California

Oakland – October 14, 2026 -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) may shut off power to about 88,000 customers in 29 California counties, starting Wednesday evening, October 14, as a statewide fire weather system moves through.

The planned outage is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Customers have already received multiple notices, and PG&E says it will notify them again within four hours of their planned shutoff. Six Tribes may also be affected.

Check your address and prepare for a long outage

Customers can see whether their address is in scope and read the latest updates at pge.com/PSPSupdates. PG&E advises those who have been notified to prepare for extended outages:

Highland – – October 14, 2026 -- Martha Stewart's holiday style arrives at Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel on November 18, when Martha's Forest of Wonder opens as a resort-wide immersive experience. It is designed in collaboration with Stewart and features décor inspired by pieces from her personal collection.

A woodland palette covers the entire property

The installation turns the resort into a sparkling woodland retreat in brass, cranberry, forest green, pearl white, sage green and snow. Illuminated woodland creatures appear throughout the property.

Four signature moments anchor the design:

Santa Cruz – October 12, 2026 -- Children in Montessori classrooms pour their own water, sweep floors and prepare snacks. According to Montessori education expert Madelynn Van Den Heuvel of Santa Cruz, California, that routine is how the method builds independence. She shared the approach in a HelloNation article.

Child-sized classrooms let students finish tasks on their own

Van Den Heuvel explains that Montessori classrooms are furnished with tools, furniture and materials designed for children's size and abilities. Tasks such as pouring water or sweeping may look minor to adults. For children, completing them brings a real sense of accomplishment and responsibility.

Fort Lauderdale – October 12, 2026 -- Buying crypto with cash just got cheaper for Americans near one of 400-plus new machines: Lowest Fee Bitcoin ATMs has launched with a flat 5% fee on every purchase, compared with the 12% to 15% typical at Bitcoin ATMs and 20% or more at some of the largest national operators.

The machines sit in convenience stores, gas stations and shopping centers in Florida, California, Arizona, Texas and other states. They sell Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and the dollar-pegged stablecoins Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) for cash.

The fee and rate appear on screen before you confirm

Customers see the fee and exchange rate before confirming a purchase. Funds go directly to the customer's own digital wallet, and the company never holds them. Quincy Mathis, the company's Operations Manager, said the cost at many ATMs is often buried in the exchange rate rather than shown as a fee.

Beverly Hills – – October 12, 2026 -- Century Psychology Group, a Beverly Hills practice led by psychologist Shannon Daneshrad, Psy.D., has moved to an office roughly five times larger to take on more ADHD and autism evaluations and therapy clients. Starting Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, it sees clients at 436 North Roxbury Drive, one block from its previous location.

Evaluations cover children, teens and adults

The practice tests for ADHD and autism in children, adolescents and adults, and also offers learning disability and comprehensive psychological assessments. Each evaluation starts with a detailed interview about developmental, medical and psychological history. Testing then runs over several sessions, followed by a feedback session and a written report with individualized recommendations.

New York – October 12, 2026 -- California investors use AI for investment decisions more than those in any other U.S. state, according to the new Investing.com AI Investing Index. Ohio and Colorado tie for second, followed by Florida and Texas, while Wall Street's home state of New York ranks only 13th.

The index analyzed 12 months of U.S. user activity. It looked at the use of AI for investment research and at engagement with AI-focused stocks, adjusted for audience size in each state.

Utah, Hawaii, Michigan and Minnesota also make the top 10

These four states join the leaders in the top 10, which looks quite different from the traditional centers of American finance. New Jersey lands even lower, at #27.

Florida leads in AI research, Pennsylvania in AI stocks

Among the states studied, Florida records the highest level of AI-assisted investment research. Pennsylvania shows the strongest engagement with AI-focused stocks.

Oakland, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- Blue Shield of California has unveiled its 2027 Medicare plan lineup, giving eligible residents new coverage choices ahead of the Annual Enrollment Period running Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2026.

Plan options span Medicare Advantage to prescription-only coverage

The nonprofit insurer's portfolio includes Medicare Advantage plans, a Dual-Eligible Special Needs plan for those who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal, Medicare Supplement plans, and stand-alone prescription drug plans. Members seeking flexibility can opt for Medicare Supplement plans, which allow access to any doctor nationwide who accepts Medicare.

Santa Monica, Calif. – September 23, 2026 -- Autonomy has added the Volkswagen ID.4 electric vehicle to its subscription app, with the model available immediately to customers in California.

Volkswagen becomes the latest brand added to Autonomy's growing subscription fleet

The company says more Volkswagen models will follow in additional markets as it responds to customer demand for greater vehicle choice. The ID.4 joins an existing lineup of electric vehicles on the platform, including the Tesla Model 3, Ford Mustang Mach-E, BMW i4, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Chevrolet Equinox EV. Autonomy has also recently added gas-powered models such as the Ford Mustang, Ranger, F-150, Bronco Sport, Escape and Explorer.

Bellingham, Wash. – September 19, 2026 -- The Non-UPF Verified certification program has grown to 304 verified products across 23 brands since opening for enrollment on January 21, 2026, and shoppers can now check that status instantly through a new smartphone app.

A new app lets shoppers scan barcodes for processing details

The Non-UPF Verified app, available for iOS and Android, allows users to scan a packaged food's barcode to see whether it carries Non-UPF Verified status. If a product isn't verified, users can tap to request verification directly, a feature designed to send food brands a clear signal of consumer demand.

San Francisco – September 15, 2026 -- Licensed marriage and family therapist Manami Yamamoto has announced a new book, 'Truly Be Well: Nurturing True Wellness from Within,' currently in development, built around a framework she calls Inner Nurturing.

The global wellness industry has crossed $6.8 trillion, yet stress and disconnection persist

Yamamoto points to that gap as the reason she developed her framework. She argues that most wellness products and mental health campaigns focus on symptom relief rather than building lasting inner capacity.