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.
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.
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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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.
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.
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 is ‘nowhere near’ emissions goals. It’s still sending organic waste to landfills
California trucks much of its organic waste to landfills instead of recyclers, largely because of an exclusive franchise hauling system.
Uber’s ballot measure would protect rideshare companies, not riders, from safety lapses
A proposed California law — if it made it to the ballot — would cap medical payouts in vehicular accidents and shrink lawyers’ payments in lawsuits against rideshare companies.
Gavin Newsom’s last budget belies his ‘California for All’ pledge
The 2026-27 proposal fails to respond to President Donald Trump’s cuts. Nor does it help families meet needs for housing, food and health care.
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
California’s reading reforms drive push for better math skills in early grades
Some of the supporters of the phonics curriculum California adopted last year are now urging statewide math screening for young students.
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.