The Brief

You’ve boarded the plane, settled into your aisle seat, and are looking forward to an uneventful flight of microwaved meals and cheap wine. Everything’s going swimmingly, when suddenly a stranger appears next to you and asks that dreaded question: “Would you mind swapping seats with me?”

Maybe it’s a couple who can’t bear to be apart for a couple of hours, or a parent wanting to sit next to their young child. For whatever reason, they couldn't (or didn't) take care of the issue before boarding, so now it’s your problem. To switch or not to switch? What’s the best way to say no?

LAist's daily news show AirTalk asked a flight attendant and listeners to share some tips on how to best handle this request, and how to soften the blow if you have to say no.

Prepare ahead of time

It will come as no surprise to frequent fliers that airlines these days are charging up to $100 more if you want an assigned seat, said Phoenix-based flight attendant and host of the Non-Rev Lounge podcast Lara Ketterman.

"A lot of people are buying the basic economy seats and those come without a seat assignment unless you pay extra," she said.

Ketterman said those basic economy seats get assigned at the airport about an hour before takeoff, which means a lot of people flying together don't end up seated together, even if they bought their tickets at the same time.

The result? A lot of people asking to swap seats, oftentimes with people who intentionally paid extra for a preferred window or aisle, and they might not be so willing to make a switch.

"I wouldn't move from an aisle seat, especially if I paid extra. I firmly believe I'm entitled to sit in the seat I paid for," said LAist listener Lisa in Burbank

One thing fliers can do, said Ketterman and a handful of listeners, is prepare ahead of time. If you don't purchase preferred seating, one option is to get to the airport early and check in with your gate attendant. Listener Michael in Alhambra said this is what he does when flying.

"For the past 20 years," he said, "if I'm not able to purchase a window seat online, 90% of the time if I ask at the ticketing counter or the gate, I'm able to get a window seat."

Tell a flight attendant

Ketterman said that flight attendants are trained to handle all kinds of situations, including when someone turns down a request to swap seats.

"After someone says no, they'll come and get a flight attendant to see if we can mediate the issue," Ketterman said.

She adds most flight attendants have a device that shows which seats are empty, and that there are all kinds of tricks and tools at her fingertips to deescalate a situation or entice someone to move — like free drinks and meal coupons. But, she noted, flight attendants need to know about a situation to be helpful.

While most people are probably going to at least feign politeness when accepting or declining a request to switch seats, others are not so reasonable. Sue in Torrance said she was on a work trip from L.A. to Arizona when what could have been a simple "seat swapping" interaction turned into a dangerous fiasco:

"I was in the window seat. The gentleman in the middle was on his honeymoon and his fiancé was on the other side of the plane. Apparently the person sitting next to him said no. He asked me [to switch] and I declined. He got upset and started pushing on my seat and being aggressive. Later, he actually followed me in the airport and called me racist names."

Ketterman says these instances like Sue's unfortunately do happen, and encouraged travelers to tell a flight attendant if a situation like that arises because they're trained to handle those situations.

Be prepared to stay put

Finally, if you're the person asking to switch seats with someone, understand that you may not get your way. Be prepared to accept the seat you were assigned.

Ketterman said it's helpful to keep in mind that some people may not be willing to switch seats not just for financial reasons, but possible health reasons.

Sharon in Sherman Oaks said, "I wouldn't [switch seats] because I have a bad back and long legs and I usually pay extra." Another listener, Michelle in Costa Mesa, said she has vertigo and has to have an aisle seat, because she'll vomit if she's near the window.

But what if you're a parent traveling with a child?

According to Ketterman, gate agents work tirelessly to get people the seats they want, and that includes going above and beyond to seat a parent and child together.

"[We] will even make announcements in the gate area to try to move people around to get a family together," she said.

Or, if you're lucky, you might sit next to someone like Ajit in Irvine.

"I don't like to switch seats," he said, "but the one exception I'll make is for a parent traveling with a child. I'll automatically give me seat up to them."

At the end of the day, it's your call whether to switch with someone who asks. But for the sake of the flight attendants and everyone else on board, kindness is probably the best solution no matter what you decide. Don't forget, you have a long flight ahead.

Listen to the conversation

California voters will advance two candidates for governor to the November election in the most unsettled gubernatorial race in recent memory, concluding a long and winding primary campaign in which Democrats struggled to pick a new leader for the nation’s most populous blue state.

