Explainers

Firefighters stand watch by a fire line along Mayacama Club Drive as the Kincade Fire burns in the outskirts of Santa Rosa on Oct. 28, 2019. Photo by Dai Sugano, Bay Area News Group

Explainers

California’s on fire, unplugged and out of easy answers. So why don’t we…?

Only hard options remain for dealing with California’s wildfire crisis. From controlled burns to burying power lines to breaking up PG&E, what are the odds?

By

Julie Cart

and

Judy Lin

• October 30, 2019

A firefighter can be seen running and using a hose to help contain a fire in front of him that is devouring nearby buildings and structures.

Explainers

California’s worsening wildfires explained

In California, wildfire season is nearly year-round. CalMatters explores why, and what could help fireproof the state.

By

Julie Cart

• October 25, 2019

The State Capitol in Sacramento, California, September 10, 2015. California Bills.

Explainers

Remakes and fresh takes: See whether Gov. Newsom OK’d or vetoed key bills of 2019

In the last days of California's 2019 legislative session, hundreds of bills landed on the governor's desk. We're tracking the most consequential.

By

CalMatters Staff

• September 11, 2019

Explainers

California’s fight over tailpipe emissions, explained

President Trump has threatened to roll back Obama-era standards, jeopardizing a decades-old exemption that lets California make its own clean air rules.

By

Rachel Becker

• August 31, 2019

Huntington State Beach is one of the most popular state parks in California. The state parks draw more than 80 million visitors per year

Explainers

California migration: The story of 40 million

California's population is about to hit 40 million. Here's who we are, where we're going and why the census is so important to us.

By

Judy Lin

and

Adria Watson

• July 29, 2019

Police DUI Nigh Time Checkpoint. Police Cruiser Lights Closeup Photo.

Explainers

California’s attempt to reduce police shootings, explained

A new California law aims to reduce police shootings and the use of deadly force by law enforcement. Here's a deep look at the issue in the Golden State.

By

Laurel Rosenhall

• July 18, 2019

Politics

Death Watch: The bill killer is in the house

Updated May 30, 2019 Welcome to death watch. The legislative kind. We’ve tracked which bills California lawmakers have rejected as the Legislature hit the half-way point for making new laws for this year. May 31 is the deadline for bills to pass the house in which they were introduced, a critical hurdle in the legislative […]

By

CalMatters Staff

• May 23, 2019

Explainers

Breakdown: California’s mental health system, explained

With fresh political attention on mental health, advocates are hoping California embraces humane and effective ways of averting some problems and solving others.

By

Jocelyn Wiener

• April 30, 2019

Justice

VIDEO: Why California is so strict on guns

Tragedy strikes, California responds. But how did a state once the epitome of the gun-slinging wild, wild west wind up with more gun control laws than another state in the country?

By

Byrhonda Lyons

• February 7, 2019

Explainers

Tracking California’s deadly wildfires

We track key data on California wildfires: land consumed, lives lost, growing firefighting costs.

By

Julie Cart

• October 17, 2018