Violating These New California Traffic Laws Could Cost You $1,000
A bunch of California roadway rules changed on January 1, 2026 — but two updates stand out because they can trigger four-figure penalties. One targets license-plate tricks that defeat toll cameras and plate readers. The other goes after high-tech tools often used in car break-ins. 1) License-plate “obscuring”...
Newsom to California oil and gas: brace for what’s next
California’s oil and gas industry is being told, in increasingly blunt terms, that the status quo is over. Governor Gavin Newsom is pairing a high profile warning to refiners and producers with a dense web of new rules, climate mandates, and market interventions that will reshape how fuel is made, priced, and...
Bay Area tech startup crashes into bankruptcy, owing nonprofits $29M
A Bay Area fundraising startup that once promised to modernize charitable giving has instead landed in bankruptcy court, leaving nonprofits across the country short a combined $29 million in donor cash. The collapse has frozen money that organizations expected to use for education, health care, legal defense and...
A Beloved Alligator Who Inspired a Children’s Book Has Died
The San Francisco Bay Area has lost one of its most unique and cherished icons. Claude, the famed albino alligator of the California Academy of Sciences, has swum off to that great swamp in the sky. The ivory-skinned icon passed away on Dec. 2. Bart Shepherd, director of the museum’s...
Beloved San Francisco Restaurant to Close After 127 Years
A Bay Area waterfront icon with deep rock-and-roll history is closing.
Gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco vows to restore ‘common sense’ to California
FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Neighbors from across the San Joaquin Valley questioned a gubernatorial candidate during a town hall in Fresno, on Saturday, Jan. 3,. Sheriff Chad Bianco, a candidate for California governor, held a town hall alongside Sheriff Margaret Mims, who is running for Fresno District Four County...
TJ Maxx ‘sister store’ to cease operations at 2 locations on January 5
A SISTER store of the discounted apparel retailer TJ Maxx is set to shut multiple locations in just hours. Marshalls, beloved for its bargain prices, will axe two of its stores, cutting over 120 jobs. The retailer will be saying goodbye to its branches in Hollywood and San Jose, California,...
Federal challenge stalls enforcement of California police mask ban
CALIFORNIA, USA — California’s new law banning most law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty is now in effect, but the state has agreed not to enforce it as the measure faces a legal challenge. The issue has been closely watched amid increased immigration enforcement throughout...
New 2026 California Laws Bring Sweeping Changes to Jobs, Housing, and Consumer Protections
California is ushering in a sweeping set of legal changes in 2026 that will affect employment practices, real estate transactions, and consumer protections for used car buyers, with new laws expanding worker rights, increasing regulatory oversight, and strengthening protections for buyers and tenants. “In terms of...
California’s proposed billionaire tax draws mixed reactions from elites, politicians
A proposed billionaire tax in California has received mixed reviews among the state’s elite and politicians. The one-time 5% tax on California billionaires would apply to those residing in California as of Jan. 1, 2026, with payment due in 2027. Revenue from the proposed tax would be placed in a dedicated account,...