The decision comes at a particularly consequential time for California. Residents face a crushing cost of living, nation-topping gas prices made worse by the war in Iran, wildfire risks that have driven insurance companies out of state, an unstable state budget, impending federal cuts to the state’s expansive health system and an economy dampened by immigration enforcement.

Democratic former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has promised to fight Trump and freeze insurance and utility rates, is the leading Democrat in opinion polls and is favored by much of the state’s Democratic establishment. He appeared in contention to secure one of the top two spots for November heading into Election Day.

Republican Steve Hilton, a Donald Trump-endorsed former Fox News host who has vowed to cut income taxes and slash environmental regulations, was polling in second place ahead of Election Day, having consolidated support from many of the state’s conservatives.

But billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a progressive Democrat who has self-funded his campaign to the tune of $213 million, was still fighting for one of the top spots. A series of polls released in the final days of the race showed Becerra in the lead with roughly a quarter of likely voters’ support, and Steyer and Hilton locked in a tight battle for second.

Votes could take days or weeks to tally. Pollsters and strategists noted that lingering Democratic uncertainty led some voters to wait so they could back whoever appears to be ahead.

“Those polls could become self-fulfilling,” said Paul Mitchell, a Democratic strategist whose company tracks ballot return data.

The race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, is the marquee contest on the ballot Tuesday. The seat is considered a shoo-in in November for Democrats, who have nearly twice as many registered voters as Republicans, and holds national importance for the Democratic Party’s pushback to the Trump administration.

It’s also been one of the most unusually open races in recent state history.

No Democratic stars in the race

In contrast to decades of California politics dominated by movie stars, family dynasties and larger-than-life personalities, none of the most recognizable Democratic names jumped into the race.

That led to a crowded field on the left, briefly causing liberals to panic that Hilton and a fellow Republican, the bombastic Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, could each garner more votes than any Democrat, locking the party out of the general election. The state Democratic Party began a public pressure campaign asking lower-polling candidates to drop out. Nearly all stayed in the race.

But when Democratic then-Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out over multiple sexual assault allegations, Becerra was the clear beneficiary, raking in many of Swalwell’s donors and supporters. He’s been surging ever since, successfully dodging criticism of his record. Steyer, who spent $200 million boosting his name recognition through campaign ads, consolidated much of the party’s left flank. Former Rep. Katie Porter, a progressive dogged by allegations about her temperament, fell behind. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate backed by Silicon Valley billionaires, rose from single digits in the polls, but not enough.

Trump’s endorsement of Hilton quickly helped him pull away from Bianco, making it unlikely both Republicans would come in first and second. If Hilton advances to the November election, he faces long odds of being elected against a Democrat.

Both he and Steyer have spent the final weeks of the campaign portraying Becerra as a symbol of the status quo and themselves as agents of systemic change amid multiple state crises, with affordability dominating the race.

For Hilton, that would mean ending 16 years of “one-party rule” under Democrats, slashing spending and reversing many liberal policies such as greenhouse gas reduction mandates, the progressive tax system and parts of the social safety net.

“After 16 years of everything being in one direction, that’s left a lot of people dissatisfied,” he said last week. “Anybody who wants change or balance in our politics, the only choice is for me.”

His name recognition as a former Fox host helped him start the race with a fan base. Nancy LeVesque, a retired salesperson from Roseville, already admired him and said he was an easy choice as she dropped off her ballot at a Placer County vote center on Monday. She liked that he would bring an outsider’s perspective to the governor’s office and a change for those leaving California because of its liberal politics.

“We have lost so many good people,” to other states, she said.

Steyer styled himself as a populist “class traitor” who would force lower costs for Californians by taking on monied special interests like investor-owned utilities, the real estate industry and health insurance corporations. He made a litany of progressive promises on climate change, single-payer health care and raising taxes on the wealthy.

Undecided voter Tina Varnado attended a rally last week for Steyer hosted by her union, which represents home health aides. The South Sacramento resident is a full-time caretaker for her elderly mother and her adult daughter who had open-heart surgery. Between her mother’s social security checks and her pay as her daughter’s health aide, “we do have to spend everything we have every single month” to stay afloat, she said.

“Everything he touched on really touched home for me,” she said after hearing Steyer speak. “If we can lower prices, maybe we can start putting money down on a home for my future.”

Becerra has emphasized his long experience in government, including his lawsuits against the first Trump administration and his time as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary during the pandemic.

That appealed to Evan Cragin, of the California Young Democrats, which endorsed Becerra weeks before his sudden surge. Cragin said he wants the next governor to have government experience to push back on federal “abuses” from the Trump administration.

