This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Trump administration overstepped its authority when it cut short pandemic relief grants for K-12 schools, a move that cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by California and a dozen other...
Border Patrol to Retrain Hundreds of CA Agents on Complying With the Constitution
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Department of Homeland Security told a federal court it will retrain more than 900 California-based Border Patrol agents after controversial immigration sweeps in Kern County in January. The sweeps are the subject of a federal lawsuit against...
He Spent Decades Researching Dementia. Trump’s DEI Purge Killed His Grant, and Dozens More
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A California neurologist who’s among the nation’s top researchers on dementia has been swept up in President Donald Trump’s purging of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, adding to the growing cadre of research science terminated because of the...
New Plan to Accelerate CA High-Speed Rail Construction Deserves Attention, Support
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. With the Trump administration announcing an investigation into California's high-speed rail project, news coverage has largely focused on the attempt to disrupt the project. Meanwhile, almost no one is talking about the California High-Speed Rail Authority's aggressive new...
CA’s Big Pension Funds Lost Billions in Stock Market Selloff. Can They Recover in Time?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The investment chief who’s responsible for the retirement plans of 1 million California educators saw foreboding signs when he spoke to the state’s teachers’ pension board last month. Scott Chan pointed to the torrent of executive orders and...
Fake Student Aid: California Colleges Detect More Fraudsters Stealing Millions
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. For years, scammers have targeted community colleges across the state, posing as students in order to steal money from scholarships or government financial aid. Recent state reports suggest the problem is getting worse, and college leaders say they’re...
It’s the First US Nuclear Plant to Use AI. Where Does Diablo Canyon Go From Here?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Diablo Canyon, California’s sole remaining nuclear power plant, has been left for dead on more than a few occasions over the last decade or so, and is currently slated to begin a lengthy decommissioning process in 2029. Despite...
‘World-Class Nightlife’: CA Lawmakers Try Again to Extend Last Call to 4 AM
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Enjoy closing down a California bar at 2 a.m.? Hold my beer, say a pair of San Francisco Democrats. Assemblymember Matt Haney and Sen. Scott Wiener are bringing back a measure to allow some restaurants and bars in...
Border Patrol Said It Targeted Known Criminals in Kern County. But It Had No Record on 77 of 78 Arrestees
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. It was quiet on the border. A Border Patrol agent named James Lee was parked in the shade next to a 30-foot fence in Calexico. The windows of his SUV were rolled up, the engine making that noise...
CA’s Homeless Shelters Aren’t for Everyone. That Doesn’t Mean They Don’t Work
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Re: "7 takeaways from our investigation into California homeless shelters" For those who take a dim view of homeless shelters, I can only suggest they spend a night or two sleeping in alleys, under bridges or on freezing...