Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who served as Health and Human Services Secretary during the Biden administration, has advanced to the runoff in the California gubernatorial race in November’s general election, several media outlets projected on Friday. His opponent is still unknown, but Republican Steve Hilton narrowly trails Becerra, according to the latest tally. Becerra overtook Hilton in the vote count over the past 24 hours. With 66% of the votes in on Friday evening, Becerra leads with 26.7% support, ahead of Hilton at 26.4%. Both were ahead of billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer, who was at 21%. Under California’s top-two primary system, candidates from the same party can advance to the general election if they finish in the top two. On Thursday evening, with 58% of the vote reported, Hilton led Becerra by more than a point, at 27.2%. Becerra was at 25.9%, while Steyer was third with 20.1%. JUST IN: Democrat Xavier Becerra officially advances to November’s election for California Governor. Still waiting on more results to determine who his opponent will be officially. pic.twitter.com/gl7k08SGJp — Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) June 5, 2026   “More than ever, California needs our voices and our values,” Becerrra posted on social media Friday evening. “To all the people and the voters of California, this is your state.” “We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we are never backing down,” he added. President Donald Trump has commented on California’s lengthy ballot tallying process and accused Democrats of election fraud. “Look what’s happening in California, the Dumocrats, right before our very eyes, are stealing the vote,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday. In another post, Trump said, “There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY???” Becerra responded to Trump’s accusations, claiming the president is “trying to undermine confidence in our elections because he’s a repeat loser here.” “Sorry Donald, the voters decide who leads California. Not you,” he added. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. He lost California by millions of votes in the 2024 election, and now he’s trying to undermine confidence in our elections because he’s a repeat loser here. Sorry Donald, the voters decide who leads California. Not you. pic.twitter.com/juhpYvJ0LP — Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) June 4, 2026 Becerra served 12 terms in Congress and is a former California attorney general. He is considered more of an establishment, moderate Democrat than Steyer. He quickly rose in the polls after former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the gubernatorial race amid sexual assault accusations. Delayed results are routine in California because of the state’s extensive vote-by-mail system, signature verification, and procedures for resolving ballot errors. The final tally of California’s races could take as long as three weeks. Unlike many states that require mail ballots to arrive by Election Day, California accepts ballots that arrive up to 7 days later if postmarked on time. Then, those ballots have up to 7 days to reach a processing center. Counties must verify signatures, count provisional ballots, and allow voters to cure certain ballot defects before results are certified.  

Conservative activist Robby Starbuck, an American producer and director, is raising new concerns about Harley-Davidson’s commitment to abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, arguing that the iconic motorcycle maker’s new CEO has a long history of supporting such programs. Starbuck published research on Wednesday examining Harley-Davidson CEO Artie Starrs, who took over the company in October 2025, roughly a year after Harley-Davidson backed away from DEI policies following significant consumer backlash. According to Starbuck, Starrs promoted DEI initiatives during previous leadership roles at Topgolf and Pizza Hut and later hired a chief brand officer with a similar background. Harley-Davidson announced in 2024 that it would scale back several DEI-related initiatives after facing criticism from customers and activists. The company said at the time that it would focus on its core business and customer base. Starbuck argues that Starrs’ record raises questions about whether the company is truly moving away from those policies. While Starrs was CEO at Topgolf from 2021 to 2025, the company maintained employee resource groups and public initiatives supporting LGBT causes. Starbuck also highlighted social media posts from Starrs’ time at Pizza Hut that promoted diversity and inclusion efforts.  Starbuck further pointed to a 2020 educational initiative launched by Pizza Hut and First Book during Starrs’ leadership which The Daily Wire covered at the time. The program included materials on race, racism, privilege, and equity in classrooms. More recently, Starbuck criticized Starrs’ decision to hire Marcus Fischer as Harley-Davidson’s chief brand officer. Before joining Harley-Davidson, Fischer served as CEO of advertising agency Carmichael Lynch. Starbuck argued that the agency actively promoted DEI initiatives, LGBT advocacy efforts, and diversity-focused employee programs. Starbuck reviews several of Fischer’s social media posts, revealing his support for the LGBTQ community, celebrating a diversity achievement for Hilary Clinton, and anticipating DEI conferences such as the National Diversity & Leadership Conference. Fischer responded to an Instagram post asking what Carmichael Lynch was doing to “ally” with the LGBTQ community. He said the company hosted an in-office drag event, raising $12K for the Family Tree Clinic, which “specializes in LGBTQIA+ healthcare access.” Harley-Davidson disputed suggestions that it is reviving DEI programs. In a statement responding to Starbuck’s review, the company said its focus remains “getting back to the basics: building great motorcycles, strengthening our network of 500+ U.S. dealers, and supporting a workforce that is proud of the product they put on the road.” The company also pointed to one of Starrs’ first actions as CEO: restoring Harley-Davidson’s legacy Bar & Shield logo.  

