California Today: San Francisco Teachers Walk Out for the First Time Since 1979

February 9, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

Stephen Lam/Reuters

San Francisco Teachers Walk Out for the First Time Since 1979

The strike closed public schools for more than 50,000 students in the city and had no end date. Health care costs are a key issue in negotiations.

Here’s What to Know About the Los Angeles Mayor’s Race

The week leading up to the filing deadline saw candidates dropping from the field and a surprise last-minute challenge to the incumbent mayor, Karen Bass.

These A.I. Dreamers Don’t Fit the Stereotype

Young tech entrepreneurs in San Francisco are hoping to cash in, even as they wonder how artificial intelligence will affect society.

Best and Worst of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

The Puerto Rican superstar’s set included cameos, stunts and powerful statements.

The Journey Didn’t Break Sam Darnold; It Made Him into a Super Bowl Champion

Sam Darnold’s “ghosts” haunted him for three years with the New York Jets, followed him to Carolina for a couple more seasons, and hung in the background during his brief stay as a backup in San Francisco. On Sunday, he chased them away for good.

4 Dead in Mushroom Poisoning Outbreak in California

State health officials discouraged foraging this year, saying that toxic mushrooms can easily be confused with safe ones to eat.

California Sues a Children’s Hospital to Maintain Transgender Health Care

As the Trump administration pushes to end such care, this is the first time a state has sued a hospital to preserve it, legal experts say.

Rising Progressive Star Shakes Up Race for Los Angeles Mayor

Nithya Raman, who has been compared to Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York, presents a significant challenge to the incumbent, Mayor Karen Bass.

F.B.I. Investigates Links to Biological Labs in Las Vegas and California

The Las Vegas lab had vials of a “reddish liquid,” the police said. The California lab, uncovered in 2023, had materials “possibly associated with infectious diseases,” officials said.