San Francisco

Capitol

Legislator needed to introduce Ellis Act reform bill to protect the state’s most vulnerable tenants

Why do California legislators allow elderly, disabled and other long-term tenants to be evicted by real estate speculators?

By Guest Commentary • January 4, 2021

Economy

The show must go on. But will it after the pandemic?

California’s dancers, musicians and other performers have lost their audience to a pandemic. Some may never return to the stage even when the patrons are back. Marica Kumayama Petrey had put eight months of pre-production work into the live debut for her first album with a new pop/rock band, Girl Swallows Nightingale, planned for March. […]

By James Bikales • December 22, 2020

Housing

How the remote work revolution could change California’s housing crisis

A huge number of people have been working from home for the better part of the year. The long-term implications for housing will likely benefit higher-earning workers and hurt lower income Californians.

By Matt Levin • December 21, 2020

WhatMatters

Unions, cities square off over raises, layoffs

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, December 16. Big budget deficits Even as California cities face yawning budget deficits, many are still on the hook for raises promised to public employee unions — leaving local governments with little choice but to lay off employees or slash services. With Congress gridlocked over a relief package, the cities […]

By Emily Hoeven • December 16, 2020

California Divide

Real estate prices soar during pandemic, climbing 25% in parts of California

When Colette Barss sold her Seaside home this spring, her new east Garrison-area home had been sitting on the market for about 190 days. She ended up buying it for about $60,000 under asking price.  Today, that would be extremely unlikely.  The price of real estate has soared across the country since the pandemic, and California isn’t immune. […]

By Kate Cimini • December 5, 2020

WhatMatters

Schools unlikely to reopen in January

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, December 3. Calls to prioritize teacher vaccines It’s the question on everyone’s minds: When will Gov. Gavin Newsom announce a new stay-at-home order? The governor hasn’t made a public appearance since Monday, when he said he planned to be “ubiquitous” during “an incredibly important week in the history of this […]

By Emily Hoeven • December 3, 2020

Elections

In the Bay Area, hope and anxiety

As President Trump and his supporters moved to stop the counting of mail-in votes in key battleground states yesterday, local activist groups greenlighted rallies in several Bay Area cities. Their message was simple: count every vote. Anxious, scared, but cautiously optimistic, hundreds of protesters peacefully gathered in parks and plazas in the aftermath of an […]

By Brian Howey and Steven Rascón • November 5, 2020

Elections

Prepared for the worst, California’s election went OK

California prepared for the worst but voters largely were masked and socially distanced, and unrest was limited to isolated protests.

By Lewis Griswold and Michael Lozano • November 4, 2020

CalMatters en Español

Preparado para lo peor, la elección de California salió bien

California se preparó para lo peor, pero los votantes en gran parte estaban enmascarados y socialmente distanciados, y el malestar se limitó a protestas aisladas.

By Lewis Griswold and Michael Lozano • November 4, 2020

California Divide

San Francisco voters approve first-in-the-nation CEO tax that targets income gap

Wealthy companies whose chief executive is paid 100 times more than their median worker will pay a higher gross receipts tax.

By Laurence Du Sault • November 4, 2020