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

Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis tours a fleet of Tesla Semis at PepsiCo Beverages North America's Sacramento facility on April 11, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Sometimes California officials do things that are mind-boggling, or just interesting

Why is California's lieutenant governor bashing a vice presidential candidate? Why is Oakland plugging a budget hole with Coliseum money? Some official acts merit a second look.

By Dan Walters • August 8, 2024

CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal asks Gov. Gavin Newsom a question at a press event at San Quentin State Prison announcing that the facility will be transformed to focus on training and rehabilitation on March 17, 2023. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

Commentary

Should tech giants have to pay California newspapers for their content?

The once-profitable and powerful newspaper industry has been clobbered by the growth of the internet. The California Legislature is considering a bill that would compel major tech companies to pay newspapers for their content.

By Dan Walters • August 7, 2024

The Chevron refinery in Richmond is located behind a neighborhood on Feb. 21, 2024. Photo by Loren Elliott for CalMatters

Commentary

Texas scores a goal on California as Chevron moves headquarters to Houston

Chevron, California's oldest and most prominent petroleum company, is moving its headquarters to Texas and the political fallout is unavoidable.

By Dan Walters • August 6, 2024

An angled photo of Mark Zuckerberg in front of a red, blue and white screen with the words AI in white.

Commentary

California shouldn’t buy Big Tech talking point that AI regulation will hurt innovation

Silicon Valley companies say a bill that would establish safety requirements for AI development will tamp innovation and chase companies outside of California. Their fearmongering could not be more wrong.

By Sunny Gandhi • August 5, 2024

Commentary

California’s multibillion-dollar bet on hydrogen energy comes with major downsides

The billions of dollars being spent on hydrogen technologies in California must be used in a way that reduces emissions and doesn't harm vulnerable communities. Unfortunately, that's not happening.

By Ben Jealous • August 2, 2024

Prospective employers and job seekers interact during during a job fair in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2021. Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP Photo

Commentary

While Newsom brags about California’s economy, unemployment data tells a different story

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's brags about the state's economy, but its unemployment rate is still the highest in the nation. The fund that pays unemployment insurance benefits also faces an immense deficit.

By Dan Walters • August 2, 2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference unveiling his 2024-25 January budget proposal at the Secretary of State Auditorium in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Newsom denounces Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, but displays some himself

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and fellow Democrats in the Legislature tend to govern by decree, a habit they've criticized in former President Donald Trump.

By Dan Walters • August 1, 2024

Tents outside the Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles on April 22, 2024. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters

Commentary

Newsom’s push to enforce anti-camping laws repeats California’s past mistakes on homelessness

Newsom's executive order to enforce sweeps of homeless encampments only harms unhoused people further. Clearing encampments cause people to lose their belongings, connections to family and friends, and dignity — it is not the answer to the homelessness crisis.

By Reba Stevens • July 31, 2024

Bay Area tenants from the KDF Tenants Association protest housing conditions and rent increases outside the office complex that houses KDF Communities LLC's office in Newport Beach, on Oct. 26, 2023. Photo by Julie A Hotz for CalMatters

Commentary

California’s voters face competing ballot measures as interest groups clash

California's initiative process casts voters as judges of political policy issues. Sometimes they're parsing competing measures on the same topic.

By Dan Walters • July 31, 2024

The exterior of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles.

Commentary

Los Angeles County supervisors look to rare reforms that would dilute their power

Three of Los Angeles County's five supervisors are supporting a major overhaul of county governance that would almost double the board's size and establish an elected county executive, which would arguably become California’s second-most powerful office.

By Dan Walters • July 30, 2024

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California