California Today: States Sue Over Freeze on Funding for Electric-Vehicle Charging

May 8, 2025, 9:31 a.m. Eastern time

Good morning. Here are the top stories from across California.

Today’s Top Story

Cayce Clifford for The New York Times

States Sue Over Freeze on Funding for Electric-Vehicle Charging

A lawsuit led by Washington, Colorado and California accuses the Trump administration of unlawfully withholding funds for new charging stations.

Smokey Robinson’s Lawyer Calls Sexual Assault Claims ‘Vile’ and ‘False’

Four women have accused the Motown legend of sexually assaulting them while they worked as housekeepers.

OpenAI Hires Instacart C.E.O. to Run Business and Operations

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, said he hired Instacart’s Fidji Simo to join in a new role as chief executive of applications.

Mississippi Man Is Charged With Stalking Jennifer Aniston

Prosecutors said that Jimmy Wayne Carwyle, 48, drove through the front gate of Ms. Aniston’s home on Monday after stalking her for nearly two years.

An Entertainment Tax

Why Hollywood recently got the Trump tariff treatment.

With Telescoping Crutches and Hexapod Legs, Dance Goes New Places

A new work by Axis Dance Company, “Kinematic/Kinesthetic,” uses mobility technologies to reshape ideas about moving and about the devices themselves.

Trump Says His Administration ‘Is Not Going to Pay’ for California High-Speed Rail

The government was already investigating how the state was spending a federal grant on the train project to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.

2 United Airlines Jets Clip Wings at San Francisco Airport

No one was injured in the incident, which occurred as the Boeing 777 jets were leaving the gate area early on Tuesday. The airline canceled both trans-Pacific flights.

Smokey Robinson Accused of Sexual Assault by Former Housekeepers

The four women said the Motown legend abused them multiple times while they worked cleaning his home. His wife, they said, created a hostile work environment.

Local Conditions

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

See active fires using The Times’s wildfire tracker.

Today's Recipe

A plate holding burnished meatballs and herbs is photographed from overhead. THe meatballs are showered with oil, and a few garlic cloves peek out between them.

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs

By Ali Slagle

1,044

25 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Take a break, play a game

Wordle →

Connections →

Strands →

Spelling Bee →

Crossword →

Mini →

Get notified about extreme weather before it happens with custom alerts for places in the U.S. you choose.

Get it in your inbox

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times.

To stop receiving California Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to The Times Get The New York Times app

Connect with us on: