California Today: Social Media Giants Face Landmark Legal Tests on Child Safety

January 27, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

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Social Media Giants Face Landmark Legal Tests on Child Safety

Starting this week, a series of trials will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

Silicon Valley Wants to Build A.I. That Can Improve A.I. on Its Own

Ricursive Intelligence, founded by two former Google researchers and valued at $4 billion, is among several efforts to automate the creation of artificial intelligence.

At Mr. Jiu’s, the $170 Peking Duck Is Worth Every Penny. Bring Friends.

Brandon Jew’s flagship San Francisco restaurant brings a distinctly Californian point of view to his Chinese American fine dining.

As Tech Chiefs Woo Trump, Silicon Valley Seethes Over Minneapolis Shootings

Executives, investors and engineers are speaking out against the Trump administration after the killings of Alex Pretti and another protester in moves reminiscent of Silicon Valley a decade ago.

I Played Quarterback with Sam Darnold in College. His Perspective Is His Secret Weapon

I was a redshirt sophomore at USC when Sam Darnold showed up in the summer of 2015.

‘Volcano,’ the L.A. Disaster Movie That Boils Over With Unintended Comedy

Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche teamed up in their heyday to save Los Angeles from lava in this big-budget 1997 film that defies all logic to fantastic, farcical effect.

How the National Park Service Is Deleting American History

Philadelphia sued the Trump administration after it directed the Park Service to rip out a memorial to slavery. Elsewhere, materials about climate change and labor history were being removed.

Pat Montandon, Socialite Who Sought Publicity, and Then World Peace, Dies at 96

She was known for her lavish parties and her marriage to one of the richest men in San Francisco. After he left her, she found a new purpose: visiting world leaders to plead for peace.