Voices Spotlight
New California law will stop sheriffs from medically examining deaths in their own jails
Many jail deaths are preventable. To reduce bias and coverups, independent doctors will investigate deaths in custody, starting in 2027. Read more.
Series Spotlight
License to Kill
Read our investigative series on how California routinely allows dangerous drivers stay on the road.
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.
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
We’re CalMatters, your nonprofit and nonpartisan news guide.
Our journalists are here to empower you and our mission continues to be essential.
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We are focused on California issues. From the environment to homelessness, economy and more, we publish the unfettered truth to keep you informed.
We hold people in power accountable. We probe and reveal the actions and inactions of powerful people and institutions, and the consequences that follow.
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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.
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.
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.
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
To many people, César Chávez had become ‘too big to fail’
Many of the women who had dedicated themselves to the farmworker movement were overlooked or driven out by César Chávez’s corrosive behavior.
Small California communities deserve protection from big polluting manufacturers
Lawmakers passed exemptions for advanced manufacturing in CEQA, the state’s main environmental law. Now they should plug some of those holes.
The $500 Million Lesson: California needs a new plan to protect Highway 1
Mudslides closed California’s iconic coastal route in recent years, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business, tourism and taxes.
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 lawmakers weigh statewide plan to be accountable for closing student achievement gaps
The four-bill plan calls for a “comprehensive statewide strategy with clear goals, measurable benchmarks and annual performance targets.”
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.