California officials and Google have reached a landmark agreement to invest nearly $250 million over the next five years to support local journalism and develop an AI accelerator. This deal effectively shelves the controversial California Journalism Preservation Act, which aimed to compel tech giants to pay news outlets for content usage. The funding will be split between $180 million for newsrooms and $62.5 million for AI initiatives. Governor Gavin Newsom praised the agreement as a major breakthrough, while critics, including the Media Guild of the West, argue it reinforces Google's monopoly and insufficiently addresses the needs of local journalism. The deal includes contributions from both the state government and Google, with additional support from private donors. Despite the official support, the agreement has sparked significant controversy within the media industry.