Final statements from the final debate.
California gubernatorial candidates faced questions about the economy, healthcare, public education and more during Thursday's CBS News California and San Francisco Examiner debate.
On the debate stage were Democrats Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, and Antonio Villaraigosa, and Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton. With the June primary nearing, moderators pressed candidates to clarify previous statements and expand on how they would make their vision for a better California a reality.
With less than three weeks before Election Day, top candidates in the 2026 California governor's race are set to face off in a debate Thursday evening in San Francisco.
A joint venture between CBS News California and the San Francisco Examiner, the 90-minute debate will take place at the Julia Morgan Ballroom.
The governor's debate will air live on CBS-owned stations in the San Francisco Bay Area (KPIX), Los Angeles (KCBS/KCAL) and Sacramento (KOVR) beginning at 5:30 p.m. Pacific. A pre-debate segment hosted by CBS News Bay Area reporter Juliette Goodrich will begin at 5 p.m.
The economy and housing affordability are the top concerns in a new Emerson College poll of California voters.
The polls come ahead of the final debate on May 14 in San Francisco for California governor candidates before the June Primary Election. CBS News California will host the live debate in partnership with the San Francisco Examiner from 5 to 7 p.m. PT.
This last debate ahead of the June vote is targeted toward undecided voters and will cover major statewide issues, including affordability, housing, public safety, climate, education and health care.
Stoops in the San Francisco Fillmore District are a part of city culture. For many, they are a gathering place for family and friends, sometimes to share a quick meal or to have a deep conversation.
Rapper Aft’s stoop near Alamo Square Park has also become a concert venue lately. He and his band, The Top Chefs, have been using his front steps to host jam sessions, concerts and to function as an outdoor recording studio.
The group has performed with RBL Posse and local rapper Cellski, and aspires to one day collaborate one day with Bay Area hip hop legends like E-40, Messy Marv and Larry June.
Scientists have identified a massive new dinosaur from remains discovered in Thailand, with the creature estimated to have weighed as much as nine adult elephants.
The long-necked herbivore stretched 88 feet and weighed about 27 tons, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
It probably roamed what is now Thailand between 100 million and 120 million years ago and is the largest ever found in Southeast Asia, researchers said.
Had to say goodbye to our newsroom dog Scoop. 😢 She’s been with us at @kpixtv for more than a year - training to be a service dog with @canineorg . We know she’s going to do so much good in the world. But I sure do hate goodbyes! Thanks for sharing your love with us, Scoopsie! 💗
And big 💗 to the mom who raised her, @jeniontheblock .
Police in Santa Clara released additional details in connection with a deadly shooting and house fire last week, saying the suspect shot his estranged brother before setting the fire.
“This incident resulted in a terrible loss of life and has deeply affected a family, a neighborhood and our broader community,” Police Chief Cory Morgan said at a briefing nearly a week after the May 8 incident.
An investigation determined that Matthew Heflin, 49, traveled more than 2,000 miles from Indiana in a rental vehicle carrying firearms and ammunition, before ultimately killing his brother Mark Heflin, 52. Tap the link in our bio for everything else we know about the investigation.
Kars4Kids ads are banned in California after a judge ruled that the charity violated false advertising and unfair competition laws by using donations to pay for teenagers' trips to Israel and a $16.5 million building there.
The years-long court case began in 2021, when Bruce Puterbaugh sued Kars4Kids, saying he "felt taken advantage of" when he learned his donation would not go to "underprivileged kids from all over the U.S.," according to court documents.
In a testimony that the judge described as "strikingly candid," the company's chief operating officer, Esti Landau, said her organization does not primarily focus on helping economically disadvantaged kids and that it is the primary funding source for Oorah, a company dedicated to Jewish heritage and summer camps in New York and New Jersey, according to court documents.
Kars4Kids blasted the ruling, saying in a statement that they expect to win their appeal and describing the case as a "lawyer-driven attempt to siphon off charitable funds for their own gain."
The other leading candidates for California governor took their shots at Xavier Becerra, the current frontrunner by a narrow margin, on Thursday night, including a pile-on surrounding the details of his plan to create new affordable housing.
Becerra has said he would declare a state of emergency and institute new housing policies to speed up homebuilding in high-density areas and accelerate homeownership in the state.
The plan has been consistently challenged by the leading Republican candidate, Steve Hilton, who has argued that he wants to build housing outward, not just upward, in California’s vast, undeveloped areas.
Debate moderator Ryan Yamamoto cited data to Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco showing that Riverside County, California — where Bianco serves as sheriff — has seen the number of unhoused people drop by 19% through a collaboration between the county and nonprofits.
Despite that statistic, Yamamoto said, Bianco has been quoted as vowing to defund any NGOs or nonprofits "on the day I take over."
As he had in prior debates, Steve Hilton (R) tried to implicate Xavier Becerra (D) in a corruption probe involving political consultant Dana Williamson, Gov. Gavin Newsom's former chief of staff who also served as an aide to Becerra.
"With friends like that, who needs enemies?" quipped Becerra, who has noted that he was not named in the indictment and again stressed that he was not involved in any wrongdoing. Williamson pleaded guilty Thursday morning to three felony charges in connection with an alleged scheme to siphon funds to a dormant campaign account belonging to Becerra when he was U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.
As they had in prior debates, the candidates onstage attempted to buttonhole Xavier Becerra (D), the current leader in the polls, to articulate his stance on single-payer healthcare. Becerra responded by saying that he has always been a proponent of it.
Steve Hilton (R), currently sitting at second in the polls, said Californians should not have to pay for the healthcare of citizens of other countries. He criticized Becerra’s time as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, arguing that Becerra dismantled the unit responsible for cracking down on fraud.
