WhatMatters

This year California lawmakers passed a handful of measures regulating artificial intelligence. But President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are reigniting efforts to block states from regulating the technology — potentially upending these recent laws and prompting outcry from California officials.  The Trump administration last week floated a draft of an executive order calling for […]

Will migrant and undocumented immigrant workers return to California farms next year? As the harvest season comes to a close, that question looms over Central Valley — raising concerns about the region’s economy and the state’s agricultural industry, reports CalMatters’ Nigel Duara. In addition to California’s overall economy and the economies of its big cities, […]

The chain of California nursing homes owned by Shlomo Rechnitz has faced state scrutiny for years, including an unsuccessful effort by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris to stop him from acquiring more facilities. Now, a series of recent lawsuits has brought renewed attention to his companies.  Elder care advocates say Rechnitz’ companies are Exhibit A in […]

In October, an immigrant truck driver — who federal authorities alleged does not have legal status — killed three people in an Ontario car crash. In a letter sent last week, the U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration claimed the collision “may have been avoided,” if California had complied with new federal rules […]

A San Francisco state senator unveiled legislation Tuesday that aims to give Californians the right to seek damages from federal agents, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to ramp up immigration enforcement across the U.S. The bill authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat and congressional hopeful, would enable people to file a lawsuit or […]

Though it doesn’t sound like a big deal that Culver City changed the minimum number of staircases apartment buildings must have, this obscure tweak could supercharge urban housing construction in California, supporters say. As CalMatters’ Ben Christopher explains, nearly every other city in the U.S. requires buildings taller than three stories to have at least […]

From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall:  For weeks, California’s homeless service providers have worried about rumors that the federal government was going to cut funds for permanent housing. Now, those cuts are here. Shortly after the federal government reopened, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a policy change that will shift the […]

People continue to die from drug overdoses in Los Angeles County jails — yet the county’s Department of Health Services has scaled back the accessibility of opioid addiction treatment for people behind bars, writes CalMatters’ Cayla Mihalovich. In a Sept. 16 memo obtained by CalMatters, Chief Medical Officer Sean Henderson said that Correctional Health Services […]

From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall: Youth homelessness has declined by nearly a quarter since 2019 in California, according to a new report that offers a bright spot amid the state’s ongoing struggle to bring people off the streets. Last year’s homeless census counted about 9,900 unhoused Californians under age 24 — a 24% reduction […]

After a rural California hospital shut down its maternity ward in 2022, pregnant women in Plumas County had to travel at least 70 miles to give birth. It was among dozens of California communities that lost labor and delivery services in the past decade.  That may change by next year, though, after Gov. Gavin Newsom […]