot-counting process. Weber was appointed to her role by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 after eight years in the Assembly, and won a four-year term in 2022. She has overseen the implementation of universal mail-in voting in the state, and has pledged to further expand voter access.
Treasurer
Democratic candidates dwarfed Republicans in fundraising for the role of state treasurer, California’s chief banker. The role requires managing and investing unspent taxpayer money and overseeing the state’s borrowing and debts. Anna Caballero, most recently the chair of the state Senate’s powerful Appropriations Committee, and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis both raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from large donors, including unions, tribes, and businesses. Kounalakis originally ran for governor, but dropped out at the end of 2025.
Who’s ahead: With 47% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., Kounalakis has the lead with 36.3% of the vote. Republican candidate Jennifer Hawks, a retired businesswoman, has 26.6%.
Insurance commissioner
Californians get a chance to weigh in on who should regulate the state’s embattled insurance market, which has been grappling with how to cope with insurers leaving the state amid growing wildfire risks. Current and former state Democratic lawmakers Ben Allen and Steven Bradford are among the candidates, as is Democrat Patrick Wolff, a financial analyst whose campaign is largely self-funded. The Republican Party has endorsed insurance agent Stacy A. Korsgaden.
Who’s ahead: With 47% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m., former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim has the lead with 24.1% of the vote. Allen is next with 20.3% of the vote, and Korsgaden has 17.5%.
Board of Equalization
This five-member group is the nation’s only elected tax board. It advises county assessors, sets the taxable value of property owned by utilities and railroads, and hears some taxpayer appeals. Four districts are up for election this year: District 1, covering much of inland California; District 2, coastal California north of Los Angeles; District 3, representing the Los Angeles area; and District 4, which encompasses the San Diego area.
Who’s ahead in District 1: With 45% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove has the lead with 36.1% of the vote. Democrat Nelson Esparza is in second with 30.5%.
Who’s ahead in District 2: With 45% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Democratic incumbent Sally J. Lieber has the lead with 53.7% of the vote. Democrat John Pimentel is in second with 14.5%.
Who’s ahead in District 3: With 53% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gipson has the lead with 27% of the vote. Democrat Yvonne Yiu is in second with 13.9%.
Who’s ahead in District 4: With 49% of votes counted as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Republican Denis Bilodeau has the lead with 47% of the vote. Democratic State Sen. Tom Umberg is in second with 20.8%.
Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle from "Aladdin," has died. He was 75.
More details: His family said in a statement that Bryson died Tuesday evening, days after having a stroke. "While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit," the family's statement said. "His legacy and music will live on for generations to come."
Bryson's start: Born and raised in South Carolina, the singer, songwriter and balladeer launched his career with the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display in the 1970s. Shortly afterward, Atlanta label Bang Records signed him as a solo artist.
Read on... for more on Bryson's impact.
Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion and "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle from "Aladdin," has died. He was 75.
His family said in a statement that Bryson died Tuesday evening, days after having a stroke.
"While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit," the family's statement said. "His legacy and music will live on for generations to come."
Internationally celebrated for his Disney classics, Bryson also built a career over five decades as one of R&B's premier balladeers, recording hits including "Feel the Fire," "I'm So Into You" and "Can You Stop the Rain."
"For more than five decades, Peabo's extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life's most cherished moments," the family's statement said. "His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration."
Peabo Bryson smiles at the European premiere of "Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon," in London, Nov. 2, 2011.
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Joel Ryan
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AP Photo
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Born and raised in South Carolina, the singer, songwriter and balladeer launched his career with the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display in the 1970s. Shortly afterward, Atlanta label Bang Records signed him as a solo artist.
He recorded for Capitol, Elektra and Columbia Records and became one of music's most sought-after duet partners. Aside from Belle and Dion, he also collaborated with artists including Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole.
His duet with Flack, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," became one of the defining love songs of the 1980s, while "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" helped expand his audience beyond R&B radio. He later scored No. 1 R&B hits with "Show & Tell" and "Can You Stop the Rain."
Beyond music, Bryson appeared in stage productions including "Raisin," "The Wiz" and "Porgy and Bess." In 2018, he returned with "Stand for Love," his 21st studio album, produced by hitmaking duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Bryson had a stroke in late May and was placed under medical care.
"At this time, the family requests privacy as they navigate this deeply personal moment together," a statement from his representative read at the time. "The thoughts, prayers and love of friends and fans are welcomed and deeply appreciated."
In 2019, Bryson made a full recovery after having a heart attack.
