Monday, May 11, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1927, film industry leaders met at downtown LA's Biltmore Hotel and elected Douglas Fairbanks Sr. as the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group behind the Oscars.

The Pentagon released decades-old UFO files, including a 1949 report from Merced describing a mysterious metallic object hovering overhead. As we report below in Top Stories, the eyewitness account also included a strange clicking sound.

Have you ever seen something in the sky you still can’t explain? Reply to this email to tell us your best UFO story.

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Newsom Won't Endorse in Primary

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday declined to endorse a successor in the June 2 primary, saying his focus is preventing two Republicans from advancing to November.

Speaking at a San Francisco press conference, Newsom said he wants to avoid a "lockout" of Democrats under the top-two primary system, where the two highest finishers advance regardless of party.

Recent polling has shown Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco competitive in a crowded field of Democratic candidates.

Termed out at year's end, Newsom said he understood the situation: Jerry Brown stayed neutral when Newsom ran in 2018. "Drove me crazy," he said, adding that he may owe Brown an apology.

At last Tuesday's debate, Hilton and Bianco tied California's high cost of living to Democrats' long control of state government, with Bianco arguing the state's problems trace to decisions made in Sacramento.

Antisemitic Statement Mailed in Voter Guide

Secretary of State Shirley Weber said Friday her office had no legal authority to remove antisemitic conspiracy theories from the 2026 voter guide before it was mailed to registered voters statewide.

The statement was written by independent candidate Don Grundmann, who claims Israeli "art students" carried out 9/11 and that an Israeli bomb killed activist Charlie Kirk. It links to extremist sites.

The Jewish Federation Los Angeles called publishing the entry "indefensible and reprehensible," arguing the First Amendment does not require the government to distribute hate speech.

Weber, in a statement Friday, said her staff had reviewed Grundmann's submission but "found no legal basis to reject the statement or remove it from the Voter Information Guide, even taking into account its inflammatory, controversial, or offensive content."

California's 20-day public display period passed without challenge. Weber said printing was already finished and mailings were 80% complete by the time complaints arrived, and her office is now working with the legislature on tighter rules.

Pentagon UFO Files Include Merced Sighting

The Pentagon on Friday published declassified UFO records that include a 1949 eyewitness account of a "flying disk" over Merced, written by an Air Force Reserve major.

The major's letter describes a clicking sound "like beaters of a home mixer" coming from above his Merced home on April 4, 1949. He stepped outside and watched a dull metallic object about 4 or 5 feet in diameter blank out stars overhead.

The Merced report is one of more than 160 records the Department of War posted to a new government website as part of a Trump administration transparency effort the agency calls PURSUE.

The Pentagon said many of the materials have not yet been analyzed to resolve any anomalies. More files will be added on a rolling basis.

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➤ Mendocino County: Deputies arrested Jesse Upton, 43, of Boonville, after a worker said he was forced to live and work for two years at an illegal Navarro cannabis farm with little food and no bathroom access. Investigators found 300 cannabis plants, 600 pounds of processed cannabis, and a butane honey-oil lab. (See Details)

➤ San Jose: Voters will decide Measure A on the June 2 ballot, which would raise the city’s hotel tax from 10% to 12% and generate about $10 million a year as San Jose faces a $50 million budget shortfall. City leaders warn library hours and downtown police patrols could be cut if it fails. (Watch)

➤ Santa Clara County: A local resident was one of two Californians aboard the cruise ship at the center of an Andes hantavirus outbreak and is now home and under daily monitoring by county health officials, the state, and CDC. State officials say the virus rarely spreads between people. (See Details)

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➤ Kern County: Supervisors meet Tuesday to declare a local emergency over invasive golden mussels threatening water infrastructure, agriculture, and water delivery systems across the county. (See Details)

➤ Fresno County: The 23rd annual Fruit Trail opened Friday with a ceremony in Del Rey, kicking off another season of self-guided drives through local farm stands offering fresh-picked fruit across Fresno County. (More)

➤ Bakersfield: GOP gubernatorial candidates Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton appeared at a Saturday forum hosted by the California and Kern County Young Republicans as mail voting gets underway for the June 2 primary. (More)

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➤ Imperial County: An earthquake swarm rattled Brawley on Saturday, with the U.S. Geological Survey and Caltech logging more than 150 quakes, including a 4.5-magnitude tremor. No injuries or major damage were reported. Seismologists said swarms are common in the area. (See Details)

➤ Downtown Los Angeles: A firefighter was hospitalized during a pre-dawn commercial building fire Sunday on South Hope Street that drew 124 Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters to the scene. The cause is under investigation. (More)

➤ LAX: A Frontier Airbus bound for Los Angeles struck and killed a pedestrian Friday night during takeoff at Denver International after the person scaled a perimeter fence and ran across the runway. All 231 people aboard Flight 4345 evacuated via slides after an engine fire, and 12 had minor injuries. (More)

➤ San Diego: Betty Broderick, the former San Diego socialite convicted in the 1989 shooting deaths of her ex-husband Dan Broderick and his new wife, Linda Kolkena Broderick, died Friday in prison at 78 from apparent natural causes. She had been serving a sentence of 32 years to life. (More)

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➤ Steve Kerr agreed to a two-year extension to remain head coach of the Warriors on Saturday. (More)

➤ In college baseball, No. 1 UCLA rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat No. 13 Oregon 9-6, while California upset No. 23 Virginia 8-7. (See Scores)

➤ Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt attended Saturday’s Lakers-Thunder playoff game at Crypto.com Arena, sitting courtside near former Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. Pratt, a former reality TV star, has gained attention in recent months during his campaign following the 2025 Palisades fire. (More)

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➤ Casa de Fruta near Hollister grew from a 1940s cherry stand into a popular Highway 152 stop with restaurants, wine tasting, rides, and shops. Co-owner Gene Zanger said the family’s roots there trace to orchards planted in 1908, and the business expanded by giving Pacheco Pass travelers restrooms, food, and a break. (More)

➤ San Francisco-based Cloudflare announced layoffs affecting more than 1,100 employees, with company leaders citing rapid growth in AI use across engineering, HR, finance, and marketing. The company said the cuts are part of restructuring for the “agentic AI era,” not employee performance or cost-cutting. (More)

➤ Beverage maker Suja Life raised $187 million in its Nasdaq IPO after pricing shares at $21, the low end of its expected range. The company, known for cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, and functional sodas, will trade under the ticker symbol SUJA. (More)

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➤ A $1 billion overhaul of the former El Toro Marine base will turn Great Park into a 1,300-acre destination with lakes, museums, sports fields, and a 10,000-seat amphitheater by 2029. (More)

➤ Omaha, a Golden Retriever for the Lake Elsinore Storm, has become the West Coast’s only full-time minor league bat dog, fetching bats and drawing cheers from fans during games. (More)

➤ Police and marine rescue crews saved a malnourished young sea lion found wandering near Sierra Point Parkway and heading toward Highway 101 in Brisbane before releasing it back into the wild after treatment. (See Photos)

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