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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 wide view of a brown iron fence slithering in between a hill that separates the U.S. and Mexico in San Diego.
WhatMatters
Pentagon: 1,500 troops will deploy to U.S.-Mexico border
From CalMatters’ Wendy Fry:  In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement, the Pentagon said today that 1,500 active-duty troops will be deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border.  This follows President Donald Trump’s “Day One” executive orders ostensibly aimed at bolstering border security. The troops’ responsibilities will include operating helicopters, assisting border patrol agents, providing airlift support […]
By • January 23, 2025
A person stands at a podium with a microphone, wearing a navy blue suit and tie, with the seal of the Attorney General's Office visible on the podium. To the right, a blue sign reads, "IMMIGRANTS ARE THE BACKBONE OF CALIFORNIA," with an image of a bear and the California Republic flag in the background. Bookshelves are visible in the softly lit background.
WhatMatters
CA sues Trump administration over ‘birthright’ order
From CalMatters criminal justice reporter Nigel Duara: Resistance state Round 2 officially began Tuesday when California filed its first lawsuit against the new Donald Trump administration. Eighteen states, including California, filed a lawsuit in federal court, challenging an executive order by Trump that would revoke the right of guaranteed citizenship to anyone born in the […]
By • January 22, 2025
An individual stands with one hand raised, appearing to take an oath, while another person holds a stack of books. They are surrounded by a group of onlookers in a formal setting with ornate architectural details in the background.
WhatMatters
Trump’s new executive orders target policies dear to CA
With assurances that “sunlight is pouring over the entire world,” President Donald Trump was sworn into office Monday for his second term. He wasted no time taking potshots at California. During his 30-minute inauguration speech, Trump said the Los Angeles County wildfires, which broke out two weeks ago, burned without “a token of defense.” (This […]
By • January 21, 2025
Foreground shows an individual wearing a respirator mask looking downward. In the background, another person in a mask examines the scene using a mobile phone. A burned-out car sits amidst the charred remnants of a structure, with trees and other fire-damaged areas visible in the distance under a hazy sky.
WhatMatters
LA fires bring scrutiny to worker safety, private firefighting
Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Monday off to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and will be back in your inboxes Tuesday. Describing the active wildfires in Southern California as a “catastrophe at an unprecedented scale,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas gathered with dozens of Assemblymembers on Thursday in Los Angeles to introduce new bills […]
By • January 17, 2025
Flames and smoke can be seen coming out of a building as businesses in the Altadena area burn due to the Eaton Fire. Nearby, a person rides their bike as burnt debris float in the sky as smoke fills the atmosphere.
WhatMatters
Ongoing LA blazes raise wildfire recovery questions
Fires in Southern California continue to burn as people in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties remain under red flag warnings. Dry conditions are expected to last through today, according to Cal Fire, but this weekend is expected to bring “calmer and more humid weather.”  To date, the death toll has climbed to at […]
By • January 16, 2025
A gray and white commercial truck drives down a street. Another green and white commercial truck can be seen up a hill in the distance alongside several cargo containers labeled "Matson" on the side.
WhatMatters
CA abandons clean-air rules on diesel trucks
In a striking setback to reduce California’s air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. As CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo explains, in 2023 the California Air Resources Board voted […]
By • January 15, 2025
A lawmaker stands behind a podium as a person stands and smiles on the far left side of the frame.
WhatMatters
California prepares its anti-Trump fund
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders plan to set aside $50 million in state money to pay for the legal costs of fighting President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.  The deal comes two months after Newsom first called a special session on how to address Trump’s presidency.  The Assembly is expected to consider a bill that […]
By • January 14, 2025
Smolder of debris and rubble of what used to be homes on the shores of a beach in Malibu. Small clouds of smoke can be seen rising up from the ashes.
WhatMatters
L.A. fires still rage as possible reasons emerge
Firefighters continue to battle wildfires that broke out Tuesday in Southern California as more than 100,000 residents remain under evacuation orders.  To date, the fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed 12,000 structures. Powerful Santa Ana winds, which have come on the heels of an unusually dry season, show no signs of letting […]
By • January 13, 2025
A person in a suit speaks passionately at a microphone, gesturing with a raised hand. The background is blurred, with individuals and an industrial setting partially visible. The lighting creates a focused, dynamic atmosphere.
WhatMatters
Brace yourselves, here comes another CA budget proposal
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is unveiling its 2025-26 state budget proposal today, laying the groundwork for negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders over the state’s fiscal priorities, write CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn and Yue Stella Yu.  Following last year’s endeavor to close a $46 billion budget shortfall, Newsom on Monday said lawmakers are working to […]
By • January 10, 2025
The back of a firefighter holding a hose connected to a fire truck as they look at a fire burning across the street nearby.
WhatMatters
LA County fires grow, death count rises
Powerful Santa Ana winds reaching speeds up to 100 mph continue to fuel at least five fires in Los Angeles County as firefighters work through Wednesday evening to battle the blazes that began Tuesday.  The biggest is the Palisades Fire, which has destroyed at least 1,000 structures and forced tens and thousands of residents to […]
By • January 9, 2025

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