By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
UCLA Report Exposes Deepening Economic Instability for Black Californians
Black Californians saw a sharp rise in unemployment and worsening job stability between 2024 and 2025, according to a May 2026 report from the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies’ Black Policy Project. The report links the shift to federal funding rollbacks, public sector job losses, reduced diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and a broader economic slowdown.
Using Current Population Survey data, the analysis found Black unemployment increased from 5.6% in 2024 to 7.5% in 2025. That marked the largest one-year increase among racial and ethnic groups in California. That downturn left Black workers facing double the unemployment rate of White Californians by the end of the reporting period.
The report shows the impact was not evenly distributed. Black women experienced a steep rise in unemployment, from 3.5% to 7.1%. College-educated Black women saw one of the most dramatic increases, with unemployment rising from 2.7% to 8.5%. Black men also remained under pressure, with unemployment holding at elevated levels, including 15.9% among those without a high school diploma.
Overall employment levels changed only slightly, but the report said those numbers masked deeper shifts in job quality. Black women’s employment rate fell by about 6 percentage points, while Black men’s employment rose by about 5 percentage points, driven in part by increased part-time work rather than stable full-time positions with benefits.
A key concern in the report is the rise in involuntary part-time work. Among Black Californians, it increased from 39% to 49%, the largest jump of any group. College-educated Black men saw particularly sharp growth in involuntary part-time employment, rising by nearly 30 percentage points.
The study also found declines in public sector employment, long a key source of stable jobs for Black workers. Black Californians’ share of state government jobs fell by nearly 2 percentage points, while municipal employment dropped by nearly 3 points. Researchers pointed to funding cuts and reductions in DEI-related roles as contributing factors.
Institutional disconnection, defined as not being employed or enrolled in school, also rose by 3 percentage points, with the steepest increases among Black women and prime-age adults.
The report concludes that these trends reflect structural changes in California’s labor market and recommends stronger labor protections, expanded workforce programs, and sustained investment in education and Black-led economic initiatives.
We Are Ready! California Leaders Are Preparing to Welcome World Cup
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to begin this week, California officials say they are ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the globe as the state prepares to host 14 matches. That’s more than any other state in the nation.
During a June 5 media briefing, leaders from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Transportation, the California National Guard, local law enforcement agencies, and federal partners outlined extensive preparations already underway to ensure the tournament is safe, secure and seamless.
California will host eight matches in the Los Angeles region and six in the San Francisco Bay Area, including knockout-round contests and the U.S. Men’s National Team’s opening match in Los Angeles.
Caroline Thomas Jacobs, Director of Cal OES, said the state is taking a “whole-of-government” approach to hosting the World Cup and ensuring safety and security.
“The 2026 FIFA World Cup will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to California, showcasing our communities, our culture and our economy on a global stage,” said Thomas Jacobs. “It requires an extraordinary level of coordination to help ensure everyone can safely enjoy the matches, the fan events, and celebrations that come with the World Cup. Public safety is always our top priority.”
State officials said planning efforts have been underway for more than a year and involve coordination among federal, state, local, tribal and private-sector partners. The preparations include public safety operations, transportation planning, cybersecurity protections, emergency response coordination, intelligence sharing and public information campaigns.
The World Cup, which runs from June 11 through July 19, is the largest in FIFA history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico. California’s 14 matches will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
The state is drawing on lessons learned from previous large-scale events, including Super Bowl LX, which was held in the Bay Area earlier this year.
Officials say many of the same planning frameworks used for the Super Bowl are now being expanded for the World Cup, including real-time intelligence sharing, coordinated emergency response teams, advanced traffic management and transportation operations.
Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol Sean Duryee said, “What an honor. It’s going to be historic. The work has been done, and the foundation has been laid. We are ready. We’re ready to host some historic games.”
Duryee said law enforcement, first responders and emergency managers have done the work to lay out operational plans, transportation plans and contingency plans at the state, county, regional and local levels “in case something goes awry.”
The World Cup is also expected to serve as a major test run for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover recently said organizers will closely study the World Cup’s transportation, security and crowd-management operations as preparations continue for the Olympics.
“What makes the World Cup different from a typical event is the scale duration and complexity of this event. This is not a one-day operation. This is a month-long international event involving multiple host cities, fan festivals, airports, transportation systems, hotels, critical infrastructure and millions of people moving throughout California every day.”
CAGOP Chair Corrin Rankin Launches “Victory 26” Ahead of Nov Elections
The California Republican Party (CAGOP) on June 3 unveiled its “Victory ’26” slate of statewide candidates, framing the rollout as an effort to challenge Democratic control ahead of November’s general election.
Speaking at party headquarters in Sacramento, CAGOP Chair Corrin Rankin said the initiative is aimed at offering voters an alternative to what she described as longstanding one-party dominance in the state.
“What we’re offering is a viable option to the one-party rule,” Rankin said. “Who you see before you today are your neighbors, and they want a better California.”
Rankin said the GOP ticket is intended to address voter concerns about affordability, housing, taxes, and homelessness. She cited polling showing 57% of Californians believe the state is on the “wrong track,” describing the moment as a “precipice” for the state’s political direction.
The “Victory ’26” slate includes Republican candidates for all eight statewide executive offices. Party leaders said the coordinated lineup is designed to strengthen competitiveness in a state where Democrats hold a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage.
