Explainers

Gov. Gavin Newsom is fighting for his political life. He’s working to fend off a recall that began as a far-fetched effort by Republican activists — but has turned into a credible campaign that could throw the Democrat out of office. It’s hard to fathom in this deep blue state where Newsom clobbered his 2018 […]

Erasing dozens of Trump’s climate rollbacks is Biden’s priority, and he issued directives on his first day in office. California’s air quality, wildlife, water, forests, farms — and even its light bulbs and washing machines — could be affected by new executive orders, policies and rules. But how likely are they, and when?

Lea este artículo en español. California has wholeheartedly embraced the Affordable Care Act — it advertises it, it invests in it, it protects it. It even went to court for it. And won. Today, in a 7-2 decision in California et al. v. Texas, the Supreme Court voted to reject the latest challenge to the Affordable Care […]

Lea este artículo en español. California is home to more than 9 million children, many of them hungry, poor and struggling to access health care and quality education. Child advocates were hoping for change with Gov. Gavin Newsom and his attention to early childhood development and education, plans for universal preschool and desire to give extra […]

In a year when the coronavirus pandemic upended every aspect of normal life, the impact in the California Capitol was also dramatic. Lawmakers took an unprecedented two-month pause in the spring, when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order for people to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus. They returned to the […]

More than 7.6 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic triggered a recession. Navigating the assistance program has been filled with frustration.

California's pandemic safety net programs are straining under overwhelming demand. So did Gov. Gavin Newsom overpromise or underdeliver?

Now that the coronavirus has turned Election Day into a latent superspreader event, the state’s Democratic lawmakers are making the 2020 general election an (almost) all-mail affair. Here's what that might look like.

The Golden State appears to be flattening the curve, but it has come at a cost. We unravel the state's response to coronavirus and look at what will be different when Californians re-emerge.

California is investing $187.2 million in marketing and outreach for the 2020 census. The state is at risk of losing billions of federal dollars and a House seat if there's an undercount.