Explainers

Gov. Gavin Newsom has hundreds of bills to sign or veto before the Oct. 13 deadline, on everything from oil drilling to immigration raids and antisemitism in schools.

As climate change warms the planet, wildfires have become so unpredictable and extreme that new words were invented: firenado, gigafire, fire siege — even fire pandemic. California has 78 more annual “fire days” — when conditions are ripe for fires to spark — than 50 years ago. When is California’s wildfire season? With recurring droughts, […]

Half the state's households struggle to afford the roof over their heads. Here’s what you need to know about one of California’s most vexing issues.

California has used the Affordable Care Act to make health insurance available to almost every resident. It now has a record high insured rate, although millions continue to go without health care.

For California laws, the buck does really stop at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. While the Legislature approved hundreds of bills before ending its regular session on Aug. 31, Newsom decides whether they become law.  He finished on Sept. 30 — and vetoed about 18% of nearly 1,000 bills passed in the final days (and nearly […]

California voters will decide 10 propositions in November. Here’s what you need to know about them, how they got on the ballot and how direct democracy works in the state.

California's minimum wage is among the highest in the nation but the state's high cost-of-living strains even full-time workers.

The true cost of college in California depends on how much financial aid students qualify for and the cost of housing where they attend.

How bad is California hunger? A lot depends on your access to food aid, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic but is being reduced.

California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations is handing lawmakers dozens of recommendations, including a proposal that the state apologize for slavery and racist policies, and make financial amends.