Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1903, a cameraman filmed President Theodore Roosevelt riding through a parade in San Francisco. The reel was among the first to capture a U.S. president’s official activity on motion picture film.

Your car may know more about you than you think. General Motors just agreed to a massive California privacy settlement over claims it sold drivers’ location and driving data, as we report below in Business.

Republicans and Democrats are in an all-out war over control of the House of Representatives, and the battle may already be over before a single vote is cast in November. Whoever wins this fight controls everything from your tax bill to war powers to whether President Trump gets impeached. One party has the upper hand, and the other is scrambling. Tune in to The Flyover Podcast as Ayla breaks down the three biggest impacts of this redistricting fight. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, InvestorPlace, is sharing new research on emerging AI, robotics, and technology companies that analysts believe could represent some of the market’s next major investment opportunities.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Arcadia Mayor Charged as Chinese Agent

Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang resigned Monday and agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China (PRC) while serving on the city council.

Wang, 58, was elected to the Arcadia City Council in 2022 and selected mayor through the city's rotating leadership. The Department of Justice said she and her then-fiancé, Yaoning "Mike" Sun, ran U.S. News Center, a site presented as community news while publishing content directed by Chinese officials.

One PRC official sent Wang an article denying abuses in Xinjiang via WeChat that she posted within minutes. In a later exchange, she wrote "Thank you leader." Sun is serving a four-year federal sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to similar charges.

Wang faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Federal investigators say PRC influence operations have targeted U.S. political and community organizations, including in Southern California.

Top-Two Primary Repeal Effort Filed

Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio filed a ballot initiative Friday to scrap California's top-two primary after concerns emerged that a crowded Democratic field could shut Democrats out of the 2026 governor's race.

Adopted via Proposition 14 in 2010, the current system sends the top two finishers to the November ballot regardless of party. Maviglio's "Undo the Top-Two" measure would restore one nominee per party, requiring about 874,000 signatures for the 2028 ballot.

Supporters argue the current system can leave voters without a candidate who reflects their views when two candidates from the same party advance. Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator endorsed by President Trump, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco have both polled competitively in the open gubernatorial primary.

The campaign has cross-partisan support, including former state GOP Chairman Ron Nehring. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who championed the 2010 measure, argued the top-two system would take power from political parties and give voters broader choice.

Tijuana Sewage Closes San Diego Beaches

Tijuana River sewage continues to sicken South Bay residents and force beach closures along San Diego County's coast, particularly near Imperial Beach and Coronado.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says one Tijuana wastewater outfall discharges about 50 million gallons of contaminated flow into the Pacific daily, a significant share of it untreated sewage. Doctors report rising respiratory illness in children, and Coronado-based Navy SEAL training has been disrupted by contaminated water.

President Trump’s administration has pressed Mexico to accelerate cleanup projects and reduce cross-border flows, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin signed a memorandum of understanding with Mexico's environment secretary. Locally, San Diego County officials say they distributed 12,000 air purifiers and are seeking at least $25 million to fix a polluted Saturn Boulevard drainage channel that releases foul-smelling gases into nearby neighborhoods.

The South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego expanded from 25 to 35 million gallons a day in August 2025, with EPA pursuing a further expansion to 50 million gallons a day by December 2027.

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➤ San Francisco: Caltrans completed the second of three weekend closures for a 19th Avenue repaving project. The third and final closure will shut both directions between Sloat and Holloway avenues over Memorial Day weekend. (More)

➤ Humboldt County: Two suspects were caught on surveillance video cutting up and stealing pieces of an old-growth redwood log in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the latest in a string of poaching cases that has led to four arrests over the past six months. (More)

➤ Northern California: Pacific Gas & Electric Company is warning that spring snowmelt is creating fast, cold river flows across its 11-basin hydroelectric system, increasing dangers for swimmers and boaters as warmer weather draws more people to the water. (More)

➤ Sacramento: Aviators Restaurant at Sacramento Executive Airport faces a closure of up to two years after crews discovered mold, asbestos, and structural damage during a planned kitchen floor renovation. (More)

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➤ Fresno County: California diesel prices nearing $7.50 a gallon, well above the $5.62 national average, are pushing some Central Valley farmers to add fuel surcharges while truckers avoid filling up in the state. Fresno County farmer Greg Markarian said his monthly diesel costs jumped from about $30,000 before the war to roughly $50,000. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur, a Democrat, and Republican Guillermo Gonzalez will debate Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the State Senate District 16 race on KGET and KSEE24. Incumbent Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield, declined the station’s invitation to participate. (How to Watch)

➤ Clovis: Police arrested 28-year-old Nickolas Cropper after seizing about 1,000 illegal fireworks, some homemade, with an estimated street value of $50,000. Authorities called it one of the largest illegal fireworks busts in Clovis, and Cropper faces charges including felony child endangerment. (More)

