How to fix a ‘giant county bureaucracy’: San Diego County debates competing charter reform plans

San Diego County wants an ethics commission and fiscal watchdogs. LA County is adding more supervisors. Both want better budgets. How California counties are updating their charters.

Californian criminal suspects can trade prison for psychiatric care. Is it working?

Californians accused of crimes can receive mental health treatment rather than prison time. Lawmakers are revamping the rules following reports of violent offenses.
CalMatters

California’s new plastic recycling rules spark fights from all sides

Under new rules, plastic producers have to cut single use plastic, increase recycling rates and pay $5 billion to remedy harms from plastic pollution. Plastic producers have until June to come up with ...
CalMatters

California has 6 weeks of gas supply. After that, it gets expensive

At $6 a gallon, California drivers are paying the highest gas prices in the nation. Gasoline supplies look stable for the next six weeks but are uncertain after that as California leans more on ...

Panicked California Democrats are pushing a risky strategy: Wait ’til the last minute to vote

Liberal California activists are urging Democrats to wait until the last minute to vote in the race for governor, then ...
CalMatters

California voters are about to elect a new state superintendent. It’s barely on the radar

Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for WhatMatters to receive the latest news and commentary on the most ...
CalMatters

Governor YIMBY: In California’s unsettled race, most candidates see eye-to-eye on housing

Apartments under construction in Castro Valley on Feb. 6, 2024. The project was funded by a 2018 bond to create affordable housing for homeless residents experiencing mental health issues. Photo by ...
CalMatters

Secret ingredients in your food can make you sick. A proposed California law would reveal them

Shoppers at a grocery store in Daly City compare food items on July 31, 2025. Photo by Shae Hammond, Bay Area News Group Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering ...
CalMatters

Democratic legislators weigh new taxes and blame Trump for California’s deficit

Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media while unveiling his revised 2025-26 budget proposal in Sacramento on May 14, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit ...
CalMatters

Canvas hack exposes cybersecurity flaws across California’s universities

A student’s laptop displays a maintenance screen as they try to log into Canvas at Panera Bread in Stockton on May 7, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters Welcome to CalMatters, the only ...
CalMatters

Robert Howell

Robert Howell is the longtime president of a cybersecurity equipment manufacturer in Silicon Valley, and is running for insurance commissioner as a self-described “Reagan Republican.” He narrowly eked ...

How California’s 2 biggest pension funds became a battleground for Trump politics and more

Should California pension funds invest in fossil fuels? How about Tesla and Palantir? Those debates are playing out at CalPERS and CalSTRS.