The launch follows the June 2 primary, in which Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton led the field with nearly 28% of the vote as of early June 3, according to preliminary results. Final tallies had not yet been certified.
Hilton, a former Fox News host, used the event to criticize Democratic leadership in California and argue that key economic challenges have worsened under their governance.
“The Democratic Party in California has had 16 years to show that their ideas work well,” Hilton said. “We’re still waiting. We have the highest poverty rate in the country, the highest unemployment rate of all 50 states, the highest cost of living by far.”
Republican leaders and candidates repeatedly pointed to cost-of-living pressures and out-migration as central campaign themes. Secretary of State candidate Don Wagner said economic strain has driven residents out of the state, saying, “It’s gotten us to a place where our three biggest exports are fruits, nuts and grown children.”
Other candidates on the slate, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Sonja Shaw, focused on education reform and parental rights as key campaign priorities.
The GOP said the “Victory ’26” effort will continue through the general election as it seeks to expand its reach beyond traditional Republican voters.
California Nets $260 Million in Stolen Goods From Retail Theft Rings
California officials say an expanded statewide crackdown on organized retail theft has resulted in the recovery of nearly $260 million in stolen goods and more than 32,000 arrests since late 2023, as the state continues to invest heavily in combating retail crime networks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the latest figures in Sacramento on June 4, highlighting what his administration described as record-level enforcement tied to the state’s organized retail crime initiative.
Authorities say 32,613 arrests have been made and 25,843 cases have been referred for prosecution since October 2023.
“Public safety starts with accountability,” Newsom said. “Over the last two years, we’ve made the largest investment in state history to combat organized retail theft, giving local law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to dismantle criminal networks.”
The enforcement effort is funded through more than $242 million in state grants distributed to 38 local law enforcement agencies by the Board of State and Community Corrections. Officials say the funding supports specialized investigative teams, technology, and coordination between police departments, prosecutors, and retailers.
State officials also credited the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which has conducted more than 4,500 investigations, made over 5,100 arrests, and recovered more than 1.6 million stolen items valued at over $74 million since 2019.
In the most recent reporting quarter alone, agencies reported 3,553 arrests and 2,947 cases referred for prosecution.
“California’s investment in combating organized retail theft continues to pay dividends,” said Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Chair Linda Penner.
Penner said the grants are helping agencies pursue complex criminal operations and recover stolen property at scale.
Local enforcement operations have targeted retail theft rings across the state. In Los Angeles County, sheriff’s deputies recovered about $4 million in stolen cargo tied to multiple retailers, including Foot Locker, Epson, and Ulta. In Costa Mesa, police recovered roughly $150,000 in stolen merchandise linked to online resale activity. Bakersfield police arrested four suspects tied to thefts targeting national chains, while San Jose police reported 72 arrests through 29 enforcement operations.
The state has also invested $24 million in a vertical-prosecution program supporting 13 district attorney’s offices, leading to 2,615 theft-related convictions, including 772 felony convictions and 910 cases tied directly to organized retail theft.
Officials say the crackdown comes as preliminary FBI data shows broader crime declines in California, including a nearly 10% drop in violent crime and a more than 14% decline in property crime compared to the previous year.
Ticketmaster “Monopoly” Bill Draws Fire From Consumer Advocates
A coalition of consumer advocates, business organizations, and community groups is urging California lawmakers to reject Assembly Bill (AB) 1720, arguing that the measure targets ticket buyers and sellers rather than addressing what they describe as the dominant market power of Live Nation/Ticketmaster.
In a letter sent to Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism Committee Chair Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the coalition said AB 1720 would restrict how consumers can resell tickets they legally own while leaving Ticketmaster’s control over primary ticket sales, pricing, and fees largely untouched.
“AB 1720 punishes consumers rather than confronting the real source of the problem: unchecked power by a single player that keeps prices high and limits access,” the letter states.
Authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), AB 1720 — known as the California Fans First Act — would cap the resale price of tickets for concerts and other live entertainment events at no more than 10% above the original purchase price, including fees.
Supporters say the bill is intended to curb ticket scalping and protect consumers from excessive markups in the secondary market.
Haney argues that professional brokers and automated bots purchase tickets in bulk and resell them at inflated prices, making live events less affordable for fans. The bill has advanced through multiple Assembly committees and passed the Assembly floor in May.
Opponents, however, contend that the legislation focuses on a relatively small portion of the ticketing market while failing to address broader concerns about industry concentration. In their letter, they note that resale transactions account for about 9% of ticket sales and argue that Ticketmaster would retain the ability to use practices such as dynamic pricing, exclusive presales, and inventory holdbacks.
The coalition also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on low-income consumers who may need to resell tickets when plans change. They argue that tying resale limits to an often unclear “original price” could force consumers to sell at a loss or risk violating the law.
The letter was signed by leaders from organizations including the California League of United Latin American Citizens, the California Black Chamber of Commerce, the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, the National Action Network Sacramento, and the California Live Events Equity Alliance.
The debate comes amid continuing scrutiny of Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s market dominance. California remains among the states pursuing antitrust action against the company after declining to join a recent federal settlement that critics argued did not go far enough to curb monopolistic practices, according to the coalition’s letter.
Critics of AB 1720 say lawmakers should focus on increasing transparency and competition in the primary ticket market rather than imposing new restrictions on consumers.
