WhatMatters

Since September, American employers have been required to pay a $100,000 sponsorship fee for new H-1B visas, one of several policy shifts under President Donald Trump to restrict who gets to come in and out of the country. But while much attention has been paid to what this means for applicants in California’s tech industry, […]

Over the past decade, the number of people dying on California’s roads have shot up dramatically. Nearly 40,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been injured. And California’s leaders have done little about it.  CalMatters investigative reporters Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler have spent the year detailing how the state allows dangerous […]

A state audit examining how California prisons handle complaints about its staff members found flaws with how the majority of cases were handled, and some facilities were slow to deal with sex assault cases filed against officers. As CalMatters’ Nigel Duara explains, the state prisons’ inspector general released its latest audit last week, scrutinizing the […]

From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall:  Workers tasked with helping California’s largest homeless population are sounding an alarm, saying a recent upheaval at the Los Angeles County agency where they work has them scared for their livelihoods.  In an open letter to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, a handful of employees with the Los […]

The California Highway Patrol graduated 780 new officers this year, including more than 130 cadets on Friday, underscoring the success of the agency’s recruitment push during a once-concerning vacancy rate. Grappling with vacancies that ballooned 94% between 2015 and 2023, the agency in 2022 asked for $2 million from the state Legislature to hire more […]

California is home to nearly 1 million children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities — most of whom receive at least some services through Medicaid. But cuts from President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget bill have put those crucial services at risk — leaving California parents worried about their children’s futures. As CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, […]

From CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay: California, whose unemployment rate has been at 5% and above for the past couple of years, is likely to see a weak job market through at least early next year, according to the winter UCLA Anderson forecast published this week.  Authors of the longtime economic forecast cited continued uncertainty […]

From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall: There are still people living on streets and sidewalks throughout the state, but Californians are starting to care a little less about the issue of homelessness, according to a recent survey.  Only 37% of Californians asked in October said they were “very concerned” about homelessness — down from 58% […]

Let’s jump into some California housing news: Give now for Giving Tuesday. Every gift has triple the impact thanks to two matching funds. Keep independent, trustworthy information in every Californians’ hands, and hold people in power accountable for what they do — and what they don’t do. Please give today. Other Stories You Should Know […]

For many migrant and immigrant farmworkers in California who do not have legal status, mobile medical clinics are their only access to health care. But as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its crackdown on immigrants, vulnerable farmworker patients are delaying care out of fears of deportation. As CalMatters’ Larry Valenzuela explains in a visual essay, […]