California Crime Rates Decline

California’s homicide rate fell to a record low in 2025, according to new crime data from the state Department of Justice.

The rate dropped to 3.5 homicides per 100,000 residents, the lowest since the state began keeping records in 1966. The state’s homicide clearance rate also rose to 79%, up from 64% in 2024.

Robbery, auto theft, violent crime, and property crime all declined statewide.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta credited investments in prevention and law enforcement, while independent analysts said the decline mirrors a broader national trend and that no single factor fully explains the drop.

DOJ Sues California Over Gun Law

The U.S. Department of Justice sued California on July 1 to halt the state’s new “Glock ban” shortly after it took effect.

Assembly Bill 1127 bars licensed dealers from selling new Glock handguns and certain handguns with similar firing mechanisms that lawmakers say are especially susceptible to illegal conversion into fully automatic weapons using an illegal “Glock switch.” The law does not prohibit Californians from keeping Glock handguns they already own or buying them through legal private-party transfers.

The Justice Department argues the law, along with California’s handgun roster, violates the Second Amendment by prohibiting the sale of one of the nation’s most popular handgun types.

California officials defend the law as a targeted public safety measure, saying it is intended to reduce the use of illegally converted handguns in crimes while leaving hundreds of other approved handgun models available for sale. Attorney General Rob Bonta has said the state will defend the law in court.

Study Ranks California’s Educated Metros

A new national study ranked San Jose as California’s most educated metro area and Visalia as its least.

The analysis of 150 U.S. metros placed San Jose third overall behind only Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley ranked sixth overall.

San Diego ranked 22nd and Sacramento 50th, while several California metros landed near the bottom nationally.

Visalia finished last at No. 150, with Bakersfield, Modesto, Salinas, and Fresno also ranking among California’s lowest-performing metros, based on 11 measures of educational attainment and school quality.

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➤ Bay Area: A regional sales tax measure to fund BART, Muni, and other transit agencies qualified for the November ballot. The measure would add a half-cent sales tax in four Bay Area counties and a full cent in San Francisco, raising about $1 billion annually to help prevent major transit service cuts. (More)

➤ Northstate: Ranchers, sheriffs, and lawmakers gathered at the State Capitol on Wednesday to press California to address gray wolf attacks on livestock. Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick said wolves have been linked to 25 livestock kills statewide this year and criticized the budget for offering ranchers no compensation. (See Details)

➤ Petaluma: A 43-year-old man faces felony charges after police say he fired a mortar-style firework at a neighbor’s home amid an ongoing dispute. Surveillance video captured the blast, which struck the roof and caused more than $1,000 in damage. (See Video)

➤ Sonoma County: A baby American mink turned up in a yard, where a resident mistook it for a “baby otter.” An Animal Services officer took the animal to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue, which will care for it until it can return to the wild. (See Photos)

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➤ Stanislaus County: Local law enforcement is joining California Highway Patrol’s Fourth of July DUI crackdown, with stepped-up patrols through the holiday weekend. CHP urged drivers to plan ahead by using a designated driver, rideshare, or staying overnight if they plan to drink. (More)

➤ Hanford: A man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after riding a horse on a public roadway, the California Highway Patrol said. Officers noted that California law treats anyone riding an animal on a public road like the driver of a motor vehicle, meaning DUI laws apply. (More)

➤ Central Coast: Santa Barbara’s Silvers Omakase earned its first Michelin star in the guide’s latest California selections. Four regional standbys retained their one-star ratings: Bell’s in Los Alamos, Caruso’s in Montecito, plus Six Test Kitchen and The Restaurant at JUSTIN in Paso Robles. (See List)

➤ Merced County: The sheriff’s office said it is reviewing a video circulating online that shows the euthanasia of horses after community members raised concerns. Officials said veterinary and Animal Services staff were present and that they are examining whether the process met accepted standards. (More)

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➤ Southern California: AAA expects nearly 5.5 million Southern Californians to travel at least 50 miles over the Fourth of July holiday, with most hitting the road by car. After heavy getaway traffic Thursday, another round of major freeway congestion is expected Friday from noon to 7 p.m., as airports and highways stay packed. (More)

➤ Koreatown: The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a boil-water notice for a two-block stretch of Koreatown after routine testing detected E. coli in a water sample. About 460 residential customers and a small strip mall are affected, and the utility said the contamination appears isolated to one testing site. (More)

