San Francisco

Commentary

Why California libraries are ditching fines on overdue materials

Libraries are concluding fines for overdue material do more harm than good. Overdue fines accumulate and block access for low-income residents, the people who need libraries the most. And fines don’t work that well to prod people to return books. Better ways exist that don’t block access for people who need it.

By Guest Commentary • February 28, 2019

Economy

Explore the fate of local housing measures across California with our interactive map

California's housing crisis dominated ballots up and down the state. Here's a roundup of some of the most important local housing initiatives on the ballot, from an Airbnb ban in Lake Tahoe to efforts to rebuild the Wine Country after last year's fires.

By Elizabeth Castillo and Matt Levin • November 9, 2018

Economy

As Gavin Newsom becomes governor, how he could shape California’s future—issue by issue

Now that California voters have given Gavin Newsom the job he has sought for eight years, he is about to discover that winning was the easy part. Here's his plans for California's most pressing issues.

By CalMatters Staff • November 6, 2018

Politics

Behind the smile: Why Gavin Newsom is striving for his next “Big Hairy Audacious Goal”

Critics call Gavin Newsom, the Democratic frontrunner to be California's next governor, starry-eyed and worse. But nobody could ever accuse him of not thinking big—or as he terms it, thinking "drastically."

By Ben Christopher • October 23, 2018

Newsletters

Brown passes a torch; SF’s new mayor

By Dan Morain • June 14, 2018

Housing

Making San Francisco’s gritty Tenderloin safer for kids

The Tenderloin is notorious for the homelessness on its streets and open drug use and sales. But it's also one of the only affordable neighborhoods left in San Francisco and is home to hundreds of low-income and immigrant families.

By Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED • May 31, 2018

Newsletters

Why is Cole Harris spending $2.2 million?

By Dan Morain • May 21, 2018

Housing

Your frequently asked California housing crisis questions—answered

A few months back, we created an explainer to answer two questions: How bad is California's housing crisis, and how did it get so bad? We tried to cover as much ground as possible—from affordable housing funding to Proposition 13 to why no one else in your apartment building cleans out the lint filter after using the communal dryer. But we knew we couldn’t get to everything. So we asked readers “What did we miss? What questions do you still have about California’s certifiably insane housing market that we didn’t answer?”

By Matt Levin • November 16, 2017

Commentary

Commentary: A tale of two regions: In California’s economy, North trumps South — for now

When two New York baseball teams, the Dodgers and the Giants, moved west six decades ago, their ancient cross-town rivalry merged into the equally intense – and equally long – competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco for economic, cultural and, of course, political dominance of California. As the second half of this year’s baseball […]

By Dan Walters • August 13, 2017

Health

Legal spots to shoot up illegal drugs? Why California may OK them

(Update: On Sept. 12, the Senate voted down AB 186. Its sponsor, Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, said “I am committed to finding a way forward next year.”) Many California communities could open centers inviting addicts to shoot up hard drugs under a little-noticed bill that has cleared the state Assembly and now awaits a vote on the Senate […]

By Laurel Rosenhall • July 26, 2017