Voices Spotlight
New California law will stop sheriffs from medically examining deaths in their own jails
Many jail deaths are preventable. To reduce bias and coverups, independent doctors will investigate deaths in custody, starting in 2027. Read more.
Series Spotlight
License to Kill
Read our investigative series on how California routinely allows dangerous drivers stay on the road.
EDUCATION
About College Beat
College Beat is produced by the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. Read more.
INSIDE THE NEWSROOM
What goes into our reporting on California’s biggest issues – how investigative stories come together, what challenges journalists face, CalMatters’ latest plans and more.
Nonpartisan, independent California news for all
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Our journalists are here to empower you and our mission continues to be essential.
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We are focused on California issues. From the environment to homelessness, economy and more, we publish the unfettered truth to keep you informed.
We hold people in power accountable. We probe and reveal the actions and inactions of powerful people and institutions, and the consequences that follow.
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JUSTICE
Investigation
They were convicted of killing with their cars. No one told the DMV
A CalMatters investigation found that courts didn’t report hundreds of vehicular manslaughter convictions, prompting officials to belatedly take many drivers’ licenses.
HEALTH
Series Spotlight
No Deliveries
Explore why hospitals are shutting down maternity wards, what this means for parents-to-be with limited options, and whether anything can be done to protect access.
POLITICS
Project Spotlight
Digital Democracy
Check out CalMatters’ custom-built AI tool that tracks every word spoken in public hearings, every dollar donated to politicians, every vote cast and more.
ENVIRONMENT
Series Spotlight
Lake Tahoe: A tarnished jewel
Lake Tahoe is an innocent victim — but there isn’t just a single villain. This series reveals the problems plaguing this alpine treasure.
ECONOMY AND TECHNOLOGY
Tech Spotlight
Why California backed off again from ambitious AI regulation
For the third year, the state delayed AI regulations for disclosing and appealing many automated decisions.
CALIFORNIA VOICES
Guest Commentary
Don’t demonize plastic food packaging. Recycled, it’s better for the environment than some alternatives
Plastics are the most sustainable option. Food suppliers are decades away from other material that performs as well at food safety and waste.
I crossed the border alone as a child. Here’s what I learned about family separation
To understand what mass deportations are really about, we must examine the systems that have long separated families of color across the Americas.
California’s data centers should be models of affordable, clean electricity
With thoughtful planning, California can gain new data centers in ways that benefit ratepayers, improve grid reliability and minimize environmental harms.
We want to hear from you!
Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? You can find our submission guidelines here. For questions, please email commentary@calmatters.org
DAN WALTERS
As gas prices soar, California’s new carbon emission rules prompt a war of words
With some California gas prices topping $5 a gallon, anything that pushes prices even higher, like emissions crackdowns, will become a political football.
CALIFORNIA DIVIDE
Inequality Insights
A statewide media collaboration to raise awareness about poverty and income inequality through in-depth journalism and community outreach. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.