WhatMatters

Good morning, California. It’s Tuesday, February 9. School reopening deal coming Get ready for some big developments in the state’s pandemic response. At a Monday press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom rattled off a list of big-ticket items likely to be unveiled within the next week. Here’s a closer look at what’s coming: A school reopening […]

Good morning, California. It’s Monday, February 8. Churches can reopen indoors The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive authority when it knocked down California’s ban on indoor worship, ruling that the governor’s pandemic restrictions unfairly targeted churches in violation of the First Amendment. The 6-3 ruling issued late Friday […]

The politically fraught work of developing an ethnic studies curriculum for California public high schools just got more contentious. In a Wednesday letter to the state Board of Education and Department of Education, the original curriculum’s authors and former advisory committee members demanded their names be removed from the text because its “guiding principles … […]

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, February 4. SF sues itself New lines have been drawn in the sand of California’s school reopening battle. Gov. Gavin Newsom at a Wednesday press conference said he believes schools can safely reopen before all teachers have received the COVID-19 vaccine — a stance that puts him at odds with […]

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, February 3. Low marks for vaccine rollout Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval rating has fallen from record-high levels notched earlier in the pandemic, according to two polls released Tuesday — potentially fueling the campaign to recall him from office. Around 54% of Californians approve of Newsom’s job performance, down from a […]

Good morning, California. It’s Tuesday, February 2. Divided using equity formula California’s flagging vaccine rollout may have just gotten a shot in the arm. On Monday, the state Department of Finance formally notified lawmakers that California had received an unanticipated $1.7 billion in federal funds to help with its coronavirus response and vaccination efforts, according […]

Good morning, California. It’s Monday, February 1. Let Them Play effort ramps up Today marks yet another missed deadline in the nearly yearlong struggle to get California kids back in school — leaving the state limited time to find a solution before reopening campuses this academic year becomes moot. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $2 billion proposal […]

The extent to which California’s unemployment department has failed to address rampant fraud came into clearer focus on Thursday, when the state auditor released her second report of the week on the Employment Development Department. Despite repeated warnings from federal authorities that fraudsters would target California, EDD waited six months and processed 7.4 million claims […]

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, January 28. EJ groups flex muscle President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued a lengthy executive order on the environment and climate change, paving the way for California to advance its ambitious agenda even as numerous roadblocks remain. Among Biden’s directives was a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on […]

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, January 27. State takes reins Six weeks into a vaccine rollout largely left to the counties, California is taking the helm in an attempt to streamline a chaotic and fragmented process that has resulted in one of the nation’s lowest rates of vaccine administration. The new strategy, which state health […]