In summary

Highlighting all of CALmatters’ work over the past week

Recent Articles

When the next recession hits, will California be able to count on Washington?

By Judy Lin

California isn’t as prepared as it may seem for the next recession. And when the next pullback hits, the state may have to fight off red ink without a historically crucial ally: Washington, D.C.

For aging California, is the future Florida?

By Matt Levin

California is getting old. Within a decade, more than 20% of the state’s residents will be seniors—a higher proportion than currently resides in Florida, a state famous for its large population of snowbird retirees.

Amid the housing NIMBYs and YIMBYs, meet PIMBYs—’Parents in my Backyard’

By Matt Levin

A growing number of California seniors are building “in-law units” or “granny flats” and having their adult children move into their backyards—or vice-versa.

Breakdown: California’s mental health system, explained

By Jocelyn Wiener

With fresh political attention on mental health, advocates are hoping California embraces humane and effective ways of averting some problems and solving others.

How powerful lawmakers are killing California bills—without a peep

By Laurel Rosenhall

Democrats who lead legislative committees are using a powerful new tool to kill bills before they even get a vote. The trick? Simply doing nothing.

Rent control firebrand has no regrets

By Matt Levin

Michael Weinstein, rent-control advocate and president of the Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, had a rough time in Sacramento last week.

Commentary

California can make homes ready for the earthquakes that are coming. Here’s how

By Fiona Ma

The earthquake authority is able to retrofit about 2,000 homes a year through its Earthquake Brace + Bolt program. SB 254 bill would allow the authority to increase the number of retrofits to 25,000 per year, an unprecedented commitment to increasing our residential resilience.

Some bills are silly, and some are just dumb

By Dan Walters

Some legislative bills are silly, but one, allowing local governments to create their own banks, transcends silliness and is just plain dumb.

Six months after toxic smoke, health of immigrant workers still at risk

By Cynthia Buiza

We need to make quality health care affordable to everyone who lives in California, immigrants and people born in the U.S. alike. Removing exclusions to health care for undocumented Californians is one step on the road to an equitable and workable healthcare system.

Clean energy ideas must work for all Californians

By Jim Frazier

Lobbyists who earn six figures working for elite environmental groups and their 1-percenter donors can afford to buy Teslas. But low and zero-emission automobiles are still too pricey for most Californians.

Here’s how to overcome California’s health care workforce crisis

By Carmela Castellano-Garcia and Carmela Coyle

One of California’s great challenges is to make sure we have enough trained and qualified people to care for patients to address the increasing demand for health care services. Our health care workforce shortages pose a fundamental threat to people and the ability to live healthy, thriving lives that strengthen all of us.

U.S.-imposed tariffs on Chinese imports threaten California’s innovation economy

By Peter Leroe-Muñoz

The United States has unilaterally imposed a series of escalating tariffs on Chinese imports to pressure China to reform its unfair trade practices and slow China’s rise as a global tech power. This strategy has been ineffective. More troubling, it places California’s robust economy and innovation leadership at risk.

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