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US Debt Crosses $40 Trillion Threshold After Doubling Under Trump and Biden
U.S.
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Amazon Plans Drone Delivery Expansion to About 500 US Locales
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Local
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US Will Try California Arson Suspect Again After Stunning Mistrial
California
16 hours ago

Ukraine’s Ex-Defense Minister Calls for Election, Cementing Break With Zelenskyy
World
18 hours ago

State Farm Defense Lawyers Admit AI Generated Hallucinations in Filings
California
18 hours ago

A Stunning Win for the Left in Florida: 6 Takeaways from Tuesday’s Primaries
U.S.
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‘With All My Heart, Natalie.’ Trump’s Most Devoted Aide Emerges.
U.S.
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Frank Beard, Beardless Drummer for ZZ Top, Dies at 77
Obituaries
1 day ago

Trump Approval Falls to 33%, Lowest of His Presidency, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
Trump Admin
2 days ago
Group 4
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

/ 1 month 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

/ 1 month 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 months 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 months 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

/ 2 months 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

/ 2 months 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

/ 2 months 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

/ 2 months 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

/ 2 months 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

/ 2 months ago

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Michael Cohen, onetime fixer for former President Donald Trump, departs after testifying in Trump’s civil fraud trial, in Manhattan, Oct. 24, 2023. President Donald Trump is expected to call into a radio show Cohen is hosting on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, capping one of the more stunning rapprochements of the Trump era. (Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times)
U.S. /

9 hours ago

Trump to Appear on Radio With Michael Cohen, His Onetime Nemesis

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, at an event in Manhattan, July 9, 2025. Mamdani is taking legal action against a bill championed by Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, standing to the mayor’s right. (Dave Sanders/The New York Times)
U.S. /

9 hours ago

Mamdani Sues City Council Over $10,000 Bonuses to Teachers’ Aides

A log boom on the Fraser River, as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-day pause on a new round of 50% U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, August 19, 2026. REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier
U.S. /

9 hours ago

US Could Cut Key Tariffs as Part of Proposed Canada Deal, Source Says

Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, holding their son Archie, meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu (not pictured) at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa, September 25, 2019. (Reuters File)
World /

10 hours ago

Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain, Media Reports Say

The Alpaugh Fire was burning 500 acres near Avenue 42 and Road 38 in Alpaugh with 0% containment Wednesday afternoon, prompting evacuation warnings for zones TLC-E275 and TLC-E298. (CalFire)
Wildfires /

10 hours ago

Tulare County Alpaugh Fire Burns 500 Acres, Prompts Evacuation Warnings

A traffic collision reduced northbound Highway 41 to two lanes just north of Ashlan Avenue in Fresno on Wednesday, according to Caltrans. (Caltrans)
Local /

10 hours ago

Collision Reduces Northbound Highway 41 to Two Lanes in Fresno