➤ Camarillo: Detectives arrested a man accused of scamming a 70-year-old resident out of $84,000 by posing as a McAfee Security representative. Investigators said they caught the suspect en route to meet another possible victim, and he faces elder-theft charges. (More)

➤ San Diego: University Heights’ 30-year-old neon sign is failing, flickering to read “Unive Heights” at night, and neighborhood groups blame the city for mismanaging maintenance-district funds meant to repair it. Quick fixes would cost about $27,000, and the city says it’s working with vendors to restore the landmark. (More)

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➤ LeBron James is reportedly in talks to film his entire 2026-27 season as a documentary or episodic series in what could be his final NBA campaign. After informing the Lakers this week that he won’t return, the 41-year-old is reportedly willing to sign for the league minimum to join a title contender. (More)

➤ Veteran forward Mats Zuccarello is reportedly headed to the LA Kings on a one-year deal after NHL free agency opened this week. The 38-year-old Norwegian had 15 goals in 59 games with the Minnesota Wild last season. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Mason Marchment signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract with the San Jose Sharks, joining the franchise where his late father, Bryan Marchment, spent six seasons as a player. (More)

➤ UCLA Athletics picked up two NIL Store awards this week, including “NIL Admin of the Year” for Senior Associate Athletic Director Teri Hanneke. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ Merced Yosemite Regional Airport opened a new terminal this week and welcomed a new carrier, Contour Airlines, which now flies 30-seat jets nonstop to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. City leaders say the upgrade will improve travel for Valley residents while attracting Yosemite visitors and travelers to UC Merced. (More)

➤ Senate Bill 79 took effect July 1, allowing denser housing near major transit stops and overriding certain local zoning restrictions across California. Supporters say it could legalize about 1 million homes statewide, while many city leaders argue it undermines local control. (More)

➤ Yosemite Travel Center opened yesterday at Tesoro Viejo in Madera County, which bills itself as the gateway to Yosemite National Park. The Highway 41 stop includes a six-pump gas station, a convenience market, a Jamba Juice, and a car wash, serving locals and park-bound tourists. (More)

➤ Los Angeles leaders approved a $2 billion downtown project, Fourth & Central, clearing a 10-building complex to rise on a Skid Row industrial site near the Arts District. It would add more than 1,500 homes, at least 260 of them for low-income renters, plus offices, shops, and restaurants. (More)

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➤ La Valencia Hotel, the pink Mediterranean landmark on La Jolla’s Prospect Street known as the “Pink Lady,” is marking its 100th anniversary. Opened in 1926, it has served as a community living room, a WWII lookout post, and a wedding backdrop, with centennial events planned all year. (Read Story)

➤ Wooden roller coasters are a fading piece of Americana, and a new NBC feature counts California’s Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Giant Dipper, built in 1924, among the roughly 100 still running nationwide. At their 1920s peak, about 1,250 operated; only 90 survived World War II. (See Video)

➤ Irving, a San Francisco sea lion pup found malnourished on a street in April, has been released to the wild after recovering at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. The wayward 10-month-old was discovered near 48th and Irving streets, a block from Ocean Beach. (See Video)

➤ Los Angeles County Fire Department K-9s are comforting survivors in Venezuela after deploying with the department’s urban search and rescue team following deadly June earthquakes. Alongside searching through rubble, the dogs have shared quiet moments with shaken residents in what the department called an “unspoken language of comfort.” (See Photos)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Trump Accounts launch on the Fourth of July with a $1,000 federal deposit, though most eligible families have yet to enroll. (Hear Details)

➤ Wisconsin school officials barred a graduating senior from including a Bible verse in the ceremony slideshow. (Hear Episode)

➤ Brooklyn bodegas are openly selling an experimental weight-loss drug over the counter, despite a federal ban on its commercial sale. (Listen Now)

Would you ride a classic wooden roller coaster like Santa Cruz’s Giant Dipper?

1. Love it, first in line
2. Sure, once
3. Maybe, if convinced
4. I’ll watch from the ground

Yesterday’s Results:

Would a celebrity’s name get you to try a new restaurant?

1. Doesn’t sway me at all: 41%
2. It’d make me skip it: 22%
3. Only if the food delivers: 20%
4. Yes, I’d check it out: 17%

Which U.S. president signed an 1864 act protecting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove, an early step that helped inspire the national park idea?

Show me the answer