San Francisco, CA
U.S. Senate candidates face off again in San Francisco as voting begins
With voting already underway, the leading candidates for California’s U.S. Senate seat will face off for a second time Monday night in San Francisco for what may well be the last chance to shake up the race before the March 5 primary election.
The leading candidates — Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff of Burbank, Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland, and Republican former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman Steve Garvey of Palm Desert — debated once before on Jan. 22 at the University of Southern California.
Recent polls, including one following the last debate, have consistently put Schiff in the lead, with Porter and Garvey neck and neck for second place and Lee not far behind. The two candidates with the most voters March 5, regardless of party, will compete for the seat in the November election.
How California U.S. Senate candidates would differ from Feinstein and each other
“This is the first debate taking place in Northern California,” said political analyst Dan Schnur, who teaches at the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley. “Three of the four candidates on the stage are from Southern California and this is their first chance to be directly exposed to a Bay Area audience. Especially for Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, who are fighting to get into the runoff, this is an opportunity to appeal to a heavily Democratic audience.”
The 7 p.m. debate will be hosted by Nexstar Media Group‘s “Inside California Politics” and held in the KRON 4 News studio, moderated by program hosts Frank Buckley and Nikki Laurenzo. It will be broadcast statewide including on KRON 4 TV in the Bay Area. It also will be streamed live on kron4.com and on the KRON 4 app. It is expected to be the last debate before the primary.
The four candidates were chosen for the debate out of a crowded field, in part based on polling and fundraising indicating they are clearly in the lead as serious contenders.
The four are competing for the seat long held by late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor who died in September at age 90 after more than 30 years in the Senate. Her seat is presently occupied by Sen. Laphonza Butler, a Democrat appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom after Feinstein’s death. Butler has declined to run for a full term.
California’s other U.S. Senator is Democrat Alex Padilla, the former secretary of state Newsom appointed after Sen. Kamala Harris became vice president. Padilla was elected to a full term in 2022 over Republican challenger Mark Meuser.
The Jan. 22 debate included some colorful lines, but polling indicates it did little to shake up the dynamics of the race.
Schiff “did what he needed to do to maintain his frontrunner status” with a “steady” performance that “hit all the right notes,” while Porter evidently “didn’t do enough” to move up and secure the runner-up spot, said Sonoma State University Political Science Professor David McCuan. Lee delivered a solid performance, but she hasn’t gained on her rivals in polls and fundraising and remains in jeopardy of a fourth-place finish.
Garvey, making his first bid for public office, looked very much like the rookie politician against the three more seasoned candidates who repeatedly piled onto him, McCuan said. But that doesn’t necessarily hurt his chances at a second-place primary finish if the Democrats split the vote while Garvey consolidates Republican voters.
With 47% of voters registered Democratic, 24% Republican and 22% with no political party, Schnur said while there aren’t nearly enough Republicans in California to elect a Senator without pulling in other voters, “there are just enough of them to get a candidate into second place.”
“That’s a problem for Porter and Lee and an opportunity for Schiff,” Schnur said. “They need to tear Garvey down” to keep him from finishing second, while Schiff would face an easier November opponent in Garvey.
For Monday’s debate, the candidates “each have different set requirements,” McCuan said. For Schiff, “his goal is to elevate and remain the leader.”
Porter “has to muscle in, and has to not only go after Schiff, but move Garvey out,” McCuan said. “She needs more than a Schiff misstep, and more than a Garvey whiff.”
“Barbara Lee has to make a case to remain on stage, to remain in the race,” McCuan said.
And Garvey, he said, “will have to provide more steak and sizzle.”
“A mediocre performance by Steve Garvey can keep him over the Mendoza line” — baseball’s .200 batting average futility threshold — if Republicans continue to rally around the former slugger up to the primary, McCuan said. But he’ll need a bit more than that to put Porter away and clinch second place.
“He’s got to smack the ball hard,” McCuan said.
How to watch the debate:
The debate will air Monday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. on Nexstar California stations statewide and their digital platforms. In the Bay Area, it will be telecast on KRON 4 TV and also livestreamed on kron4.com and on the KRON 4 app.
San Francisco, CA
50 Beagles Rescued From Wisconsin Lab Arrive in Bay Area, SF Activist Faces Felony Charges
Animal rescue groups persuaded a Wisconsin breeding lab to sell 1,500 beagles after activists worked for a decade to free them, and 50 of the dogs arrived in the Bay Area Sunday. Meanwhile, an SF activist faces 12 years in prison for rescuing some of them prior to the deal.
Last month, several animal rights activists attempted to free 1,500 beagles at Wisconsin-based Ridglan Farms, the second-largest breeder of beagles for laboratories in the US, as KGO reported last week. Four activists, including Dean Guzman Wyrzykowski of San Francisco, were arrested during the rescue operation and charged with felonies, with up to 12 years in prison, according to a post by Wyrzykowski on social media.
“There are thousands of dogs just like her in laboratories across the country,” says Wyrzykowski, while holding the dog he’s accused of stealing.
Last week, animal rights group Big Dog Ranch Rescue, which is based in Florida, and DC-based Center for a Humane Economy made a confidential agreement with the lab to purchase the animals to be adopted out by rescue groups. Per KGO, well-known Berkeley activist Zoe Rosenberg, who brought one beagle named Chester home with her, was among the volunteers helping the dogs in Wisconsin after they were rescued.
