Scott Schaefer

California hasn't had a governor's race like this one in decades, an unpredictable horse race with several lead changes, the implosion of a leading candidate after sexual assault allegations, and a slew of relatively unknown options.

Once discounted, Javier Becerra, former HHS secretary and California attorney general,

has jumped to the front of the pack after Congressman Eric Swalwell dropped out.

Not far behind, Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, he's neck and neck with billionaire investor and political activist Tom Steyer, who's dropped more than $200 million and counting.

A few months ago, panicked Democrats feared they could be locked out of a November runoff by this top-two primary system, but now polls show it's at least possible the top-two finishers will both be Democrats.

For NPR News, I'm Scott Schaefer in San Francisco.

The Allen Institute in Seattle is running the collaborative effort, known as the Brain Health Accelerator.

It's an outgrowth of the federally funded Brain Initiative, which was launched by President Obama in 2013.

Ed Lean of the Allen Institute says scientists now know how to tweak a particular gene in certain brain cells.

Lean says one of the first targets will be Huntington's disease, a fatal inherited disorder.

It's caused by a genetic mutation that tells nerve cells to make too much of one type of protein.

Scientists think gene therapy can prevent this.

John Hamilton, NPR News.

Flipping three of the five seats now held by Republicans will be fairly easy.

But then there are two which are not at all slam dunks.

One of those is in the Central Valley, where Republican David Valadao is the incumbent.

Now, he's given Democrats heartburn in the past.

Very tough to beat.

And this time around, although the district is somewhat more favorable to Democrats, it's still very purple.

And there are two Democrats fighting it out there.