Commentary

A group of five people, dressed in professional attire, sit on chairs on a stage in front of a crowd, with a banner behind them reading “Governor Candidate Forum.” Four of the five people sitting on stage have their hands up to answer the question while a crowd of people watches in the dark.

No clear frontrunner for governor, but new poll names five with the best shot

A poll shows three Democrats and two Republicans have voter support percentages in the teens. The top two vote-getters in June will face off in November.

By Dan Walters

A person in medical protective clothing, wearing a face mask and a hair net, pushes a hospital gurney through a hallway inside a hospital, viewed from an open door.

She spent six of her last years in arbitration with her HMO. Her husband’s still fighting the system

Arbitrators in medical disputes are supposed to be unbiased, but this couple suspected there is an incentive to favor HMO’s in arbitration.

By Stephen Martinez

Two people face each other as they speak: the person on the left has a happy expression and her arm to her chest, while the person on the right wears a grey suit jacket and glasses. Both people are standing in a park area on a sunny day. In the background is a fence to a baseball field.

A former political ally tests LA liberals’ allegiance to Mayor Karen Bass

Mayor Karen Bass isn't vulnerable on her right, but she may be on her left, as City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist and ex-supporter, runs against her.

By Jim Newton

A close-up view of a person's hand holding a sign that reads "We wants answers! No more deaths!" and they stand at the front steps of a building surrounded by other people holding signs.

California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.

Lawmakers passed a law creating a state department to review inmate deaths, but it hasn’t completed a single death review in its first year.

By David Myers

Commentary

Corporate middlemen are pushing California’s pharmacies to the brink

Independent pharmacies are closing across California and nationwide, and chain pharmacies aren’t far behind. Pharmacy benefit managers have a chokehold on prescriptions and their pricing.

By Sonya Frausto • August 29, 2025

Prescription drugs in bottles and boxes on shelves at a pharmacy, while pharmacists work in the background.

Commentary

Pharmacy benefit managers find savings in California drug costs. Don’t tie their hands

California is considering a bill to limit how pharmacy benefit managers negotiate drug prices, which is one of the most effective tools for controlling prescription costs.

By Christina Patel • August 29, 2025

New housing construction in Elk Grove on July 8, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Commentary

Nine years later, California court saga over $23,420 housing fee remains unsettled

George Sheetz could never have imagined a routine administrative transaction levied on a home-building project would turn into a legal dispute that reached the U.S. Supreme Court and remains unresolved almost a decade later.

By Dan Walters • August 29, 2025

A close-up view of two small medication boxes stacked on one another on a table. The top box is labeled “Wegovy,” and the bottom box is labeled Zepbound.”

Commentary

Gutting Medi-Cal’s weight loss drug coverage will cost California more in the long run

Gov. Gavin Newsom says these popular weight-loss drugs cost the state too much. But California could save about $3,000 per patient who lost weight. Other health conditions also would improve.

By Kenneth Thorpe • August 28, 2025

Students at Stege Elementary School complete classwork using tablets in Richmond on Feb. 6, 2023. Photo by Shelby Knowles for CalMatters

Commentary

California schools reverse truancy trends. Improving reading scores could be next

California's public schools have struggled to improve test scores in recent years. A return to phonics instruction could turn the tide on reading, a move that comes as many schools overcome pandemic-era absenteeism.

By Dan Walters • August 28, 2025

Commentary

How California lawmakers can trim up to 20% off consumer electric bills

California legislators have a few more weeks to reform climate and gas credits to lower electricity bills and encourage electric vehicle use.

By Victoria Rome • August 27, 2025

A person in an orange dress stands on stage speaking into a microphone and gesturing with one finger raised, while six other panelists sit in chairs behind them. A large projected message on the curtain reads “UNIONIZE CALIFORNIA” in red and white.

Commentary

With candidates bowing out, California’s gubernatorial race remains wide open

Two of the most prominent potential Democratic candidates have checked out of the California governor's race, and those who remain in the field are — in political terms — middleweights at best.

By Dan Walters • August 27, 2025

Close-up of a sign reading "Crisis Services. Press button next to door once and wait." with a blue arrow pointing left.

Commentary

California must learn from history. Forced mental health care harms more than heals

Californians with lived experience try to collaborate with policymakers to develop voluntary, community-based mental health services but are rejected.

By Keris Myrick • August 26, 2025

Commentary

The stakes for a redistricting war differ between Newsom and Californians

The stakes for the November special election to gerrymander California are enormous.

By Dan Walters • August 26, 2025

A white and blue train zooms by a street next two a multi-story apartment building in beige and cream tones.

Reader Reactions

Proposed California housing reform could result in ‘too much upzoning’

A controversial housing bill seeking to make it easier to build dense housing near certain transit stops would cause "too much upzoning," a former East Bay councilman argues.

By Michael Barnes • August 25, 2025

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California