WhatMatters

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 […]

Scheduling note: WhatMatters is honoring our veterans on Tuesday and will return to your inboxes on Wednesday. First unveiled in 2017, Google Lens enables users of Google devices and software to look up physical objects, translate text and conduct visual searches within seconds. But with the proliferation of artificial intelligence, its use inside the classroom […]

Earlier this summer, California lawmakers including Gov. Gavin Newsom worked to close a multibillion-dollar deficit. But a closer look at “pork-barrel spending” raises questions about whether the state’s $325-billion spending plan is going to those who need it most, writes CalMatters’ Ryan Sabalow. To win the favor of their constituencies and tip the scales for […]

From CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay: The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday considered whether President Donald Trump is exceeding his authority in imposing wide-ranging tariffs on imports from most of the rest of the world. The nation’s highest court heard arguments about the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify […]

California voters passed Proposition 50 on Tuesday, clearing the way for the state to redraw its congressional districts in a manner that could enable Democrats to regain the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections. Though the U.S. Department of Justice sent election monitors to five California counties — prompting state and some […]

In the latest battle between Democrats and President Donald Trump, the fate of the state’s Proposition 50 will be decided today. Californians who haven’t already submitted their ballots are heading to the polls to either approve or reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts in a way that favors Democrats through […]