➤ Fresno: Three Fresno Unified seniors were among only 750 students nationwide to win Gates Scholarships from more than 61,000 applicants. Juan Morales Lopez will attend UC Davis, Eliana Palomera will attend UCLA, and Bryan Cabrera Garcia will attend UC San Diego. The award covers full college costs. (More)

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➤ Torrance: Cole Tomas Allen, 31, pleaded not guilty Monday to four federal charges, including the attempted assassination of President Trump at the April 25 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Allen, a Caltech graduate from Torrance, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. (More)

➤ Valencia: Six Flags Magic Mountain reopened Monday afternoon after a bomb threat prompted a morning sweep by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and the California Highway Patrol. Authorities said the threat was received before the park opened, and no credible danger was immediately reported after the search concluded. (More)

➤ Los Angeles: Police say train and commercial cargo theft is helping fuel inflation, with stolen goods resold online and through livestream shopping apps. Authorities recovered $52 million in stolen merchandise last year and another $22 million in the first quarter of 2026. A recent raid at a Bell car lot tied to an alleged fencing operation uncovered at least $500,000 in stolen goods. (More)

➤ San Diego: Officer Jason Costanza collected more than $1.28 million in overtime pay from 2021 through 2025, the most of any city employee. Three police officers and two sergeants each made over $200,000 in overtime in 2025 alone amid staffing shortages. (More)

➤ San Fernando: A jury found actor Nick Pasqual, 36, guilty of attempted murder for the 2024 stabbing of his ex-girlfriend Allie Shehorn at her Sunland home. Pasqual, who appeared on How I Met Your Mother, was also convicted of burglary and domestic violence-related charges. Sentencing is set for June 2. (More)

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➤ The Lakers’ season ended with a 115-110 loss to Oklahoma City and a second-round sweep. LeBron James, 41, said he’ll “recalibrate” with family before deciding whether to return for a 24th NBA season. (More)

➤ California had five teams reach the NCAA softball tournament: UCLA, Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Baptist, and St. Mary's. UCLA received the No. 8 national seed and will host the Los Angeles Regional. (More)

➤ The NBA Draft Lottery finalized the top 14 picks of the draft: the Los Angeles Clippers will select at No. 5, the Sacramento Kings at No. 7, and the Golden State Warriors at No. 11. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Chargers signed veteran tight end David Njoku to a one-year deal worth up to $8 million. Njoku spent all nine of his NFL seasons in Cleveland and was a Pro Bowler in 2023. (More)

➤ The Anaheim Ducks evened their NHL playoff series against the Golden Knights at 2-2 following a 4-3 win in Game 4. Game 5 is tonight in Las Vegas. (More)

➤ Yesterday's Results: NBA | NHL | MLB | NCAAB | Soccer

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➤ General Motors will pay $12.75 million to settle California claims that it unlawfully sold OnStar subscribers’ location and driving data from 2020 to 2024. The settlement is the largest ever under the California Consumer Privacy Act, and GM reportedly earned about $20 million nationwide from the data sales. (More)

➤ Meta paused construction of Willow Village, a $3.5 billion, 1,730-home mixed-use project promised to Menlo Park’s Belle Haven, citing “shifting real estate market conditions.” The pause costs the city more than $40 million in impact fees and jeopardizes roughly $22.6 million in expected funding for local school districts. (More)

➤ Amazon will stop selling e-bikes in California that exceed state speed limits, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, after Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert capping pedal-assist e-bikes at 28 mph and throttle-powered models at 20 mph amid a rise in fatal crashes. (More)

➤ Google opened its first San Diego retail store at Fashion Valley Mall last week, the company’s 10th in the nation and third in California. The store offers hands-on demos for Pixel phones and Nest devices, AI training, and Pixel phone repairs. (More)

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15X Bigger Than SpaceX: Elon's New Launch

While the rest of the market goes crazy for "the mother of all IPOs," a new Elon Musk innovation is quietly being rolled out nationwide. It's been 27 years in the making, and it could have a radical impact on how millions of people manage their money… and even collect Social Security. Here's everything you need to know.

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➤ Paso Robles sent goats and sheep back to the Salinas River corridor on May 1 for the fifth year of its prescribed-grazing firebreak program, which fire officials credit with reductions in fire starts and acres burned since 2021. (More)

➤ Avery Fisher, a 16-year-old scuba diver from Tiburon, is helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Aquarium of the Bay and its marine conservation work while promoting awareness of San Francisco Bay ecosystems. (More)

➤ Cash-filled lemons are turning up on Shasta County hiking trails thanks to Don Moon, a recent Redding transplant trying to get neighbors outdoors with his lemon dalmatian Leo. Moon says the seed money for the scavenger hunts came from recyclables he collected while cleaning the trails himself. (More)

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