Newsletters

For Californians, it’s not just finding affordable home insurance that’s a problem. Many motorists are having trouble getting auto insurance, citing delays in getting coverage and higher-than-usual premiums. As CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay explains, the predicament is the result of inflation and state regulations. The latter has helped consumers save billions but insurers call […]

If you thought California’s $30 billion-plus budget deficit for 2023-24 was bad, the projection for 2024-25 from the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office paints an even bleaker picture. In its fiscal report published Thursday, the nonpartisan office found that the state faces a $68 billion budget deficit, explains CalMatters’ Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff. The second straight […]

Can a nearly 40-year-old law meant to protect children from abusive parents and caregivers do more harm than good? Some advocates — who were once victims of violence themselves — argue that it can. Like most states, Calmatters contributor ChrisAnna Mink explains, California has a “failure to protect” law that authorizes child welfare agencies to […]

How well are state legislators representing Californians? And how do you even measure whether a lawmaker is truly carrying out the desires of constituents? As CalMatters Capitol reporter Sameea Kamal explains in the first of a series of stories, the laws outlining the official duties of California legislators are scant. Other than defending the U.S. […]

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote today on a request for another $3 million in funding for a welcome center that has helped as many as 800 migrants a day reach their final desired destinations. As Justo Robles, Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and Wendy Fry from CalMatters’ California Divide team explain, from […]

From CalMatters investigative reporter Lauren Hepler: California has a new unemployment and disability payment contractor after the state’s multi-billion-dollar pandemic fraud panic. The Employment Development Department hopes it will be the end of an era of brazen scams, which wreaked havoc for laid-off workers and fueled police busts involving stacks of ill-gotten debit cards issued […]

Finally, the debate.   Behind one lectern: Gavin Newsom, repping California and Democrats. Behind the other: Ron DeSantis, on behalf of Florida and Republicans. Then 100 minutes or so (minus ad time) of the two governors yelling at each other and arguing about facts.  “You are just making things up,” DeSantis lectured Newsom at one point. […]

While Gov. Gavin Newsom is in Georgia for his debate with Gov. Ron DeSantis, lots of other California leaders are headed to the global climate summit that starts today in Dubai. At the U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP28, the delegation of administration officials and several state legislators is expected to tout California’s role as […]

If you don’t already know, political wonks in California, Florida and maybe a few states in between, will be glued to their screens Thursday night to watch Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron Desantis square off in a highly-anticipated Blue vs. Red State debate that’s been brewing since the summer. Whether you’re genuinely rooting for […]

As a state with some of the highest housing costs in the country and an eviction rate that is creeping back up to pre-pandemic levels, cities across California are considering a variety of solutions to address its housing crunch. One possible way to dramatically increase affordable housing, writes CalMatters housing reporter Ben Christopher, is the […]