California Voices

Viewpoints from across California

A person stands on a sidewalk beside a storefront with a metal shutter and near a utility pole with a traffic signal. In the background is parked cars and street signs are visible in the background

He’s trying to break generational ties to gangs. Los Angeles police keep targeting him

LAPD launched an internal investigation after a swarm of officers allegedly profiled and detained young men the day they were set to graduate from a second-chance program.

By George B. Sánchez-Tello

Facebook employees take a photo in front of the new Meta sign at the company headquarters in Menlo Park on Oct. 28, 2021. Photo by Tony Avelar, AP Photo

Tech billionaires are spending millions to reshape California’s Legislature

Tech billionaires funding PACs have enjoyed recent growth in personal and corporate wealth and are spending it to handpick the California Legislature.

By Crystal Zermeño

A voter fills out their ballot at a voting site at the Hamilton School gymnasium in central Fresno on June 7, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters

Unsure about the bond measures on California’s ballot? These 2 questions can help

There are two main questions to consider when evaluating bond measures on the November ballot. And the answers vary depending on the proposition.

By Chris Hoene

Two women sit at microphones during a public discussion. The woman in the foreground, wearing a bright blue blazer, gestures while speaking, as the woman beside her in a gray blazer smiles and looks toward her.

Neither LA mayoral candidate has a compelling answer to the affordability crisis

Beyond their ideas on how to curb housing prices, Mayor Karen Bass and challenger Nithya Raman have little to offer that would lower living costs in L.A.

By Jim Newton

A person wearing sunglasses and a light shawl walks beside another person in a suit outside a courthouse, surrounded by reporters and TV crews holding microphones and cameras.

Commentary

California can’t shed a history of persistent government corruption

Prosecutions, referenda, recalls and regulatory agencies have, over the years, curbed some of California's government corruption, but not all of it.

By Dan Walters • February 6, 2026

The skyline of San Francisco as seen from Bernal Heights Hill on March 16, 2020. Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP Photo

Commentary

California’s once soaring population has hit a plateau. So will its national political clout

Stagnant foreign migration, fewer births and people moving to other states mean California loses congressional seats and electoral votes.

By Dan Walters • February 5, 2026

Commentary

Los Angeles voters are moving ever leftward, shifting election politics in America’s second-largest city

Among the signs: LA’s Democratic Socialists are flexing new muscle, police limits and mansion taxes are popular, and ICE raids are galvanizing voters.

By Jim Newton • February 5, 2026

Students at San Antonio Elementary School in Lockwood on March 31, 2022. David Rodríguez Muñoz for The Californian, Catchlight and CalMatters

Commentary

Here’s why California’s teachers and schools can’t fix low test scores on their own

One reason: Higher-income, high-achieving kids often aren't in the testing pool. They attend private schools or their parents opt them out of state tests.

By Jill Stegman • February 4, 2026

A person in a white dress shirt and tie speaks at an outdoor podium with two microphones, hands raised mid-gesture, as a large bridge spans the background and two others stand behind them, while a blue sign on the podium reads “Creating an AI-Ready Workforce.”

Commentary

Union leaders warn Newsom their campaign support hinges on his AI stance

Will Gov. Gavin Newsom, who's expected to run for president, seek to satisfy Silicon Valley and risk angering organized labor?

By Dan Walters • February 4, 2026

An empty judge’s bench inside a wood-paneled courtroom holds a stack of papers, folders, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer beneath a red-tipped microphone, with warm brown walls filling the background.

Commentary

California judges defend their independence and the rule of law

President Trump, Gov. Newsom and other politicians pressured judges. But judges say they can’t bow to political or popular will, only to the law.

By Robert Greene • February 3, 2026

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Commentary

Gavin Newsom’s autobiography adds struggle to a story of a politically privileged past

Gavin Newsom follows previous Democratic presidential hopefuls by publishing a campaign book implying he didn't have everything handed to him.

By Dan Walters • February 3, 2026

A person wearing a white polo shirt and a headset microphone holds up a folded U.S. dollar bill while speaking on a stage, with a large pink-lit screen blurred in the background.

Commentary

Billionaires aren’t going to flee California. Others will without a budget fix

The idea that billionaires will flee California over a proposed wealth tax is bunk. Still, the ballot initiative is only a Band-Aid, and impedes a more serious conversation about the state's deeper fiscal problems.

By Yousef Baig • February 2, 2026

A view of a person's shoes as they walk near a blue heart spray painted onto a concrete path.

Commentary

Black men in California face higher risks and higher bills for prostate cancer

Black Californians are five times more likely than others to die of prostate cancer. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have cut screening costs.

By Anissa Durham • January 30, 2026

A person, with a determined facial expression, looks to their right as they stand in front of a small tree with red flowers near an apartment building.

Commentary

San Diego journalist fighting prostate cancer warns: ‘This could happen to you, too’

Jerry McCormick’s path to recover from prostate cancer has been anything but linear. Documenting progress and setbacks helps him find purpose.

By Anissa Durham • January 30, 2026

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