THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Dr. Frank Figueroa, Coachella’s new mayor, joined News Channel 3 live at 4:00 p.m. for an in-studio interview with Peter Daut. Figueroa was appointed on Wednesday following a contentious meeting. He was serving as the city’s mayor pro tem before. More: Dr. Frank Figueroa talks transition, priorities in first interview
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – California voters, including those in Riverside County, will decide in November whether to impose new voter identification and citizenship verification requirements under a proposed constitutional amendment that qualified for the November ballot, state officials announced today. Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber said Friday the initiative cleared the signature threshold needed
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THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County voters will have to choose between three attorneys for their next judge, all of whom are women. The three candidates are vying for a single seat in the upcoming June election, and an upcoming judicial candidate forum in Palm Desert will help voters make their decision, hosted by
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Palm Springs City Council continued its discussions over a potential change to how the city selects its mayor. Since 2019, the city has rotated the mayor’s role each year among the five city council members. Changes then also moved the city to district council elections to avoid a lawsuit involving
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COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) – Dr. Frank Figueroa was officially appointed the new mayor of Coachella during Wednesday’s city council meeting. Figueroa was immediately sworn in after the vote. His term will run through November, the remainder of former Mayor Steven Hernandez’s term. Figueroa’s appointment came after a nearly 30-minute discussion that got somewhat heated over
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THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – The top candidates in California’s gubernatorial election will face off on Tuesday in the CBS California Governor’s Debate. The debate will air on CBS Local 2 on Tuesday. The debate is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and is being hosted in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Leaders of culture, justice, and law all meet at College of the Desert in Palm Desert on Thursday. The Mobius Conference is a two-day event connecting local students with those figures. At the event on Thursday is a Democratic candidate for California governor, Xavier Becerra. We asked his opinion on
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Riverside County will not be picking up the tab in the legal battle over Sheriff Chad Bianco’s ballot investigation. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday to decline to hire or pay outside counsel to defend Bianco in four lawsuits tied to his ballot seizure investigation. A county spokesperson confirmed
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PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – A town hall hosted by Congressional representative and gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell, scheduled for Thursday in Palm Desert, was canceled. News Channel 3 was given late notice that the event was canceled due to illness. Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz was set to join Swalwell, a democrat who is leading in
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Update – 4/8/26 The city council discussed its options on how to fill the vacant mayoral position, revealing divided opinions from the four person council. Councilmember Stephanie Virgen suggested that Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Frank Figueroa fill the position for the remaining six months of the term and appoint a replacement on the city council.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KESQ) – The California Supreme Court has ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to pause his investigation into the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election. On Wednesday, a formal stay was granted against Bianco’s ballot investigation. The CA Supreme Court has kicked this back to the appellate court. California Attorney General Rob Bonta
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – The Palm Springs City Council will discuss the possibility of altering the city’s mayoral selection process during Wednesday’s council meeting. The agenda item comes as some residents are pushing for a ballot measure that would establish a directly elected, at-large mayor and provide for a November 2026 election to fill
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THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – President Donald Trump is weighing in on the upcoming California gubernatorial race as we approach the primaries in June. After a weekend debate between the top two republicans in the race in Rancho Mirage, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, Trump endorsed Hilton. Check
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COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – President Donald Trump has endorsed former Fox News host Steve Hilton for California governor. He wrote in a post on Truth Social, “I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as
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By Logan Schiciano, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Republican Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race, potentially shaking up a crowded race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. “With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump wrote in a
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By David Wright, CNN (CNN) — CNN will host a California gubernatorial primary debate next month, a potential inflection point in a crowded campaign that Democrats are concerned could provide an opening for Republicans. The two-hour debate will be held May 5 at 6 p.m. Pacific time (9 p.m. Eastern time), just under a month
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta is pressing his case in court to stop Sheriff Chad Bianco’s investigation into the November 2025 special election, while Bianco is seeking the appointment of a special master to oversee the investigation.
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (KESQ) — Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton made a stop in the Coachella Valley Friday morning, speaking directly with local business leaders about the issues shaping the state. The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a legislative breakfast at Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa as part of its ongoing speaker series
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Original Report 3/24/26 – 5:30 p.m. California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal has denied AG Rob Bonta’s request to try to halt Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s investigation into the November 2025 special election Original Report 3/24/26 – 10:30 a.m. INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta has gone to court to try
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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – The signatures of well over 100,000 Riverside County voters who added their names to a petition calling for a statewide ballot initiative that would require identification before voting in California were submitted to the county Office of the Registrar of Voters today. “Our democracy relies on confidence in our elections, but
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