Politics

Gov. Gavin Newsom sits at a table surrounded by three lawmakers behind him as he signs several documents.

Politics

Newsom’s 2025: Wildfire crisis, budget cuts and bombastic opposition to Trump

Gavin Newsom's year: LA fires, budget cuts, Trump battles and a Prop 50 win. What's next for California's governor in his final year?

By

Jeanne Kuang

• December 31, 2025

Small American flags are mounted on wooden desks inside a legislative chamber, viewed from behind as lawmakers sit facing forward. The shallow focus emphasizes the flags and carved desk details, while figures and additional flags blur into the background under warm indoor lighting.

Politics

Get up to speed fast on the new California laws that might change your life in 2026

New California laws taking effect on Jan. 1, 2026 expand coverage for in vitro fertilization, regulate artificial intelligence, protect renters and more.

By

CalMatters Staff

• December 30, 2025

A sleek, modern kitchen with light wood flooring, white cabinetry, and a large stainless-steel French-door refrigerator. An island with a stovetop and a pot sits to the left, while a clean countertop with a cutting board and backsplash tiles runs along the right side. The space is bright and minimal with built-in appliances.

Housing

A new California law requires a working fridge in all apartments. LA landlords fought it

Fridge-less apartments dotting the pricey California rental market will soon be a head-scratching relic. Beginning Jan. 1, landlords will be required to provide all apartments with a working stove and refrigerator thanks to a new state law. It marks the end of an unusual, decades-long phenomenon mostly in the Los Angeles area where some tenants […]

By

Nadia Lathan

• December 30, 2025

An overhead view shows three people standing and talking on a patterned tile floor inside an ornate building. Decorative light fixtures with glowing bulbs hang between wooden railings, casting warm light over the geometric floor tiles as the group gathers near the edge of a balcony.

Politics

What did California lawmakers talk about this year? These 10 bills sparked hours of debate

California lawmakers only spent just a few minutes discussing in public the hundreds of bills they introduce. But these 10 measures had hours of intense debate in 2025.

By

Ryan Sabalow

• December 29, 2025

A line up of electric vehicles at a Hyundai dealership in Fresno on Sept. 7, 2023.

Politics

New California laws rewrite car-buying rules with return policy and pricing reforms

California lawmakers let automakers opt out of recent changes to the state’s lemon law and approved a law giving used car buyers three days to return a used vehicle.

By

Ryan Sabalow

• December 26, 2025

A person in a green tracksuit holding up a sign saying, “IMMIGRANTS UILT THIS NATION,” while next to a guard railing over a highway in downtown Los Angeles. In the background, cars can be seen driving on the road while crowds of protesters hold up signs and flags on both sides of the highway.

Politics

See the photos that defined California in 2025: A year in CalMatters’ visuals

Each year is unique in the joy, wonder, and heartache it can bring. Each year is the same in that our photographers and visual journalists spend it traversing the state to bring you those moments. We were on the ground in Los Angeles during the Palisades and Eaton Fires and our reporters warned of the […]

By

CalMatters Visuals Team

• December 24, 2025

A small group of people stands outdoors at night, singing from printed sheets during a candlelit gathering. One person holds a flashlight to read, while others hold colorful paper lanterns. Warm light from candles and nearby decorations illuminates their faces against a dark street background, creating a communal, festive atmosphere.

Politics

In an era of ICE raids, a Latino Christmas tradition proceeds with caution

San Marcos residents celebrated the holiday tradition of posadas together while navigating fear and tension caused by increased ICE enforcement.

By

Deborah Brennan

• December 24, 2025

A government official speaks at a podium with a sign reading “Treatment Not Tents,” flanked by two other officials, with U.S. and California flags visible behind them.

Mental Health

How Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court lost its teeth in the California Legislature

Gov. Newsom called for accountability on mental health and homelessness when he proposed his CARE Court program. What became law, however, pleased almost no one.

By

Yue Stella Yu

and

Erica Yee

• December 17, 2025

A red, white, and blue sign reading “No on 50: Defend Fair Elections” sits on a table beside jars filled with pistachios and a small display about California’s political priorities. The background shows blurred lights and a screen displaying a broadcast.

Politics

Republicans ask federal court to overturn California’s new Prop. 50 maps

Republicans and the Trump administration are hoping a panel of federal judges in Los Angeles will halt the new Prop. 50 maps from taking effect. But given the Supreme Court’s recent ruling greenlighting Texas’s redrawn maps, their odds are long.

By

Maya C. Miller

and

Mikhail Zinshteyn

• December 16, 2025

A person with a white beard stands at a podium, speaking into a microphone at the center of the entrance to Los Angeles City Hall, surrounded by a group of people in business attire, while one of them holds up a piece of paper. The front of the podium reads “American Foundation for Equal Rights,” while the background features poles with the American flag behind the crowd behind the podium.

Politics

Rob Reiner was more than a Hollywood legend. He helped shape California politics

Rob Reiner may be best known for his Hollywood films, but he was also a Democratic political force in California

By

Ryan Sabalow

• December 15, 2025