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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 person wearing a sweatsuit and sneakers is sitting on a set of bleachers in a dark gym, with light coming from one side of the room, creating a silhouette of the person and darkening their face to protect their identity.
On the steps of a building at night, two people hug beside a microphone, while rows of small orange traffic cones and string lights line the stairs, each cone paired with a photo of a person, creating a memorial-like display.
The back of a sheriff officer is viewed through a doorway while they observe a cell block inside a correctional facility.
A person wearing a jacket labeled "LAHSA" on the back is seen from behind, standing near a pile of personal belongings and debris in an outdoor encampment. In the background, individuals interact near tents and tarps, with one person holding an item. Yellow caution tape partially frames the foreground, suggesting a restricted area or active cleanup operation. The scene takes place on a sunny day.
The shoulder of a brown uniform with the California Highway Patrol badge and logo design on the arm. The light from the sun shines through onto the coat, illuminating it in a dark room.
A person leans forward as they grab various pieces of paper from a person sitting in front of a table at a job fair.
A city sidewalk with makeshift shelters set up against a row of buildings. Blue and gray tarps are draped over belongings, with a pole and a gated doorway in the center of the scene. Personal items, including water containers and crates, are scattered nearby. The buildings in the background have a mix of exposed brick, painted walls, and graffiti.
A person is walking up a set of stairs, their back to the camera, toward a blue-and-white mobile clinic truck, while a staff member holds the door open. The scene is framed with two people walking by between them.

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