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered Friday to shelter inside a docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft after a persistent air leak in the Russian section of the orbiting laboratory worsened.   NASA mission control issued the order at approximately 9:04 a.m. Eastern as Russian cosmonauts worked to repair the leak. Reuters reports a senior NASA official said the leak rate had increased from roughly one pound of air per day to two pounds per day. Five of the station’s seven crew members temporarily took refuge inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft while two Russian cosmonauts remained in the affected area to carry out repairs.  American astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev took shelter inside the Dragon capsule.  Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev remained aboard the station to address the leak.  NASA and Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, have reportedly spent months investigating a series of recurring air leaks in a Russian section of the International Space Station. The latest leak is believed to be associated with the Zvezda service module, a critical Russian-built component that includes living quarters, life-support systems, communications, and propulsion functions.  NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said the agency acted out of caution. “Out of an abundance of caution, Nasa has directed all four of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 members and Nasa astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is under way,” said Stevens.  Officials later reported that one leak had been while crews continued work on a second.  After approximately two hours inside teh Dragon spacecraft, NASA instructed the crew to return to normal operations aboard the station. “Roscosmos has paused Friday’s structural repair efforts inside the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, as more measurements and data is assessed,” Stevens said. “Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station. We look forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to address the leaks.” The International Space Station, which is about the size of a football field, serves as a permanent laboratory in space. It is a joint effort between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. While small air leaks are not uncommon aboard aging spacecraft, officials have said the recurring leaks remain a concern. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has launched a federal investigation into Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) after a series of violent incidents, including the fatal stabbing of a 66-year-old grandmother aboard a train.  The Department of Transportation announced the review this week, citing concerns about rider safety and rising crime on the transit system. “Every American should be disturbed by the horrific crimes we have seen on MARTA in the last month,” Duffy said. “No one should be forced to fear for their safety simply because they choose to ride public transit.” The investigation was triggered after the May killing of Margaret Swan, who was fatally stabbed while riding a MARTA train. According to authorities, surveillance video showed 25-five-year-old John Elijah Matthews approach Swan without provocation before stabbing her repeatedly as she attempted to defend herself. Swan died at the scene. The attack came less than a week after another stabbing at a MARTA station, where a 40-year-old man was injured. Duffy’s Transportation Department has given MARTA 15 days to submit detailed plans to combat fare evasion, its 2026 and 2027 security budgets, and records of all safety-related funding received from the Department of Homeland Security for its review and analysis.  Duffy said the administration has already pushed transit agencies in other major cities to strengthen security measures. According to the Transportation Department, Chicago has increased police patrols, Washington, D.C., has reported a decline in transit crime, Los Angeles has hired a police chief dedicated to transit authority, and Philadelphia has expanded its camera network.  The push has gained urgency after a string of violent attacks, including the killing of  Debrina Kawam, who was set on fire aboard a New York City subway train in 2024, and the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska on North Carolina’s light rail system. 

A federal judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy that froze immigration proceedings for applicants from 39 countries after an Afghan refugee was accused of killing a National Guardsman and wounding another in Washington, D.C., according to the Associated Press.  U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services exceeded its legal authority when it halted final decisions on asylum, work permit, green card, and citizenship applications from nationals of dozens of countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The policy was enacted after prosecutors accused Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, of carrying out a deadly shooting in the nation’s capital the day before Thanksgiving. Prosecutors say Lakanwal drove from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C., and opened fire on National Guard troops, killing U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and wounding U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.  Wolfe, who underwent skull reconstruction surgery, is making a slow—but remarkable—recovery. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder. Lakanwal entered the United States during former President Joe Biden’s administration after serving alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan in a CIA-backed unit, The Daily Wire previously reported.  After the shooting, President Donald Trump called for the death penalty and signed off on the immigration restrictions, citing national security concerns. “This order aims to safeguard U.S. citizens from aliens who may seek to commit terrorist acts, pose threats to national security, promote hateful ideologies, or exploit immigration laws for malicious purposes,” the administration said at the time. In the 135-page opinion issued Friday, McConnell sharply criticized the policy and the government’s implementation of it.   McConnell said the restrictions “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo” and said USCIS exceeded its legal authority, failed to explain its policy changes, and accused USCIS of leaning on “anti-immigrant sentiments.”  “Over six months later, many of those individuals remain without work, without legal status, and without any meaningful ability to plan for their futures,” Judge McConnell wrote.  “In legal terms, that means USCIS’s actions are contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.” Democracy Forward, a legal nonprofit that helped represent the immigration groups behind the lawsuit, celebrated the ruling. “This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: the federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, said.  The decision marks a significant defeat for the White House, which is expected to appeal.