Donald Trump

A ground-level view of field workers picking watermelons in a green field filled with vines behind a tractor pulling a conveyor belt.

Economy

How fear of Trump’s immigration blitz is changing life in California farm towns

Tax receipts are down almost 30% in one California farm town, where immigrants are afraid to go out and some longtime workers are weighing self-deportation during the second Trump administration.

By Nigel Duara • November 24, 2025

Denise Padgette, of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, holds her granddaughter Lola Lopez during a celebration of California Native American Day at the state Capitol on Sept. 22, 2023. Photo by Miguel GUtierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Gov. Newsom and Pres. Trump tell the same inadequate tale about Native America

Political leaders talk about “heritage” but not “sovereignty” and see Native tribes as part of the past, not as governments operating now.

By Kerri Malloy • November 24, 2025

Three students walk across a schoolyard holding hands while other children gather and play in the background near portable classrooms and basketball hoops.

K-12 Education

Will California’s new K-12 antisemitism law make up for Trump’s civil rights cuts?

The new law aims to educate school staff and investigate discrimination complaints. It stems from a surge in antisemitic incidents in California following the Israeli attacks on Gaza in 2023.

By Carolyn Jones • November 21, 2025

A semi-truck carrying crops drives down the street during an early morning illuminated by the soft orange light of the sunrise.

Economy

Up to 61,000 truck drivers in California could soon lose their licenses. Here’s why

The Trump administration is cracking down on immigrants who drive trucks in California, creating new regulations and threatening to withhold millions in federal highway funding over alleged violations by the state’s DMV. Newsom says those allegations are a lie.

By Adam Echelman • November 20, 2025

Painted letters and numbers on the asphalt of a school as the feet and shadows of young children can be seen in the background.

Commentary

California’s early intervention for youngsters with special needs is a lifeline — hanging by a thread

Federal cuts to Medicaid will mean fewer slots, longer waits and fewer therapists at Early Start, a program for children and babies with special needs.

By Kelly Keck • November 17, 2025

People hold up various signs at a rally. One person holds a white sign that reads "I'd rather be in lab but the NIH cut my funding."

Higher Education

‘Unlawful coercion’: Trump can’t withhold funds or demand payment from UC, federal judge rules

The judge has previously sided with UC scholars several times since June in halting Trump’s termination of science and health research funding. The latest ruling is arguably the most sweeping yet.

By Mikhail Zinshteyn • November 14, 2025

A close-up view of the dashboard of an electric vehicle truck that displays a 75 percent battery indicator in neon green letters.

Environment

If Trump’s EPA abandons climate policy, could California take over on greenhouse gases?

Legal experts, including a former federal official and UCLA professor, say California could go it alone if the federal government stops regulating greenhouse gases. One reason to try is to protect the state’s clean-car economy.

By Alejandro Lazo • November 7, 2025