exclude module

Black and white photograph of the tombstone of Joseph R. Ramirez, displaying three images of him set against a background of clouds; the gravestone includes his name and birth and death dates; in front of the marker lie several stones, a bouquet of flowers, and a memorial plaque

Investigation

They were convicted of killing with their cars. No one told the California DMV

A CalMatters investigation found that courts didn’t report hundreds of vehicular manslaughter convictions to the DMV, prompting officials to belatedly take many drivers’ licenses.

By

Lauren Hepler

and

Robert Lewis

• June 25, 2025

Three workers in full-body protective gear and helmets walk along a street carrying sandbags and compost filter socks as they work on various erosion, flood, and debris control efforts. In the background, a car drives past the work along the street, and a row of trees is behind the workers.

Commentary

Gutting AmeriCorps weakens California’s response when the next emergency strikes

After the federal government cut funding for AmeriCorps, dozens of California emergency response workers were abruptly removed from service. Many were in the field in L.A., helping the region recover from deadly wildfires.

By Lauren Levitt • June 4, 2025

Cars and shuttle vehicles drive through the drop-off section of the Los Angeles International Airport. Two people can be seen grabbing their luggage as they exit a white shuttle nearby.

Commentary

Los Angeles travelers will finally get to ride Metro rail to LAX. Soon. Probably.

For Angelenos, the most terrifying words in the English language are "Hey, can you give me a ride to LAX?" After decades, the airport will soon connect to L.A. Metro. Probably.

By

Jim Newton

• April 17, 2025

Black and white photograph of a roadside memorial of a cross, candle and flowers placed at the base of a stop sign in a rural intersection

Investigation

License to Kill

The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again.

By

Robert Lewis

• April 14, 2025

Tinisch Hollins, vice chair of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee, speaks to attendees at a rally in support of reparations in San Francisco in 2023. Photo by Lea Suzuki, San Francisco Chronicle via AP Photo

Commentary

‘He played them’: How a GOP reparations bill splintered supporters of California’s Black Caucus

Some reparations advocates are pulling their support of California's Legislative Black Caucus agenda. It signals a growing rift in the movement, and allowed one of the Capitol's most controversial figures to pounce.

By

Denise Amos

• April 2, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom, surrounded by a crowd of reporters, speaks in the spin room after a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta on June 27, 2024. Photo by John Bazemore, AP Photo

Commentary

I judged Gavin Newsom’s podcast before listening. Then I realized I was part of the problem

After seeing the headlines about Gavin Newsom's podcast, a longtime policy expert assumed the worst. Then she listened and discovered a model for the type of political discourse desperately missing today.

By Nanette Star • March 26, 2025

A bird's eye view of a person snorkeling on the surface of a lake while holding an ipad on their right hand. Rocks in various sizes can be seen through the light blue and clear water.

Environment

The high cost of fixing Lake Tahoe: Famed alpine lake still murky after decades of efforts

Billions of state and federal dollars are spent on Lake Tahoe. But is all this attention actually protecting this unique treasure? Pollutants pour in, while development continues. Funding has shifted in focus to tourism and traffic projects, while money spent directly on fixing the lake has declined.

By

Julie Cart

and

Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett

• March 19, 2025

An aerial view shows a winding mountain road lined with vehicles, stretching through a landscape of burned and partially regrown forest. Scattered evergreen trees stand among barren, charred trunks, remnants of a past wildfire. A smaller dirt road branches off from the main highway, curving through the rugged terrain. The contrast between the burned trees and areas of surviving greenery highlights the ongoing recovery of the landscape.

California Wildfires

‘It will not be survivable’: Lake Tahoe region could be a deathtrap during major wildfires

Evacuating the Tahoe basin in summer could take 14 hours, and 99% of properties are at risk — yet new resorts are being built in high-danger fire areas.

By

Julie Cart

• March 19, 2025

A person in a white dress shirt and sunglasses sits on the back of a vehicle and shakes hands with someone in a white hat holding a rainbow flag during a parade. In the back group is a group of spectators behind a barricade, watching the parade.

Commentary

Gavin Newsom made it clear to California’s LGBTQ community where he actually stands

Instead of leading with a vision of California many people actually want, Gov. Gavin Newsom has decided to scapegoat trans people for an imagined Midwest voter in a future presidential run, says a queer Sacramento parent.

By Tori Truscheit • March 13, 2025

A sidewalk and accessibility ramp lead toward a modern building with large windows, while in the background, a red and white building with a sign reading 'Taboo Gentlemen’s Club' is visible. The scene is framed by green shrubs and a metal railing, with a setting sun casting warm light on the structures.

Commentary

When I lived in a California homeless shelter, my hope turned into despair

An unhoused man who lives in Orange explains why he and many other Californians who lack a permanent home are so reluctant to stay in shelters.

By Patrick Hogan • February 25, 2025

Exclude Module