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Trump’s Election Claims Land With a Whimper Among Republicans
Politics
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The Rise and Fall of Ukraine’s Drone Warfare Mastermind
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Ukrainians Protest for Second Day, Call to Replace Army Chief
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US Data Center Protests Go National as Backlash Grows
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Trump Threatens Canada With Tariffs for Wildfire Smoke Over U.S.
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Sanger Police Says Missing Teen Located and in Protective Services
Local
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CA Restricts Utility Shutoffs as Dangerous Heat Ripples Across State
Public Utilities
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Have Questions About Flock Cameras in Fresno? Fresno Police to Host Forum
Crime
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Fresno County Judge Dismisses Burglary Charge Against Man Accused at Andrew Janz’s Home
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US Lettuce Supplier Taylor Farms to Recall Ingredients Linked to Parasite Outbreak, Bloomberg News Reports
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ELECTIONS
Portrait of CalMatters Columnist Dan Walters
Dan Walters,
CalMatters Commentary

Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He has written more than 9,000 columns about the state and its politics and is the founding editor of the “California Political Almanac.” Dan has also been a frequent guest on national television news shows, commenting on California issues and policies.

Stories by Dan Walters

Image of Gov. Gavin Newsom in a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie in front of a blue-and-white Holding Big Oil Accountable banner

How Newsom’s Complex History With the Oil Industry Could Affect a Presidential Run

Gavin Newsom and his family have had a long and complicated relationship with the oil industry. The latest chapter in the saga, a legal and ...
Opinion

/ 6 days ago

Image of the high-tech screens behind the steering wheel of a BMW car

Tech Devices in California’s New Cars Create Thorny Political Issues

Automobiles have gradually evolved over the last two decades from mechanical devices into electronic platforms featuring computer screens an...
Opinion

/ 2 weeks ago

Image of US Flag waving beneath a blue sky and reflecting the sun

On USA’s 250th Birthday, Californians Should Remember When We Saved the World From Tyranny

If there ever was a moment for citizens of the United States of America to contemplate and appreciate how their nation has affected humankin...
Opinion

/ 2 weeks ago

CA Unions Want to Unwind Landmark Pension Reform. Who Will Foot the Bill?

The 1998 election of Gray Davis as governor was something of a fluke. By Dan Walters CalMatters Davis had climbed the political ladder on...
Opinion

/ 2 weeks ago

Image of voting booths, of which 1 is occupied

CA Voters Will Decide 14 Ballot Measures, Billionaire Tax Included

When California voters in 1978 passed Proposition 13, the iconic property tax limitation, they simultaneously rejected Proposition 8, which ...
Opinion

/ 3 weeks ago

Image of Gavin Newsom facing left and pointing to a screen with the words "California 2027-28 Budget Balanced" and a checkmark

Reality Check: Is the California Budget Actually Balanced?

Accurately describing the state financial situation depends largely on a person’s definitions of “balanced” and “deficit.” By Dan Wa...
Opinion

/ 3 weeks ago

Image of a well-dressed woman and man standing at a podium with the American Flag and Seal of California in the background

What Does Federal Probe of Newsom Mean for His Presidential Ambitions?

Last week Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed in a video and a social media post that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating him and his wif...
Cal Matters

/ 3 weeks ago

Image of voters casting ballots

Voters in Deep Blue California Sour on Ballot Measures Adding Taxes

California is a blue state, and one of the manifestations of its political orientation has been a tolerance for one of the nation’s highest ...
Opinion

/ 4 weeks ago

Image of Gov. Newsom looking left. He's wearing a dark blazer and an open collar shirt while surrounded by minimum wage increase supporters

CA Turns to Minimum Wage Hikes to Offset High Living Costs. There’s a Downside

There are three immutable aspects of economic life in California today. By Dan Walters CalMatters Opinion No. 1, Californians face the na...
Opinion

/ 4 weeks ago

Image of Gavin Newsom in a blue suit, white shirt, and blue tie facing right as he speaks at a podium while gesturing with his hands

As Ballot Deadline Nears, Will CA Billionaire Tax Actually Go to Voters?

Early 20th century political reformers such as Hiram Johnson saw the initiative process — placing measures on the ballot for voters to decid...
Opinion

/ 1 month ago

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U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft are lined up at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, May 19, 2026. REUTERS/ Dedi Hayun
World /

14 hours ago

Israel to Receive More US Refueling Planes as Iran Attacks Intensify, Israeli Officials Say

President Donald Trump speaks to the Rose Garden Club Lunch at the White House in Washington, July 6, 2026. President Trump said on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, that he would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to strike down his executive order that aimed to revoke birthright citizenship, a request that the justices are highly unlikely to take up. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)
U.S. /

14 hours ago

Trump Says Republicans Should Add Iran to Russian Bill

Smoke rises from an explosion at an unknown location, during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 18, 2026. U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS
World /

14 hours ago

US Renews Strikes on Iran After 2 Military Personnel Killed by Iranian Attack

A Taco Bell order and drinks sit inside the first digital-only U.S. location at Times Square in New York City, U.S., April 14, 2021. ReutersShannon Stapleton/ File Photo
Agriculture /

2 days ago

Mexico Ministries Investigate Cyclospora Linked to Mexican Farm

Blurred image of a genealogy and history archives room
Events /

2 days ago

Fresno Residents Invited to Check Out Genealogy & Local History Collection

President Donald Trump, left, with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, at a reception ahead of the World Cup final in New York, on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
Latest /

2 days ago

Trump and Mamdani to Attend World Cup Final on Sunday