California Today: California Judge Is Convicted of Fatally Shooting His Wife

April 24, 2025, 9:31 a.m. Eastern time

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

Today’s Top Story

Pool photo by Mindy Schauer

California Judge Is Convicted of Fatally Shooting His Wife

Judge Jeffrey Ferguson of Orange County Superior Court faces 40 years to life for murdering his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, in August 2023, prosecutors said.

In L.A., a Young Family Wanted a House to Grow Into. Would $800,000 Be Enough?

Seeking more space for their growing children (and maybe a pool), a couple combed the San Fernando Valley for a single-family home they could afford. Here’s what they found.

3 Books About Tech, Politics and Big Business

Experts tell the stories of entrepreneurs and executives who have inched closer and closer to their governments.

In California Jails, a Rash of Homicide and Negligence

The jails of Riverside County are plagued with unusually high murder rates and recurring security failures by an inexperienced staff.

After the Wildfires, This High School Needed a Campus. It Found a Sears.

Palisades Charter High School in California has held classes online since the fire in January. On Tuesday, students gathered at a new, temporary home, a retrofitted Sears.

A California Museum Weighs the Promise and Perils of Tech

Set in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Computer History Museum long cheered the developments around it. Now, it’s taking a more nuanced approach.

$800,000 Homes in California, Colorado and Vermont

An Italianate home in Martinez, Calif., an industrial condo in Denver, and an updated farmhouse in Shelburne, Vt.

Just Don’t Call It ‘Tequila’

California agave spirits, a recent addition to the liquor cabinet, aim for a bigger slice of the market.

Almost Half of Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds

Weakening or rolling back longstanding environmental regulations would worsen the problem, the American Lung Association assessment says.

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Today's Recipe

Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Peppery Beef and Shishito Stir-Fry

By Zainab Shah

25 minutes

Makes 4 servings

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