California Today: How $6 Gas Prices Are Affecting the Lives of Californians

May 25, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

Jake Michaels for The New York Times

How $6 Gas Prices Are Affecting the Lives of Californians

California is the nation’s most expensive state for gasoline. The latest spike has forced more residents to change their habits.

He Name-Drops Ocasio-Cortez in His Bid for Congress. She Doesn’t Talk About Him at All.

Saikat Chakrabarti, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff, is running in San Francisco to succeed Representative Nancy Pelosi, whom Mr. Chakrabarti irked with an incendiary tweet seven years ago.

Crack Forms in Toxic Chemical Tank, a Positive Sign for Firefighters

The tank in Southern California has been building in temperature and pressure for days, which could lead to an explosive release. The crack may reduce some of that pressure, officials said.

Blind Waymo Users Revel in the Joy of Riding Alone

Waymo has been an object of frustration to some in California. For visually impaired people, it can also bring a rare feeling of independence.

In Homeless Crisis, California ‘Is Waging a War on R.V.s’

The R.V.s are seen as an eyesore — the most visible sign of the state’s homelessness crisis. Neighbors and politicians want them gone. The people who call them home feel under siege.

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Try Boosting Progressives in Red Districts

In highly competitive House races that Democrats need to flip in November, the left is betting that calls for universal health care and taxing the wealthy will resonate — even among Republicans.

Time-Traveling Along Route 66, in Cars of the Past, Present and Future

Before cars could drive themselves, the Mother Road beckoned Americans westward. We drove a long stretch of it to assess the health of the old road while sizing up the next automotive century.

Garden Grove Is a Suburban City Near Theme Parks

The city is home to part of Little Saigon, the cultural heart of the Vietnamese American population in California.

What I Learned About Loss While Skateboarding at Costco

Conor Dougherty, who covers housing and development and is based in Los Angeles, writes about how Costco is a perfect expression of how skateboarders can turn even the blandest form of American architecture — the big box parking lot — into a thriving community space.