Hiltzik: A leading roboticist punctures the hype about self-driving cars, AI chatbots and humanoid robots
Rodney Brooks was a pioneer in robot tech. Here's his annual debunking of high-tech hype.
Ties between California and Venezuela go back more than a century with Chevron
Chevron, the oil giant founded and until recently headquartered in California, is the only foreign petroleum company still operating in Venezuela and its largest foreign investor.
Versant launches, Comcast spins off E!, CNBC and MS NOW
Comcast has officially spun off its cable channels, including CNBC and MS NOW, into a separate company, Versant Media Group.
Elon Musk company bot apologizes for sharing sexualized images of children
Grok published sexualized images of children as its guardrails seem to have failed when it was prompted with vile user requests.
Tesla dethroned as the world's top EV maker
The Chinese automaker BYD sold 2.26 million electric vehicles in 2025, surpassing Tesla as the world's top EV seller.
'Stranger Things' finale turns box office downside up pulling in an estimated $25 million
Netflix's supernatural hit "Stranger Things" debuted simultaneously on the streamer and in theaters on New Year's Day, giving the box office a much needed lift.
Billionaire tax proposal sparks soul-searching for Californians
Economists say a tax on California's wealthiest residents could be the only way to pay for needed healthcare services in the state.
California rolls out sweeping new laws for 2026, from cellphone limits in schools to a ban on cat declawing
A slew of new laws in California have gone into effect, including a ban on law enforcement officers wearing masks, cuts to the cost of insulin and a requirement for landlords to provide refrigerators.
Hiltzik: Trump's proposed battleship is a budget-busting folly that will probably never sail
Trump wants to name a new battleship class after himself, but it would be a costly white elephant.
California sets up a showdown with Washington by reissuing licenses to migrant truckers
Truckers whose licenses were revoked now have 60 days to legally qualify for their licenses
The biggest startups raised a record amount in 2025, dominated by AI
AI companies raised a record $150 billion in 2025, raising fears of an AI bubble
Immigration raids linked to significant California job losses, analysis finds
A UC Merced study used U.S. census data to track changes in the number of Californians reporting private sector employment across several months in 2025.
Women still face steep challenges securing top movie jobs
A San Diego State University report found that women made up 23% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and directors of photography on the 250 top-grossing films in 2025.
Disney settles with DOJ for alleged child privacy violations with $10 million payment
Following a Justice Dept. complaint that Disney had violated child privacy laws by not accurately labeling YouTube content for children, the media and entertainment giant agreed to pay a $10-million civil penalty.
This Long Beach studio is designing America's cheapest EV truck
Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto is designing an affordable electric pickup truck in Long Beach