Comedian and television host Loni Love said she worked with Bryson on a cruise ship last year and spoke with him for hours on the deck one night after she noticed him sitting alone.
"He shared incredible stories, spoke passionately about his music, and had such a deep love for his craft," she wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "I am so grateful to have had that special moment with him."
Bryson's family said memorial and celebration-of-life arrangements will be announced at a later date.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks during an election night event in Los Angeles on June 2, 2026.
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Jae C. Hong
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Topline:
California’s wild and wide-open primary election came to a close Tuesday with voters consolidating behind leading candidates for their parties.
Why it matters: It was a good night for normie Democrats, a bad one for self-funded campaigns, a mixed bag for state legislators aspiring to higher office and another electoral reminder of President Donald Trump’s dominant role in our politics — even in deepest blue California.
Governor's race: At the top of the ticket, Republican former Fox News host and British political adviser Steve Hilton and longtime Democratic politico Xavier Becerra hold the top two spots needed to progress to the November election for governor. Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager turned left-leaning political donor, is holding a distant though technically viable third. The Associated Press has not called the race.
Read on... for more on five things to know about California's election, from Congress to the governor's race.
It was a good night for normie Democrats, a bad one for self-funded campaigns, a mixed bag for state legislators aspiring to higher office and another electoral reminder of President Donald Trump’s dominant role in our politics — even in deepest blue California.
At the top of the ticket, Republican former Fox News host and British political adviser Steve Hilton and longtime Democratic politico Xavier Becerra hold the top two spots needed to progress to the November election for governor. Tom Steyer, the billionaire former hedge fund manager turned left-leaning political donor, is holding a distant though technically viable third. The Associated Press has not called the race.
Veteran state election observers will know that it may be weeks before the final score of the June primary election is tallied. But a few early takeaways are already coming into focus:
Money can’t (always) buy you love
Whether Steyer ultimately claws his way into the top two spots in the governor’s race after spending a record-setting sum on his self-funded campaign, it’s got to be a disappointing return on investment.
Steyer ultimately spent nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on his populism-coded gubernatorial bid. The fact that all that advertising didn’t translate to an electoral blowout is no surprise, said Garry South, a longtime California Democratic strategist.
“It may sound facetious to say that you can have too much money in a campaign, but in fact the way these rich self-financing candidates spend their money becomes a liability. …They wear out their welcome.”
Steyer isn’t the only candidate to have drawn deeply on his personal finances only to flounder at the ballot box. Patrick Wolff put $600,000 of his own money toward his insurance commissioner campaign, Yvonne Yiu invested $750,000 in her race to join the state Board of Equalization and Saikat Chakrabarti put up the bulk of the millions he spent in his bid to replace Nancy Pelosi in Congress. In Los Angeles, Zach Sokoloff put up $1 million — with millions more coming from his mother — to unseat the sitting city controller.
Chakrabarti couldn’t crack the top two in his race, losing to state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan. As of Wednesday morning, the remaining three trailed in their respective races.
A good night for ‘standard’ Democrats
Anti-incumbent populism may be in the national zeitgeist, but California voters seem perfectly happy with — or at least, fine settling with — experienced, garden variety Democrats.
“What they want is a Democratic elected official who can go and fight Donald Trump,” said Andrew Sinclair, a Claremont McKenna University political science professor.
Hence the sharp, sudden rise of Becerra following the political implosion of former frontrunner Eric Swalwell. Swalwell was also well known as an experienced politician who “Donald Trump didn’t like,” said Sinclair. Mild-mannered Becerra with a deep political resume and limited baggage was the next logical choice. “What’s your standard, out-of-the-box Democrat who you can get to fight Republicans? Becerra is probably that guy.”
It helped that Becerra’s main Democratic opponent, the self-styled populist Steyer, had the easily-attacked billionaire status, and Democrats worried about being locked out of the general election wanted to get behind whoever was polling best.
Tom Steyer speaks at his watch party on election day during the California gubernatorial primary at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on June 2, 2026.
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Many of the Democratic incumbents in Congress also appeared to be fending off challenges from younger, more progressive insurgents — or at least keeping them firmly in second place. Those include Mike Thompson, Brad Sherman and Doris Matsui.
Party still matters
Back in 2010 when California adopted the top-two primary system, proponents pitched it to voters as a way to shake the partisan gridlock out of California politics. Rather than have Democratic and Republican primary voters predictably electing candidates who appeal to the ideological poles, a system that lets every candidate from every party compete on the same ballot was supposed to encourage across-the-aisle reaching candidates who can appeal to voters in the middle.
