The Pacifica Evening News Weekdays – August 12, 2026

During its Wednesday, August 12th, I'm Scott Baba. Results are coming in from primaries in six states across the country, including in Wisconsin, where moderate Democratic candidate David Crowley upset expectations by beating projected favorite progressive Francesca Hong. No matter who wins this primary, we're going to continue to fight for each other. We are going to collectively reject despair. and we are going to unite. Ocean advocates rallied in Sacramento for California Marine protections. We're seeing very strong bipartisan support for marine protections because people love the ocean and we, I think people recognize that we're seeing serious impacts from marine heat waves and... that there needs to be more done today to conserve our oceans for the future tomorrow. And state workers picketed across the state over contentious contract negotiations. State workers are fighting for a livable wage for affordable health care and for telework that modernizes the way we can efficiently and effectively run the programs that keep California running and Californians able to sustain. And so I just want to make sure that... People understand that state workers are critical in all Californians' lives, and we should be able to provide for our families as well. The stories and more coming up. From the studios of KPA-FN Berkeley, this is the Pacific Evening News. I'm Scott Baba.

Primaries were held in six states across the nation yesterday. In Wisconsin and Minnesota, races for Senate and Governor were closely watched as bellwethers for the direction of the Democratic Party. Teresa Weisbeonska has more. In Wisconsin, Democrats have chosen Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as their nominee for governor, narrowly defeating progressive state representative Francesca Hong in Tuesday's primary. Crowley won what became a remarkably close race after Hong had led in polling and emerged as the candidate of the party's progressive wing. Crowley, who would become Wisconsin's first black governor, Return to the race after briefly suspending his campaign and won the endorsement of outgoing Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Hong ran on an ambitious progressive agenda that included universal childcare, free school meals, and major new investments in health care. She also called for abolishing ICE and taxing billionaires. She addressed her supporters on election date. We have built a beautiful, multi-generational, multi-partisan, multiracial working class movement. And it is a movement that meets the moment. This is unprecedented here. And this is how we're going to win together in November. and for November's to come. The fight continues no matter what. Because no matter who wins this primary, we're going to continue to fight for each other. We are going to collectively reject despair, and we are going to unite. Crowley, by contrast, emphasized a more moderate message and argued that Democrats need a candidate who can appeal to voters across the political spectrum in a divided battleground state. Crowley now faces Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, a strong ally of Donald Trump, won the Republican primary without serious opposition. Tiffany has aligned himself with Trump while Crowley is positioning himself as a pragmatic Democrat who can unite the party. and appeal to independent voters. Voters in Minnesota and Connecticut also went to the polls Tuesday in two Democratic primaries that offered different snapshots of the party heading into November's midterm elections. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar easily won the Democratic nomination for governor. She'll face Republican State House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who defeated Trump-backed My Pillow founder Mike Lindell in the GOP primary. Amy Klobuchar's victory was expected, but Lisa Demuth's win over Lundell is notable. Lundell resigned from his position as

CEO for my pillow to focus on running for governor and lost by a significant margin with Trump's endorsement. Getting out, we digital market, we reached the people in Minnesota that didn't get out to vote in 2022. They think midterms aren't as important. That was my push today. I had a great president re-endorse me this morning. You might have seen that. That was amazing. Amy Klobuchar also faces the task of helping Minnesota Democrats hold the governor's office after Tim Walz departs. Thank you for putting your trust in me to be the next governor of the state of Minnesota. In Minnesota, trust is not given. It's earned. That trust comes with an expectation, which is results. Results that you can see and feel in your life. Results in making life more affordable, making our government work, and getting rid of the fraud. Results? Results in expanding our economy with a growth agenda. Results that will transform our government. And yes, I will be a transformative governor. The state's other major contest was the Democratic Senate primary, where Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan defeated Congresswoman Angie Craig. Flanagan, who would become the first Native American woman elected to the Senate, campaigned heavily on opposition to President Trump's immigration policies. Here's Flanagan addressing her crowd on election date. The many just won.

