Newsom Signs Online Protections for Children

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills Thursday aimed at protecting children from risks involving social media, companion chatbots, student data, and digitally altered sexual content.

Assembly Bill 1709 requires social media platforms to disable features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and personalized algorithmic feeds for users younger than 16 or deny them access. Adam’s Law establishes time limits for minors using companion chatbots, restricts targeted advertising, requires crisis support, and mandates reporting of suicide and self-harm threats.

Other measures temporarily ban companion-chatbot toys for children younger than 16, strengthen student-data protections, and allow social media companies to face financial liability for failing to protect children from harm.

Federal Allegations of Admissions Bias at Berkeley Law

The U.S. departments of Justice and Education said a joint investigation found that UC Berkeley School of Law favored Black applicants over white and Asian applicants, which the agencies said violated federal civil rights law.

Federal officials said Black applicants had 5.8 times the odds of admission compared with white applicants in 2025. They also cited questions about race and the use of racial identity to group admitted students in classes.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky denied that race influenced admissions and said Berkeley would demonstrate its compliance with the law. The agencies are seeking a voluntary resolution and could sue if negotiations fail.

McClatchy Layoffs Hit California Newsrooms

McClatchy eliminated about 90 newsroom positions nationwide Thursday. The cuts reached the Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, and Modesto Bee.

California’s reductions included at least seven Fresno Bee employees, three of the Modesto Bee’s 12 newsroom staffers, and the Sacramento Bee’s entire three-person sports department.

According to McClatchy, consumer revenue declined 41% over five years, and the newsrooms are being restructured to focus resources on journalism valued by subscribers.

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➤ Northern California: PG&E warned that targeted power shutoffs could affect about 14,000 customers in portions of eight counties Saturday as strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation increase wildfire risk. (More)

➤ Daly City: BART said aging electrical equipment caused Tuesday’s substation fire, while an HVAC failure contributed to false train-detection alarms and several days of service disruptions. (More)

➤ Lake Oroville: State water officials advised visitors to avoid algae after issuing a caution advisory for part of the reservoir. (More)

➤ Central Valley: State water officials are weighing major decisions involving the Sites Reservoir, Delta tunnel, and San Joaquin River diversions. Westlands Water District recently withdrew from voluntary negotiations over river flows. (More)

➤ Arvin: Cecilio Velasco will take over as police chief Monday, ending a vacancy of more than a year. The bilingual law enforcement veteran previously served as Avenal’s police chief and spent 12 years with the Delano Police Department. (More)

➤ Central Coast: After days of oppressive heat, temperatures are expected to cool this weekend as a low-pressure system brings more cloud cover and milder conditions to the region. (More)

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➤ Pasadena: Police said a driver rammed two patrol vehicles Thursday night, injuring an officer and prompting officers to open fire. Three people, including the officer, were hospitalized. (More)

➤ South Los Angeles: More than 3,000 customers lost electricity during the week’s extreme heat, leaving some residents without air conditioning as crews worked to restore service. (More)

➤ Ventura: The California Coastal Commission unanimously allowed plans for a kelp farm six miles offshore to move forward. The roughly 3-square-mile facility could become the nation’s largest kelp farm. (More)

➤ No. 14 USC hosts Louisiana at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum tonight, while UCLA welcomes San Diego State to the Rose Bowl. Cal visits Syracuse, Fresno State hosts Sacramento State, and San José State welcomes Cal Poly. (See Schedule)

➤ UCLA is revamping its Bruin Walk at the Rose Bowl, inviting fans to line North Arroyo Boulevard when the team arrives at 1:35 p.m. before today’s home opener against San Diego State. (More)

➤ A crowd of 100,021 watched the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in Melbourne, the NFL’s seventh-largest attendance and second-largest outside the United States. (More)

➤ Myles Garrett acknowledged he isn’t fully healthy after the Los Angeles Rams star finished without a tackle in his team debut. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: US Open | MLB | NCAAF | Soccer

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➤ Cal State Channel Islands’ Napa Hall Art Gallery will open “Double Landing,” a solo exhibition by Rafael Perea de la Cabada, on Monday. A free reception with the artist is scheduled for Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams demonstrated tracking, detection, and patrol work in Carpinteria, giving the public a closer look at how deputies and their dogs work together in the field. (More)

➤ KGET-TV 17 morning anchor and Emmy winner Lauren Holcomb stepped from the anchor desk to the Miss Wasco Rose Queen Pageant stage Thursday. The 23-year-old shared how she landed in Bakersfield, why she wears slippers behind the desk, and what drew her to the Wasco tradition, which dates to 1969. (More)

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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, straight from the heart of the country. 

➤ Physical therapists say six simple moves may protect the strength and balance that age quietly erodes. (See Exercises)

➤ One surrogate’s refusal to end a pregnancy has escalated into a custody fight now before the U.S. Supreme Court. (Hear Story)

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Do you support California limiting social media features for users younger than 16?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s your wine of choice?

1. Red: 45%
2. White: 23%
3. Rosé: 15%
4. I’ll pass on wine: 11%
5. Sparkling: 5%
6. Other (reply to tell us): 1%

In 1982, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer was tinkering with an eco-friendly heat pump at home when a powerful jet of water gave him an idea. What blockbuster toy did it inspire?

Show me the answer