Merced

California allows 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, but only 11% of eligible teens have done so, with 57% of 18-year-olds unregistered. Legislative efforts to mandate civic education in schools to improve voter registration rates were vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom and stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

California’s high-speed rail project, previously reliant on taxpayer funding, now seeks private investors. A $25 million agreement with a consortium of companies aims to explore funding strategies to expand the project beyond the Central Valley, with plans to eventually connect San Francisco and Los Angeles by 2040.

California’s $20-an-hour fast-food minimum wage has led to 16 fast-food closures in the Fresno area since 2025, with vacant storefronts reported in Fresno, Clovis, Hanford, Merced, Kerman, and Visalia. Franchise owners attribute the closures to the wage policy’s impact on the restaurant industry.

Residents in California’s Central Valley are frustrated with changes to the California High-Speed Rail Authority's plans. The first phase aims to connect Merced to Bakersfield by 2033, with eventual expansion to Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Francisco by 2040.

Five Guys is closing stores in California due to financial hardship, including locations in Los Angeles County and Northern California. The closures include stores in Whittier, City of Industry, Merced. The company filed a state filing indicating the store shutdowns.