Commentary

A group of five people, dressed in professional attire, sit on chairs on a stage in front of a crowd, with a banner behind them reading “Governor Candidate Forum.” Four of the five people sitting on stage have their hands up to answer the question while a crowd of people watches in the dark.

No clear frontrunner for governor, but new poll names five with the best shot

A poll shows three Democrats and two Republicans have voter support percentages in the teens. The top two vote-getters in June will face off in November.

By Dan Walters

A person in medical protective clothing, wearing a face mask and a hair net, pushes a hospital gurney through a hallway inside a hospital, viewed from an open door.

She spent six of her last years in arbitration with her HMO. Her husband’s still fighting the system

Arbitrators in medical disputes are supposed to be unbiased, but this couple suspected there is an incentive to favor HMO’s in arbitration.

By Stephen Martinez

Two people face each other as they speak: the person on the left has a happy expression and her arm to her chest, while the person on the right wears a grey suit jacket and glasses. Both people are standing in a park area on a sunny day. In the background is a fence to a baseball field.

A former political ally tests LA liberals’ allegiance to Mayor Karen Bass

Mayor Karen Bass isn't vulnerable on her right, but she may be on her left, as City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist and ex-supporter, runs against her.

By Jim Newton

A close-up view of a person's hand holding a sign that reads "We wants answers! No more deaths!" and they stand at the front steps of a building surrounded by other people holding signs.

California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.

Lawmakers passed a law creating a state department to review inmate deaths, but it hasn’t completed a single death review in its first year.

By David Myers

A student uses her cell phone while walking outside on a school campus with other students.

Commentary

Children are addicted to technology created in California. Let’s clean up our mess

Finally, California is enacting laws to protect children from social media addiction and the harms of smartphones. It's a welcome sign for many families that have endured tragedy or hardship.

By Samuel Chapman • September 30, 2024

Workers sort California income tax returns at the Franchise Tax Board office in Sacramento on April 18, 2017. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo

Commentary

Trump killed a tax break popular in California. Now he agrees with Pelosi and wants to restore it

Under then-President Donald Trump a popular federal income tax deduction was capped at $10,000 a year, costing Californians thousands of dollars. Now he's ready to cut the cap.

By Dan Walters • September 27, 2024

Flowers are placed along along the Pacific Coast Highway, after a crash that killed four college students and injured two others, in Malibu, on Oct. 19, 2023. Officials say police have arrested a 22-year-old driver on suspicion of manslaughter. Sheriff's officials say six pedestrians were struck along the Pacific Coast Highway, a few miles east of Pepperdine University. Photo by Richard Vogel, AP Photo

Commentary

Speeding alerts in California cars could prevent the type of accidents that shattered my family

A father whose children died in a car accident on a San Bernardino County highway is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill requiring automakers to add speeding alerts to new cars by 2030.

By Colin Campbell • September 26, 2024

An inmate stands against a fence at the Adjustment Center yard at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin on Dec. 29, 2015. Photo by Stephen Lam, Reuters

Commentary

Did California’s shift to counseling rather than punishing felons prevent later crimes? The data’s thin.

A new report on the success of California's "second chance" programs at discouraging felons from reoffending after Proposition 47 relies on diluted data.

By Dan Walters • September 26, 2024

A shirtless inmate, with shorts and tennis shoes, does a pull-up on a bar inside of an outdoor-cage in a prison yard in Sacramento. Fencing and razor wire is surrounds the entire cage.

Commentary

California lawmakers should be held accountable for gutting solitary confinement reforms

Several efforts to restrict solitary confinement in California, including a bill attempting to exclude pregnant people, have either been vetoed, killed or watered down. Reformers vow to keep fighting.

By Jack Morris • September 25, 2024

Students walk through campus at Sacramento City College on Feb. 23, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Hitch in higher ed master plan: California’s colleges still don’t work well together

California's master plan for the University of California, California State University and dozens of community colleges to work cooperatively never panned out. It's time to change it.

By Dan Walters • September 25, 2024

Nance Parry spends hours each day at home gazing in her computer while searching and applying for jobs at her home in Duarte. Dec. 6, 2021. Photo by Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters

Commentary

California will need more than just policy to prepare for an aging workforce

Without adequate workforce opportunities for older adults, their quality of life and California's economy could take a staggering hit. The challenge can’t be solved with policy alone.

By Tylor Taylor and Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza • September 24, 2024

Commentary

California’s expensive explosion of real estate fraud hits home

The real estate industry's embrace of online transactions, rather than hard copy documents, has given scammers opportunities for fraud costing homebuyers millions.

By Dan Walters • September 24, 2024

A "No Dumping. No Parking. No Trespassing." sign sits behind a double-chain-linked fence. A dilapidated, white, one-story building sits behind the sign. The area looks abandoned.

Commentary

As Caltrans sells homes it bought for defunct road project, some LA residents are being shut out

Caltrans road projects destroyed homes and sliced through neighborhoods often occupied by Black or Latino families. Now the agency is trying to repair the damage by selling back hundreds of homes.

By Denise Amos • September 23, 2024

A group of people gathers in front of an Amtrak train, protesting the closure of the Pittsburg-Antioch Amtrak station. They hold signs, including one reading "Stop the closure of the Pittsburg-Antioch Amtrak Station," and many are dressed in bright-colored shirts. The protesters raise their hands and chant in unison, displaying a sense of solidarity and urgency. The scene is set outdoors, with trees providing some shade, and a camera crew is visible in the background, capturing the moment.

Commentary

Unjust closure of Antioch Amtrak station deserves a closer look from California’s attorney general

The unprecedented decision by the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority to shut down the Antioch-Pittsburg Amtrak station deserves immediate legal scrutiny from the attorney general, a Bay Area transit advocate argues.

By Carter Lavin • September 20, 2024

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California