California Today: Silicon Valley Wants to Build A.I. That Can Improve A.I. on Its Own

January 26, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

Cayce Clifford for The New York Times

Silicon Valley Wants to Build A.I. That Can Improve A.I. on Its Own

Ricursive Intelligence, founded by two former Google researchers and valued at $4 billion, is among several efforts to automate the creation of artificial intelligence.

Man Accused in $100 Million Jewel Heist Is Deported, Thwarting Trial

The move comes as ICE seeks to deport more people charged with crimes, sometimes before their cases are resolved.

How the National Park Service Is Deleting American History

Philadelphia sued the Trump administration after it directed the Park Service to rip out a memorial to slavery. Elsewhere, materials about climate change and labor history were being removed.

Pat Montandon, Socialite Who Sought Publicity, and Then World Peace, Dies at 96

She was known for her lavish parties and her marriage to one of the richest men in San Francisco. After he left her, she found a new purpose: visiting world leaders to plead for peace.

Manny Machado Is on Pace for Cooperstown. But Will He Be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer?

Manny Machado — the $300 million solution the Padres ultimately acquired at the hot corner — appears to be chugging toward the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

$4.5 Million Homes in California

A midcentury modern house in Santa Monica, a contemporary Spanish-style house in Redondo Beach and a cottage in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Sonic Booms and Seismic Waves Can Reveal Where Space Junk Crash-Lands

The sensors used to listen for earthquakes could help protect people from the hazards created by falling spacecraft.

They Tested Their $800,000 Budget on the Edges of Los Angeles County

After meeting in Phoenix and discovering they were both from Southern California, a couple plotted their return. Here’s what they found at the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Oscar Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Breaks Record With 16

“One Battle After Another” was close behind with 13 nods. Acting nominees include Michael B. Jordan, Kate Hudson, Timothée Chalamet and Teyana Taylor.