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Column: Wildfire bill flameout sad for California
It was unprecedented and stunning: California’s governor and top two legislative leaders negotiated a compromise on a big bill — and one house rebelled, refusing to bring it to a vote.
Inside Telluride's secret screening: a meta Elizabeth Holmes doc
“You Can See Everything,” co-directed by Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, offers extraordinary access to the convicted Theranos founder before taking a reality-bending turn.
Later start time for schools in CA improve students’ mental health, study finds
The results follow California passing a law in 2022 mandating later school start times for middle schools and high schools.
Puka Nacua expected to play week 1 against 49ers
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is expected to play in Week 1.A week after the Los Angeles Rams roster received the good news that Aaron Donald would be...
The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers
Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??
14 hospitalized during The Chainsmokers concert in California
Fourteen people were hospitalized during a concert by The Chainsmokers in Northern California on Friday night, according to multiple reports. The San Jose Fire Department said crews responded to an…
Rescue satellite gets close to NASA's doomed telescope, even if it can't save it
A private spacecraft that was supposed to save NASA's sinking Swift Observatory has managed to come within nine miles of the doomed spacecraft and even snap pictures.
California Department of Public Health Issues 2026-2027 Immunization Advisory
The recommendations highlight the importance of protecting people most impacted by respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, influenza and RSV
Pair of linked spacecraft draw closer to Mercury after nearly decadelong voyage
A linked pair of Mercury-bound spacecraft are in the homestretch of their nearly decadelong voyage to the tiny planet nearest the sun.
Syracuse football: Orange open up as slight underdogs against California
We’ll see if this holds throughout the week
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
California's Democratic governor has barely begun to address what may be his biggest political liability as he stakes a claim as an early front-runner in the Democratic Party's 2028 shadow primary.
Scientists say they can now predict where an earthquake will strike next
Scientists at the University of California-Riverside have developed a way to identify where the biggest earthquakes are likely to occur. UC Riverside researchers say that their methodology identif…
Trump administration makes another appeal to the Supreme Court to allow mail ballot restrictions
The Trump administration is renewing its appeal to the Supreme Court after a federal judge blocked new restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the midterms.
State lawmakers are worried about PG&E's plan to spend less money on projects
California lawmakers and Gov. Newsom face a new hurdle amid the debate over wildfire liability as the state's largest power company prepares to spend billions less than expected on energy projects it had promised.
Richard Barrera explains why he should be the next State Superintendent
Richard Barrera, a candidate for California state superintendent, shared his views on recent changes to the California Department of Education, his campaign priorities, and his vision for public schools in an interview on California Politics 360 this week.
California Politics 360 full episode | What's next after wildfire liability proposal fails
PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric wanted to shift some of those wildfire costs onto insurance companies. This week, the California Assembly decided to scrap a plan that lawmakers put together in the final hours of the legislative session.
Amid liability fight, California wildfire survivors urge state leaders to hold power companies accountable
As California leaders revisit the question of who should pay and how much when investor-owned utility companies cause catastrophic wildfires, wildfire victims are urging state officials to ensure the companies don't start fires in the first place.
‘Culture of lawlessness’: Michael Gates talks attorney general campaign on Inside California Politics
(Inside California Politics) — Voters last elected a Republican to serve as California’s attorney general in 1994. Michael Gates is trying to break that streak in November when he faces incum…
Bill Gates warns of AI risks at Telluride Film Festival
At a festival built around the human touch, two events confronted the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, as Bill Gates warned “the aliens are here.”
California moves to protect 35,000 film and TV jobs with new legislation
California lawmakers introduce AB/SB 186 to protect film and television production jobs in the state. The bill addresses unintended impacts of SB 122 tax legislation on the Film & TV Tax Credit Program.
How do I find a copy of a living trust after a parent dies?
Dear Liz: My parents created a living trust in 1999 and deeded their residence into the trust.
Election integrity is on the November ballot in key states
Trump's attempts to undermine democracy has elevated the importance of election oversight. Election deniers are on the ballot in Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin and could cause mischief in 2028.
Turning Point lays groundwork to shape GOP presidential race in 2028
Turning Point Action mixed online-ready confrontations with on-the-ground organizing at the Iowa State Fair as it registers voters and recruits activists to influence Iowa’s 2028 Republican presidential contest.
Backlash over data centers hits California, and the midterms
Widespread anxiety over environmental risks and rising costs have turned the rapid expansion of AI data centers into a focal point in midterm elections nationwide.
Dodgers finally regaining momentum after comeback win over Nationals
On Friday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was cautiously optimistic.
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina.
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina.
