Hour 3 - Shrey Parikh takes home the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee title after a dramatic spell-off finish, while Los Angeles Metro prepares for new leadership as the board unanimously appoints Karen Bass as Chair for Fiscal Year 2026–27. Maya Pagod joins Monks & Merrill to break down Metro’s new rapid bus line and touchless app rollout. Meanwhile, a state worker union is testing a new legal strategy to challenge Governor Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order, and new polling shows Xavier Becerra leading the governor’s race, with Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer close behind.

Can You Trust the Polls? Breaking Down the Latest Races
36:25

Measure ER, Budget Fights and Local Politics
29:55

The Mayoral Race and the Turnout Challenge
30:23