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A row of law enforcement officers dressed in combat gear hold plastic shields in front of them that say "California National guard" on them during a protest.
A line of sheriff’s deputies in tactical gear and gas masks fire less-lethal weapons through a barrier of yellow crowd-control fencing during a protest. Smoke emits from one of the launchers. Behind them, more officers are stationed on trucks equipped with barricades and mounted weapons. The scene is tense and highly militarized in a residential-looking area at dusk.
Oil pumps in the Kern River Oil Field near Bakersfield on July 6, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
Three small, weathered buildings sit side by side on a wet street in a mountain town. The structures show signs of age, with faded paint, boarded windows, and moss-covered roofs. Bare trees stand behind them, and a misty forested hillside rises in the background under an overcast sky. The scene is quiet and damp, evoking a sense of stillness and isolation.
Students in a class at Lake Marie Elementary School in Whittier on Nov. 17, 2022. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters
A close-up view of a phone and an over-the-ear headset lying on a table. In the background is a row of computers with the screens lit up.
A person, wearing a cowboy hat and a pink shirt, stands in front of a lectern with a sign in front of it that reads "California Democratic Party." The California state and American flags can be seen behind the person.
Two people sit across from each other at a white table in a brightly colored room. One person, wearing a blue blazer, types on a laptop while the other, seated in a folding chair, listens attentively. Papers, a notebook, a red wallet, and a phone are spread out on the table. Empty chairs and a table are visible in the background near a yellow and blue hallway.
Planned Parenthood Dr. Jessica Hamilton inside a consultation room at the health center in Sacramento. California abortion providers are preparing for an influx of patients from other states, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe vs. Wade case. Feb. 1, 2022. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

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