Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, June 1. I’m Julia Carmel, a feature writer for The Times’ Lifestyle section who covers travel, local culture ...

McDonald’s, a small restaurant started by two brothers in Riverside, California, became a worldwide icon because it has products people want – regardless of their wealth – at a price ...

Restaurants for months have said menu prices in California would rise as the state raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers. Now they are following through. Consumers picking up burgers ...

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been even more aggressive, with plans to ban the sale of gas-powered cars statewide in pursuit of a net-zero greenhouse gas, carbon-free economy by 2045.

“California Dreamin’” was more than just a hit song; it was a description of what much of the country and even the world wanted. The state also closed schools more frequently and for longer ...