Dan Walters

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

Two polls differ sharply on Newsom

Two polls starkly disagree on whether California Gov. Gavin Newsom's popularity has plummeted or has held up well as he deals with COVID-19.

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• February 3, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

Housing crisis hasn’t gone away

The pandemic has worsened California's housing crisis and new state housing goals will be a political test.

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• February 2, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

Kids sit home as politicians squabble

While California's politicians wrangle, millions of school kids are stuck at home due to COVID-19 and their educations are suffering.

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• February 1, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

How do we close the economic divide?

The pandemic is worsening California's income inequality, but how to assist those in poverty remains a puzzle.

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• January 31, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

California’s unemployment insurance mess laid bare

The massive failings of California's Employment Development Department are laid bare, and could have political fallout.

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• January 27, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

California employment takes a downturn

California lifted a COVID-19 stay-at-home order Monday, just after it was revealed that unemployment had spiked in December to 9%, one of the nation's highest rates.

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• January 26, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

California’s big stake in immigration reform

California has a tortured history of conflict over immigration, giving it a huge stake in President Joe Biden's effort to overhaul immigration policy.

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• January 25, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

Will reducing criminal penalties reduce crime?

California is testing whether easing up on penalties for crime will result in less crime in the long run.

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• January 24, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

After COVID-19, drought threat still looms

Looking past COVID-19 and recession, California still faces the threat of prolonged drought.

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• January 20, 2021

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

California still lags behind in vaccinations

California sped up its vaccinations for COVID-19 last week, but the state still has one of the nation's lowest rates of vaccine utilization.

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• January 19, 2021