WhatMatters

An ambitious proposal that would require fossil fuel polluters to pay for climate disasters caused by the greenhouse gases they emit appears to have stalled in the face of strong opposition from those same fossil fuel polluters. As CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo explains, a bill by Assemblymember Dawn Addis would require multinational oil and gas companies […]

For 32 years, the kidnapping and murder of 6-year-old Willie Cook remained a mystery.  Then, in 2008, sheriff’s deputies in Siskiyou County got their first big break: A man came forward to say he had witnessed the kidnapping. Steve Marshall was only 10-years-old when Willie disappeared, but his memory of that August day remained vivid.  […]

Would paying teachers-in-training more money help California solve its teacher shortage? One state lawmaker thinks it should, but faces an uphill battle as California also grapples with a $12 billion budget shortfall, reports CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones.  To become a California K-12 public school teacher, candidates need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching credential. The credential […]

As California grapples with a $12 billion budget deficit, that state’s peer-run phone service that provides free 24/7 mental health support to thousands of residents across the state could face deep funding cuts, or even a shutdown. The California Peer Run Warm Line — which is different from 911 and the federal 988 mental health […]

From CalMatters politics reporter Yue Stella Yu:  Boos. Heckles. Accusations.  At the California Democratic Party convention in Anaheim over the weekend, some Latino Democrats waged a contentious referendum on their leaders — and won. Nilza Serrano, a Los Angeles consultant, was elected chair of the party’s Latino caucus, upsetting longtime activist Carlos Alcala, who had chaired […]

Last week the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives advanced a budget package gutting Medicaid spending by $700 billion in order to help offset the cost of extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy. In addition to California potentially losing as much as $20 billion a year and 217,000 jobs because […]

Stanford scientists have recently confirmed California’s first known infection of a highly transmissible COVID-19 variant, known as NB.1.8.1. Detected in the state as early as April 17, its symptoms do not appear to be any more severe than earlier strains so far, and because NB.1.8.1 is an Omicron variant, the latest vaccines should provide some […]

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in 2022, California lawmakers moved quickly to make the state a “safe haven” for reproductive health care. But while California has some of the strongest laws ensuring abortion rights, other states’ restrictions can make performing or seeking the procedure from California doctors more complicated. On Tuesday […]

State legislators on Friday halted hundreds of bills with new spending attached from advancing. Why? The Legislature again underwent its relatively opaque process known as the “suspense file.” Hanging over lawmakers’ heads is the expected $12 billion state budget deficit that is projected to worsen due to federal tariffs and increased state health care spending. […]

Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Memorial Day off and will return to your inboxes on Tuesday. California officials moved quickly to start another legal battle against President Donald Trump’s administration after the U.S. Senate voted Thursday to revoke federal waivers that allowed the state to phase-out gas powered cars and combat air pollution. Gov. Gavin […]