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Lynn La

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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

A person, wearing clear glasses and a black suit with a patterned-pink tie, stands in front a group of reporters holding microphones and cell phones in front of them to record what the person is saying.
WhatMatters
CA borrows $3.4B to cover Medi-Cal budget gap
To cover a budget gap in Medi-Cal — which provides health insurance for roughly 15 million disabled and low-income Californians — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is borrowing $3.4 billion from the state’s general fund.  As CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra and Kristen Hwang explain, the move comes during a time when the state is facing a limited […]
By • March 14, 2025
A white poster taped to a window with a plane warned travelers about the measles virus. Reflected in the window are lights from an office ceiling. The sign shows a plane made of different blue icons and a single red heart.
WhatMatters
What to know about two new measles cases in California
From CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra: California public health officials are closely monitoring two residents who recently tested positive for measles. Officials are on high alert given ongoing measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and abroad.  The Los Angeles and Fresno public health departments each disclosed a case on Tuesday. In both cases, the […]
By • March 13, 2025
WhatMatters
CA House Republicans approve budget proposal likely to cut Medi-Cal
California’s version of the federal Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, insures more than a third of the state’s total population — roughly 14.9 million people. But in February all nine of California’s Republican legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives approved a federal budget proposal that would likely cut Medicaid benefits. As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang explains, California […]
By • March 12, 2025
Protesters surround the LA Superior Court to prevent an upcoming wave of evictions and call on Gov. Gavin Newsom to pass an eviction moratorium in Los Angeles on Aug. 21, 2020. Photo by Lucy Nicholson REUTERS
WhatMatters
Will CA change nonpayment evictions?
Last year renter advocates notched a win after California passed a law extending the length of time tenants can respond to an eviction notice from five days to 10. This session, another bill to help renters facing eviction is being considered by the Legislature, writes CalMatters’ Felicia Mello. Under state law, landlords can evict tenants […]
By • March 11, 2025
A person wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a Raiders hoodie stands in a room, unpacking a partially assembled bicycle wrapped in protective packaging. A large cardboard box labeled "BIKES" sits nearby, with a detached bicycle wheel leaning against it. Several other bicycles and a repair stand are visible in the background.
WhatMatters
Yoga, biking, running: CA homelessness programs focus on getting fit
California has an estimated 180,000 unhoused residents — most of whom are less likely to have access to proper medical care. Homeless people also have higher rates of illness and chronic health problems such as hypertension, heart conditions and diabetes. But exercise programs for homeless residents can help participants boost their physical and mental health […]
By • March 10, 2025
Gunsmith Don Gregory shows off two new single action firearms recently released by Juggernaut Tactical in Orange on Sept. 21, 2023. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters
WhatMatters
CA bill addressing armed vigilantism draws swift GOP backlash
Los Angeles Assemblymember Rick Zbur says he wants to narrow the standards for justifiable homicide. Critics say he wants to make self-defense illegal.  Assembly Bill 1333 has provoked a great deal of debate since its introduction in late February.  In response to several states’ “stand-your-ground laws,” which permit people in certain cases to use deadly […]
By • March 7, 2025
A basketball player wearing a green Cal Poly uniform holds an orange Wilson basketball while standing on a gymnasium court. The player appears focused, with a determined expression. The background features wooden bleachers with green padding, and part of the image is framed by an out-of-focus foreground element. The player is wearing white sneakers and a black undershirt beneath their jersey.
WhatMatters
Here’s a first look at CA college athletes’ NIL money
Millions of dollars for basketball and football players from private donors. Thousand-dollar deals with the Biden Campaign, the former crypto-currency company FTX and clothing brands like Crocs and Aeropostale.  In a first-ever look, CalMatters’ Adam Echelman and Erica Yee obtained and analyzed California universities’ records of college athletes’ brand deals. Some records mention popular athletes, […]
By • March 6, 2025
Paper signs are placed at the foot of a giant letter block sculpture outside a hospital during a recent evening. One sign reads "Protect Trans Kids" and the other reads "CHLA: Don't bow down to Trump."
WhatMatters
How CA is protecting transgender youth in new Trump era
In 2022 California declared itself a refuge for transgender health care after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law ensuring gender-affirming care for California minors and those living outside the state. Now more than a month into his second term, President Donald Trump is testing California’s sanctuary status — and some young transgender Californians say they […]
By • March 5, 2025
A parking lot filled with various vehicles is seen in front of a gray building with a sign reading "Bruffy's Tow" along with its address and phone number. The building has small windows and a row of green bushes lining one side.
WhatMatters
How much money does the DMV get from towed vehicles?
After a Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster got towed in 2023, no one claimed it. The iconic sports car sat at a Torrance tow yard for five months, long enough that the towing company had the right to sell it. The sale allowed the company to recoup its costs for the tow, storage and lien sale, about […]
By • March 4, 2025
Fast food workers chant at a press conference where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation boosting wages to $20 an hour at SEIU Local 721 in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2023. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters
WhatMatters
Two bold CA policies that aren’t yet delivering
California officials and lawmakers, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, often make bold proclamations that promise to make residents’ lives easier. But for two recent state initiatives, CalMatters reporters found that so far, affected Californians are still waiting for results: Fast food council: Gov. Newsom signed a law in 2023 that raised the minimum wage for fast […]
By • March 3, 2025

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Lynn La - CalMatters
Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday.
CalMatters
California, explained
Lynn La
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. 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)