California

The City Council in San Rafael voted unanimously this month to renew the San Rafael Police Department's military equipment use policy, which included introducing a new drone program.

A bill is advancing through the California Legislature to address fears that artificial intelligence could soon unfairly deny workers jobs and promotions or lead to punishment and firings.

CalHeatScore, in the works for years, is designed to help officials and residents better anticipate the risks of heat-related illnesses on the hottest days. Maps and other data round out the service.

Remote classes and lax verification protocols have made it easier for criminals to impersonate students and disappear when the financial aid checks arrive, so colleges are implementing new verification protocols.

The Shelter Ready app, which officials began quietly rolling out in North County late last year, lets outreach workers reserve emergency beds in the same way that tourists book hotel rooms.

Defunding the California Education Learning Lab would eliminate research and crucial support programs to help both K-12 schools and higher education in California adapt to artificial intelligence.

The legislation, which now heads to the California State Assembly, shows how state lawmakers are tackling safety concerns surrounding AI as tech companies release more AI-powered tools.

Super Micro Computer has won approval from top city planners for a building that totals 333,400 square feet and would eventually be a tech campus where a Fry’s Electronics store once operated.

A project to connect Union Station in Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium via a mile-long gondola run aims to be done for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. A similar aerial initiative is moving forward in neighboring Orange County.

The city launched its 12-month e-scooter pilot program over Memorial Day weekend, allowing private and shared electric scooters to operate on designated portions of the Shoreline Pedestrian Bike Path.

The Bakersfield City Council approved a $250,000 grant for a United Kingdom-based neuroscience startup that local educators and business leaders hope will bring high-paying jobs to the area.

Thanks to a partnership between Comcast, the state of California and Fresno County, reliable Internet access is now available to students and their families in rural areas, decreasing the digital divide.

The industry celebrated after Congress moved to cancel California emission standards that would have required a transition to electric vehicles across much of the country over the next decade.

State officials working to make amends for botched rollouts of a long-delayed electric-bike program have introduced new vendors to manage the next application period.

Members of the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes are expected to commence work this summer on expanding Internet access in their regions. The work is the first joint-build agreement between a tribe and the state.

An amended version of Assembly Bill 1111, if passed, would allow small education agencies to have the electric-bus requirement waived temporarily. Most polled superintendents are skeptical about the 2035 deadline.

The company plans to reactivate a battery energy storage system at the Moss Landing power complex. A second facility there, a portion of which caught fire in January, remains shuttered and an investigation continues.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised 2025-2026 fiscal year state budget proposal has some General Fund reductions for agencies from the previous fiscal year. It would also provide additional funding for some tech projects.