Dan Walters

While a three-way battle to succeed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein plays out, her recent absence from the Senate has renewed calls for her to resign and let Gov. Gavin Newsom name a successor.

California's politicians must contend with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, but they also face demands from leaders of vital health care and transit services for more money to solve their fiscal woes.

California's budget revenues, particularly income taxes, are continuing to fall below expectations, indicating that the deficit will continue to rise, posing a political dilemma for Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators.

The massive snowpack accumulated in California's mountains could trigger massive floods if hot weather causes a rapid melt.

There's no shortage of efforts to impose new taxes on the wealthy or corporations in California, but few of them survive the political process.

California's budget process is being used – or misused – to make a major change in how the state procures electric power. What could go wrong?

Nearly a third of California's public school students are chronically absent, but the crisis is not getting the attention it deserves.

The record rain and snow falling on California since late last year may have relieved the drought that plagued the state for the last three years, but the battles over water management will continue.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is waging a crusade against "authoritarians" in red states, but he should look in the mirror, too.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom claims victory in his crusade against the oil industry, but regulating the prices Californians pay for fuel will be a very tricky process.