public health

Handguns on display at a gun shop in Fresno County on March 15, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Commentary

Education could be a critical tool to save more Californians from gun violence

Loaded and unlocked firearms are one of the primary causes of unintentional shooting deaths involving children. Given their effectiveness, the father of a victim says the state should invest federal money for prevention in public education campaigns for safe gun storage and red flag laws.

By

Guest Commentary

• August 11, 2023

Voters cast their ballot at a voting site at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento on June 7, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

WhatMatters

How California voters don’t look like their state

From CalMatters’ state Capitol reporter Sameea Kamal: California has taken a number of steps over the past decade to make voting easier: Mailing ballots to all registered voters, plus allowing early voting and same-day registration. Yet, the electorate hasn’t shifted to match the state’s growing diversity: Frequent voters are far from representative of the majority […]

By

Lynn La

• August 9, 2023

People wear hats and pins in support of former President Donald Trump during the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim on April 23, 2022. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters

WhatMatters

With Trump in mind, California Republicans change delegate rules ahead of 2024 primary

In a presidential year, California’s 2024 primary is in March instead of June, and the state is the biggest prize for the Republican nomination. Over the weekend, the state GOP changed the rules in a way that appears likely to boost former President Donald Trump and to make California the delegate “mother lode of the […]

By

Lynn La

• July 31, 2023

A doctor listens to a patient's heart beat at a clinic in Bieber, California on July 23, 2019. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

WhatMatters

CA health care: Premiums rising

It’s been a mixed bag for California residents seeking health reform. Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace for middle-income residents, announced on Tuesday that it would increase its premiums by nearly 10% in 2024 — the highest hike since 2018, writes CalMatters’ health reporter Kristen Hwang. Though federal pandemic aid had helped shield most […]

By

Lynn La

• July 26, 2023

A homeless man injects a Narcan nasal spray into the nose of a female addict who appears to be overdosed in Los Angeles on Aug. 25, 2022.Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo

WhatMatters

CA opioid epidemic: How we got here

With a death toll of more than 7,000 Californians in 2021, the opioid epidemic has become one of the state’s most vexing issues. The Legislature is considering several minor bills related to fentanyl — including creating an anti-fentanyl-abuse task force and increasing fines for dealers — but Republican lawmakers voice frustration that the state isn’t […]

By

Lynn La

• July 25, 2023

Drug test cups at the Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on July 20, 2023. OTOP uses innovative methods like reward incentives to combat substance abuse and addiction. Photo by Mark Leong for CalMatters

Health

How California is fighting meth with gift cards

California’s experimental new program targets methamphetamine addiction by rewarding patients with gift cards for negative drug tests.

By

Marisa Kendall

• July 24, 2023

A man living on the streets displays what he claims to be the synthetic drug fentanyl in the Tenderloin section of San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2020. Photo by Shannon Stapleton, Reuters

WhatMatters

Five hours in the California fentanyl crisis

On an average day in California, about 18 people die due to overdoses from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. That works out to nearly four people every five hours. In that same five-hour period, legislators on Wednesday heard the sad account of a grieving mother, analyses from local officials and researchers and even one admission […]

By

Lynn La

• May 25, 2023

Commentary

Black women in California need more than short-term solutions for maternal health disparities

Despite various investments and political action, maternal death rates have climbed in recent years, especially for Black women. California passed a law in 2021 to confront racial disparities in maternal and infant health, but advocates say there needs to be mechanisms for transparency and accountability and deeper investment.

By

Guest Commentary

• May 24, 2023

An unhoused person holds pieces of fentanyl in their hand in Los Angeles on Aug. 18, 2022. Use of the powerful synthetic opioid that is cheap to produce and is often sold as is or laced in other drugs, has exploded. Because it's 50 times more potent than heroin, even a small dose can be fatal. It has quickly become the deadliest drug in the nation, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP Photo

WhatMatters

Showdown on California fentanyl bills

During a dramatic hearing Thursday at the state Capitol, seven fentanyl measures finally received a verdict: Four bills passed, but the two most sweeping failed and a third was put on hold. Watching closely: Grieving families who lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning, recovering addicts and advocates for criminal justice reform. To get inside the […]

By

Lynn La

• April 28, 2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the media at a press conference at Hansen Ranches outside of Corcoran on April 25, 2023. Newsom addressed the areas flooded farmlands during the winter storms in Kings County. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

WhatMatters

Will California’s Big Melt be a slow-moving disaster?

Good news: California has a near-record snowpack in the Sierra, which could ease the impact of our deep drought. Bad news: There’s a heat wave coming this week. Really bad news: If the snow melts too fast, it could help cause devastating floods in the Central Valley. Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom went to Tulare Lake […]

By

Lynn La

• April 26, 2023

Public Health