Voters in the middle are less likely to show up in primary elections, said South.
Nor has the state’s top-two system ever produced a general election race for governor with two Democrats. For all the talk of then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom squaring off against Antonio Villaraigosa in 2018 or the possibility of a Becerra vs Steyer showdown this year, California governor races have always reverted to the partisan pattern with energized Democratic voters gravitating around their candidate and Republicans doing the same.
Similarly, the top two spots in both the lieutenant governor and treasurer’s races are also blue vs. red. The one exception: As of Wednesday, two Democratic candidates to become the next insurance commissioner — Jane Kim and Sen. Ben Allen — appear to be headed to the November election.
With so many Democrats packed into the race and none dominating the field, many party members worried early on that the two most prominent Republicans running, Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, could claim the first and second place spot in the primary.
Concerns over such a paradoxical, and for Democrats, nightmarish outcome prompted party chair Rusty Hicks to commission a poll to push some of the lowest-polling Democratic candidates to step aside for the good of the party and state.
Almost none did. But either because Democratic voters were sufficiently spooked into strategically avoiding that outcome — or because a shutout was never that likely in the first place — it doesn’t appear likely to happen.
Democrats have dodged such electoral bullets before. In 2018, a glut of anti-Trump Democratic congressional candidates threatened to hand Republicans both top spots in competitive races across the state. There were no shutouts in that year's primary. California Democrats ended up cleaning up in the subsequent “blue wave” general election. There was similar Democratic hand-wringing in the run-up to the recall election over a possible procedural fluke that could have handed the governor’s office to a Republican. Newsom swatted down the recall in a landslide.
Despite the recurring bouts of Democratic angst, the most prominent top two “lock out” in recent memory was in a deeply conservative state Senate district in the Sierra foothills in 2022 which a crowded pack of Republicans ended up cannibalizing the GOP vote leaving two Democrats in first and second.
The victor in that race, Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, ended up switching parties to join the Republicans anyway. As of early Wednesday, she is trailing in third place in her re-election contest behind Jaron Brandon, a Democrat, and Alexandra Duarte, a Republican.
Senator who?
Anthony Rendon was the former speaker of the California Assembly. In an org chart of state governance, that made him one of the three most influential people in the Capitol, alongside his counterpart in the Senate and the governor.
Alas, that wasn’t enough star power for Rendon to secure the largely symbolic position of superintendent of public instruction. As of Wednesday, he sits in fourth place.
Likewise, state Sen. Anna Caballero, a Merced Democrat who once served as the state Senate’s powerful appropriations chair, is a distant third in her bid to become treasurer — far behind Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and little-known Republican Jennifer Hawks. Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, a moderate Democrat, is also trailing in her race to unseat Republican Rep. David Valadao in the Central Valley, currently boxed out of the second place spot by Sen. Bernie Sanders-backed college professor Randy Villegas. And former state Sen. Steven Bradford is bringing up eighth place in the insurance commissioner contest.
It wasn’t all bad news for state lawmakers looking for other employment opportunities. Sen. Ben Allen is in second place in the insurance race, while Wiener and Sen. Aisha Wahab, two Democratic legislators from the San Francisco Bay Area, both easily claimed the top spots in their respective races for Congress.
60 Minutes new executive producer has fired veteran journalist Scott Pelley.
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AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
CBS fired veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley late Monday evening after his fiery remarks at a staff meeting held by the program's new executive producer, Nick Bilton, who has never worked in TV news.
Why now: Pelley told Bilton that he was "murdering" the program, according to three people with direct knowledge of the conversation. Last week, CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weis fired the show's top executives and forced out two of its correspondents.
What Pelley says: In a statement shared with NPR, Pelley alleges that new management attempted to inject falsehoods, bias, and unverified claims into his reporting — efforts he says he fended off.
CBS fired veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley late Monday evening after his fiery remarks at a staff meeting held by the program's new executive producer, Nick Bilton, who has never worked in TV news.
Pelley told Bilton that he was "murdering" the program, according to three people with direct knowledge of the conversation.
In a statement shared with NPR, Pelley alleges that new management attempted to inject falsehoods, bias, and unverified claims into his reporting — efforts he says he fended off.
It's all part of CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss' effort to wrest control of the network's signature news program. Last week, Weiss fired the show's top executives and forced out two of its correspondents.
With Anderson Cooper's departure, the show is down from seven correspondents to just three.
This story was taken from an audio report by NPR's David Folkenflik. Copyright 2026 NPR
