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Lynn La

Newsletter Writer

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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 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
Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, on July 28, 2023. Photo by Noah Berger, AP Photo
WhatMatters
‘It’s a garbage fire’: Some CA legislators leave X
In the past few months, some Democratic state legislators have joined the reported exodus of users on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. These include Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor of Inglewood, Marc Berman of Palo Alto and Akilah Weber Pierson of San Diego. The most recent is Sen. Scott Wiener, who on Wednesday […]
By • February 28, 2025
Several workers wearing orange shirts load a stroller filled with blankets and personal belongings into the back of a garbage truck. Another worker stands nearby, gesturing with gloved hands. A blue tarp, a bicycle, and other scattered items lie on the ground. A metal fence and a beige building with closed doors are visible in the background.
WhatMatters
An in-depth look at CA’s encampment sweeps
Eight months ago the U.S. Supreme Court granted cities more authority to clear homeless encampments and arrest unhoused people for sleeping in public spaces. Since then, several cities across California have been ramping up efforts to sweep encampments, or pass more punitive anti-camping rules. But for those who have little say in high-profile court cases […]
By • February 27, 2025
Inmates take laps in the courtyard at San Quentin State Prison on July 26, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters
WhatMatters
Prop. 36 poses cash problem for local governments
From CalMatters local news fellow Cayla Mihalovich: California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, a new law that stiffened penalties for certain drug and theft charges, and pledged to provide “mass treatment” for those facing drug charges.  But since the law took effect, some counties have been scrambling to implement the measure without new funding or, […]
By • February 26, 2025
An individual stands outdoors, illuminated by soft, golden sunlight from behind. They wear a plaid button-up shirt and have shoulder-length wavy hair. The background features a blurred structure and open space, adding a sense of depth to the scene.
WhatMatters
Dangerous and ineffective: CalMatters investigates homeless shelters
All across California, temporary homeless shelters have become the foundation of taxpayer-funded efforts to get people off the street and back into housing. Our new investigation found that shelters have instead turned into housing purgatory. They’re a mess — dangerous, chaotic and ultimately ineffective at finding people housing. Shelters are usually off limits to anyone […]
By • February 25, 2025
New housing construction in a neighborhood in Elk Grove on July 8, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters
WhatMatters
Are CA’s housing laws building more homes?
Has California’s spate of recent laws to build more housing worked? A report published today holds some answers. Its conclusion? Outlook not so good. As CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains, YIMBY Law, a pro-housing development nonprofit, looked at five California laws. Those include one from 2021 allowing people to split their single-family homes into duplexes; and […]
By • February 24, 2025
A person wearing a dark pink collared shirt and blue jeans uses their right index finger to point to floor plans laid on top of a white table inside a garage under construction.
WhatMatters
Do homeowners associations trump CA’s ADU laws?
In a dispute over whether he can convert his three-story condominium’s garage into its own ground-floor apartment, one Carlsbad resident is waging a battle against his homeowners association. As CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains, Adam Hardesty is an unemployed project manager and HOA board vice president. After months of research and planning, he decided to turn […]
By • February 21, 2025
Two students walk past a chain link fence and a garden in a schoolyard. In the background is a sign saying “Los Padres Garden” hangs on the wall.
WhatMatters
Trump deportation threats reduce school attendance
As the setting for John Steinbeck’s 1950s classic “East of Eden,” Salinas has long been known as a working-class, farming community. Nestled between two mountain ranges and located a few miles inland of Monterey Bay, the city’s geographic location lends itself a beautiful, serene setting.  But recently, CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, Salinas parents, students and […]
By • February 20, 2025
A group of officials and first responders stand on a street in a fire-damaged area, with charred buildings and trees visible in the background. One individual wears a cap and sunglasses, while others wear jackets or uniforms. A camera crew films the scene, and smoke fills the hazy sky.
WhatMatters
How Newsom has responded to the LA fires
In the days and weeks following the January Los Angeles County wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom and his office moved quickly to manage the response and begin recovery efforts after the blazes were contained. Since then, the governor has been singularly focused on the region, describing his approach as “an extended period of engagement” with L.A. […]
By • February 19, 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)