And make no mistake about it. This didn't happen because of me. This happened because of you. This happened because you said Minnesota is not for sale. She'll face Republican Michelle Tafoya in November. Representative Ilhan Omar has won the Democratic primary in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, securing her party's nomination for another term in the heavily Democratic Minneapolis area district. Omar won with more than 80 percent of the vote, easily defeating challengers Julie Lay and Latanya Reeves. In Connecticut, Democratic governor Ned Lamont defeated progressive state representative Josh Elliott in the Democratic primary. Lamont won decisively and will seek a third term against Republican state senator Ryan Fazio. A lot of other parties around the country are shrinking. We have a big tent. We're expanding. That includes all the supporters, aggressive, moderates. Small business, labor, independence, even a few right-minded Republicans. Because we have one thing in mind, affordability and opportunity for all the people of the state of Connecticut. That's what we do. That's our North Star. Lamont's victory was a clear win for the party's moderate wing. There was also a major upset in Connecticut's first congressional district, former Hartford Mayor Luke Brunan defeated longtime Democratic Congressman John Larson for the nomination. Ending Larson's 28-year tenure in Congress, Bron will be heavily favored in November in the Democratic District. In South Carolina, Republicans are headed for a runoff to decide who will carry that party's banner in the race to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Darlene Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister and the senator appointed to serve out the remainder of his term, finished among the top two in Tuesday's Republican primary but fell short of the 50 percent needed to win outright. Here is Senator Darlene Graham addressing her crowd. From a young age, our parents taught us that you're not given anything. in life and no one owes you anything. If you want something, you work for it. That's how I've tried to live my life. I've spent my career serving the people of South Carolina. For the past seven years, I led an agency dedicated to helping South Carolinians who are blind or visually impaired, find employment, become more independent and have the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. I took a struggling agency and turned it into a national model. I never expected that career of service would lead me to the United States Senate. I certainly never expected it would happen under these circumstances. She'll face Republican Congressman Ralph Norman in a runoff.

August 25th. Graham entered the race with major backing from President Trump as well as South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and other Republican leaders. Norman, meanwhile, has positioned himself as the more conservative alternative and has emphasized his support for Trump-backed policies, including the Save Act. I want to congratulate Darlene. This is a time to come together, folks. We've got to all coalesce come together because we have got some socialist Democrats we have got to beat. Graham's campaign has presented her candidacy as a way to continue her brother's legacy while carrying on his close relationship with Trump and South Carolina Republicans. But the runoff means Republican voters will have another chance to weigh that message against Norman's more conservative campaign. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, who has already secured the Democratic nomination. Andrews is a former congressional candidate who has focused her campaign on health care and cost of living. For Pacifica Radio, KPFA, I'm Teresa. The Treasury Department has permanently repealed a rule requiring U.S. businesses to report their owners to federal financial crimes investigators. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said eliminating the rule removes an unnecessary burden on, quote, millions of law-abiding business owners without compromising national security. The reporting requirements stem from the Corporate Transparency Act, a 2021 law passed by Congress to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and the use of anonymous shell companies to hide illicit activity. It applied to so-called beneficial owners, anyone holding at least 25% of a company or exerting substantial control over it, and was backed at the time. by law enforcement officials, the American Bankers Association, and human rights advocates. Under the new rule, U.S. companies are exempt from reporting their owners altogether. Foreign companies operating in the U.S. must still disclose their foreign beneficial owners but are no longer required to report any Americans involved in the business, including those who helped register the company. Foreign investment funds registered in the U.S. also no longer have to report the American who controls them. Treasury's Financial Crimes Unit, FinCEN, said it will delete ownership data already collected from Americans. The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to roll back anti-corruption regulations. It was first announced more than a year ago and became final yesterday.

Small business administration head, Kelly Loeffler, said the repeal will save businesses $6.7 billion in compliance costs over the next decade. Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee praise the move as a support for job creators. But Democrats and national security experts are pushing back. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee. called the repeal, quote, a gift to cartels, criminals, and the U.S. adversaries that exploit shell companies to move millions through our financial system. She warned it raises the risk of sanctions, evasion, fraud, and drug and sex trafficking. Richard Nephew, who led anti-corruption efforts at the State Department during the Biden administration, called it, quote, a terrible decision that opens up the U.S. to financial crime, money laundering, and corruption. President Donald Trump said he slipped away from Air Force One after a NATO summit in Turkey last month because the Secret Service and military wanted him on a, quote, different plane due to an Iranian threat. White House press personnel and staff remained on the other plane, essentially, as decoys. More from Darlene Superville. The Washington Post had reported that the misdirection carried out by the White House was done because of an Iranian assassination threat against the president. President Trump and some of his aides, after they boarded the Air Force One, were secretly taken off the plane through a back door into a catering compartment that is usually used to deliver food and other supplies to the plane. They were then driven to a smaller government plane. that flew them all to the United Kingdom. There have been questions about the safety of the new Air Force One that was a gift from Qatar. Intelligence officials, according to reports in the New York Times and CBS News, were concerned about a potential attack on the president or the new jet. And that was Darlene Superville reporting. Meanwhile, current and former U.S. officials who spoke with the post said that the CIA reportedly had low confidence in the Iranian assassination attempt against President Trump that prompted the secret plane switch in Turkey. They said the threat was relayed by Israel, but CIA analysts didn't find the intelligence compelling and shared that skepticism with the administration. One official called it, quote, Israeli derived, not U.S. generated and viewed as low confidence. Despite the doubts, the Secret Service still secretly moved Trump to another aircraft. A U.S. official defended the move, saying the Secret Service, quote, did what they had to do, citing past close calls with the president. Some officials suggested Israel's intelligence may have aimed to influence U.S. policy.

