WhatMatters

President Joe Biden on Monday reassured Americans that the omicron variant “is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic” — raising questions about the strategy Gov. Gavin Newsom will employ to respond to a form of COVID-19 about which much remains unknown. The governor, who returned to California late Sunday night after a […]

The omicron variant has just entered the U.S., and California is already bracing for a surge in COVID cases.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that Californians could expect to see “substantially more” law enforcement officers near “highly trafficked” retail stores starting immediately, as businesses prepare for hordes of holiday shoppers after a weekend wave of Bay Area robberies that saw thieves abscond with thousands of dollars of merchandise. He directed the California Highway Patrol […]

For evidence that crime will likely be a key issue for California voters in next year’s election, look no further than this weekend. On Sunday, a pack of looters robbed a jewelry store in a Hayward mall, smashing glass cases and absconding with the valuables into waiting cars. Also Sunday, Walnut Creek police recommended that […]

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, November 19. Equity vs. being “woke” Goodbye, admissions tests to get into the University of California. Hello, social justice concepts in high school math classes. The leaders of the nation’s premier public university system announced Thursday that UC won’t require any admissions tests for undergraduate applicants, a little more than […]

Remember the Golden State stimulus checks? Well, more might be landing in your bank account in the near future. That’s because California is — once again — overflowing with money, and will likely have a $31 billion budget surplus next year, according to a Wednesday report from the independent Legislative Analyst’s Office. And because the […]

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, November 17. Loopholes in state laws Today, a man named Julio Garay is due to appear in Madera County Superior Court, where he faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing his wife, Calley Jean Garay, a month after she requested a domestic violence […]

Wins are mounting for California workers as “Striketober” morphs into “Strikesgiving” and as the state cracks down on companies it says are violating labor laws. Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced an agreement with Amazon that, if approved by a judge, would require the e-commerce giant to pay California $500,000 to help enforce consumer […]

Citing a possible surge in COVID cases and short-staffed hospitals, Newsom extended parts of his emergency order through March 2022.

Who will take the helm of the state auditor's office and evaluate Newsom's administration?