Karen Bass just pulled out of tonight's Los Angeles mayoral forum. The primary is in three weeks. The last debate she showed up to, 88% of viewers said Spencer Pratt won.
Tonight on California Underground, Phil is asking the question the incumbent doesn't want asked — and the one Sacramento doesn't have a good answer for either.
On the Los Angeles mayor's race: Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire and turned it into a campaign. He's polling second in a city that hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 2001, with 40% of voters still undecided and a primary on June 2nd. We break down the debate, the numbers, and what Bass skipping tonight's forum actually signals.
On California's gas crisis: the state confirmed four to six weeks of gasoline supply on hand. Three major refineries have closed in under a year — Phillips 66 Wilmington, Valero Benicia, PBF Martinez — removing 18% of total refining capacity. California has no pipeline connections to other states and imports 20% of its gasoline from overseas. Average price at the pump: $6.13 a gallon. The Iran war closed the Strait of Hormuz and exposed a supply chain California spent years making fragile.
Both stories. One show. Every week.
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