given tensions over warming tides between Trump and Turkish president, Reisop Theop Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is questioning whether the Israeli intelligence was independently verified, calling the episode, quote, a little fantastical. A massive oil spill off the coast of Oman has now reached the country's coastline, according to its Environment Agency, which confirmed the news today in what's becoming one of the worst spills in years after spreading largely unchecked for weeks. Officials say the oil could impact roughly 40 kilometers of coastline near Ross Madraca, as well as Masira Island. This bill stems from the Caroline Banzagi. Bezengi, a tanker carrying roughly 800,000 barrels of sanctioned Russian crude, which ran aground June 30th near a marine nature reserve, home to humpback whales and other wildlife. The ship first reported trouble off of Yemen in early June, and maritime sources say a blast likely occurred on board, though no one has claimed responsibility. The vessel had been sailing from Russia to India, passing through two active war zones along the way. Oil spill specialist John Amos, CEO of the nonprofit SkyTruth, said satellite imagery shows the slick now covers more than 2,000 square kilometers, warning it could ultimately rival the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in size if the tanker breaks apart entirely. The United Nations International Maritime Organization said monsoon conditions have delayed salvage efforts. Greenpeace campaigner Hansenkis said the spill spread has accelerated dramatically since late July. Complicating cleanup and International Compensation Agency, the IOPC Funds, said it won't cover costs because the incident is being treated as an act of war. The tanker also isn't insured by any recognized Western provider. Iranian-backed Houthis have attacked a ship off of Yemen, killing six people, including three Pakistani nationals. Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishak Dhar, condemned the attack today, saying it endangers lives and violates international law. The attack occurred yesterday in the Belb al-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping route. The incident is part of a series of Houthi strikes against Yemeni government forces and Saudi oil facilities. The violence raises fears of reigniting Yemen's civil war and expanding the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, Turkey condemned Colombia's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, calling it a violation of international law.

Meanwhile, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said today that Israel will not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza under any circumstances. Speaking to soldiers in Lebanon, Katz said Israeli forces are staying to protect northern Israel communities, describing the zone as stretching from the coast to Mount Hermon, saying, Under no circumstances do we retreat, not in Lebanon, not in Syria, not in Gaza, from the security zones. The lesson of October 7th is that we protect the residents by having the IDF present in these places and defending them. His comments come. Despite a framework agreement reached in June, that outlined a plan for Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and eventual steps towards a peace deal between the two countries, which remain technically at war. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will retaliate if European countries begin seizing Russian merchant vessels. Speaking during Navy drills in Russia's Far East, Vladimir Putin accused European authorities of, quote, piracy and robbery in restricting the movement of Russian ships and warned Russia would, quote, respond in kind, not necessarily in the same waters where any seizures occur. Pacific Fleet Commander Victor Lena told Vladimir Putin his forces are ready to inspect and detain vessels from what he called hostile states, including Britain and France. The comments come as the European Union ramps up pressure on Russia's so-called shadow fleet, expanding sanctions and detaining some vessels for inspection. Russia's foreign ministry accused the EU of unlawful inspections in the Mediterranean, saying a recent search of Russia-linked tanker by Italy amounts to intimidation of commercial shipping. Colombian rescue crews are continuing to work around the clock to look for victims of this week's deadly earthquake in the west of the country. The quake killed over 100 so far, and thousands are listed as missing. More from Ben Thomas. Search teams dug through the rubble in Cali, Colombia after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck collapsing hundreds of buildings. By Monday afternoon, people had begun reporting their loved ones missing on digital databases. One listed more than 2,000, the number steadily climbing. The epicenter that was Chocco. Barbara Mello with World Vision. It's very known for its poverty, so a lot of people are in it right now. She tells Sky children are of particular concern. We ask adults to know how to react, imagine the children.

