The state’s petroleum watchdog has opened probes into some gas stations after sudden pump‑price spikes. Regulators are collecting records to see whether illegal gouging occurred.

AG Rob Bonta asked a federal judge to force the Education Department to restore full school mental‑health grant funding after the agency issued only partial payments. The state says truncated funding has already prompted layoff notices and threatens student services.

A new state bill would bar users under 16 from social networks and require platforms to add age checks, echoing Australia’s approach and raising legal questions.

Riverside will pause its César Chávez proclamation, review a community center and a downtown memorial, and solicit public input as national reporting prompts broader reckonings.

Disclosures show nonprofits paid roughly $1.1M to send California lawmakers to Pebble Beach, Maui and overseas — prompting a bill to force clearer reporting.

Cupertino will poll residents on a possible increase to the utility users tax as officials weigh budget pressures and rising service costs. The poll will inform whether a November measure is viable.

Uber is backing a ballot initiative that would force crash victims to keep 75% of recoveries — a move lawyers and doctors say could shrink access to counsel and care.

Peter Thiel and Richard Uihlein each funneled new millions into a Republican PAC, renewing questions about billionaire influence as the 2026 midterms approach.

Utilities commissioners recommended an 8% water-rate rise that would add roughly $10 to a typical monthly bill as wholesale Hetch Hetchy costs climb.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta has introduced AB 2600, a bill to fund attorneys for immigrants in removal proceedings with a priority for people held in detention.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued to block Nexstar's $6.2B acquisition of TEGNA, saying the deal would reach 80% of U.S. TV households and threaten local news and consumer prices.

San Mateo supervisors pulled support for a proposed 69‑bed Horizon recovery campus at 101 N. El Camino Real after neighbors raised safety and traffic concerns. A town hall is scheduled next Tuesday.

A newly released 171‑page consultant draft accuses St. Helena city government of chaotic budgeting, weak staffing and outsized executive pay. The study offers concrete personnel and technology fixes.