California Today: The State Law Taking a Financial Toll on California Budgets

May 9, 2025, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Good morning. Here are the top stories from across California.

Today’s Top Story

Mark Abramson for The New York Times

The State Law Taking a Financial Toll on California Budgets

The law set off a wave of child sex abuse litigation that has pushed some public institutions to the brink of financial crisis. School districts face up to $3 billion in claims.

How the TV Hit ‘Fallout’ Became a Champion of Made-in-California

The show’s producer, Jonathan Nolan, has put himself at the forefront of Hollywood’s push to get California to approve $750 million in tax rebates.

The Menendez Chicken Wing Empire That Never Was

Lyle Menendez had grand plans to franchise Chuck’s Spring Street Cafe before he was arrested. The New Jersey restaurant endures.

U.S. Government to Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather

It would be harder for insurers and scientists to study wildfires, storms and other “billion dollar disasters,” which are growing more frequent as the planet warms.

U.S. v. Google: What Both Sides Argued in a Hearing to Fix Its Search Monopoly

The Justice Department and Google are wrapping up a three-week hearing that could have a major impact on the search giant and how people gather information online.

Who Competes With Meta? Its Future Depends on the Answer.

At a landmark antitrust trial, a judge is weighing how to define competition for the social media giant in order to decide whether it broke the law.

How Apple Created a Legal Mess When It Skirted a Judge’s Ruling

Court documents show the company commissioned a sham report and lied on the stand to justify its actions, which will cast a shadow over future lawsuits.

OpenAI Hires Instacart C.E.O. to Run Business and Operations

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, said he hired Instacart’s Fidji Simo to join in a new role as chief executive of applications.

Bill Gates Accuses Elon Musk of ‘Killing Children’ by Cutting Foreign Aid

The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist condemned his fellow billionaire for overseeing deep cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Trump administration.