By Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. California Republicans have developed something of a formula in the state Legislature. Push to raise penalties for certain kinds of sex crimes, like trafficking minors. Press the Democrats, many of whom remain wary of...
100 Days In, California Is Suing Trump at Almost Double the Pace of His First Term
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. In its first hundred days, through a series of executive orders, the Trump administration has reimagined this country’s social contract with its citizens. The administration pledges more opportunities and fewer guarantees, less forgiveness and more consequences. Its 139...
California Sent Investigators to ICE Facilities. They Found More Detainees, and Health Care Gaps
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A new report from the California Department of Justice finds that immigration detention facilities across the state continue to fall short in providing basic mental health care, with gaps in suicide prevention and treatment, recordkeeping, and use of...
How the State Sent Californians’ Personal Health Data to LinkedIn
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The website that lets Californians shop for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, coveredca.com, has been sending sensitive data to LinkedIn, forensic testing by CalMatters has revealed. As visitors filled out forms on the website, trackers on...
As Harris Ponders Run for CA Governor, Is She Prepared for the Daunting Job?
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A couple of weeks ago, Kamala Harris got the full New York Times treatment — a lengthy article speculating whether she would run for governor of California next year or prepare for another shot at the White House...
Abundance Meets Resistance: Are CA Dems Finally Ready to Go All In on Building Housing?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Amid a post-2024 wave of Democratic interest in the burgeoning pro-development “abundance” movement, this seemed to be an easy year for California’s yes-in-my-backyard housing development activists. Democratic leaders in the state Legislature declared their intention to tackle affordability...
How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs are putting many California businesses, jobs and the state budget at risk. They’re affecting not only long-term relationships with trading partners, but an intricate web of ecosystems and supply chains. The California...
How Do High Schoolers Really Fare After Graduation? A New California Tool Lets You Know
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Want to know how students at your child’s school district are performing five or even 10 years down the line? On Tuesday, California released a new tool that aims to make that question — and many others —...
Over a Century Later, California May Need Another Revolt Against Its Utility Companies
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Fed up with decades of powerful railroads corrupting the state board that was supposed to regulate them, California voters created the modern Public Utilities Commission in 1911. Now, some 114 years later, Californians have reached their limit with...
Fox News Host? A Sheriff? Is There a Republican Who Can Finally Win Statewide in CA Again?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. After more than a decade being exiled from the governor’s office in California, Republicans are eyeing growing voter frustration with the dominant liberal politics of the state as a launching pad for a comeback next year. Though lacking...