The desperate scenes recall the search is still ongoing in neighboring Venezuela after it was devastated by powerful back-to-back earthquakes in June that killed more than 6,300 people. I'm Ben Thomas. Flights remain grounded at Sicily's Catania Airport as fresh ash from Mount Etna forces authorities to extend airspace restrictions during the peak summer travel season. Charles de Wadesma reports. Fountains of flames and rivers of lava offered a spectacular view for tourists who'd ventured onto Mount Etna and were standing nearby in the Italian island of Sicily on Tuesday evening. One of the tallest active volcanoes in the European region, Etna's eruption forced the nearby airport of Catania to close. And airport staffs said on Wednesday, flight arrivals and departures were suspended until 6pm local time. Authorities added, the airport of Comiso in the southern Ragusa province was closed also due to falling volcanic ash. Sicily is a major summer destination and hundreds of passengers remain stranded on the island with the backdrop of the erupting etmar. I'm Charles de Léthema. Spain just saw its first total solar eclipse in more than a century as millions gathered across the country to watch the sky go dark. Jennifer King reports. People seeking the best view of a solar eclipse crowded lawns and beaches in Europe and cheered as the sky darkened. The celestial spectacle was visible across a wide band from Canada to northern Europe. On the coast of Portugal, bathers swapped sunglasses for special viewing glasses as the moon blotted out the visible sun and the orb shrank to a slender crescent. In France, the eclipse was not total, but it was the closest thing since 1999. The sky darkens. It seems like it's getting kind of cold. Simon Luchasini was at Andre Citron Park in Paris. It's not the same dark as just twilight. So, yeah, it's weird. Basically, it's weird. And kind of beautiful, too. The next total eclipse visible in the lower 48 of the United States won't be until 24. I'm Jennifer King. France has banned unsolicited telemarketing calls under a new law that took effect yesterday, requiring businesses to get consumers consent before calling. The law replaces a previous opt-out registry that consumer groups say was widely ignored. Officials estimate about three quarters of people in France get at least one unwanted sales call every week. Alice Vilco, chief of staff at France's Consumer Protection Agency, said businesses can no longer contact consumers without prior consent, and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Violators face steep fines, up to 75,000 euros per call for individuals, and up to 375,000 euros per call for companies.

The law has raised concerns in Morocco, where officials say up to 50,000 call center jobs could be at risk. Morocco's employment minister, Yunus Sakori, said the industry generates more than a billion dollars a year there. Germany has had a similar ban since 2009. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom rely on opt-out systems instead. North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards the sea, the second such weapons test by North Korea in less than a week. That's according to South Korean officials. North Korea's launch events are likely a protest of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. military views as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea's military said it detected the launch from North Korea's eastern coastal Wansan area around 6 a.m. The launch came two days after South Korea and the United States announced they will kick off their annual military drills next week to beef up readiness against North Korean threats. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down by the end of August, this according to President Trump today. Trump said Levitt is leaving to spend more time with her, quote, beautiful young children and family. The decision he says he totally understands and respects. He said she'll become one of his top outside advisors working with the Republican Party ahead of November's midterms. Leavitt has served as press secretary since Trump returned to office in January of 2025. She has two young children with her husband, real estate developer Nicholas Richieau, including a daughter, born this year. In a post on X, Leavitt said she felt she couldn't be, quote, the best mom her children deserves while handling the man's of the job, calling it a, quote, bittersweet decision. Leavitt was the youngest, is the youngest, White House press secretary in history. President Trump's executive order to change the childhood vaccine schedule is drawing criticism designed to hurt his aligned candidates in November's midterm elections. Trump's order was part of a year's long focus he's had on spacing out shots into separate visits, an idea contradicting medical group's guidance. So the MMR, we want to have separate, separate visits, separate times. But even among the maha, or Make America Healthy Again, coalition Trump credits with helping him win back the White House. A poll shows reevaluating vaccine safety is not atop concern. Democrats slam Trump's order in messages to voters. Public health experts warn spacing out shots could increase infection risk. The Trump administration announced this week that Medicaid will no longer cover gender transition surgery, puberty blockers, or hormone therapy for minors. The rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also applies to the Children's Health Insurance Program. It takes effect October 13th, though patients currently on hormone therapy can continue coverage for up to six months. Mental health coverage for transgender youth remains in place.

CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the change is, quote, protecting children for potentially irreversible harm. The administration estimates it will save about $25 million a year. Conservative groups praise the move. Roger Severino of the Heritage Foundation called it a step back from when he called, quote, ideological madness. Critics warn it could harm vulnerable youth. Kelly Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, said medical decisions should stay between patients, families, and doctors. Katie Keith, a former Biden administration official, warned low-income families on Medicaid could be left without care. U.S. inflation slowed last month, and a measure of underlying price pressures also cooled, suggesting higher oil and gas prices from Iran were only having a limited impact on broader costs in the economy. The Labor Department said today that consumer prices rose 3.4% in July from a year ago. down slightly from 3.5% in June. But inflation is still higher than before the Iran War began in February when it was 2.4% on a monthly basis. Prices rose just 0.1% from June to July. I'm Scott Baba. You're listening to the Pacific Evening News. For more coverage of the 2026 midterm elections, tune in tomorrow Thursday at 10 a.m. for The Stakes, KPFA's New Election Spotlight Show, bringing you news and interviews about the upcoming elections. Hosted by me and Teresa We're's Bianca. Tomorrow we'll talk about with Adam Mokler about Islamophobia following Dr. Abdul El-Sayed's win, Texas A&M's Kirby Godell, about... Blue Shift in the Lone Star State and Jenny Farrell from the League of Women's Voters of California about voter ID possibly coming to a polling place near you here on KPFA and KPFA.org. We'll back with more news after this.

Dude, you've been glued to that phone for like a half an hour. What's going on? Just keeping up with the news. Doing my research. Okay. And what's the word out there, Mr. Research? Uh, man, I don't even know. It's like wars, hurricanes, billionaires tweeting at each other, or is it Xing now? Robots stealing jobs. Robots with machine gunheads. AI girlfriends. Wait, is TikTok banned again or not? Wow. A masterclass in knowing everything and understanding nothing. Um, yeah, pretty much. Let's skip the chaos buffet and let KPFA feed you with actual news and context. Oh, wow. So I don't have to decode memes to know what's real? Exactly. KPFA. News and current events without the nonsense. 94-1. The Justice Department is firing back at the D.C. Council after all 13 members asked state governors to withdraw their National Guard troops from the city. In a letter today, Justice Department official Colin McDonald accused the council of, quote, impotent theatrics, writing that the council has no power to demand the troops removal. The Council's July letters cited an analysis from the Niskenin Center think tank, which found the Guard's presence, had reduced property crimes by about 24%, but had no measurable effect on violent crime, while costing significantly more per person than deploying additional police officers. National Guard troops have been in D.C. for more than a year as part of the Trump administration's federal law enforcement surge, with deployment set to continue through January of 29. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelssohn said, quote, the facts speak for themselves. He noted the city is already suing to remove the out-of-state guard troops. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwab filed that lawsuit in September, calling the deployment a, quote, involuntary military occupation. An appeals court ruled in December that troops could remain for now. The Trump administration plans to spend at least $900 million on White House construction according to a Washington Post review of confidential contracts, far more than previously reported, with taxpayers covering most of the bill. Instead of seeking direct congressional funding, records show the administration pieced together money from other agencies and private donors. rooting it through a little-used White House maintenance account that normally holds just a few million dollars. That account has received $875 million since Trump took office, including $500 million transferred from the Secret Service and military office, and $305 million in private donations.

A federal appeals court ruled last week that the administration needs congressional approval to continue building the centerpiece East Wing Ballroom Project. Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia wrote that, quote, Congress has exclusive authority over White House construction. White House spokesperson David Engel said the spending is consistent with Congress's intent and called the work long overdue. Trump has vowed to appeal the ruling, setting up a potential Supreme Court fight. While workers' interests in unions is at record levels, just 1 in 10 are currently members, which stands in sharp contrast to the roughly 70% of Americans who said they support organized labor. Simone Perez reports. As many as 50 million people across the country would join a union, but they can't get into one due to federal labor regulations, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute. Co-author Heidi Shareholds with the Economic Policy Institute says tripling the number of union members would bring widespread benefits, including boosting public schools, expanding access to health care, and increasing wages to help families pay for the rising cost of just about everything. Almost every conversation about affordability focuses entirely on prices, as if the only way to make life more affordable is to make things cheaper, but affordability depends on both prices and pay. For decades, corporations have warned Americans about the potential costs of joining a union, including dues workers have to pay and the risk of losing jobs if companies can't stay competitive. Amazon, Starbucks, and others invests millions in union avoidance strategies and make the case to their workers that companies are best positioned to take care of their own. Corporations have also successfully lobbied Congress and state legislatures to pass laws that make it much harder to form or join a union. The report calls for reforming those laws. AFL-CIO president, Liz Schuller, represents some 15 million workers. She says tripling union membership is not a pipe dream. More than one in three private sector workers belong to a union in the 1950s. Back in the 1950s, when, frankly, our wages were actually growing along with the economy and when economic growth meant that all of us won. not just the billionaires. Nearly 13% of workers of Maryland are covered by a union contract, totaling nearly 350,000 people. Shearholz notes if wages had kept up with productivity gains since the 1950s, average worker paychecks would be 40% bigger than they are today. Shearholz says making it possible for more workers to join a union could help address some of today's biggest challenges. Rebuilding union density would raise wages, shrink racial wage gaps, expand health coverage, strengthening communities, and protect our democracy, all at the same time. There is no other policy lever that does all of that. I'm Simone Perez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

