High-Speed Rail Funding Crunch: California’s high-speed rail authority could run out of money by December 2027, with a reported $9.5B funding gap and rising costs raising new pressure on lawmakers and regulators. Lithium Valley Fight: An appeals court ordered Imperial County to redo parts of the environmental review for the Hell’s Kitchen lithium project, while supervisors debated a new incentive program that critics say may not deliver public value. Meta Youth Harm Lawsuits: A federal appeals court cleared the way for thousands of lawsuits accusing Meta and TikTok of designing addictive platforms that harm young users, rejecting arguments that Section 230 blocks the cases from moving forward. EV Policy Push: Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra floated a plan for free midday electricity to shift demand to solar-heavy hours, as California grapples with affordability and bill spikes. Housing & Local Rules: Santa Barbara approved a citywide environmental review framework tied to its housing plan, while Santa Maria advanced protections for senior mobile home parks to limit conversions to all-ages units. Energy Storage Momentum: California surpassed 21,000 megawatts of battery resources connected to the grid, underscoring how storage buildout is reshaping power reliability and costs. Business & Finance: BMO and RBC agreed to sell Moneris’ joint venture to Francisco Partners for about $2B, with closing expected in early 2027.