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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

A stone sign reading “Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Plaza” stands in a landscaped urban area, with smaller text noting the City of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation. Sunlight casts soft shadows across the engraved lettering, while nearby buildings and greenery appear in the background.

WhatMatters

Scrubbing César Chávez from California

I’m CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow, and I’m pinch hitting for Lynn today. No more César Chávez Day, California. Democratic leaders said Thursday they’re going to fast-track legislation to rename the March 31 holiday “Farmworkers Day.” The move came a day after the New York Times published a bombshell investigation into allegations that the once-beloved farmworker’s […]

By

Lynn La

• March 20, 2026

A black-and-white image shows a person speaking passionately into two microphones, mouth open mid-sentence and one hand raised in emphasis.

WhatMatters

César Chávez sexual abuse revelations reverberate across CA

I’m CalMatters reporter Adam Echelman and I’m subbing in for Lynn today. Multiple women, including Dolores Huerta, said they endured sexual abuse at the hands of California icon César Chávez. The abuse detailed by these women came out in a New York Times investigation published Wednesday. Two of the women were children at the time […]

By

Lynn La

• March 19, 2026

WhatMatters

Border Patrol’s year of unchecked force

I’m CalMatters reporter Adam Echelman and I’m subbing in for Lynn today. Border Patrol agents have been roving from city to city, far from their home bases in California and elsewhere along the U.S./Mexico border, over the last 15 months, engaged in an unprecedented mass deportation campaign. CalMatters, along with partners Evident Media and Bellingcat, has […]

By

Lynn La

• March 18, 2026

WhatMatters

What will happen to volunteers who escorted students protesting ICE?

I’m CalMatters reporter Adam Echelman and I’m subbing in for Lynn today. After students walked out of school to protest ICE back in February, the Clovis and Los Angeles Police Department threatened to arrest adults who helped them leave. No charges have been filed yet, but Alfred Aldrete expects a call from the police any […]

By

Lynn La

• March 17, 2026