California Divide

California went big on freeways during the postwar years, but the days of easy driving and the lifestyle it enabled didn't last long.

The flow of migrants from Mexico has slowed dramatically in recent years, but many immigrants see farm work as a stepping stone to a better life.

The federal lawsuit over 'sanctuary' policies turns the tables on California, which has sued the Trump administration more than two dozen times on a range of issues.

CALmatters data reporter Matt Levin tunes in for a discussion on The California Dream project, a statewide nonprofit media collaboration focused on issues of economic opportunity, quality-of-life, and the future of the California Dream.

Growing tension between California and the federal government over immigration has business owners in the crosshairs, worried about the potential effect on their enterprises and unsure which laws they should follow.

It seems like a simple question: How many African-American boys scored proficient on California’s math test? Go ahead, try to answer it. I’ll wait while you Google. You’ll probably end up here, at the California Department of Education’s snazzy (by state government standards) website, which provides a litany of bar graphs, charts and filters to […]

1. There already is a “wall” along about a third of the border The border runs about 1,900 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Some sort of barrier—made from concrete, steel mesh and/or barbed wire —currently stands along about a third of it, in areas U.S. Customs and Border Protection deems […]

Where in California has the gap between rich and poor grown most since the Great Recession? The Bay Area, home of your Zuckerbergs and Steyers and some of the most expensive zip codes in the country, seems like a logical answer. Over the past decade, what other part of California has minted as many members […]

When 27-year-old Juan Valentin became old enough to get behind the wheel, a friend gave him driving lessons in the agricultural fields surrounding Stockton. As an undocumented immigrant from Tijuana, Mexico, Valentin spent the next 10 years driving without a license. In order to get to school or to work, he felt he had little […]

California is experimenting with a new way to raise money for road repairs by keeping track of the mileage of cars and trucks with stickers or electronics. A large-scale system won’t happen for many years, but officials say it may be needed because the influx of fuel-efficient or electric cars will shrink revenue from the […]