Defund the police

Wendy Alvarez, mother of Arlene Alvarez, a 9-year-old fatally shot in Houston in 2022, is demanding Gov. Greg Abbott's reelection campaign remove an ad featuring her daughter's photo. The ad shows Arlene's aunt, April Aguirre, discussing the killing while criticizing Democratic opponent Gina Hinojosa's positions on bail and policing. Alvarez says she never consented to her daughter's image being used politically, though Aguirre brought the photo and volunteered for the ad without payment, according to Abbott's campaign. The man convicted in Arlene's death was sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter in September 2025. Alvarez says the backlash has led her to pause efforts for "Arlene's Law."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman faced off in a debate ahead of their runoff, sparring over homelessness and policing. Raman argued Bass has failed to make sufficient progress on homelessness despite her Inside Safe program, while Bass noted Raman recently chaired the council's housing committee. Bass also resurfaced Raman's 2020 "defund the police" social media post; Raman countered by criticizing Bass's support for a 2023 police pay raise. Bass led the June primary with 34% to Raman's 29%, but is viewed as a vulnerable incumbent heading into the runoff.

Separately, the LA City Council voted 10-3, with two abstentions, to repeal its anti-camping ordinance, amid debate over whether enforcement near schools helped or simply displaced unhoused residents and hindered outreach services. A new UC Berkeley poll also found California voters, especially younger ones, increasingly favorable toward progressive and democratic socialist candidates.