As KGO reports, the Northern California Beagle Rescue Group brought 50 beagles to the Bay Area via school bus Sunday, and they’ll be adopting them out to homes in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and nearby cities once they’ve received veterinary care.
The dogs had likely never touched grass until after leaving the lab, and they’ve been slowly acclimating to their new lives. Some were reportedly malnourished and most had bad teeth and were in need of dental work.
“It was very emotional,” says Wendy Lansdon, a volunteer with Northern California Beagle Rescue, speaking to KGO about when the bus full of dogs first arrived in the Bay Area. “Some of them were really quiet when we got in there, some of them were happy, and the other ones were terrified.”
Prior to the dogs’ arrival, the Northern California Beagle Rescue Group announced on social media it was seeking foster home volunteers in Fremont, San Jose, and Sacramento — near where the beagles will be receiving veterinary care. The group is also requesting donations to help fund the dogs’ vet care.
According to the site Save the Dogs, activists had been pushing for the closure of Ridglan Farms for almost 10 years, as investigators, whistleblowers, veterinarians, and others worked to spread the word about the inhumane conditions of the lab, which stayed in operation for decades, despite being hit with hundreds of state-level cruelty violations.
“The dogs born there were treated as inventory: bred, confined, sold to research, disposed of,” says Save the Dogs.
Save the Dogs notes that activists are now targeting Marshall BioResources, the largest breeder of dogs for laboratories in the country, which has operations in New York and the United Kingdom.
Image: Northern California Beagle Rescue/Facebook
Division-leading Dodgers aim to snap home losing trend as they open series against the Giants in a matchup of NL West foes
After dropping their second straight home series over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers head into Monday night’s series opener against the San Francisco Giants sitting atop the National League West Division standings, aiming to avenge a series loss to the Giants from two weeks ago. San Francisco has lost nine of its last 12 games overall and have dropped seven in a row on the road as they begin a 10-game road trip that will keep them away from home until Memorial Day Weekend. The Giants will start Trevor McDonald (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in his fourth start in the Majors while the Dodgers will counter with second-year Japanese import Roki Sasaki (1-3, 5.97 ERA) who has given up a home run in five consecutive outings.
How to Watch San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers:
Date: May 11, 2026
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: MLB Network
Location: Dodgers Stadium
Live Stream the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fubo: Start watching now!
Dodger center fielder Andy Pages, who has helped Los Angeles claim World Series titles in each of his first two years in the Majors, leads the team this season hitting .333, ranking the 25-year-old Cuban third among all hitters in MLB. Pages is hitting .371 so far in May with five extra base hits and 10 RBIs and has successfully reached base in 13 of his last 14 games.
With nine hits in seven games so far this month, Giants second baseman Luis Arraez is hitting a team-leading .310 at the plate in 2026 and is on pace for his eighth career 100-hit campaign. Arraez is one of only two active players with a career batting average above .300, hitting .316 for his career and leads Houston’s Jose Altuve by 15 points.
What time is Giants vs Dodgers?
Coverage of the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers starts Monday, May 11, at 10:00 p.m ET. Tune in to see if the Dodgers can beat the Giants for the fifth time in the last six games at Dodger Stadium or if San Francisco can beat LA for the fourth time in the last five head-to-head matchups.
What channel is the Giants vs Dodgers game on?
Looking to watch the game? Subscribers can tune to MLB Network to catch the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup at home or on the go with the Fubo TV app.
Watch the San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fubo: Start watching now!
Regional restrictions may apply.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the McCoven who hopefully have better things to do than watch this dreadful baseball team. But if this is your chosen way of spending the day, then welcome, and may the Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the series for you.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle takes the mound for the Giants, as the veteran makes his eighth start of the year. He’s 1-4 on the season, with a 5.00 ERA, a 4.91 FIP, and 34 strikeouts to 18 walks in 36 innings. He was very strong his last time out, pitching 5.1 shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the Pirates, it’s right-hander Bubba Chandler, a 23-year old in his second season. In seven starts this year, Chandler is 1-4 with a 4.76 ERA, a 5.60 FIP, and 31 strikeouts to 26 walks in 34 innings. Chandler gave up two runs in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his last game. He has issued the most walks in the Major Leagues, so he’s probably foaming at the mouth to face the Giants, who apparently believe that drawing walks is a sin on par with murder.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Go Giants! Go moms!
Who: San Francisco Giants (15-24) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (22-18)
Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
-
Politics4 minutes agoJudge Again Delays Guantánamo’s First Death-Penalty Terror Trial
-
Business10 minutes agoChina Increasingly Views Trump’s America as an Empire in Decline
-
Science16 minutes agoScientists Press Congress on Dismissal of National Science Foundation Board and Research Funding
-
Health22 minutes agoA Single Infusion Could Suppress H.I.V. for Years, Study Suggests
-
Culture34 minutes agoBook Review: ‘When the Forest Breathes,’ by Suzanne Simard
-
Lifestyle40 minutes agoJewelry Among the Exhibits at a Daniel Brush Retrospective
-
Technology52 minutes agoOpenAI just released its answer to Claude Mythos
-
World58 minutes agoTrump administration rejects UN migration declaration, says ‘mass migration was never safe’