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

California finally approved indoor heat rules. Why were prison workers excluded?

California prison workers were wrongly excluded from indoor heat regulations passed earlier this year, despite facing brutal conditions that will only get worse in the coming decades.

By Anastasia Christman • July 15, 2024

A young girl sits down to eat free breakfast at Rosa Parks Elementary School in San Diego on June 14, 2024. San Diego Unified School District is partnering with local organizations to offer free meals to families and students during the summer. Photo by John Gastaldo for CalMatters

Commentary

Losing it instead of using it: How California missed out on $1 billion to feed kids during the pandemic

The federal government is clawing huge amounts of unused pandemic benefits for hungry kids in California. The new summer EBT program aims to overcome past failures, but cards have a shorter shelf life.

By Denise Amos • July 12, 2024

Carlos Parra, 44, delivers cold beverages and ice to his unhoused neighbors in an industrial part of Los Angeles during a heat wave on Sept. 4, 2022. “For us homeless, it is a little harder to deal with this heat," said Parra. Photo by Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters

Commentary

Homelessness slowed down in Los Angeles. It’s little cause for celebration

Los Angeles County recorded a small decline in its homeless population for the first time in years, and made progress in reducing encampments. It's too early to say if Mayor Karen Bass has successfully turned the corner, especially with other forces at play.

By Jim Newton • July 11, 2024

Dentist Ann Chen, left, and dental assistant Phuong Truong, right, work on a student patient at the Shop 55 Wellness Center at Oakland High School in Oakland on May 10, 2024. Through the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), Oakland High is able to offer a variety of medical services such as dental care to students. Photo by Juliana Yamada for CalMatters

Commentary

California faces a variety of workforce shortages. It can’t afford to cut training programs

Most job training initiatives in California are government-funded, but many are grappling with cuts as the state and local governments face budget deficits. A Latino immigrant who entered the dental industry after completing job training programs shares what's at stake.

By Edgar Alas • July 9, 2024

Development near the Ballona Wetlands in the Playa Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles on June 4, 2024. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters

Commentary

Unfinished wetlands from Playa Vista pact capture the promise, perils of California housing

Playa Vista, a West LA community that took decades to build, is an extraordinary accomplishment in a city where housing is notoriously difficult to create. Yet one piece remains: the wetlands restoration. It's being blocked, paradoxically, by environmentalists.

By Jim Newton • July 8, 2024

The Yolo Causeway between Sacramento and Davis on Feb. 23, 2017. Photo by Steve Martarano, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Commentary

Environmental opposition to vital Sacramento-area highway project is ridiculous

A chronic highway bottleneck between Sacramento and Davis plagues a portion of Interstate 80, one of the nation's most important transcontinental routes. Environmental groups are trying to derail a project to address it.

By Dan Walters • July 5, 2024

Democrat presidential candidate U.S. President Joe Biden listens as Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during their debate in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. Photo by Brian Snyder via Reuters

Commentary

248 years after America’s independence, is Biden vs. Trump the best we can do?

The battle between two very flawed presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, symbolizes the nation's polarized and dysfunctional politics.

By Dan Walters • July 4, 2024

An LAPD helicopter circles the Lincoln Park neighborhood after it was cordoned off as police look for a gunman who shot three police officers, in Los Angeles, on March 08, 2023. Photo by David Swanson, Reuters

Commentary

‘Ghetto birds’: California has yet to reckon with longstanding bias from police helicopters

Police helicopters have long evaded oversight and accountability. Recent scrutiny of the LAPD's Air Support Division shows that law enforcement helicopters perpetuate bias against certain communities and squander taxpayer dollars.

By Kate McQuarrie • July 3, 2024

A Shell gas station price sign displays the cost of gasoline: $5.79 per gallon for regular, $5.99 for plus, and $6.19 for V-Power. The sign is surrounded by palm trees and greenery, with a blue 'Tap, Pump, Go' payment sign nearby. A banner advertising a $9 car wash special is attached to the sign. In the background, a multi-story building with a sign reading 'Cardiovascular Institute of San Diego' stands among streetlights and urban infrastructure. Part of a car and foliage frame the image in the foreground.

Commentary

What will happen to gas prices and taxes if California shifts away from fossil fuels?

California's gas taxes increased this week, but the larger issue is what happens to gas prices and tax revenues as the state attempts to reduce greenhouse gases and move away from fossil fuels.

By Dan Walters • July 3, 2024

The state Capitol in Sacrament on July 6, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Commentary

California Legislature makes a flurry of big changes to November ballot measures

A wave of last-minute deals, mostly negotiated in secrecy, has changed the lineup of measures that will appear on California's November ballot.

By Dan Walters • July 2, 2024

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California