New procurement records show immigration and customs enforcement plans to pay data broker LexisNexis roughly $6.7 million for information it intends to feed into a Palantir platform. Tech News site 404 Media reports the data is meant to support ICE's deportation operations, including what the agency describes as fraud detection and, quote, lead development. The tools in question Lexid and Accurant draw on more than 82 billion records to help law enforcement locate people. Documents show ICE wants that data to work directly with Palantir Systems, as well as another contractor, Penlink, which sells social media and phone tracking tools. Palantir has become central to the Trump administration's deportation efforts through a system called Elite. which math potential targets using data from multiple agencies, including health and human services. The procurement documents also call for AI-driven identification tools and bulk facial recognition capable of matching images from open-source media. LexisNexis, Palantir, and ICE did not respond to requests for comment. A new investigation by The Washington Post has revealed that utility and tech companies are funding private retreats for state regulators who oversee their industries. The group behind them, the Regulators Roundtable, flies commissioners to luxury hotels for closed-door meetings with corporate sponsors, some paying $50,000 for access. Major funders include Google, NRG Energy, and the American Gas Association. Research fellow Gabriel Strauss of the Watchdog Energy and Policy Institute said it is a clear conflict given regulators power over utility rates and project approvals. Roundtable President Elizabeth Gianni defended the gatherings as educational, saying no official actions occurred during the events. Google said engages with, quote, policy makers across the political spectrum. Internal records show organizers actively recruiting regulators to help solicit corporate donations, and some commissioners, including officials in Idaho and Iowa, have privately raised ethical concerns about the arrangement. The group is tied to GOPAC, a longtime Republican political training organization, and has spent millions courting utility commissioners in the 10 states where voters elect them. Massachusetts Governor Morahili signed a bill expanding access to abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, making the state's law one of the broadest in the country. The new law removes a statutory time limit on abortion, shifting the decision to a physician's professional judgment. Under previous law, late-term abortions were already legal in four specific circumstances, including to preserve the life or mental health of the pregnant person or in cases of a severe or lethal fetal diagnosis. The Anti-Aboration Group Massachusetts Citizens for Life, led by President Mirna Maloney, condemned the law, saying it normalizes what she called the death of, quote, fully developed infants.

My uniform says Amazon. If I don't wear this Amazon branded vest, disciplinary action will be taken against us. The workers' routes and hours are set by Amazon. So why isn't Amazon responsible for these vans? Because Amazon and other corporations have built a vast network of subcontractors that shield them from responsibility. Amazon tells these subcontractors where to drive, who to hire, and what hours to work. I do all the work that makes Amazon hold the money. This is why I'm proud to support the delivery protection Act, sponsored by Councilmember Tiffany Kalan. Because if Amazon is delivering your packages, they should follow the same rules of every other delivery. When injuries and worker accidents skyrocketed, Amazon says they have nothing to do with it. They can't have it both ways. A New York City Comptroller report found nearly 80% of neighborhoods near these facilities saw a rise in injury crashes after the warehouse is opened. Amazon says the bill would raise delivery costs for consumers, but labor leaders say workers and communities are already, quote, paying the price for the current system. A nationwide study found Amazon drivers earn less on average than those at UPS and FedEx with fewer benefits. A pair of state lawmakers in California are pushing for passage of a bill that would extend the state's smog certificate exemption from vehicles made in 1976 or older to vehicles made in 1985. Supporters of SB 1392, also known as Jay Leno's law for the comedian and avid car collector. We're at the state capital today to tell lawmakers the bill would help preserve the state's automotive heritage. Max Pringle reports. Flanked by an array of classic cars from around the state, the bill's co-sponsors, Democrat Dave Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of San Jose and Republican Shannon Grove of Bakersfield, made their final push before an expected vote in the legislature tomorrow. Senator Dave Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. California is one of the richest and most influential car cultures anywhere in the world. You know, there's actually a separate statute in this. separate laws in this state that recognize the importance of the automobile culture in this state, particularly collector cars and vintage cars. For generations, cars have been part of how California express themselves. California has expressed themselves with these vehicles through restoration, customization, motorsports. Senator Cortese said the classic car restoration business is a thriving California industry, employing tens of thousands of mechanics and technicians. Francine Mata is president of the Sacramento Lowrider Commission. She said car clubs and car enthusiasts are a community resource around California. I just want to say how important this bill is, not only to small business, big business, our local economy. This is a, our community is family-oriented. It's a positive mental health when I'm in my car.

