Voices Spotlight
California judges defend their independence and rule of law
President Trump, Gov. Newsom and other politicians have pressured judges. But judges say they can’t bow to political or popular will, only to the law. Read more.
Series Spotlight
License to Kill
California’s DMV allows drivers with horrifying histories to keep driving. Too often they go on to kill. Many still continue driving. Some go on to kill again. Read the series.
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.
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.
Nonpartisan, independent California news for all
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CALIFORNIA VOICES
Guest Commentary
California can learn from European countries that tried wealth taxes
Of 14 European countries that taxed personal wealth, all but three repealed it, citing capital flight, disappointing revenue and high costs.
California can sidestep scandal and banish bias while counting votes
Open source voting systems are more transparent and cheaper than the state’s current contract with Smartmatic, which is facing bribery charges.
Who’s running for California Insurance Commissioner? Here’s a look at the field of candidates
There are 15 candidates vying to be the state’s top insurance regulator, a hot seat as thousands of LA residents try tapping insurance to help them recover from wildfires.
We want to hear from you!
Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? You can find our submission guidelines here. For questions, please email commentary@calmatters.org
DAN WALTERS
Silicon Valley flexes financial muscle in governor’s race and wealth tax battle
Compared to other sectors of California’s economy, Silicon Valley hasn’t doled out as much campaign money or hired as many lobbyists — until now.
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.