Fresno

A view of a person's back as they walk along a walkway through a parking lot. In the background is a white building surrounded by a chain-linked fence with barbed wire.

Justice

Raid or rumor? Reports of immigrations sweeps are warping life in California’s Central Valley

Rumors of immigration raids are changing life from Modesto to Bakersfield, with attendance down in the Fresno Diocese and some families afraid to go outside.

By

Nigel Duara

• March 31, 2025

Mental Health

California is spending billions on mental health housing. Will it reach those most in need?

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to see tangible results from the $6.4 billion mental health bond voters approved last year. Moving fast carries a risk of neglecting under-resourced communities.

By

Kristen Hwang

• March 6, 2025

Two uniformed officers stand on a sidewalk next to a makeshift shelter covered with a brown tarp. One officer gestures towards the tarp while the other observes. A person wearing a tan beanie and brown jacket stands behind the tarp, facing away. The background features a brick wall with patches of gray paint. Various personal belongings, including cardboard and tangled wires, are scattered on the ground.

Homelessness

‘Look, there’s nowhere else to go’: Inside California’s crackdown on homeless camps

It’s been eight months since the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed how cities in California and beyond can respond to homeless encampments, allowing them to clear camps and arrest people for sleeping outside — even when there’s nowhere else to sleep. The July ruling in the case Grants Pass v. Johnson upended six years of […]

By

Marisa Kendall

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Katie Anastas

• February 27, 2025

A woman wearing a black "San Francisco" hoodie and a face mask sits on a bench inside a courthouse, attentively listening to a female attorney in a black blazer. The attorney, holding a stack of documents, gestures as she speaks, engaging in conversation with the woman. The background consists of a beige marble wall and a wooden door.

Homelessness

They were arrested for sleeping outside while homeless. Now, these Californians are headed to trial

Lea esta historia en Español Wickey Twohands woke up early on the day he was scheduled to go on trial for sleeping outside. First, he dropped off all his possessions — a bedroll, blankets, clothes and some food — at a friend’s house for safekeeping. Then the 77-year-old caught a bus to the courthouse in […]

By

Marisa Kendall

• February 25, 2025

A person in a suit speaks at a podium labeled "GOOD-PAYING JOBS," gesturing with one hand. Behind them, two individuals stand near informational boards with text and graphics. The setting appears to be an indoor event space with industrial lighting.

Economy

Gavin Newsom vows to ‘leave no region behind’ on California jobs

Gov. Newsom touts the first of 13 regional plans to boost economic development across the state, which will go into a statewide blueprint to be released in January.

By

Levi Sumagaysay

• November 21, 2024

A road sign announcing the closure of the Emergency Room and Madera Community Hospital outside the main entrance on Jan. 2, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Health

A bankrupt California hospital left a health care desert. Two medical groups move to reopen it

The closure of Madera Community Hospital created a new health care desert in a community that already had fewer doctors per capita than other parts of the state. UCSF and Adventist have a plan to reopen it.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• February 8, 2024

Gaston Middle School in Fresno. Image via Fresno Unified School District

Commentary

The fate of Fresno’s dicey school construction deal could affect projects across California

A decade-long legal dispute over the construction of a Fresno middle school seems to be reaching a climax. The outcome could affect other school construction projects in California.

By

Dan Walters

• February 2, 2024

A construction site for a segment of the high speed rail in Fresno on Oct. 20, 2023. Construction has started a 171-mile starter segment connecting Central Valley’s Bakersfield and Merced. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Commentary

From ‘train to nowhere’ to Fresno’s dream: What high-speed rail means for the Central Valley

If you listen to California’s political class, the high-speed rail project sounds like a textbook boondoggle. Yet in communities across California’s farm belt, the discourse is different. High-speed rail isn't "a train to nowhere" – it's a symbol of transformation.

By

Yousef Baig

• January 9, 2024

Students walk through the Fresno State campus in Fresno, on Feb. 9, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

College Beat

Cal State student workers get the OK to hold a union vote

Student workers at the 23-campus system say their pay is low, their hours are restricted and they get no sick pay. They are hoping to join the employees union to fix that.

By

Helena San Roque

• October 3, 2023

Downtown Fresno on June 17, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

California Divide

Why Fresno? This California downtown has a $250 million earmark in Gavin Newsom’s budget

The money will go to infrastructure, parking, and other investments city leaders say would lure residential developers to downtown.

By

Nicole Foy

• June 7, 2023