And, you know, we bring so much pride in culture, whether it's a parade, whether it's a give-back school outings. State Senator Shannon Grove said, contrary to popular belief, the classic cars are only driven a few hundred miles a year and are restricted to non-every-day commute-type driving. These are not just junkers clogging up the freeways. They're cars that bring back memories of high school. I used to my, you know, I had a car in high school was a 1987 transam. There's a 1988 transam right down there. However, clean air groups like the Sierra Club and others argue that weakening the California smog check program undercuts state efforts to meet federal air quality benchmarks and safeguards against toxic tailpipe pollution. They say that older cars emit higher levels of pollutants. SB 1392 passed out of the Senate earlier this year and is awaiting action Thursday in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. For KPFA News, I'm Max Pringle. Ocean advocates gathered in Sacramento today to call for expanding California's network of marine protected areas, delivering more than 43,000 petition signatures ahead of a state Fish and Game Commission meeting. Laura DeHan is State Director of Environment, California. When we say that they're not bargaining in good faith, it's when we say... The Fish and Game Commission, we're considering new petitions... for change around our state's marine protected area network. So like state parks and the ocean, those are the areas that protect marine life for our future. And they're considering for the first time since it was created, They're looking at making updates, making changes, including potentially expanding the network, creating a couple of new marine protected areas in areas that really deserve more, need more protection, more habitat conservation. The recommendations include creating two new protected areas near Santa Barbara County developed with tribal leadership and expanding existing protections near Point Conception, Point Doom, and other coastal sites. Dehan said it was encouraging to see state officials supporting efforts to increase marine protections. The exciting thing is the Governor's Ocean Protection Council today weighed in. This is the first time they've weighed in. And they said they recommend approval of these meaningful pro-conservation actions. And so they're the policy lead, but the commissioner is the voter, you know, the commission gets to vote. And so the Fish and Game Commission is going to vote in October. And they were, they seemed very responsive to the Secretary of Natural Resources who was there to share their, and his reason for the support.

DeHan said the proposal would mark the first major expansion of the state's marine protected area network since it was created. But she said state officials seemed wary of input from the federal government. So a few of the proposals that were on the table did not get the Ocean Protection Council support because they would have necessitated talking to the federal government. One was an area down in... near San Diego at Point Loma, which is, there was actually a concern from the Navy, and there was another area around the Channel Islands, which is in federal waters, but it's also part of our state marine protected area network. And so any boundary change there, even if it made sense, like expanding around healthy kelp forests, that, you know, it would have required some more engagement than I think. there's appetite for right now. She said it is vital for California to stay at the forefront of ocean protection. We want to continue to lead and I think our leadership is needed now more than ever when you see the attacks on coastal protections that are happening in a few places around the country under the current administration. Interestingly, we're seeing very strong bipartisan support for marine protections because people love the ocean and we, I think people recognize that we're seeing serious impacts from marine heat waves and that there needs to be more done today to conserve our ocean for the future tomorrow. The Fish and Game Commission is expected to formally vote on the proposals in October. California is offering residents a free way to purge their personal information from data broker databases through a new system called drop or delete request and opt-out platform. Data brokers are companies that collect and sell personal information about people they have no direct relationship with. Things like names, addresses, phone numbers, purchase histories, and other details gathered from public records, online activity, and other sources. They then package and sell that information to marketers, other businesses, or anyone willing to pay for it, often without the person ever knowing their data was collected in the first place. Tom Brian Kemp, executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency, described data brokerages as a, quote, $300 to $400 billion industry, and you and I are the product. More than 425,000 Californians have registered for drop so far, with data brokers beginning to process deletion requests earlier this month. Brian Kemp said 15,000 to 20,000 people are now signing up daily, and more than 8 million records were deleted in just the first few days.

