This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Across the world, cities have struggled to figure out how to provide more affordable housing to people in need. In Copenhagen, Denmark, so-called social housing accounts for 20% of the region’s housing stock. In Auckland, New Zealand, a set of...
California May Help Solar Bloom Where Water Runs Dry
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Ross Franson stood on the road between two fields, where nothing grows under the Fresno County sun. As a teen, Franson hauled a water tank to spray down the dust on roads like this — rolling past rows...
Gavin Newsom’s Snark Attacks on Trump Boost His National Standing — at Least for Now
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom has been waging a media war against President Donald Trump — particularly with uber-snarky social media posts — while promoting a ballot measure aimed at increasing Democrats’ congressional seats, portraying it as a way to...
‘I Will Do It Again.’ Mom of California OD Victim Pledges to Keep Fighting in Capitol
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Christine Matlock Dougherty received the text just after noon on the last Friday in August. The mental health legislation she’d been advocating for in memory of her son was dead, held indefinitely by the state Senate Appropriations Committee...
California Faces a Nursing Shortage. Community Colleges Can Help
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The road to becoming a nurse in California has been paved with roadblocks, sharp turns and bottlenecks. Where that education is offered has a lot to do with it. As someone who has lived every long mile and...
‘Something Can Be Done About This.’ New Plan Aims to Stop Sex Abuse in California Schools
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A beloved teacher arrested for soliciting a minor. A coach convicted of sexual abuse. A school district hit with a multi-million-dollar jury verdict for failing to protect students. The steady drumbeat of stories in recent years about educator...
Secrecy, Cost Overruns Plague California’s Billion-Dollar Capitol Annex Project
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. For more than half a decade, advocates of the state Capitol have sounded the alarm about the $1.1 billion Capitol annex project. This venture is a textbook example of how not to run a public works project. All...
6 Things to Know About Gov. Newsom’s CARE Court Thus Far
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new mental health court made big promises about how it would help get the sickest Californians off the streets. Launched in 2023, the program allows people to petition a court to order treatment for someone...
New Enforcement Targets People Living in Cars, RVs on California Streets
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. For months, cities around the state have ramped up enforcement against people sleeping in tents on the street. Now, some are focusing on a new target: People who live in vehicles. Wayne Gardiner, 58, watched his home of...
They Were Convicted of Gang Crimes. New CA Supreme Court Rulings Trim Their Sentences
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The California Supreme Court handed down two decisions last week that could impact decades of sentencing for gang-related offenses and allow thousands of people to petition courts to reexamine their cases. Both rulings turned on a 2021 law...