2023

Commentary

Closed-off Interstate 10 is no stranger to major damage or political attention

Interstate 10 is one of the country's major coast-to-coast freeways and has iconic status in Southern California. A weekend fire not only damaged the freeway but once again made it the center of political attention.

By Dan Walters • November 15, 2023

Climate Change

No place is safe: New national report on climate change details sweeping effects

California ranks among the top states suffering economic damage from climate-related disasters. The report describes food shortages, floods, droughts, wildfires, pollution, disease — all linked to climate change.

By Alejandro Lazo • November 14, 2023

Higher Education

Understanding California’s college students’ protests over Israeli-Palestinian conflict

As student protests erupt over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, college campuses struggle to balance First Amendment rights and civility.

By Mikhail Zinshteyn • November 14, 2023

Commentary

California wants to rollback environmental rules for cannabis. That won’t help ailing growers

California's environmental regulations are not to blame for the struggles of small pot farmers. County permitting decisions, the local political climate, and the inability of law enforcement to eradicate illicit cultivation have been much bigger hurdles.

By Rosalie Liccardo Pacula and Michael Sutton • November 14, 2023

Commentary

California keeps expanding school curricula. What about improving key subjects?

Proposals to add specific topics to California public school curricula abound, but they take time away from basic academic skills that are already lagging.

By Dan Walters • November 14, 2023

Health

Minimum wage hike for California health workers will cost billions. Workers say they need it

More than half a million California health care workers are expected to see a pay increase in January thanks to a law raising the minimum wage for their industry. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law without a clear estimate about how much it would cost the state.

By Shreya Agrawal • November 13, 2023

Higher Education

Community college enrollment plummeted during the pandemic. Here’s one reason why it’s now turning around

California’s community colleges are seeing enrollment gains for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Older students — those over 50 — are some of the first to return.

By Adam Echelman • November 13, 2023

Commentary

Why Newsom’s Senate appointment gives California voters more power in the 2024 election

A bill in Congress would bar California governors from appointing senators and instead require an accelerated special election. But history shows that appointments routinely lose elections, giving voters the rare opportunity to pick a new U.S. senator.

By Joshua Spivak • November 13, 2023

Commentary

Political and economic stakes are high for San Francisco’s APEC conference

San Francisco is hosting a massive economic conference of Pacific Rim nations this week and it has a lot riding on the outcome, as do those attending the APEC meeting.

By Dan Walters • November 13, 2023

Commentary

What went wrong at EDD? An investigation of its managerial meltdown

Politicians love to promote new laws, programs and services but pay little attention to whether what they have wrought works as promised. The California Employment Development Department is a sad case in point, as a new CalMatters investigation details.

By Dan Walters • November 12, 2023