California Today: A Summery Winter in California: Time for Speedos and Ice Cream
Today's top stories from California.
The New York Times
California Today

March 18, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

More California News

Silicon Valley Bet on War. The Bets Are Paying Off.

After years of criticism and financial risk, Palantir, Anthropic and small start-ups are generating rewards from their investments in defense tech.

Why This Jump in Gas Prices Feels Different

A state-by-state look at the increase and how it could affect you.

She Needed a Rug. One Dumpster Dive Later, She Had the Red Carpet.

Paige Thalia’s apartment floor got an upgrade this week thanks to some leftovers from the Academy Awards.

The Cost of the A.I. Boom: A Trade Deficit the President Detests

A recent surge of A.I.-related imports has become an impediment to the smaller trade deficit President Trump wants.

Oscars Viewership Slides 9%, Its First Drop Since 2021

The 17.9 million total followed similar drops for the Grammys and the Golden Globes.

Ex-Sheriff’s Deputy in Cryptocurrency Extortion Plot Sentenced to 5 Years

The former deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy charges for his role in the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

Judy Pace, 83, Dies; Actress Brought Layers to Black Characters

On the prime-time soap opera “Peyton Place,” she played one of TV’s first Black female antagonists. She was also a fixture in blaxploitation films.

The Chargers’s Offseason So Far Has Been a Big Bet on OC Mike McDaniel

Mike McDaniel’s fingerprints are all over the Chargers’ offseason moves.

Today’s Extreme Weather

CITYRISK TYPES
Los Angeles
High risk
Unhealthy heat
San Diego
Some risk
Unhealthy heat
San Jose
Some risk
Unhealthy heat
San Francisco
Some risk
Unhealthy heat
Sacramento
Some risk
Unhealthy heat
Bakersfield
Some risk
Unhealthy heat
RiskSomeSome riskModerate riskHigh riskHigh

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Look up the heat index in your area using The Times’s heat tracker.

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Today's Recipe

Article Image

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Sincronizadas (Stacked Ham and Cheese Quesadillas)

By Paola Briseño-González

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarUnfilled Star

11

25 minutes

Makes 2 to 4 servings

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