Donald Trump

Preschool children line up in a classroom.

Education

Trump administration threatens to gut Head Start rules, affecting 70,000 kids in California

Head Start is a federal childcare program that serves the country’s lowest-income families — those earning less than $33,000 a year for a family of four.

By Carolyn Jones • August 5, 2026

An empty medical exam room contains an examination table with paper covering, a computer workstation, a stool, diagnostic tools mounted on the wall, and a blood pressure monitor on a rolling stand.

Health

Medi-Cal is changing. Here’s what to do if you’re worried about coverage

Most people with Medi-Cal won’t be affected, but it may be confusing to figure out whether your benefits will change. The two most important things to do: Update your contact information with your county benefits office, and keep an eye out for any letters mailed from the county or state.

By Kristen Hwang and Ana B. Ibarra • August 4, 2026

A woman wearing headphones films a scene with a video camera.

Health

How we told the story of Medi-Cal cuts through the people living them

Reporting on healthcare last year felt like tumbling through a hurricane. The changes were immediate and relentless. But we’re not done. If Medi-Cal has helped you or someone you know, or if you're worried about losing it, tell us your story. It may be part of what comes next.

By Kristen Hwang • August 4, 2026

A large detention facility complex sits behind tall chain-link fencing topped with coils of razor wire.

Justice

Court: Trump’s immigrant mass detention policy contradicts 30 years of precedent

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Trump administration's policy of refusing bond hearings to most unauthorized immigrants who are detained in the interior of the United States.

By Adam Ashton • July 30, 2026

Three workers in hard hats push down on a large slingshot as others watch on from a dense forest.

California Wildfires

California can’t replant its forests fast enough to keep up with wildfires

California's wildfires are destroying forests faster than the state can replant them, and federal cuts are making the gap worse.

By Rachel Becker • July 24, 2026

People sitting in front of a tables sort through crates of mail-in ballots inside a room at a voting processing building.

Politics

California sues Trump over emergency funding rules that pressure states on elections

The Trump administration wants to link emergency preparedness grants for states to its preferences on immigration enforcement and the administration of elections.

By Lynn La • July 23, 2026

A sign for the CoreCivic California City Immigration Processing Center stands outside the facility as a bus drives past in the background.

Justice

What the sale of 2 ICE detention centers reveals about Trump’s new immigration strategy

The Trump administration is trying to lock down immigration detention capacity in California despite opposition from the state's Democratic leaders.

By Wendy Fry and Nigel Duara • July 22, 2026

A gloved laboratory worker adjusts a handheld micropipette at a lab bench with scientific equipment in the background.

Higher Education

White House admits it used keywords to kill billions worth of California research grants

The Trump administration cancelled $2 billion of research grants to University of California professors. Their legal team says it has proof that those terminations were unconstitutional.

By Mikhail Zinshteyn • July 21, 2026

Housing

Here’s what the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ federal housing bill means for California

The federal housing bill does a lot of little things. Supporters hope it will put a dent in both California and the nation's housing shortage.

By Ben Christopher • July 10, 2026

A sign for the CoreCivic California City Immigration Processing Center stands outside a secure detention facility surrounded by razor-wire fencing in California City.

Justice

Private prison company sells two of California’s immigrant detention centers to the feds

Private prison company CoreCivic will continue operating two large ICE detention centers in California after selling the properties to the Department of Homeland Security.

By Wendy Fry and Nigel Duara • July 6, 2026