Bad Bunny wins first Emmy for Super Bowl halftime show
Bad Bunny won his first-ever Emmy Award on Saturday for his historic Super Bowl halftime show, and Mariska Hargitay, who will host the Primetime Emmy Awards, won two trophies for "My Mom Jayne."
Raiders rookie running back length catching eyes of everybody
Mike Washington Jr. is going viral for the length of his arms.Mike Washington is about a week from making his NFL regular-season debut with the Raiders but is already a...
Former NBA champion calls Lakers roster ‘whitest Laker team’
The offseason has been a near overhaul for the Lakers' roster, and former NBA player Matt Barnes is having fun analyzing it.
California’s healthcare affordability office claims power to punish overspending hospitals
Year after year Californians watch their health bills increase faster than their wages — for some, to the point where care becomes unaffordable. Four years ago, the state created an
California’s healthcare affordability office claims power to punish overspending hospitals
Year after year Californians watch their health bills increase faster than their wages — for some, to the point where care becomes unaffordable. Four years ago, the state created an
Research on cockroach milk and nose-blowing wins Ig Nobel prizes
Researchers are honored for their quirky, imaginative contributions to science at the 36th annual Ig Nobel Prizes. The ceremony was moved from the U.S., whose travel restrictions had made the country 'unsafe for our guests,' a top official said.
San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences is celebrating the state’s biodiversity with film screenings, community science events, and a nature festival this September
The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is hosting various events this September, including a free nature festival.
California’s Healthcare Affordability Office Claims Power to Punish Overspending Hospitals
Noozhawk republishes news articles from CalMatters on state and local policy issues that affect Santa Barbara County readers. Year after
CDFW: Scientists keeping an eye on river conditions to protect winter-and-fall-run salmon
From the Department of Fish and Wildlife As California continues to feel the impacts of a heat dome that is bringing higher than normal temperatures to large portions of the state, it’s a good time to remember that fish and wildlife — especially salmon — need cold water, too. River temperature management is critical for salmon’s survival and spawning. Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial ocean salmon fishing was back after being closed for three […]
How A24's 'Primetime' depicts 'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen
A24's sweeps-ploitation drama may deflate the TV host's ego, but it's so in love with its protagonist it can't see he's the least compelling character in the movie.
After years of defying the odds, California's David Valadao faces new test as Latinos turn on Trump
Republican congressman David Valadao has defied the odds before, winning elections in California districts with big Democratic registration advantages
After years of defying the odds, California's David Valadao faces new test as Latinos turn on Trump
Republican congressman David Valadao has defied the odds before, winning elections in California districts with big Democratic registration advantages.
CNN Films revisits a forgotten 9/11 casualty — the restaurant at the 'Top of the World'
Oscar-nominated filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen revisit Windows on the World, the World Trade Center restaurant where 79 workers and 91 guests died on 9/11.
Ocean indicators NOAA scientists are tracking for El Niño's arrival on the West Coast
Has El Niño reached the West Coast? You might think it has. After all, the ocean off Southern and Central California is unusually warm. But that warmth is from a recent marine heat wave that predates ...
Letters: Clippers and Kawhi get off easy; fans are big losers
Readers of the Los Angeles Times Sports section give their thoughts on the NBA's penalties for the Clippers, USC's defense, the Angels sale and more.
'Pericles' review: Shakespeare playfully reworked at Boston Court
Ellen McLaughlin's modern verse translation of Shakespeare's 'Pericles' has its West Coast premiere at Boston Court Pasadena.
Low-income patients at UCLA Health scramble to find new doctors as contract ends
Thousands of low-income patients, some desperately ill, are scrambling to find new doctors as they lose access to UCLA Health physicians after an eight-year Medi-Cal contract was not renewed.
ABC10
News for Northern California - including weather, traffic, sports and Originals content. The YouTube home of ABC10 in Sacramento!
From a taqueria to a café: The California businesses linked to relatives of ‘El Mencho’
The brother and youngest daughter of the man who led the Jalisco New Generational Cartel opened business ventures in the cities of Hemet and Perris
UC Riverside receives grant to evaluate California’s traditional health care practices benefit
A $1.25 million grant to UC Riverside from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will support a statewide evaluation of California's traditional health care practices (THCP) benefit.
Newport Beach college student has business in the bag with company
Newport Beach resident Brooks Orradre, a senior at Southern Methodist University, has found success with his Velantra handbags brand.
