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Más de una docena de mujeres, tanto actualmente encarceladas como anteriormente recluidas, hablaron con KQED sobre un patrón de abuso sexual y represalias que persiste en la prisión de mujeres más grande de California.
The Trump administration charged 28 immigrants with allegedly illegally voting or registering to vote in California in its latest push to hunt down voter fraud. Such cases are exceedingly rare and not proof elections are fraudulent.
Una investigación de CalMatters revela que el Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados (DMV, por sus siglas en inglés) permite que conductores profesionales se pongan al volante de sus camiones después de un accidente fatal.
CalMatters and Evident Media team up to investigate what happens to truck drivers in California after they kill someone on the road.
A CalMatters investigation finds that the DMV lets professional drivers get behind the wheel of their big rigs after a fatal crash.
Why do we vote on judges, and how are we supposed to decide? It’s a recurring question we’re hearing in our conversations with voters this fall. Judges aren’t exactly household names, although one on your ballot shares a name with a certain multiplatinum-selling musician. They generally don’t campaign, either. The…
More than a dozen current and formerly incarcerated women spoke to KQED about a pattern of sexual abuse and retaliation that persists at the largest women’s prison in California.
CARE Court changes judges’ role, says an appellate judge who presided over such a court. It requires judges to inspire trust and exercise empathy and relationship-building.
Los líderes de California quieren que los agentes de inmigración se mantengan alejados de los juzgados. Les preocupa que la aplicación de la ley impida que las personas testifiquen en juicios penales.
La administración Trump está exigiendo registros a los condados de Los Ángeles, Orange y San Diego mientras busca casos de personas que hayan votado por no ser ciudadanas estadounidenses.
California says closure would endanger tribal records, including boarding school files. Tribes say they weren’t consulted.
California needs to build a lot more housing. But to do that, it’s going to need a lot of money. Proposition 1 would enable the state to borrow $11.25 billion for housing, but where exactly would the money go if it passes? As CalMatters’ Marisa Kendall explains, Prop. 1 would fund housing for veterans, homeless
Automated systems — algorithms and artificial intelligence — often sway rental company decisions, leaving rejected families with little recourse.
The state has not investigated 26,000 of its 28,000 highest-risk Medi-Cal providers, the report says. Health officials dispute it.
Voters in these nine legislative districts are weighing in on particularly competitive races, made even more competitive by the flood of outside money pouring in to sway public opinion.
Rep. Adam Gray, a Democrat from Merced, won the closest House race in 2024 by just 187 votes. Now the GOP, which is hungry for a win in California, is spending millions to try and oust him.
Supporters say California desperately needs money to fund housing construction and make a dent in its homelessness and affordability crisis. Critics say bond financing isn’t the way to do it.
Tort wars are among the Legislature's oldest conflicts, pitting lawyers who file personal injury lawsuits and their allies against business interests and their insurers.
California leaders want immigration agents to stay away from courthouses. They worry enforcement will prevent people from testifying in criminal trials.
The Trump administration is demanding records from Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties as it looks for instances of noncitizens voting.
Stone Brewing’s Escondido site was one of many California breweries scheduled to close. Now, its original owners will revive it under a new name.
Aunque se les informa a los pacientes que pueden optar por no participar, los profesionales médicos a menudo no les dan instrucciones sobre cómo hacerlo. Para los pacientes interesados en optar por no participar, aquí les presento mis mejores consejos para comenzar.
Mi periplo incluyó un notario, un hospital que no respeta sus propias políticas y empleados que me dieron información errónea.
These days you can find Gov. Gavin Newsom on just about any media platform. With less than three months until he finishes his final term as California governor, you can catch Newsom on X picking fights with right-wing media, posting on Substack and interviewing guests on his podcast. As a potential 2028 presidential…
K-12 student test scores rose slightly last year, while enrollment numbers dropped.
Mayor Karen Bass, who’s fallen behind in recent polls, went on the offensive against City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a supporter-turned-challenger.
Prop. 4 would lift a ban that prohibits state and most local candidates from using public funding for their political campaigns. Proponents argue the mechanism helps more candidates run for office, but opponents are skeptical.
Gavin Newsom is preparing to leave office as one of the Democrats’ most prolific communicators. He’s transformed the governor’s press shop into a content-generating media operation.
Until Proposition 13, California voters let elected officials decide taxes and spending options. Now, 48 years later, money matters dominate the ballot box.
Even when patients are told they can opt out, medical providers often don’t give patients instructions on how. For patients who are interested in opting out, here are my best tips on how to start.
My journey included a notary, a hospital that won’t honor its own policies and employees that gave me wrong information.
Con la llegada de El Niño, California encontró 57 represas en malas condiciones o en condiciones insatisfactorias, y los reguladores aún no han sancionado a ningún propietario.
