San Francisco

Weighing technology and safety in a closely-watched decision, the California Public Utilities Commission agreed Thursday to allow more Waymo and Cruise self-driving cars to roam San Francisco’s streets.  After six-and-a-half hours of public comment, the commission voted 3-1 to permit the two companies to expand their driverless car operations, enabling them to charge passengers for […]

Tolls on San Francisco Bay Area bridges are rising sharply and that could affect the economy of a region still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 170,000 people are homeless in California. Some Democrats want to make the state the nation’s first to declare housing a human right, but opponents worry it would be costly.

Students at high-poverty schools pose challenges that can cause many newer teachers to leave. But some teachers with decades of experience stay at those schools because they believe they can make a difference in students' lives.

From CalMatters’ health reporter Kristen Hwang: Doctors and patients in California can rest assured that the abortion pill mifepristone is legal to prescribe and take — for now.  Late Wednesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the most significant part of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling last week out of Texas that the […]

Public transit agencies in California are struggling to avoid a "fiscal cliff" — and to persuade riders to return after the COVID pandemic. Advocates and legislators are seeking more state aid, but there are no simple solutions.

With little notice given to those working closely with the Californians who would be most impacted, a proposal announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom is once again leaving advocacy groups shocked and worried. During his State of the State tour in March, the governor announced that he plans to reroute money from the 2004 voter-approved Mental […]

For northern California housing politics, judgment day has come. Cities across the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area had until Wednesday to show state regulators how they plan to approve a sufficient quantity of housing over the next decade.  Some submitted their plans on time. Most did not. Some made an earnest effort to comply. Others […]

As California investigates businesses for wage theft, worker centers act as behind-the-scenes allies, helping convince employees to cooperate.

Economic warning signs are mounting in California — foreshadowing potentially tough budget decisions for the state officials and policymakers who emerge victorious from the Nov. 8 election. One particularly eye-popping statistic: Just nine companies headquartered in the Golden State went public in the first three quarters of 2022, compared to 81 during the same period […]