Miami Hurricanes football takes on Stanford in 2026 season opener
Photos from the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Stanford Cardinal on Sept. 4, 2026, in Palo Alto, California.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Colorado Rockies Game Discussion Friday
The St. Louis Cardinals head east from California, but not that far east as they’ll land in Denver on Friday for a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. Andre Pallante returns from the injured list to the mound for the Cardinals while the Rockies will give the ball to Ryan Feltner. First pitch is scheduled […]
Federal judge extends block on Trump order seeking to limit mail voting in the midterms
A federal judge on Friday extended her prohibition against the U.S. Postal Service implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit mail voting during the midterms, putting another major obstacle in the way of the administration as the first states begin sending out mail ballots.
Judge again halts USPS mail ballot plan
A federal judge again Friday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from enacting President Trump's sweeping new mail ballot rules for the November election.
Spot, snap and upload: Why California scientists want your nature photos
Use the iNaturalist app to track local species and help scientists protect California's unique natural heritage this Biodiversity week.
Gloria Steinem appreciation: Celebrating a rock star of revolution
Gloria Steinem always listened more than she spoke, which is one reason her words had such lasting impact.
NorCal business owners fear nicotine ban will devastate shops: ‘We’re taking a massive hit’
A wealthy Northern California town is moving to pull the plug on all tobacco and nicotine sales — with local business owners fearing the move could force them to close...
Grant supports evaluation of California’s traditional health care practices benefit
Project evaluates California’s Medicaid reimbursement for traditional healing
Black Business Month Honoree
Official website of Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., representing California Senate District 39.
Pelosi, Omar join Trump and Schiff as unlikely alliance pushes to onshore key industry
Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi and Ilhan Omar back Donald Trump's federal film tax incentive to bring movie production back to California and America.
UC scientists find a clue in the hunt for dark matter
An “incredibly exciting” finding could turn out to be the first-ever direct observation of the mysterious substance that makes up about 85% of the matter in the universe.
The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Event Expectations
Ahead of Apple's "Surprise and shine" event on September 9, we talk through everything to expect on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The event begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, and will be streamed on Apple's website, on YouTube, and through the Apple TV app.
Miley Cyrus releases new single, 'Bass Persuades,' and music video
Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
'Harry Potter' TV series cast reveal: Ginny Weasley, Tom Riddle
Expect to see some fresh faces around Hogwarts.
PDS Health and United Concordia Launch Saliva Screening Pilot
United Concordia Dental and PDS Health®, leaders in oral health and dental-medical integration, respectively, launched a saliva screening pilot in Southern California earlier this week that aims to improve oral health and overall health by investigating the screening’s impact on periodontal (gum) disease management. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40% of U.S. adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease. Left untreated, this condition can lead to tooth loss and infections and is associated with systemic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “Gum disease is not just an oral health issue. It’s closely connected to a person’s well-being,” said Ed Shellard, DMD, president and CEO of United Concordia. “This partnership with PDS Health underscores our shared commitment to dental-medical integration and allows us to empower patients with on-the-spot data about the current status of their gum health.”…
Even blue California wants lower taxes and smaller government
A new survey of Californians’ political views shows the Democrats are still dominant, but a majority of voters wants lower taxes and smaller government.
California's healthcare affordability office claims power to punish overspending hospitals
The state's new penalty framework could fine hospitals and insurers up to 125% of overspending, with enforcement starting as early as 2028.
Markel announces collaboration with Midwest General Insurance Agency to expand small business workers compensation offering in California
/PRNewswire/ -- Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), announced today a strategic collaboration with Midwest General Insurance...
California's political hopefuls remain silent on state's job losses, unemployment
California has lost jobs and its workforce. By many measures, it has some of the highest unemployment or underemployment rates in the country.
Column: Who would want the U.S. to be run like a business?
Americans are already being ground down by actual businesses: those pinching wages and raising prices to the pain point.
15 plays and musicals to see: The ultimate SoCal fall theater list
This fall's Southern California theater offerings include New York successes such as “The Outsiders,” “Oh, Mary!” and “Purpose,” and the long-awaited L.A. area premiere of “Passing Strange.”
Classical music and dance shows to see this fall in L.A., O.C.
Gustavo Dudamel returns to conduct Beethoven at Walt Disney Concert Hall, his replacement, Daniel Harding, makes his first appearance, Domingo Hindoyan leads LA Opera for the first time and Los Angeles Ballet debuts at the Hollywood Bowl, among other highlights.
Nithya Raman is the comeback kid of L.A. politics
The Dodgers should sit Raman in their dugout come playoff time, because her knack for scoring while behind is almost preternatural.
Newsom says he plans to endorse in S.F. House race
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to endorse in the San Francisco congressional race to replace Nancy Pelosi, and that he would likely do so as part of a batch of endorsements in California races.