As tropical storms and El Niño usher in heavy rains to California, a new report finds that 57 dams across the state are in poor or unsatisfactory condition — posing a hazard to nearby communities, reports CalMatters’ Rachel Becker. The state auditor’s report, released Monday, said that aging dams “continue to pose a…
As El Nino nears, California found 57 dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition, and regulators have never yet penalized an owner.
If voters approve Proposition 38, the $8.4 billion bond would fund immunology and immunotherapy research. Half would go to an institute linked to a billionaire who supported the ballot measure.
Changing consumer tastes, market saturation and rising costs from tariffs has forced the closure of some of the most beloved craft breweries in California.
Much of the debate within the Democratic Party boils down to the degree to which a candidate rejects or embraces large corporate interests — like the insurance industry.
Los colegios comunitarios de California están tratando de desalentar la aplicación de las leyes de inmigración en los campus, pero no pueden hacer mucho para impedir que los agentes del ICE accedan a los espacios públicos.
El Valle de San Joaquín es el corazón agrícola de California. De repente, se ha convertido en el foco de una campaña de control migratorio que tiene a las comunidades en vilo.
La Proposición 45 cambiaría quién está a cargo de la construcción en California. Sus partidarios dicen que también aceleraría el proceso.
Preguntamos a los candidatos a gobernador de California, Xavier Becerra y Steve Hilton, cómo gestionarían los conflictos relacionados con el agua. El republicano se mostró a favor de aumentar la inversión en represas.
Roughly a mile north of San Francisco, on Alcatraz Island, thousands gathered in the early hours of Monday to celebrate Native American resilience, reports CalMatters’ Melanie Henshaw. The event, which took place on Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorates the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz from 1969 to 1971 by the…
Organizers and attendees at the twice-yearly sunrise ceremony criticized the governor’s vetoes of bills on water, sacred sites and missing and murdered Indigenous people.
The state’s boom-and-bust economy leads to budget volatility. Prop. 2 would double the state’s rainy day fund, lessening the need to chop costs.
California community colleges are trying to discourage immigration enforcement on campuses, but they can’t do much to bar ICE agents from public spaces.
We asked California governor candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton how they'd manage conflicts over water. The Republican endorsed more spending on dams.
The CEO of California's $126 billion high-speed rail project is on the hot seat after inspectors found $600,000 in spending on improper travel perks.
The governor announced his positions on most of the 14 propositions on the November ballot.
The San Joaquin Valley is California's agricultural heartland. Suddenly, it's the focus of an immigration enforcement campaign that has communities on edge.
Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Indigenous Peoples’ Day off and will return to your inboxes Tuesday. With more e-bikes on roads and sidewalks, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed three new laws that aim to strengthen safety for riders and pedestrians. One of the laws sets sidewalk speed limits and another cracks…
Prop 45 would shift who’s in charge of building in California. Supporters say it would also speed it up.
Two Democrats with differing approaches vie to regulate one of the biggest insurance markets in the world.
California's political system makes it difficult to get elected without personal wealth or wealthy donors. A psychology professor says a public financing system could empower better candidates.
The measure would require two-thirds of voters to approve any local special taxes, instead of the simple majority for citizen-led initiatives. Anti-tax advocates say it should be that hard for governments to tax Californians, but local officials say it could constrain funding for essential services.
Gov. Newsom signed a law allowing San Mateo County to restrict teens' access to e-bikes. It was inspired by fatal accidents in the Bay Area community.
Demanding better pay and a more flexible work-from-home policy, state workers in SEIU Local 1000 voted to authorize a strike as the union negotiates with Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Are election deniers and affiliated groups gathering evidence for a potential Stop the Steal 2.0 campaign in California? That was the question CalMatters reporters set out to answer earlier this year. We made requests in a sampling of geographically and politically diverse counties for logs from their elections…
There are two main questions to consider when evaluating bond measures on the November ballot. And the answers vary depending on the proposition.
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that would’ve given tribal governments a greater voice in water projects and in preventing the destruction of sacred Indigenous religious sites on state land.
California election skeptics filed dozens of public records requests. Some are soliciting donations from people who believe election results can't be trusted.
After the UC stopped requiring the SAT, some professors say students are coming in with weak math and writing skills.
Los grandes donantes republicanos están impulsando la medida de identificación de votantes de California con la esperanza de que su éxito, o fracaso, pueda revelar cómo pueden funcionar medidas similares en estados más moderados.
La Proposición 44 exigiría a las clínicas invertir más en la atención al paciente. El sindicato que impulsa esta medida es el mismo que apoya la propuesta de impuestos a los multimillonarios.
Connecting challenges across housing, food, energy, education, and care is this question: How can we ensure that the people most affected by public problems play a central role in shaping solutions?
Do clinics spend enough on patient care? The union behind Proposition 44 says no, and they want voters to decide. As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang explains, Prop. 44 would require community health clinics to spend 90% of their revenue on “program services” that provide charitable care to low-income and uninsured patients…
A media analyst warns that right-wing pundits are creating a dangerous environment where the reflexive rejection of negative election results is the new normal.
