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.
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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 VOICES
Guest Commentary
Lowering California’s high utility costs takes more than flashy slogans. It needs these reforms
Wildfire spending is the largest driver of rate increases, adding hundreds of dollars to power bills. The state has let utilities work around cost limits.
They’ve got milk, but many California kids can’t tolerate it. Schools can now offer alternatives
A federal law change lets schools offer nondairy beverages instead of milk, but they’re more expensive. More money became available in the California budget.
Push to shutter Oakland charter school hinges on a misguided approach to accountability
Local education officials in Oakland cherry-picked a single data point to justify closing of an important charter school, argues former governor Jerry Brown.
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
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.
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.