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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

A stone sign reading “Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Plaza” stands in a landscaped urban area, with smaller text noting the City of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation. Sunlight casts soft shadows across the engraved lettering, while nearby buildings and greenery appear in the background.
A black-and-white image shows a person speaking passionately into two microphones, mouth open mid-sentence and one hand raised in emphasis.
A close-up view of a person's hands near the keyboard of a laptop. The person holds a pen in between their right index and middle finger.
A close-up view of a person's checkered pattern shoes as they lean over a voting booth at a vote center.
A person bends down in front of a small pile of belongings on a grassy area next to a road during nightfall.
A wide view of various posters related to democracy and prominent figures hung up in a classroom wall. Notable figures include U.S. history including Activist Malcom X, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Activist Cesar Chavez and Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. A group of students and teacher can be seen sitting on desks in the foreground.
Construction workers building an apartment complex site for an affordable housing project in Bakersfield on May 29, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

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