WhatMatters

For some people, the high-pitched drilling, bright fluorescent lights and uncomfortable poking and prodding can make visiting the dentist’s office daunting. But for people with special needs who are often hypersensitive to sounds, lights and touch, it can be especially tough. As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang explains, dental offices that can accommodate patients with autism spectrum […]

On Jan. 7, one day after Congress certified President Donald Trump’s election victory, Gregory Bovino sent 65 of his Border Patrol agents into Kern County. Bovino is the head of the El Centro sector in the Imperial Valley, but the raid agents conducted that day occurred a six-hour drive north of the border. Bovino said […]

From CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay: State Farm will try to justify its need to raise property insurance rates — stat — at an unprecedented public rate hearing starting today. Rate hearings are rare and usually scheduled months in advance. This one’s different because California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara called it hastily about a month […]

With a state budget that’s partially dependent on the income tax generated from stocks, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is not surprised that California’s budget could take a hit from the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Here’s more from CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff:  H.D. Palmer, the spokesperson for Newsom’s Department of Finance, said the […]

More than a year after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to develop the initiative, the governor on Wednesday unveiled full details of his Master Plan for Career Education, reports CalMatters’ Adam Echelman. The plan lays out the state’s approach to job training and education programs, but critics have said the proposals are unclear. […]

Critics of California’s perceived penchant for overregulation are likely to bristle over a bill state lawmakers are considering that would put further limits on who can sit in a car’s front seat. As CalMatters’ Ryan Sabalow explains, a bill backed by traffic safety advocates and authored by Democratic Assemblymember Lori Wilson of Suisun City would: […]

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration blew past an important federal deadline Monday — resulting in millions of dollars left on the table that would have been used for Medi-Cal care, writes CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang. In November California voters approved Proposition 35, which requires revenue that the state receives from a tax on health care insurance plans […]

As President Donald Trump and his administration carry out plans to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history, fear and mistrust have taken hold of daily life for many immigrant communities in California’s Central Valley. As CalMatters’ Nigel Duara explains in an immersive and detailed report, the threat of immigration sweeps has led to […]

Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Monday off to honor Cesar Chavez and will be back in your inboxes Tuesday. A handful of legislators rallied near the state Capitol Thursday to promote what they’re calling an “extremely unsexy,” but important, bipartisan bill package intended to put California’s housing development into overdrive.  But one bill stands out […]

From CalMatters Digital Democracy reporter Ryan Sabalow: I had a routine lawmaker profile story in mind — not an investigation — when I went to interview Assemblymember Mike Gipson in his state Capitol office earlier this month in Sacramento. I knew that the Gardena Democrat was a former law enforcement officer whose family had suffered […]