Proposition 44 would require clinics to spend more money on patient care. The union pushing the measure is the same one supporting the billionaire tax proposal.
Republican megadonors are boosting California’s voter ID measure in the hopes its success, or failure, can reveal how similar measures can perform in more moderate states.
Highlands Community and Technical Schools fue acusada el año pasado de malversar 180 millones de dólares.
Was it the second question on the Gray Davis recall that sealed the Democratic governor’s fate? That’s the question that asked who should replace Davis if voters gave him the boot. State law barred him from competing on that question. And that made him practically roadkill for the international supercelebrity who…
LAPD launched an internal investigation after a swarm of officers allegedly profiled and detained young men the day they were set to graduate from a second-chance program.
A suggestive new Hilton ad tries to seduce liberal voters into voting Republican — and instead infuriated his conservative allies.
Highlands Community and Technical Schools last year was accused of misspending $180 million.
California and dozens of countries want mandatory AI audits, conducted by AI evaluators. Lawmakers are still learning about the job — and its pitfalls.
El programa federal envía el dinero a familias de bajos ingresos cuyos hijos son elegibles para almuerzos escolares gratuitos o a precio reducido, o que reciben MediCal. Los beneficios expiran progresivamente este otoño.
Tras el fracaso de la moción de destitución del gobernador Gavin Newsom en 2021, los demócratas contaban con la voluntad política y el impulso necesarios para exigir cambios en el proceso de destitución. El resultado fue la Proposición 5, que forma parte de la boleta de votación de noviembre.
Los votantes de California no habían tenido que tomar tantas decisiones sobre política fiscal en las urnas desde 1994. Nuestro análisis muestra que los votantes rechazarán los nuevos impuestos.
With the election less than a month away, California county elections officials are beginning to send out mail ballots today. Five of the 14 statewide ballot measures are related to taxes, and if that sounds like a lot, you’re not imagining things: It’s the most tax measures voters have been presented with during a…
Following the failed 2021 recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democrats had the political will and momentum to call for changes to the recall process. What emerged was Proposition 5 on the November ballot, a measure to change the recall process.
California was the first state to ban pay toilets. A pitched return of the policy in San Diego shows how privatization is the best government can think to do today.
Many Democrats are hopeful that Randy Villegas, their congressional candidate in the traditionally conservative Central Valley, can prove that progressive ideas, like universal healthcare, are palatable outside of safe blue cities.
California voters haven’t had to make so many decisions about tax policy at the ballot since 1994. Our analysis shows voters tend to reject new taxes.
Tech billionaires funding PACs have enjoyed recent growth in personal and corporate wealth and are spending it to handpick the California Legislature.
The federal program sends the money to low-income families whose children are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches or who receive MediCal. The benefits are expiring on a rolling basis this fall.
The contest recognizes innovative digital storytelling amongst major media outlets, international and independent news websites, and individuals telling stories online.
The contest recognizes innovative digital storytelling amongst major media outlets, international and independent news websites, and individuals telling stories online.
California lawmakers passed a healthcare tax in June that could increase premiums by $100 annually, but groups representing doctors and insurers say it violates the law.
Un informe de 723 páginas, ordenado por el gobernador Gavin Newsom, concluye que los incendios de Los Ángeles desbordaron un sistema que nunca fue diseñado para una conflagración impulsada por el viento.
Los opositores a la Proposición 40 afirman que el impuesto a los multimillonarios permite a los legisladores modificar la medida con una votación de dos tercios y aplicarla así a todos los residentes.
Gov. Gavin Newsom this week claimed a major victory for CARE Court, his program to provide mental health treatment to Californians with serious conditions. Did it really help 10,000 people?"
The bill was inspired by a CalMatters investigation.
A 723-page review ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom finds LA fires overwhelmed a system never designed for a wind-driven conflagration.
A whistleblower pointed state investigators to an unnamed, high-ranking law enforcement officer who was using California’s statewide law enforcement telecommunication network to find the home addresses and vehicle information of a deputy district attorney, a county supervisor and six of his employees. The officer’s…
Regulating artificial intelligence emerged as a central issue in the first of two pre-election debates between the two Democrats vying to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills to reduce barriers and incentivize building affordable student housing in California. He has also signed a bill giving on-campus housing priority to students experiencing homelessness or who have been in foster care.
Prop. 40 opponents say the billionaire tax allows lawmakers to change the measure with a two-thirds vote.
Californians are dissatisfied with the present and sour on the future, but the Democratic Party can comfortably expect to maintain its hegemony.
After hundreds of AI “agents” participated in a cyber attack, industry leaders began seeking guardrails. California is beginning to set some.
Companies with more than $100 million in annual worldwide gross receipts will be required to search their records and submit sworn disclosures about slavery-related transactions.
The measure would have allowed the Office of the Inspector General that oversees the high-speed rail authority to hire more highly trained workers for audits and investigations.