This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Customers of California’s investor-owned utilities, such as PG&E and Edison, get a reprieve from soaring utility bills twice a year thanks to a credit from the state’s cap and trade program, which requires large polluters to pay for...
ICE Is Suddenly Showing Up in CA Hospitals. Workers Want More Guidance on What to Do
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Federal immigration agents are more routinely showing up at California medical facilities as the Trump administration ramps up deportations. They may come to the emergency room, bringing in someone who’s suffering a medical crisis while being detained. They...
California Cities Lack Unified Response On Homeless Encampments
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Clearing an encampment is one of the most complicated and fraught tasks any California city can take on when responding to homelessness. How they handle that challenge varies widely. CalMatters asked nearly three-dozen cities and counties throughout California...
Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to counter President Donald Trump’s election gerrymander in Texas with his own redistricting play in California is on its way to voters. The California Legislature on Thursday approved his proposal calling for a special...
‘Moral Conflict’ Drives Dem Doubts About Newsom’s Redistricting Plan
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. As Republicans lambasted California lawmakers for rushing through their effort to gerrymander the state’s congressional map, Democrats are facing a quieter angst in their own party. To counter what they call President Donald Trump’s undemocratic power grab for...
Considering TK for Your Child? Take a Peek Inside One Ideal Classroom Scenario
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Break out the crayons and finger paint: Every 4-year-old in California is now eligible for transitional kindergarten. Fifteen years after a handful of school districts opened the first TK classrooms, California now has the largest — and fastest...
Immigrant Students Shape California’s Future. Don’t Close the Door on Them
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The first time I got on a plane was for a flight from Delhi, India to JFK Airport in New York. I came to the United States as a student, first to the University of Illinois, and after...
5 Things to Know About Newsom’s Plan to Redraw CA Election Maps
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The fight over redistricting is about to hit overdrive in California. As the Legislature returns to Sacramento today for the final month of session, Democrats are racing to finish a plan that could tilt the state’s congressional map...
Gavin Newsom Warms to Big Oil in Climate Reversal
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The oil industry is having an I-told-you-so moment in California. For decades, the state has raced to end its reliance on fossil fuels and prioritize clean energy. Its relationship with oil companies became particularly contentious in the past...
California’s Newest Invaders Are Beautiful Swans. Should Hunters Kill Them?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. On an early August morning, it didn’t take long to spot the first pair of huge white swans with orange and black bills and graceful, curving necks as they swam in the marsh along the side of a...