Donald Trump

A firefighter in protective gear switches off a fire hydrant, spraying water next to a burned-down structure. In the background is the Pacific Ocean, with the last rays of sunset crossing the horizon with the blue sky.

Commentary

Trump doesn’t understand California’s complex water network. But that’s not the point

President Trump's wild verbal justifications for his fire-related executive order, calling for a complete overhaul of Delta water delivery to California farms, provides the illusion that problems are being solved when, in fact, they are festering.

By Robert Greene • January 28, 2025

A law enforcement officer uses a metal chain to detain a person in handcuffs. The person is facing away from the camera while standing near a truck and other law enforcement officers.

Justice

Trump wants to break California’s sanctuary state law: 5 things to know

One of President Trump's first executive orders threatened to withhold federal funding from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions. California is one of them.

By Ana B. Ibarra • January 28, 2025

Two individuals stand on an airport tarmac, engaged in an intense discussion. One person, wearing a dark button-up shirt, gestures emphatically while speaking. The other individual, dressed in a blazer and a cap with gold lettering, looks on attentively. A large aircraft and a clear blue sky serve as the backdrop, with microphones visible in the foreground.

Commentary

Why California’s fire response could make or break the careers of several politicians

Several political figures in California could face a make or break moment in their careers depending on how they respond to the Los Angeles County fires and the threats from the federal government to condition aid.

By Dan Walters • January 28, 2025

A collage-style illustration in teal and green tones that includes several cut-out images including: two judges hold a gavel, gray columns, justice scales and the seal of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Justice

Trump shifted the 9th Circuit to the right. What that means for abortion and reproductive care

President "Trump had a particularly significant impact on the 9th Circuit" in his first term, moving the reliably liberal appeals court to the right. That could influence abortion policy in the West.

By Kristen Hwang • January 27, 2025

Three individuals distribute supplies from the back of a pickup truck on a sunny day. One person, standing in the truck bed, hands a case of bottled water to another person carrying multiple cases. A third person in the foreground carries a large white bag. The background includes a street, utility poles, and residential buildings.

Politics

Why Trump’s conditions on LA fire aid put California Republicans in a tough spot

All the talk about attaching conditions to California’s federal disaster aid have placed the state’s Republican members of Congress in a quandary: Do they fight for speedy, unconditional relief dollars for wildfire victims in their home state? Or do they fall in line behind President Trump?

By Yue Stella Yu • January 27, 2025

The sea port of the city of Morro Bay on July 18, 2023. Morro Bay would have increase the size of its sea port when the state lease planned offshore wind farm is constructed. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Environment

Trump’s order won’t halt California’s offshore wind leases. But will it derail the industry?

The president’s order has no immediate effect on offshore wind leases already authorized, including two large areas off California’s coast. But it sends a current of uncertainty through the fledgling renewable energy industry, which relies on federal and state support.

By Julie Cart • January 24, 2025

Two individuals stand outdoors having a conversation. One person, dressed in a dark blue button-up shirt, gestures with their hands while speaking. The other, wearing a navy blazer and a black hat with gold lettering, listens attentively. The background features a blurred landscape with neutral tones.

Politics

Trump and Newsom embrace in fire-ravaged LA, but now the president wants to tie federal aid to voter ID

The president excluded Gov. Newsom from plans for his visit to fire-ravaged Los Angeles today, but the governor showed up on the tarmac anyway, and the two said they would cooperate. Trump's growing list of demands — and threats to block federal aid — won't make that easy.

By Alexei Koseff • January 24, 2025

A person in motion carries a large California state flag with a bear emblem and the words "California Republic." The flag billows prominently in the foreground, while a blurred crowd of individuals, many wearing white shirts, marches in the background on a sunny day.

Commentary

If California split from the US and became a nation, it would be comparable to Canada

Six in 10 Californians wouldn't mind if the state peacefully seceded from the United States, a poll by Independent California Institute shows.

By Dan Walters • January 24, 2025

A person leans over and reaches into an irrigation canal. Dirt lines the bank of the canal, as the stream flows away from the frame. The person is a farmer and is conducting a test of the water.

Commentary

Trump jumps back into California’s water wars with a pro-farmer decree

This week, when Donald Trump once again became president, he essentially sought to undo a recent agreement between federal and state water managers and reinstate his previous policies.

By Dan Walters • January 23, 2025

A person talks with then-President Donald Trump as they both walk through an area with burnt debris and structures destroyed by a wildfire.

Commentary

With the Trump-Newsom political feud back, the LA fires add a tricky new wrinkle

Gavin Newsom must choose between being the governor of California who does whatever is necessary to get the disaster relief his constituents are demanding, and a potential presidential candidate who resists Trump on every point and at any cost.

By Dan Walters • January 22, 2025