WhatMatters

WhatMatters is your weekday guide to California policy and politics. The newsletter highlights what to know about the state Capitol and brings the best of CalMatters coverage and commentary. Sign up for the WhatMatters newsletter.

The back of a person sitting on a concrete bench and looking down at their phone while blowing out a cloud of smoke after using their electronic cigarette.
Land where California Forever plans on building its new city (foreground) in Solano County, Feb. 16, 2024. The contentious development would be located between Travis Air Force Base and Rio Vista. Photo by Loren Elliott for CalMatters
Small and thin irrigation ditch with water sits in between farmland and empty agricultural fields. The ditch is lined with electrical towers that lead towards a soft pink and blue gradient sunset in the distance.
A sign that reads “Uber” on the glass window on the side of an office building.
A worker wearing gloves sorts stacks of pink election ballots on a table. Piles of ballots fill the foreground and background, while the worker reaches across the table inside a brightly lit ballot-processing facility.
Traffic on Highway 50 in Sacramento on June 30, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
A close-up view of a white, black and red sign placed on the lawn of a house near a sidewalk. The sign reads, "No data center in Monterey Park!" in English and Mandarin. The sign also includes an illustration of a red dragon wrapping itself around a building and breaking it in half. More law signs can lining the street can be seen in the blurry background.
A side-by-side split image showing two men in suits, each standing in front of a blurred background. On the left, a man with light hair and a red tie looks directly ahead with a serious expression. On the right, a man with darker, slicked-back hair and a navy blue tie looks slightly off to the side with a focused expression.
A crowd of demonstrators gathers outdoors holding protest signs. A large yellow sign in the foreground reads “Hands Off Medicaid! Democracy,” while nearby signs call for protecting immigrants, veterans services, schools and other public programs. Participants stand closely together in bright daylight during the rally.
A client peruses the cannabis products for sale at the Barbary Coast cannabis dispensary in San Francisco on Jan. 28, 2022. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

Gift this article