A UC Berkeley poll finds two‑thirds of California voters say democracy is at risk and about two‑thirds back a state Voting Rights Act, with wide partisan splits.

Six governor candidates pressed their plans for water, energy and the Valley’s pocketbook at a Fresno State forum focused on affordability and farms. Positions ranged from deregulation to large water projects and a push for EV chargers.

California AG Rob Bonta joined a multistate brief urging the Supreme Court to preserve state failure‑to‑warn claims in the Roundup litigation.

Mayor Daniel Lurie says the next SFPD academy class will graduate about 75% of recruits, a rebound from a 29% low two years ago amid his Rebuilding the Ranks push.

Iran’s IRGC said it will treat 18 U.S. tech and finance firms as targets in the Middle East and urged evacuations, naming major Silicon Valley and Wall Street players. Coverage shows the move follows earlier strikes that damaged regional cloud sites.

Campaign filings show two Corona companies tied to the same family gave Chad Bianco the maximum; FPPC aggregation rules could push the combined total past state limits.

A state appeals panel ordered the Sonoma sheriff’s office to comply with subpoenas from the county’s civilian watchdog, clearing a path for a sealed whistleblower probe. The decision leans on recent state rules that give watchdogs subpoena power while protecting sensitive records.

City Manager Ed Shikada has tapped Assistant Chief James Reifschneider to succeed Andrew Binder as Palo Alto’s police chief, subject to City Council approval in early April.

Gov. Newsom signed an executive order on March 30 that directs agencies to draft new AI procurement certifications, watermark state‑made media and review supply‑chain risks.

Paradise’s mayor went to Washington seeking federal help as analysts warn California homeowners could face roughly a 16% premium jump by year-end. The town wants federal grants and policy fixes to protect residents.

The Newsom administration declined to disclose how much CHP protection for Kamala Harris' book tour is costing California taxpayers, saying the numbers are security‑sensitive. The CHP confirmed it has records but refused to release receipts under a legal exemption.

Sen. Josh Becker’s SB 905 would tie 20% of some utility executives' pay to electricity cost trends and force new performance metrics on utilities.

Millbrae’s mid‑year review shows a balanced $45.5M budget and about $18M in fund balance, though a $470K dispatch bill and a VLF gap remain on staff’s radar.