Podcast

Justice

Episode One: Cycles

The first episode of Force of Law delves into how California got to this point, looking back at the decade since police shot and killed Oscar Grant in Oakland and the momentum created by last year’s death of Stephon Clark in Sacramento.

By Laurel Rosenhall • March 31, 2019

Justice

Cycles

The first episode looks back at the decade since police shot and killed Oscar Grant and the momentum created by last year’s death of Stephon Clark.

By Laurel Rosenhall • March 31, 2019

Justice

Coming soon: Force of Law, a new podcast on the debate over police shootings in California

After Sacramento police shot and killed Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man who was in his grandparents’ backyard, activists set out to change California law. They want to make it harder to legally justify police shootings. That’s sparked a heated debate in the state Capitol between the powerful police lobby and families whose loved ones […]

By Laurel Rosenhall • March 26, 2019

Housing

San Diego’s mayor explains why he became a “YIMBY”

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has a message for his fellow California Republicans when it comes to grappling with the state's housing crisis: Embrace more development.

By Matt Levin • March 14, 2019

Housing

Does “upzoning”—allowing taller, denser housing to be built—actually work?

A new, highly publicized study from a doctoral student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology casts doubt on whether "upzoning" actually results in more construction and lower housing prices.

By Matt Levin • February 22, 2019

Housing

Huntington Beach legislator: Newsom housing lawsuit “seemed like selective prosecution”

A conservative Huntington Beach legislator called a state lawsuit aimed at compelling the Orange County city to build more housing a "literal cannonball" from Gov. Gavin Newsom and said it "seemed like selective prosecution" when dozens of other California cities could be blamed for not doing their fair share to alleviate California's housing shortage.

By Matt Levin • February 8, 2019

Politics

Diverging bills aim to curb police shootings: Tougher legal standards vs. better training and policies

Negotiations have broken down between law enforcement and civil rights advocates on legislation to curb police shootings in California. The result? Competing bills.

By Laurel Rosenhall • February 6, 2019

Housing

Can Newsom build housing’s “missing middle”?

Gov. Gavin Newsom's housing budget tries to do a lot—including building way more housing for California's middle class.

By Matt Levin • January 25, 2019

Housing

Emergency Pod: Newsom’s audacious housing budget

There was so much housing news in Gov. Gavin Newsom's first budget proposal that Matt and Liam couldn't wait a week to talk about it. We don't get to everything Newsom wants to do, but we analyze some of the bigger developments.

By Matt Levin • January 25, 2019

Housing

Minneapolis just eliminated single-family zoning. Should California cities follow suit?

Minneapolis made national headlines earlier this month when the city council forced neighborhoods previously zoned only for single family homes to allow the construction of duplexes and triplexes. Is this the right cure for California's housing woes?

By Matt Levin • December 27, 2018