It's Thursday. Upcoming local races will provide a window into the view of Californians on homelessness, crime and more. Plus, California gas prices reach a record high. |
 | | District Attorney Chesa Boudin of San Fransicso is facing a recall election on June 7.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images |
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The statewide primary election is fast approaching, when Californians will make their first picks for governor, senator, attorney general and more. |
And, depending on where you live, the June 7 vote may also be a defining moment for your city or neighborhood, as a number of local races are also on the ballot. |
Election Day isn't officially until next month, but since every registered voter received a mail-in ballot this year, many Californians have already begun voting. Some counties will also allow in-person voting as early as 10 days before the election. |
Local contests are, of course, local, but can reveal where California is headed, as voters align themselves with candidates' views on housing, homelessness, crime and other key issues. Today I'll walk you through three local races we'll be watching closely. |
San Francisco District Attorney |
Chesa Boudin was elected to be San Francisco's top prosecutor in 2019, his victory part of a wave of support for progressive prosecutors and criminal justice reforms. |
The race will serve as a test of how far liberal prosecutors can go in changing the justice system at a time of rising concerns about crime. The state's sitting attorney general, Rob Bonta, a Democrat, is also fighting to keep his seat, as challengers say he's too soft on crime. |
San Jose is the third largest city in California, and its voters will soon pick their next leader. |
The current mayor, Sam Liccardo, terms out at the end of the year, so several politicians, a former police sergeant and a 21-year-old San Jose State University student have thrown their hats in the ring. It's quickly becoming the most expensive race in city history. |
Though June is technically a primary election, if a single candidate wins more than 50 percent of votes, that person would become San Jose's next mayor. Only if no candidate meets that threshold would the top two vote-getters proceed to a runoff in November. |
Whom San Joseans choose will offer a glimpse into how Californians want to tackle the state's most contentious issues. |
One mayoral candidate supports sanctioned homeless encampments, while another wants to crack down on them. Some contenders are backed by labor unions, others by business groups. Those running are split on a number of proposals: whether to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, whether to require gun owners to carry liability insurance and whether to hire more police officers. |
Los Angeles County Sheriff |
One in four Californians live in Los Angeles County, and its sheriff's department is the largest in the nation. The sheriff provides police services for dozens of cities in the county and operates county jails. |
When vying for his first term, Villanueva courted progressives and rode a wave of anti-Trump sentiment into office. But this time around, he has shifted to the right in an effort to capitalize on concerns about crime and draw votes from more conservative-leaning Angelenos. |
As in the San Jose mayor's race, if any candidate gets more than half of the votes in June, we'll have picked Los Angeles County's next sheriff. If no candidate reaches 50 percent, then the two with the most votes will face off in November. |
We want to hear from you. |
 | | Gas prices in California have surpassed $6 per gallon for the first time ever.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images |
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- Most expensive gas in the nation: California's gas price hit $6.05 on Wednesday, breaking a record set earlier this year, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Redwood leaves: New research finds that California's redwoods have specialized leaves that can scrape moisture from the air — probably part of the reason they're so resilient, Scientific American reports.
- Surfside victim identified: Theresa Velasquez, whose voice was heard from under the rubble at the site of a condominium collapse in Florida last June, was a music industry executive from Los Angeles, according to information released this week. Velasquez had been visiting her parents at their apartment when the building collapsed.
- Prison fraud ring: A California woman serving a life sentence in prison for murder led a scheme to collect at least $2 million in unemployment benefits, federal prosecutors said.
- Protections for birds: A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration acted illegally when it withdrew a proposal to list the greater sage grouse as threatened, The Associated Press reports.
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- Church shooting: The man accused of opening fire on an Orange County church congregation because of his political hatred for Taiwan called himself a "destroying angel" in a seven-volume diary sent to a newspaper before the attack, The Associated Press reports.Dr. John Cheng, a much-loved community figure, is remembered fondly after risking his life to distract the gunman, The Associated Press reports.
- MacLaren Children's Center: Two decades after Los Angeles County officials shut down the center for foster children, about 200 women and men are coming forward with accounts of sexual abuse, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- L.A.U.S.D. decline: Enrollment at the Los Angeles Unified School District is expected to significantly decrease over the next decade, The Associated Press reports.
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- Diablo Canyon: The Biden administration has extended a deadline to July 5 to apply for federal funding that would keep the nuclear power plant running, Reuters reports.
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- Exorcism: The relatives of a 3-year-old girl in San Jose were charged in the child's death. The authorities said the girl died during a daylong exorcism at a Pentecostal church.
- Whale sightings in S.F.: The migration patterns of endangered humpback whales have changed so much that they are now hanging around in San Francisco Bay, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- Mountain lion attack: A woman who was attacked by a mountain lion in rural Trinity County says her dog jumped to her defense, The Associated Press reports.
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 | | Green goddess broiled salmon with potato, cucumber and snap peasRyan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. |
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Today's tip comes from Elie Shapiro, who recommends a hike in Point Reyes National Seashore: |
"Alamere Falls in Marin County is a wonderful hike along a cliff overlooking the ocean which leads through a forest where you traverse around two small lakes (Bass Lake and Pelican Lake) and then to a waterfall on the beach! Truly no hike like it." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
What do you want to know about California's June primary election? Email us your questions at CAToday@nytimes.com. |
And before you go, some good news |
When Angelica Glass decided to walk every street in Santa Cruz County, she had no idea it would change how she experienced life. |
But after walking 4,121 streets in six years, she uncovered stories about her past that had been buried in her mind, The Los Angeles Times reports. And, to her surprise, she found new beauty all around her. |
On her walks, she found affable men in garages making things. One crafted woodworking tools, another was in the early stages of carving a violin. All were eager to chat about their projects. |
She met a woman who had just sold her first painting, and another who watered her lawn with a blue-headed parrot on her shoulder. |
These moments, which Glass calls "micro-friendships," made her eager to lace up her walking shoes every day. |
"I'd never experienced that before, being excited to wake up in the morning," she told The Times. |
"The only feeling I can compare it to was being in love. I fell hopelessly in love with everyone and everything." |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Soumya |
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