To sign up, residents go to privacy.ca.gov, verify their identity and enter information like their name, date of birth, and contact details so brokers can find matching records. Data brokers must check the system and process requests on a rolling 45-day cycle and companies that don't comply face fines of $200 per day per resident. The program can't remove data from the dark web and some public records may remain online. It's currently limited to California residents, though other states are considering similar programs. California state workers with SEIU Local 1000 held informational pickets today across the state, including in San Francisco. It's the latest escalation in an ongoing contract dispute with the Gavin Newsom administration. The union, which represents nearly 100,000 workers across more than 140 state department, agencies, boards, and commissions recently filed a complaint alleging the Gavin Newsom administration isn't bargaining in good faith. Annika Walls is the president of SEIU Local 1000 and worked for the Department of Social Services. When we say that they're not bargaining in good faith, it's because they're not coming with anything, really. No, you know, we, we, the union, organizationally, come with solutions all the time, right? We have options, different options of different solutions that we can, you know, assist with or maybe perhaps. you know, help give information that maybe, I mean, I don't want to say, I don't want, I would assume the state has the same information, but maybe they're not looking at it in the right ways. I really think this is about priorities. We local 1000 will argue that the money is there, but the administration needs to prioritize the workers who do the work and keep California running. The union also held pickets in Fresno, Sacramento, and Los Angeles in recent weeks and has run strike preparation sessions with members in anticipation of a possible walkout. Negotiations began after the union's previous contract expired at the end of June. According to Walls, workers are seeking a 20% raise over three years, along with telework flexibility and $25 commuting stipends for employees required to work in person. The dispute comes as the state requires employees to work in office at least four days a week. Wall said that the state's return to office mandate is ill-conceived. From the state's own data, we know that telework or hybrid schedules can save the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, but it also showed that state workers through COVID were able to. efficiently and effectively continue to run programs that keep Californians on utilizing critical services throughout the state.

Governor Gavin Newsom has defended the policy saying great ideas often happen in casual in-person interactions rather than online. Some workers pushed back on comments Gavin Newsom made last month, suggesting employees still enjoy three-day weekends under the current schedule, calling the remark dismissive of the fact that they work five days a week regardless of location. Wall said that the state needs to take its own workers and their needs seriously. State workers are fighting for a livable wage for affordable health care and for telework that modernizes the way we can efficiently and effectively run the programs that keep California running and Californians able to. sustain and so I you know just want to make sure that people understand that that state workers are critical in all Californians lives and we should be able to you know we just want to pay both to provide for our families as well and when we do better our communities do better and we are very much connected to that so you know I would invite people to get involved and to you know, maybe join in one of our informational tickets so that, you know, we could definitely workers unite, right? State employees deserve livable wages. Any agreement will require legislative approval before California's legislative session ends next month. The timber fire burning along the Big Sur Coast has grown to nearly 3,800 acres and remains just 5% contained as thunderstorms and lightning strikes hamper firefighting efforts. Mike Melley is the National Weather Service's Timber Fire Incident Meteorologist. We actually did have upper level moisture, move over the fire today. That led to showers and actually some thunderstorms. I did send out a few weather updates to alert the fire crews. In addition to that threat, that will continue through tonight, but we're also dealing with the pesky marine layer. What that means is ample clouds hugging the coast. On the Big Sur Coast, we tend to get a lot of night and morning clouds that happens every night, goes through the morning hours, peels back to the coast. The upper ridge is on the fire line though. are not seeing that moisture that we're seeing the lower elevations. So the crews that are working the fire line along Coast Ridge Road, they're seeing very dry conditions, much different weather than the crews are seeing down on Highway 1. That allows for critical fire weather conditions to continue during the night time when you would typically see higher humidity recovery. Cal Fire said Lightning Force ground crews to retreat from containment lines for their own safety, though they have since re-engaged. There is a 15 to 20 percent chance of storms continuing through this evening. More than 900 firefighters are assigned to the blades, which threatens over 500 structures, including several well-known Big Sur lodges and restaurants.

Bay Area weather this evening, increasing clouds with lows around 60, mostly cloudy tomorrow morning, then becoming partly cloudy, highs in the upper 60s to mid-70s. In the Central Valley, very slight chances of showers and thunderstorms tonight before 8 p.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy with lows in the high 60s. Tomorrow, sunny with highs in the low 90s. In Los Angeles tonight, patchy fog, otherwise cloudy with lows in the mid-60s. patchy fog tomorrow before 11 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy with a high near 80. That's it for the news tonight. I'm Scott Baba. Good evening. American historian, author, and leading scholar of racism and anti-racism. Ibram X. Kendi. People are facing real challenges in this moment, and what Great Replacement Theory convinces people that the source of your challenges are those other people, or those people who are strangers, or those people you already don't like. And I think that's what makes this theory so dangerous, because people's livelihoods are suffering right now at the hands of the super rich. And some of those people within the super rich are heavily financing politicians to tell people that they're suffering because of people who are suffering even more than they are. Storytelling for social change. Only on KPFA. This is 94.1 KPFA and 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley. 88.1 KFCF in Fresno everywhere at kpFA.org.org.