WhatMatters

Gone is the town of Greenville, built during the Gold Rush. Its historic buildings, some of which survived a fire in 1880, are now burned to the ground. They were destroyed by the Dixie Fire, a monstrous blaze possibly sparked by PG&E equipment that has already blackened more than 322,000 acres — making it the […]

The Newsom recall campaign is happening on multiple fronts: debate stages, in courtrooms and on social media — you can't escape it.

California's drought and wildfire seasons are worsening and are converging on Gov. Gavin Newsom as he tries to beat back a recall attempt.

Less than three months after Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his “California Roars Back” campaign-budget slogan, it already feels outdated. Seven Bay Area counties on Monday mandated masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, following in the footsteps of Los Angeles, Sacramento and Yolo counties. Around 50% of California’s population is now living under the same mask […]

Good morning, California. It’s Monday, August 2. Blackouts a real threat First, Gov. Gavin Newsom offered cash for vaccinations. Now, he’s offering cash for energy conservation. In a sign that California is at dire risk of rolling blackouts this summer, Newsom on Friday signed an emergency proclamation that orders the state to reimburse utilities for […]

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, July 30. Rapid policy shifts ​​California’s fourth COVID-19 wave has caused political and public health messaging to clash yet again, leaving many residents in near-perpetual whiplash. Sacramento County on Thursday became the third to mandate face masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, a day after the state recommended the same […]

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, July 29. Virus, fire, infected birds Just when it seemed like it was getting safe to go out in public again, California’s summer started to resemble scenes from an Alfred Hitchcock movie. With COVID-19 rates surging, the state Department of Public Health on Wednesday recommended that all Californians wear face […]

Newsom needs to fire up voters to beat the recall, but he may be bolstering turnout among the very Californians who want to see him ousted.

Governor blames state's COVID-19 spike on misinformation and unveils vaccine and testing requirements for state and health care workers.

About five weeks after Gov. Newsom reopened California, COVID-19 is surging again, with the Sept. 14 recall election looming.