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Lynn La

Newsletter Writer

Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters’ flagship daily newsletter with more than 150,000 subscribers.    

In the newsletter, Lynn analyzes the state’s policy issues for a broader audience, through original reporting and by summarizing and compiling stories from CalMatters and other news sources. Recently, she has reported on bills to address California’s worsening fentanyl epidemic, tackle retail theft and legislate happiness. She also reveals more about lawmakers by interviewing them for an occasional series on first-term legislators in 2023 and new committee chairpersons in 2024. 

Through WhatMatters, Lynn also plays a crucial role in CalMatters election coverage, helping to keep track of daily developments in key campaigns, including legislative and congressional races and ballot measures.  

Prior to joining CalMatters in March 2023, she wrote for the education technology startup Guild and was a senior editor at CNET. She also covered public health at The Sacramento Bee as a Kaiser media fellow and was an intern reporter at Capitol Weekly. 

Lynn is based in the Bay Area. She graduated from UC Davis and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Other languages spoken: Vietnamese (basic)

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Latest Stories

An aerial view of several fall-run Chinook salmon swimming near the surface of a river.
A close up view of Coca-Cola two-liter bottles displayed in a store. the bottles include the notable red logo with the company's name.
A group of people in front of a building holding picket signs that reads "kaiserdondeny.org" and "stand with kaiser therapist, end the inequity."
A person with wavy hair and a thoughtful expression looks slightly upward while standing indoors. They are wearing a blue top and gray cardigan, with a pendant necklace. The background is softly blurred with geometric shapes and warm lighting.
A person wearing a black shirt pushes a blue shopping cart as they pass by a cooler labeled "fresh eggs" and filled with egg containers at a grocery store.
Three people stand outdoors on a sunny day. One person holds a smartphone, showing something on the screen to an older person in a blue jacket who is smiling. A child in the foreground is smiling and looking downward. Palm trees and buildings line the background.
People detained inside the Golden State Annex, a U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement detention facility, in McFarland on July 8, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
An aerial view of homes on a cul-de-sac overlooking a small mountain with green vegetation.
A person with long dark hair stands outdoors, facing a tall green shrub under the shade of a tree. They wear a light pink textured top, and sunlight filters through the leaves, creating a soft, natural glow throughout the wooded area.

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