Gavin Newsom’s last-minute wildfire plan hits friction in Capitol
CalMattersby Lynn La26 Aug 2026
Comparing utility companies to terrorists, Democratic state lawmakers are pushing back against Gov.
CalMatters
calmatters.orgadded August 2026
top 63%Parents of transgender kids say California is ‘unprepared’ as feds cut off their healthcare
CalMattersby Kristen Hwang26 Aug 2026
IN SUMMARY - Lawmakers say the Medi-Cal program needs $10 million to pay for gender-affirming care for minors after the Trump administration cut funding.
Opinion | California's political battle over key environmental law brews on two fronts
CalMattersby Dan Walters26 Aug 2026
Business as usual in California politics always includes at least one squabble over the California Environmental Quality Act, a law signed 56 years ago by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan.
Opinion | UC should examine how it sorts students by campus
CalMattersby Prasad Krishnamurthy26 Aug 2026
The University of California is once again debating whether to use standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT in undergraduate admissions.
Solano supervisors say no to a shipyard deal for billionaire-backed California Forever
CalMattersby Kate Wolffe and Yue Stella Yu26 Aug 2026
In summary Supervisors rejected a California Forever plan backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow construction of a shipbuilding facility in Solano County.
Newsom wants to ease utilities' wildfire costs. Lawmakers are balking
CalMattersby Jeanne Kuang and Levi Sumagaysay26 Aug 2026
In summary Gov. Gavin Newsom is rushing a plan to provide financial relief to utilities facing massive lawsuit payouts because of California wildfires. Some lawmakers are fighting it.
CalMatters sues UCLA over refusal to disclose athlete payments
CalMattersby Lynn La25 Aug 2026
We know two of California’s top public universities are paying tens of millions of dollars a year to student athletes, and now CalMatters is suing to find out the details of how taxpayer dollars...
Opinion | California's local governments rush to ask for tax increases before voters get the chance to curb them
CalMattersby Dan Walters25 Aug 2026
November’s ballot is dominated by measures that would alter how California levies taxes, including one that would make it more difficult for local governments to gain voter approval of tax hikes.
Trump cuts hit federal forests, and California is spending billions to fill the gap
CalMattersby Rachel Becker25 Aug 2026
IN SUMMARY - As fire season takes hold, California is managing fuels and fire on federal lands. - Does California have the money to keep this up?
Opinion | Counting votes quickly and accurately are not mutually exclusive. Here's how California can do it
CalMattersby Don Wagner25 Aug 2026
California is the home of the artificial intelligence boom, smartphones and some of the most valuable technology companies on earth.
A California sheriff seized 650,000 ballots. Justices are skeptical of his defense
CalMattersby Ben Christopher25 Aug 2026
In summary Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was at the California Supreme Court Monday as his attorney argued he acted within his authority in seizing 650,000 ballots.
Child sex abuse survivors urge California lawmakers to reject limits on lawsuit payouts
CalMattersby Maya C. Miller24 Aug 2026
In summary California counties and school districts have been flooded since 2019 with lawsuits from people who say they were sexually abused as children in schools, foster care and juvenile...
CalMatters sues UCLA over its refusal to disclose details of payments to athletes
CalMattersby Adam Echelman24 Aug 2026
In summary Universities have refused to share information about the money they’re giving student athletes.
Fight all fires or let some burn? Trump wildfire strategy ignites pushback
CalMattersby Mikhail Zinshteyn24 Aug 2026
Hotter, wilder and more destructive fires in America’s dry West are forcing a reckoning in how to manage the blazes, prompting a cascade of disagreements between the Trump administration and some...
As wildfires rage, California braces for Trump's firefighting overhaul
CalMattersby By CalMatters Staff and partners24 Aug 2026
Four firefighters, two helicopter pilots and a contractor bulldozing a fireline have died in Colorado, Utah and Oregon this year.
The 10 a.m. rule is back — and fire experts are worried
CalMattersby By Robert Chaney, Montana Free Press and Mountain Journal24 Aug 2026
Wildfires once ran on deadlines. After a series of catastrophic blazes in the early 20th century, the U.S. Forest Service sought to show it was able to control and protect forests under its care.
Opinion | California must grow ‘connective tissue’ to better link employers to young people seeking careers
CalMattersby Alysia Bell24 Aug 2026
Ask a Los Angeles employer whether they’d give a young person their first real shot at a career and most would say yes.
In California’s biggest cities, Turner’s Outdoorsman is a top source of crime guns
CalMattersby By Aaron Mendelson for The Trace21 Aug 2026
In summary A new report from the California Department of Justice adds to concerning pattern documented in previous reporting by The Trace.
Deadly e-bike accidents shape Bay Area test
CalMattersby Lynn La21 Aug 2026
Near-misses with a kid whizzing by on an electric bicycle may be a common nuisance these days, but some incidents can end in tragedy.
Homeless counts dropped in these California counties this year
CalMattersby Marisa Kendall21 Aug 2026
California reduced its official homeless count in 2025 after years of increases. Now, preliminary data for 2026 shows many places in the state are continuing to make progress.