WhatMatters

A nurse wearing blue medical gloves stands near a table as they prepare the equipment they need to conduct a blood draw.

WhatMatters

California is suing the Trump administration after it said it plans to pull over $600 million in public health care funds to four Democratic-led states, including California. Last week President Donald Trump’s budget office directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rescind the grant money from California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. California Attorney […]

By

Lynn La

• February 12, 2026

A person, dressed in green riot gear and wearing a cloth mask to cover their mouth, holds a protective shield in front of them as people gather during an immigration raid.

WhatMatters

Judge rules on CA’s mask ban for law enforcement

A federal judge has pumped the brakes on a California law banning local and federal officers from wearing masks. But both sides — California lawmakers and the Trump administration — are claiming victory. In her ruling Monday, District Judge Christina Snyder, a Clinton-appointee, said that because the legislation exempted state law enforcement, it discriminated against […]

By

Lynn La

• February 11, 2026

A police officer open the front door of a police deparment's building. The door includes the words "police department" along with the seal of the University of California police.

WhatMatters

CA’s local police still collaborating with Border Patrol

California Democratic officials often tout California as a sanctuary state, but some local police departments — including police at UC San Diego — have been participating in a federal program that provides agencies millions of dollars to collaborate with Border Patrol, writes Phoebe Huss of CalMatters’ College Journalism Network. Operation Stonegarden is a U.S. Department […]

By

Lynn La

• February 10, 2026

A person in brown hiking gear and blue latex gloves is bent over to pick up a pesticide sprayer beside a pile of brush in the center of a wooded area.

WhatMatters

CA’s illegal pot farms pollute public forests and watersheds

Illegal cannabis farms hidden inside California forests harm nearby wildlife, ecosystems and watersheds. But with little being done at the federal and state levels to clean up these sites fast enough, ecologists are sounding the alarm about the pollution the farms wreak on the state’s public lands. As CalMatters’ Rachel Becker explains, the nonprofit Integral […]

By

Lynn La

• February 9, 2026

WhatMatters

Pollution tracking tool’s effectiveness under scrutiny

A tool used by state agencies to help guide policy and billions of dollars in environmental funding is getting updated for the fifth time — but critics say that it still falls short of its intentions, writes CalMatters’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde. Developed in the 1990s, CalEnviroScreen evaluates different geographical regions in California on nearly two dozen […]

By

Lynn La

• February 6, 2026

A person stands outdoors in bright sunlight wearing a navy sweatshirt with “West Wildcats” printed across the front, looking straight ahead with a serious expression as shadows from nearby structures fall across the wall behind them.

WhatMatters

CA community colleges have a credits problem

For nearly a decade, California community colleges have gradually increased the number of ways students can receive college credit for their prior work experience. But the state is facing challenges in its goal to expand access to these credits, writes CalMatters’ Adam Echelman. Credit for prior working experience enables students to bypass some classes, saving […]

By

Lynn La

• February 5, 2026

A person holds up a blue sign that reads "protect trans youth" as they stand next to other protesters in front of a hospital building.

WhatMatters

California LGBTQ community still worried for transgender youth

California is suing a San Diego hospital after it said it would limit gender-affirming care for young patients. But some parents of transgender children and LGBTQ advocates say the state still isn’t doing enough to protect the transgender community amid a federal administration that continues to target them. As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang explains, Rady Children’s […]

By

Lynn La

• February 4, 2026

From behind a driver and passenger seat, the driver's hand is on the vehicle's gear stick while another arm in a yellow safety jacket extends out to guide the gear stick.

WhatMatters

How much training does the driver of that truck next to you have?

With roughly 1.8 million commercial trucks on California roads, chances are high that you’ll encounter one on your next drive. But despite the heightened dangers that come with such colossal vehicles, over a hundred unlicensed schools operate in California with little to no oversight. As CalMatters’ Adam Echelman and Erica Yee explain, under current state […]

By

Lynn La

• February 3, 2026

The playground at Burnt Ranch Elementary School in Burnt Ranch on Dec. 13, 2019. Photo by Dave Woody for CalMatters

WhatMatters

Three ways CA immigrants are struggling

President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign has disrupted the lives of California immigrants involved in the state’s early child care industry, commercial trucking business and court system. Let’s dive into the details: CalMatters co-founder retires: Dave Lesher helped found CalMatters in 2015 with the aim to hold politicians accountable and engage with California residents. In […]

By

Lynn La

• February 2, 2026

WhatMatters

CA groups seek local taxes to offset federal health care cuts

Would raising a county sales tax help local residents stave off federal health care cuts? A coalition of health care organizations and workers say yes. As CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra explains, Restore Healthcare for Angelenos is pushing to place a measure on the June ballot that would ask Los Angeles County voters to decide whether […]

By

Lynn La

• January 30, 2026