California
Who is Katie Porter? See who is running for governor of California
‘This is Gavin Newsom’: CA governor teases new podcast with MAGA guests
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching a new podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” set to debut next month, and it will feature MAGA figures.
Straight Arrow News
The field of candidates for California’s gubernatorial election grew larger Tuesday, with former congresperson Katie Porter entering the race.
A Democrat, Porter previously ran for the U.S. Senate but lost in California’s primary election last year. The seat was won by Sen. Adam Schiff.
Porter represented California’s 47th Congressional District from 2023 through her term ending in January. She also represented the state’s 45th Congressional District from 2019 to 2023.
What is Katie Porter’s background?
A consumer protection attorney, Porter was described as a “social media celebrity” by the Associated Press for using whiteboards at congressional hearings as a tool often to display figures. She used a white board to break down the cost Americans would face in testing for coronavirus and, through her pressing, got the then Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield to agree that agency will pay for coronavirus testing, CNN reported.
She returned to the University of California, Irvine School of Law as a full-time faculty member this year and has also been on the faculty at the University of Iowa College of Law in her home state, according to UC Irvine.
Self-described as a “minivan-driving single mom,” Porter was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa and has degrees from Yale and Harvard University, according to her congressional biography.
Who is running for California governor 2026?
Los Angeles Mayor and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former state Controller Betty Yee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are among the high-profile Democrats who’ve announced their gubernatorial runs.
But it’s not just Democrats entering the race in the blue state.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, announced his run for California governor in February.
Others that have announced runs for California governor include hospitality businessman Stephen Cloobeck and Butch Ware, a member of the Green Party.
Is Kamala Harris running for governor of California?
It’s been speculated that former Vice President Kamala Harris will run for California’s next governor. Politico reported on Friday that the former California attorney general will make her decision by the end of the summer.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.

California
‘More than we can bear’: Missing California student found dead in Big Bear Lake

A Southern California college student who went missing in a popular mountain town over the weekend has been found dead in Big Bear Lake.
Tanner Prentiss, 22, was last seen on May 17 at around 12:30 a.m. in Big Bear Lake, California, according to the city’s sheriff station. Search crews located his body in the water Monday shortly before 10:30 a.m. near the city’s Pine Knot Marina.
CBS News reported that deputies searching the lake from a helicopter spotted Prentiss’ body, which was then recovered by a dive team. Deputies are investigating how Prentiss ended up in the water, the outlet reported.
No foul play is suspected and his cause of death is under investigation by the coroner’s office, the Big Bear Sheriff Station confirmed on Facebook.
The University of California at Santa Barbara student visited the lake with a group of friends, who reported him missing after he failed to return to their rental cabin, according to local stations KTLA and KABC.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tanner’s family, friends and all those who are affected by his loss. The family is requesting privacy as they navigate through this tragic incident,” the sheriff station wrote.
‘This loss is more than we can bear’
Prentiss’ grandmother, Marilyn Taylor, wrote on Facebook that her family is devastated by Tanner’s passing and thanked everyone who supported their family during this time.
“Tanner was the funny guy, always smiling, tons of friends, charismatic, responsible and a really good person. This loss is more than we can bear at this time,” she wrote.
In a statement, UC Santa Barbara called Tanner’s death “heartbreaking” for the entire university community and expressed condolences to his friends and families.
“We understand the impact and stress surrounding this tragedy and are committed to supporting our campus community who may be impacted,” the school said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. “Our campus offers resources to students, staff, and faculty who are in need of support.”
California
Heat wave is coming to Southern California, with triple-digit temps in San Fernando Valley
Meteorologists are projecting unusually high temperatures in Southern California this week, with the heat predicted to climb above 100 degrees in the San Fernando Valley and reach the 90s elsewhere.
After a balmy weekend, temperatures are expected to start rising Monday. “We’re looking at pretty widespread 80 to 90 degrees for highs” Monday across the Valley, said David Gomberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, which covers Los Angeles County.
Temperatures will soar by midweek, hitting 103 degrees in Woodland Hills on Wednesday and 101 degrees on Thursday, the National Weather Service predicted.
Read more: Commentary: Nuclear reactors help power Los Angeles. Should we panic, or be grateful?
In downtown Los Angeles, meanwhile, temperatures are expected to climb from the low 80s on Monday to the mid-80s on Tuesday and finally to the low 90s on Wednesday, before dropping back to the high-80s on Thursday.
“I’d say Wednesday and Thursday are going to be the two hottest days,” Gomberg said. “Saturday is when things should get back to normal.”
People enjoy the warm weather at Echo Park Lake. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)
The weather service expects to issue heat advisories, warning people to think twice if considering strenuous midday activity such as hiking.
“Also, the very old and little children are always going to be vulnerable to those heat events,” Gomberg said.
Read more: Missing camper ‘miraculously’ found alive after surviving weeks in snowy High Sierra
Temperatures in the Inland Empire, meanwhile, are expected to reach the mid- to upper 90s on Wednesday and Thursday. In inland Orange County cities such as Irvine and Anaheim, temperatures will hit the upper 80s and low 90s by midweek.
“Our highs will get back to the mid-80s by Saturday, which is pretty close to the climatological norm for late May,” said Dave Munyan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in San Diego, which covers Orange County and the Inland Empire. “It’s not going to be as hot as the mini heat wave we had two weeks ago.”
He characterized the coming week as “abnormally warm, not record-breaking heat, but definitely something that could take some folks off guard because it’s May and they expect it to be cooler and cloudier.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
California
A deadly explosion outside a California fertility clinic is investigated as terrorism

A damaged building is seen after an explosion in Palm Springs, Calif., on Saturday.
Eric Thayer/AP
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Eric Thayer/AP
A fatal explosion outside a California fertility clinic Saturday morning is being investigated as an act of terrorism, according to an FBI official.
One person was killed and four were injured in the weekend blast that sent debris flying across multiple blocks in all directions, said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
“Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism,” he said during a Saturday news conference.
Investigators were “not actively out searching for a suspect” but had identified a person of interest, Davis added. He did not say if that person was the one killed in the explosion.
Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills said the public was not in any more danger. “I also want to make sure that our community understands this is an isolated incident. I am confident that the community is not at risk any longer,” he said.
American Reproductive Centers said Saturday in a post on Facebook that a vehicle had exploded in the parking lot near its Palm Springs facility earlier in the day. The clinic said no staff members were hurt and there was no damage to any of its eggs, embryos and reproductive material.
“This moment has shaken us—but it has not stopped us,” the post reads. “We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world.”

A firefighter stands at the scene of an explosion in Palm Springs, Calif., on Saturday.
Eric Thayer/AP
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Eric Thayer/AP
Davis said the FBI believes the fertility clinic was targeted.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday evening that she had been briefed on the explosion. “We are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America,” she said in a post on X. “Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable.”
Bomb technicians were scouring the blast scene Saturday as part of the ongoing investigation, which was being led by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
First responders arrived at the scene around 11 a.m. local time Saturday morning to find a debris field stretching over 250 yards, Davis said. He added that investigators were looking into the possibility that the bombing was live streamed.
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