Trump again appeals to Supreme Court on mail voting restrictions as midterms loom
The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject an order by a federal judge that halts it from implementing a new rule regulating mail ballots, hours after being unable to tell that judge whether the computer system that would govern the entire project was operational yet.
Nurses announce sympathy strikes, pickets on Sept. 15 at five Prime Healthcare hospitals in four states
RNs at two Prime Healthcare hospitals in Nevada and California and nurses and health care workers at a Prime facility in California gave notice that they will hold a sympathy strike for one day on September 15 in solidarity with striking nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Nurses at another Chicago hospital and at a hospital in Lewiston, Maine, will hold informational pickets in solidarity with Olympia Fields RNs on the same day.
California tire rules opposed by most Business Journal readers
More than 80% of Business Journal poll respondents oppose California's new replacement tire efficiency rules, citing concerns about consumer costs.
Opinion: California billionaire tax could push founders away
Silicon Valley has made California a global hub for startup activity, but a proposed billionare tax puts all that at risk, writes tax policy expert Jared Walczak.
Judge strikes down Trump administration lawsuit against trans-inclusive sports in California
The Department of Justice had sought to strip California of $44 billion if schools didn’t eject trans girls from girls’ sports teams.
Abdul El-Sayed is the latest Muslim candidate to labeled an anti-American extremist.
The bigoted rhetoric against Muslim American politicians is backfiring
Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News
Bartiromo, who hosted "Sunday Morning Futures" and "Mornings with Maria," has been off the air since August 9.
Maria Bartiromo is out at Fox News
Bartiromo, who hosted "Sunday Morning Futures" and "Mornings with Maria," has been off the air since August 9.
Federal judge considers whether to extend ban against U.S. Postal Service mail voting changes
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani is deciding whether to extend her prohibition on the proposed regulation of mail ballots, an effort undertaken as part of an executive order by President Donald Trump.
Trump administration ratchets up fight to get more oil flowing from California
California has some working offshore rigs
California to phase out paraquat over health concerns. What does this mean for farmers?
Studies have linked the widely-used herbicide to serious health conditions like Parkinson’s disease, birth defects and thyroid problems. But the California Farm Bureau says the move leaves growers with fewer tools and more costs.
How Silicon Valley used Main Street’s outrage against California privacy law
New changes to the California Internet Privacy Act promise to stop abusive wiretapping suits. They also quietly shield Big Tech from lawsuits.
‘Mayday’ review: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh reboot the buddy movie
Apple TV's 'Mayday' mashes the Cold War with 'Top Gun' and every buddy adventure-comedy you've ever loved and serves it up with stars who appear to be having as much fun as audiences will.
Look out, Hollywood. Influencers are taking over Burbank
As traditional film and TV production keeps shrinking in Los Angeles, YouTube creators are expanding into Burbank's soundstages.
Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit challenging California policy allowing biological males in girls’ sports
A federal judge dismissed the Department of Justice lawsuit against California over transgender athletes competing in girls' sports on procedural grounds.
Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo
Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.
George Lucas on opening Lucas Museum: ‘This one almost broke my will’
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art co-founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson spoke Wednesday at the press preview for the new museum. "This one almost broke my will," Lucas said.
Training program helps community health workers connect patients with dental offices to receive timely care
Community health workers and the dental care team can work together to reduce barriers to care. CHWs and California dentists can learn how with a new training program created by the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Lucas Museum among L.A.’s boldest, most contradictory buildings
Synthetic yet organic, populist yet elitist, the $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is full of contradictions. Highlights include an extraordinary park, cascading waterfall, structural feats and unique vantages. But the galleries leave much to be desired.
Inside the gutsy, defiant Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
By discarding artistic hierarchy of any kind, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is stepping into an ongoing debate about what kind of work gets to be labeled "art."
BTS opens four-night stand at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium
The K-pop boy band is on tour for the first time since its seven members completed their mandatory South Korean military service.
Venus, Serena Williams' success backs science on younger siblings
As tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams prepare to take the court at the U.S. Open, their success backs research suggesting younger siblings thrive.
Why a signature Newsom power move flopped in the last days of the Legislative session
The lame-duck governor's penchant for pushing last-minute demands on California’s Legislature didn't work out as it has in years past.
In standoff with Newsom, California Democrats claw back $450 million for climate projects
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new carbon market rules threatened money for certain climate programs. He struck a deal to continue funding for transit and water projects.
La Canada QB Joe Bell is in sports heaven with baseball teammates
In throwback to 1980s, La Canada has seven baseball players on its varsity football team, embracing the multiple-sport athlete.