Voices Spotlight
California ponders a fundamental question: Should voting be easier or harder?
This year offers a series of opportunities for Californians to consider their voting principles and whether they should enlarge or constrain participation. Read more.
Series Spotlight
License to Kill
Read our investigative series on how California routinely allows dangerous drivers stay on the road.
CALIFORNIA VOICES
Guest Commentary
California is making progress on fire prevention. Federal retreat, shaky funding put it at risk
California set an ambitious target to reduce wildfire hazards each year, and is making real progress. Preserving that momentum as federal partnerships fade and state funding declines is crucial.
Making e-bikes safer in California is smart. Smothering this new technology is not
Lawmakers in Sacramento introduced a flurry of bills this year targeting e-bike safety. Thankfully, the ones that risked undermining their adoption have been tossed out.
Reviving SAT requirements won’t fix California’s university admissions problems
In college admissions in California, the real quandary isn’t about requiring the SAT. It’s about how to select applicants when they all seem to be exceptional.
We want to hear from you!
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DAN WALTERS
How Newsom’s complex history with the oil industry could affect a presidential run
Newsom’s longtime personal and political dealings with Big Oil include ties to the Getty family and several recent state regulation changes.
INSIDE THE NEWSROOM
What goes into our reporting on California’s biggest issues – how investigative stories come together, what challenges journalists face, CalMatters’ latest plans and more.
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HEALTH
Series Spotlight
No Deliveries
Explore why hospitals are shutting down maternity wards, what this means for parents-to-be with limited options, and whether anything can be done to protect access.
JUSTICE
Investigation
They were convicted of killing with their cars. No one told the DMV
A CalMatters investigation found that courts didn’t report hundreds of vehicular manslaughter convictions, prompting officials to belatedly take many drivers’ licenses.
EDUCATION
About College Beat
College Beat is produced by the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. Read more.
ENVIRONMENT
Series Spotlight
Lake Tahoe: A tarnished jewel
Lake Tahoe is an innocent victim — but there isn’t just a single villain. This series reveals the problems plaguing this alpine treasure.
POLITICS
Project Spotlight
Digital Democracy
Check out CalMatters’ custom-built AI tool that tracks every word spoken in public hearings, every dollar donated to politicians, every vote cast and more.
ECONOMY AND TECHNOLOGY
Tech Spotlight
Why California backed off again from ambitious AI regulation
For the third year, the state delayed AI regulations for disclosing and appealing many automated decisions.
CALIFORNIA DIVIDE
Inequality Insights
A statewide media collaboration to raise awareness about poverty and income inequality through in-depth journalism and community outreach. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