“Secretary Becerra has done that before,” Cragin said.

Surrounded by supporters at the offices of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California on Monday, Becerra dismissed his opponents’ promises, pointing to past accomplishments including passing the Affordable Care Act and defending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program.

“You can have all these great inflated promises,” he said. “Getting things done is not easy.”

Ryan Sabalow contributed reporting.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

May gray has come and gone, and now it's time for June gloom.

Overcast skies will be present this morning, especially along the beaches and valleys closest to the coast. Otherwise, we're in for a partly cloudy afternoon.

Today's temperatures at L.A. County beaches will stay around 66 to 71 degrees, and reach 76 to 80 degrees for places more inland.

In Orange County, expect similar temperatures with highs from 67 to 74 degrees for Huntington Beach and surrounding areas. More inland areas like Anaheim and Garden Grove will see temperatures of up to 79 degrees.

Moving on to L.A. County valleys, expect high temperatures in the low to mid 80s.

In the Inland Empire, temperatures will range 80 to 89 degrees.

Election Day is here, but now comes the waiting.

Do you have something to watch on Netflix? Maybe you've been meaning to pick up a hobby — how about crochet? Whatever you do, take a deep breath and keep busy because it could be days (or weeks) before we get some California election results.

The state is often knocked by the rest of the country as being "slow" to count votes. But here's the deal: that's a feature, not a bug, of the election system.

The backstory

Things take a while here largely because California works so hard to expand the ways people can vote. For example:

• Californians in recent years overwhelmingly vote by mail — nearly 90% of votes cast in the 2024 presidential election were mail-in ballots. In that same year's primary the percentage was just as high. Those ballots can be postmarked up to and including Election Day. They're counted as long as the ballot arrives within seven days (for the June primary, that's June 9).
• California offers same-day voter registration at any voting center. These new voters must cast a provisional ballot, which is counted once election officials confirm their eligibility (they are overwhelmingly accepted — for example, Los Angeles County reports that historically between 85% to 90% have been counted.
• Voters also have the right to cast provisional ballots if there's any problem on election day — like if poll workers aren't able to void an outstanding mail-in ballot, or if there’s any issue calling up voter information from e-pollbooks. Again (see above), provisionals take longer to process because eligibility has to be confirmed.
• Vote-by-mail ballots require signature matching. When the one received doesn't match the one on file, county registrars must contact that voter to let them know — and give them the chance to correct it.
• And, with more than 23 million registered voters, we're really, really big. In the 2024 general election more than 16 million Californians voted (down from nearly 18 million in the 2020 presidential election). Either way, that’s more people than the total populations of all but three other states.

Why things have sped up, some

But things have sped up considerably in the 30 counties that have adopted a 2016 law called the Voter's Choice Act, including L.A., Orange and Riverside counties. In recent elections, the changes associated with that law — like voters not being locked into a designated polling location — drastically cut down the number of provisional ballots cast, which helped move things along faster than they had before.

A closer look at ballot counting times in California where an increasing number of vote-by-mail ballots has slowed ballot counts.

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Courtesy California Voter Foundation

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Still, accuracy and a commitment to "expanding the franchise" — translation: allowing more people to vote — means the process is not designed to produce instantaneous results.

Why you should take a deep breath Election Night

You'll have to get that endorphin hit elsewhere on June 2.

A few things to keep in mind: You may recall that during the 2024 primary, it took about a week to call the results for L.A. City Council races in District 4, where incumbent Nithya Raman was fighting to avoid a runoff election, and District 14, where challenger Ysabel Jurado wound up overtaking incumbent Kevin de León by just a few hundred votes.

It took an even longer 15 days to call the results of Prop. 1, during which opponents conceded, walked back that concession, and conceded again when the measure won by a razor-thin 0.4% margin. And it took 23 days to call the second-place winner for Orange County's 45th congressional district — it ultimately went to Democrat Derek Tran who went on to beat Republican Michelle Steel in the general election. Tran is now up for reelection and rematch with Steel is considered likely in November.

Depending on how close some of these races end up being, we may face similar waits this election cycle.

TL;DR: Officially, county and state election officials have until July 10 to certify election results — including a mandatory audit that requires hand-counting all of the ballots at 1% of precincts. Nevertheless, you're going to see a lot of national media headlines about California's relative "slowness." Brush it off. We have sunshine, beaches, and a highly enfranchised population.