On Friday, Leonard Bernal stood beside a friend amid a sea of MAGA paraphernalia and was absolutely buzzing. Former President Trump had just wrapped up a fiery speech to 1,500 paying attendees at the California Republican Party’s fall convention in Anaheim, where he spent the better part of 90 minutes trashing the Golden State, its politicians and its policies.
The death of California Sen. Dianne on Friday and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection of longtime political operative Laphonza Butler as her short-term replacement have thrust two critical questions to the forefront of the state’s political scene:
A referral from a trusted source is the gold standard in marketing. It’s the basis of websites like Yelp, Trip Advisor and the entire “influencer” industry.
With the passing of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California has lost its trailblazing senior senator and a giant in state and national politics. She was the rare pragmatic moderate in Congress, embodying the cordiality and cooperation from an earlier, more civil era in Washington. Politics will be poorer for her absence.
There’s been nepotism and vote buying in the town of Idyllwild, Calif. The “mayor” sometimes chews up his neckties. Only pets were allowed on the ballot — which is why the elected leader in this unincorporated community near Palm Springs is a 1-year-old golden retriever named Mayor Max III.
The Hemet Police Department cited 28 drivers Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in a distracted-driving operation from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Twelve citations were for hands-free cell phone violations and 16 for dangerous driving behaviors.