May 29, 2026

After months of planning, preparation, and anticipation, the Long Beach Coast will take the field at Blair Field on June 2 for their inaugural home opener, marking a historic moment for professional baseball in Long Beach. As the city’s newest professional baseball team, the Coast is bringing fresh energy to one of Southern California’s most iconic baseball venues and giving fans a new hometown team to rally behind.

The home opener represents more than just the start of a season; it celebrates the return of professional baseball to Long Beach and the beginning of a new chapter for the community. The Long Beach Coast will play its home games at historic Blair Field, providing fans with an exciting and family-friendly game-day experience throughout the summer.

EKA is proud to have worked with the Long Beach Coast on its efforts to build a strong connection with the community. We look forward to cheering them on from the stands as they make history in their inaugural season. To learn more about the team, view the schedule, purchase tickets, and see the excitement for yourself, visit Long Beach Coast.

EKA Managing Partner Kellie Hawkins and Director Katie Randazzo attended Coro California’s Women in Leadership Luncheon, an annual event that convenes Southern California’s most influential women leaders and advocates for women’s advancement. The luncheon provides a forum for learning, networking, and fostering meaningful collaboration among professionals across industries.

A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/Los Angeles Times poll conducted May 19-24 among 1,351 likely voters found Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman, and Spencer Pratt locked in a statistical tie, with Raman and Pratt each gaining roughly eight points since March while Bass’s support remained largely unchanged. Berkeley polling director Mark DiCamillo called it a three-way race with three very different candidates drawing from different voter coalitions, saying it would boil down to turnout. The survey, the largest public poll released before the June 2 primary with a margin of error of approximately 3 percentage points, underscores how dramatically the race has shifted in the final weeks. Prediction markets diverged from the tighter Berkeley numbers, with Kalshi showing Bass at 62%, Pratt at 22%, and Raman at 17% for winning the election outright – a broad consensus that Bass is likely to reach the runoff, while Pratt and Raman compete for the second spot. Spencer Pratt’s sister Stephanie, who had previously slammed her brother’s candidacy, reversed her position in a Vanity Fair interview published May 27, saying she was wrong and praising his investigative focus on the wildfire response.

As the June 2 primary approaches, the LA County Board of Supervisors and a coalition of healthcare organizations are campaigning for Measure ER, the Essential Services Restoration Act – a proposed half-cent (0.5%) county sales tax increase for five years that would generate an estimated $1 billion annually to stabilize the county’s public health system amid massive federal Medi-Cal cuts. The Board voted 4-1 in February to place the measure on the ballot, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger casting the lone no vote, citing concerns about adding to residents’ tax burden. Proponents warn that six of the county’s 13 health clinics have already closed and that without Measure ER, one of the county’s four public hospitals could close and up to 5,000 healthcare jobs could be lost. Opponents argue the county should find savings elsewhere before asking residents for more money. If passed, LA County’s sales tax would rise to 10.25% – tied with Alameda County for highest in California. Beverly Hills officials were also directed at their May 5 study session to take an official city position on Measure ER ahead of the June vote.

LA City Council delays minimum wage increases for tourism workers

LAUSD board finalizes hundreds of job cuts, previews future reductions

Hollywood unhoused count finds no reductions in street homelessness, but recent uptick in tents

LA City Council turns three departments into a single entity

LA County Budget Public Hearings Open in May; Supervisors Grapple with $2.1 Billion in Unmet Needs

Board Approves Motion to Protect Election Workers and Defend 2026 Elections Against Federal Interference

L.A. council member pushes plan to let noncitizens vote in city elections

In the race for LA mayor, voters face starkly different choices on city’s approach to housing

The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-1 on May 22 to adopt the city’s FY 2026-27 budget, with Councilmember Traci Park as the lone dissenter. The roughly $15 billion spending plan – up from Mayor Bass’s proposed $14.85 billion following council adjustments – includes no major layoffs or furloughs, largely preserves homelessness and fire response services, and increases funding for infrastructure repairs and policing. Mayor Bass’s Inside Safe homeless outreach program received a modest funding increase, and the budget funds the hiring of 510 additional LAPD officers with the goal of bringing the department to approximately 8,555 sworn officers by summer 2027, amid pressure to bolster public safety ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Despite a projected deficit of $200-250 million heading into the fiscal year, the council closed the gap through a combination of revenue growth projections, departmental efficiencies, and adjusted allocations. The adopted budget now goes to Mayor Bass for signature, with the new fiscal year beginning July 1. The vote caps months of public hearings and deliberations by the Budget and Finance Committee, which reviewed nearly 200 departmental memos.