Newsletter: A big political moment on the world stage, on California’s campaign trail and in Sacramento

Welcome to the midweek of one of the busiest times in the political world, especially for California lawmakers.

In the state Capitol, it’s crunch time for bills and budgets. On the campaign trail, it’s the final push before election day Tuesday.

And on the national level, this is also a key moment in time, which is where we’ll begin: Will there, or won’t there, be a nuclear summit with North Korea?

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THE SCRAMBLE FOR A SUMMIT IN SINGAPORE

Thirteen days from today, the world might witness a historic meeting between the leaders of the United States and a country that’s been isolated for decades.

Or, then again, nothing will happen. Both scenarios seem possible.

The administration of President Trump moved on multiple fronts Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, as diplomats scrambled to revive a meeting that Trump publicly scrapped last week.

“If it takes place on June 12, we’re gonna be prepared,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, to reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump flew to Nashville for a rally. “If it for some reason takes place at a later date, we’re gonna be prepared for that as well.”

NATIONAL POLITICS LIGHTNING ROUND

-- Republican Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens announced Tuesday that he will step down from office Friday, abandoning a months-long effort to stay in office as he faced felony criminal charges and threats of impeachment by the state’s legislature.

-- The Trump administration sought on Tuesday to apply fresh pressure on China ahead of trade negotiations, just a little more than a week after news that tariffs would be temporarily suspended.

-- The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the Constitution’s privacy protection to include vehicles that are parked on a home’s driveway or carport, ruling that police need a search warrant before they may inspect them.

-- And in other court action, the justices have refused — for now — to block an Arkansas abortion law that could prevent most women there from ending their early pregnancies with medication.

THE DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR CALIFORNIA’S BUDGET

It’s hard to overstate just how different the process of crafting a California state budget was when I began covering Sacramento in the fall of 2001. Back then, the constitutional deadline for the Legislature to send a budget to the governor — June 15 — was routinely missed.

And then, voters made the failure to do so by lawmakers punishable by forfeiting their paychecks.

Having huge tax windfalls in recent years has also helped. And as the two-house budget conference committee convenes later today, that’s the biggest question: How much money will lawmakers project the state to collect, and how much of that can they convince Gov. Jerry Brown to spend?

Here’s a quick overview of the key differences lawmakers have with not only Brown’s budget but also in the budget plans both the Senate and Assembly crafted on their own throughout the spring.

THE LAST DASH BY THE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR

On the campaign trail, the days are numbered before the field of 27 candidates in the race to replace Brown is down to just two.

Our reporters caught up with three of the most talked about hopefuls: Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on the Democratic side, and businessman John Cox as the poll-leading Republican.

We’ll be tracking all of this week’s action on our Essential Politics news feed.

CALIFORNIA’S TOP CAMPAIGN WATCHDOG CALLS IT QUITS

As of next Monday, there will be no leader of California’s Fair Political Practices Commission.

Jodi Remke, who has served as FPPC chair since 2014, submitted her resignation on Tuesday amid turmoil, as other members of its governing panel were moving to reduce her powers.

Remke’s resignation comes after a majority of FPPC commissioners supported the creation of two subcommittees to provide input on key decisions that are now made largely by the chair, who is the only member of the panel with a full-time role.

PAINT COMPANIES LOOKING FOR A DEAL

A ballot measure that would eliminate legal liability for paint companies to clean up lead hazards in California homes appears headed for the November ballot.

But, as Liam Dillon reports, those companies are pushing the Legislature to strike a deal instead of going forward with the initiative. So far, the companies haven’t found any lawmakers willing to act.

TODAY’S ESSENTIALS

-- Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra’s campaign manager disputed allegations in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Republican challenger Eric Early that the incumbent does not meet qualifications to hold office and should be kept off the November ballot.

-- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti‘s unveiling of the first new public bathrooms on skid row in more than a decade was seen as a possible turning point for the homeless enclave. But after more than three months of operation, the trailers with toilets and showers shut down in late March and now are gone.

-- The latest episode of the “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis” podcast talks about pending legislation affecting renters and features an interview with a Sacramento resident who was recently evicted.

-- Top federal and state prosecutors in California raised alarms Tuesday over the growing problem of illegal marijuana farms — including many tied to Mexico-based drug cartels — in remote public forests and parks.

-- Here is the full list of the L.A. Times Editorial Board endorsements for Tuesday’s primary.

LOGISTICS

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