A Sacramento-backed bill would automatically place any federally sold land in California under conservation zoning, aiming to block speculative development. Sponsors call it a state backstop.

California DOJ says a Prop 65 settlement was reached after tests found lead and cadmium in seafood; companies will pay penalties and add warnings.

A CBS investigation and state audits found lawmakers left roughly three in four auditor recommendations unaddressed — a pattern that has cost California taxpayers billions. Key examples include unemployment‑benefits fraud and untracked homelessness spending.

FEMA’s 2025 equipment schedule cuts hourly reimbursements for wildland engines, and California chiefs warn those cuts could shrink mutual‑aid response. Small districts say the math won’t add up.

Anne Marie Schubert, the former Sacramento County district attorney and cold‑case prosecutor, will lead the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, the group announced Thursday. The move pairs a high‑profile prosecutor with a long‑running conservative legal shop.

Sacramento leaders are considering a resolution to bar federal immigration officers from using city-owned property as enforcement staging areas after months of downtown protests.

Sen. Scott Wiener will step down as co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus amid backlash over his Gaza comments.

Alberto Preciado is appointed as the Finance Director of Davis, set to begin on February 2, 2026, bringing over 18 years of government finance experience to the role.

A bipartisan group of California senators pressed Gov. Newsom for detailed budget numbers Thursday, citing conflicting forecasts and volatile AI-driven revenues.

Elk Grove Unified will require a semester of ethnic studies for the Class of 2030, rolling out an Introduction to Ethnic Studies for freshmen in 2026‑27.

Most CalPERS retirees remain in California, but a rising share of pension dollars now goes to beneficiaries living out of state. That shift is small but growing and matters for local economies.

A Mellman Group survey paid for by opponents finds support under 50% for California’s proposed billionaire tax, complicating the SEIU‑UHW signature drive.

A state bill would force insurers to publish denial rates and face fines when many denials are overturned — a move supporters say will keep kids from losing needed care.