WhatMatters

A person, with short blonde hair, smiles and waves to a crowd of attendees while sitting on top of a car during a parade. The person wears a beige turtle neck with a blue jacket.

WhatMatters

Democratic infighting may spell trouble in quest to gain San Diego House seat

A former Republican stronghold in California has been redrawn to favor Democratic candidates — pitting Democrats against each other in a high-profile race to be the district’s next representative in Congress, report CalMatters’ Nadia Lathan and Deborah Brennan. After President Donald Trump pushed Texas Republicans to create five additional GOP seats in the U.S. House […]

By

Lynn La

• April 6, 2026

A child places an eye occluder on their right eye and looks forward as a doctor sits next to them during a vision exam.

WhatMatters

Report: CA school kids receive insufficient vision care

Though schools are required to check children’s vision starting in kindergarten, more California kids aren’t getting the continuing vision care they need compared to years past — raising concern among health experts. As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang reports, nationwide data suggests that at least one in four kids need glasses. But only a fraction of children […]

By

Lynn La

• April 3, 2026

Two people wearing blue windbreaker jackets hold and look down at federal snow sampler as rhey stand in the middle of a grass field with a light blanket of snow on top of it. A brown cabin, pine trees and a foggy sky can be seen in the background.

WhatMatters

Lackluster CA snowpack could intensify wildfire season

A lack of snowfall this past winter has California fire officials bracing for a potentially intense fire season, reports CalMatters’ Rachel Becker. State engineers conducted the annual April 1 snowpack measurement Wednesday, at Phillips Station south of Lake Tahoe. They reported that California’s snowpack at the end of the season was just 18% of average […]

By

Lynn La

• April 2, 2026

A person places their right hand on their chin while they contemplate which nail color they should get based on a nail display in front of them. A nail technician can be seen in the background giving the same person a pedicure.

WhatMatters

Federal loan problems for CA small businesses

Scheduling note: WhatMatters is honoring Farmworkers Day and will be back in your inboxes Thursday. Of all the states, California is home to the most small businesses, and has the largest immigrant population. But a recent rule change from the Small Business Administration could mean that the number of would-be owners of California restaurants, child […]

By

Lynn La

• March 31, 2026

A large, illuminated sign spelling "DATA" is suspended from the ceiling, with holographic numbers, plus signs, and other symbols hanging around it. The reflective installation casts colorful light patterns. In the foreground, a blurred figure wearing a blue jacket is visible, partially obstructed by a glass surface. The scene takes place in a modern conference or exhibition space with a high ceiling and metal framework.

WhatMatters

Big Tech joins Big Oil as big CA politics spenders

Big Tech spent $39 million to influence state politics last year, making 2025 a blockbuster year of spending for Meta, Google and other technology companies that want to push their agenda to California officials. As CalMatters’ Jeremia Kimelman explains, the upcoming election, disputes over artificial intelligence regulation and the growth of the cryptocurrency industry have […]

By

Lynn La

• March 30, 2026

A lawmaker stands on the Assembly floor holding a stack of papers, speaking with colleagues during a legislative session. The chamber’s desks and computer monitors fill the background as other lawmakers sit and confer nearby.

WhatMatters

Should it be harder for the public to access records?

Last year, Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco successfully pushed two pieces of legislation limiting state transparency. Now the Downey Democrat has another bill that would make obtaining government records harder for the public. As CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yu explains, Pacheco’s latest proposal would allow public agencies to charge an unspecified, uncapped fee to fulfill a public records […]

By

Lynn La

• March 27, 2026

A young boy lounges on a bed with a blue and white patterned blanket, holding a camera, in a softly lit bedroom decorated with family photos and a framed sign that reads "It's always better when we're together."

WhatMatters

Meta, Google lose $3 million social media case

A California jury directed Google and Meta to cough up a total of $3 million Wednesday in a landmark verdict in favor of a young plaintiff whose family claimed that the companies knowingly made their social media platforms addictive to teens. As CalMatters’ Colin Lecher explains, the case is one of a spate of lawsuits that […]

By

Lynn La

• March 26, 2026

Candidates stand at podiums on stage during a televised debate titled “The Race for California Governor,” while moderators sit at a desk to the side and an audience watches from the theater seating.

WhatMatters

CA Democratic governor hopefuls not bowing out

From CalMatters Capitol reporter Jeanne Kuang: Ten weeks before the primary election, California Democrats still haven’t narrowed down the field of candidates enough to reduce the chances of splitting the vote so much that two Republicans make it to the ballot in November. That’s what polling released by the Democratic Party on Tuesday showed, with […]

By

Lynn La

• March 25, 2026

A person places a pink envelope into a pink box set on a table during an election.

WhatMatters

Last-minute voter? The Supreme Court is coming for you

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week in a lawsuit that could affect elections for more than a dozen states, including California, requiring voters to send their mail-in ballots early. The dispute is over a Mississippi law that allows election officials there to count such ballots when they are postmarked by Election Day […]

By

Lynn La

• March 24, 2026

A person wearing sunglasses and a light shawl walks beside another person in a suit outside a courthouse, surrounded by reporters and TV crews holding microphones and cameras.

WhatMatters

FPPC investigates ex-Newsom chief of staff

From CalMatters politics and campaign reporter Yue Stella Yu: California’s campaign ethics watchdog has opened two investigations into Dana Williamson, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff indicted last November on bank and wire fraud charges, and her co-conspirators in the criminal probe. To catch you up: Federal prosecutors last year accused Williamson of falsifying […]

By

Lynn La

• March 23, 2026