WhatMatters

California’s version of the federal Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, insures more than a third of the state’s total population — roughly 14.9 million people. But in February all nine of California’s Republican legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives approved a federal budget proposal that would likely cut Medicaid benefits. As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang explains, California […]

Last year renter advocates notched a win after California passed a law extending the length of time tenants can respond to an eviction notice from five days to 10. This session, another bill to help renters facing eviction is being considered by the Legislature, writes CalMatters’ Felicia Mello. Under state law, landlords can evict tenants […]

California has an estimated 180,000 unhoused residents — most of whom are less likely to have access to proper medical care. Homeless people also have higher rates of illness and chronic health problems such as hypertension, heart conditions and diabetes. But exercise programs for homeless residents can help participants boost their physical and mental health […]

Los Angeles Assemblymember Rick Zbur says he wants to narrow the standards for justifiable homicide. Critics say he wants to make self-defense illegal.  Assembly Bill 1333 has provoked a great deal of debate since its introduction in late February.  In response to several states’ “stand-your-ground laws,” which permit people in certain cases to use deadly […]

Millions of dollars for basketball and football players from private donors. Thousand-dollar deals with the Biden Campaign, the former crypto-currency company FTX and clothing brands like Crocs and Aeropostale.  In a first-ever look, CalMatters’ Adam Echelman and Erica Yee obtained and analyzed California universities’ records of college athletes’ brand deals. Some records mention popular athletes, […]

In 2022 California declared itself a refuge for transgender health care after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law ensuring gender-affirming care for California minors and those living outside the state. Now more than a month into his second term, President Donald Trump is testing California’s sanctuary status — and some young transgender Californians say they […]

After a Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster got towed in 2023, no one claimed it. The iconic sports car sat at a Torrance tow yard for five months, long enough that the towing company had the right to sell it. The sale allowed the company to recoup its costs for the tow, storage and lien sale, about […]

California officials and lawmakers, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, often make bold proclamations that promise to make residents’ lives easier. But for two recent state initiatives, CalMatters reporters found that so far, affected Californians are still waiting for results: Fast food council: Gov. Newsom signed a law in 2023 that raised the minimum wage for fast […]

In the past few months, some Democratic state legislators have joined the reported exodus of users on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. These include Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor of Inglewood, Marc Berman of Palo Alto and Akilah Weber Pierson of San Diego. The most recent is Sen. Scott Wiener, who on Wednesday […]

Eight months ago the U.S. Supreme Court granted cities more authority to clear homeless encampments and arrest unhoused people for sleeping in public spaces. Since then, several cities across California have been ramping up efforts to sweep encampments, or pass more punitive anti-camping rules. But for those who have little say in high-profile court cases […]