same as it ever was. lawmakers (this time in California) closing their decision-making to the press and thus the public. via @bystellayu.bsky.social

It’s hard to trace Google’s full influence when it does not publicly share its position on some bills, instead paying groups like the California Chamber of Commerce to influence legislators on its behalf. Good story by @khari.bsky.social and @bystellayu.bsky.social.

Updated the story with a statement from the company that is developing the project that seems have been the subject of this legislation.

Kamala Harris calls the fall of Roe "a huge issue on which the president was not seeking to lead," and says Biden"struggled to talk about reproductive rights in a way that met the gravity of the moment." www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

A bill proposed Monday night, just days before the end of the legislative session, would punch a very small hole in a landmark housing law passed earlier this year that appears to apply to one (1) proposed apartment building in the incoming Senate leader's district. calmatters.org/politics/202...

To be clear, last minute, behind-closed-doors policy switcheroos are a storied tradition in California. My colleague @bystellayu.bsky.social has been busy tracking them all down: calmatters.org/politics/202...

It's the most secretive time of year in Sacramento, where 3 Democrats privately negotiate final terms of hugely consequential bills. This isn't what voters pictured when they OK'd Prop. 54 in 2016 and Newsom & Munger Jr. were on the same side @bystellayu.bsky.social calmatters.org/politics/202...

Californians deserve to know what government is doing in their name. Too many legislative proposals would keep the public in the dark. calmatters.org/politics/202...

Taken: What happens after an LA immigration raid CalMatters spoke with a number of migrants about their arrests and detentions after the first weekend of LA raids. Their accounts raise potential legal questions about the government’s operation. calmatters.org/investigatio...

Newsom sues Fox News for defamation over coverage of his recent phone call with Trump. It's a move out of the Trump playbook, and some First Amendment groups immediately urged him to drop the case, @bystellayu.bsky.social reports: calmatters.org/politics/202...

"When is it OK for a president to use military forces on civilians in a state over the objections of their governor? "When that governor is Gavin Newsom, California Republican leaders say." Are you hooked? I'm hooked. Read more of @bystellayu.bsky.social's enterprising piece!

Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, a Fresno Democrat who led the state's expansion of MediCal access to undocumented immigrants, said on the floor just now he won't support the legislative budget deal, because it would still require undocumented immigrants to pay a premium to enroll in MediCal.

Court pauses Trump deployment of the National Guards, not yet on the Marines calmatters.org/justice/2025...

The Assembly Democrats who spoke in support of the bill used the term "weaponize" quite a lot, arguing the decades-old CEQA has been used for "lining pockets or advancing agendas" and that the environmentalist groups have "abused" the law as they sue to stop developments.

One of the major housing proposals this year by @buffywicks.bsky.social is up for a floor vote. The bill would exempt most urban housing projects from CEQA. It represents "one of the biggest, most important seismic changes" on housing, she said. Background: calmatters.org/housing/2025...

Legislative leaders said this session would all about making California more affordable, but they've been slow to pull together any concrete plans, @bystellayu.bsky.social reports calmatters.org/politics/202...

"Hundreds of drivers’ DMV records simply don’t list convictions for manslaughter or another crime related to a fatal crash...The apparent error means some drivers who should have their driving privileges suspended instead show up ... as having a valid license." calmatters.org/investigatio...

Lawmakers have introduced at least a dozen bills that would make it harder to confront local officials at public meetings, shield more information from the public and relax rules on financial reports, @sameeakamal.bsky.social and @bystellayu.bsky.social report calmatters.org/politics/202...

NEW from me: Former Assm. Evan Low concealed payments to Alec Baldwin to appear at his Lunar New Year fundraiser in 2020. His tech nonprofit picked up the tab. Low is facing a $106k fine pending final approval from the state’s campaign finance watchdog. calmatters.org/politics/202...

BREAKING: A federal judge rules the dismantling of USAID likely violated the Constitution and blocks Elon Musk's DOGE from further cuts.

In California, towing companies, storage yards and repair shops can sell your car to recoup their costs if you don’t settle your debts. Unclaimed profits go to the DMV, which has received millions of dollars over the past decade, @calireporter.bsky.social reports: calmatters.org/california-d...

Newsom is among many prominent California Democrats taking a more muted tone on immigration while working to preserve existing protections for immigrants in the state without legal authorization calmatters.org/politics/202... 📝 @bystellayu.bsky.social 📸 Fred Greaves

Eight years ago, during the first Trump term, California leaders publicly pushed for "sanctuary" policies. This time around, many of them won't even say the word, @bystellayu.bsky.social reports: calmatters.org/politics/202...

NEW: It's not just coders. DOGE is filled with lawyers, elite attorneys with conservative credentials. We have new names: www.propublica.org/article/elon...

Evan Low fundraised for a tech nonprofit run by his close allies, including his chief of staff. The state's campaign finance watchdog says it's found probable cause that the nonprofit made $113,000 worth of non-monetary donations to Low's campaign in 2020. Story: calmatters.org/politics/202...

California’s campaign finance watchdog agency found no violation for a group with a network of affiliated fundraising committees, which experts said was a strategy to get around contribution limits. The agency declined to share details. From @akoseff.bsky.social calmatters.org/politics/202...

All the talk about attaching conditions to California’s federal disaster aid have placed the state’s Republican members of Congress in a quandary: Do they fight for speedy, unconditional relief dollars? Or do they fall in line? cal.news/3PT4kR5 📝 Yue Stella Yu

Evacuations were ordered on Wednesday for remote communities near a new fast-moving wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles, as Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend. apnews.com/article/cali...

As California gears up for legal challenges against the Trump administration, what's been the state's record in court? CalMatters' @ab-ibarra.bsky.social and Ben Christopher lay it all out: calmatters.org/politics/202...

Ben answers a question I've had for so long: Why do we keep building in wildfire-prone areas? It's a matter of balancing housing needs and wildfire safety: calmatters.org/housing/2025...

California legislative Republicans holding a press event calling for a special session to “fire-proof” California and address the devastating wildfires in LA. Republicans have slammed Gov Newsom over the past week for the ongoing special session to “Trump-proof” the state.

All these people who betted on Romeo Doubs — Have some empathy please.

Again to the point where I don’t care if we win I just want the boys to be ok. Jacobs scored the TD after a bloody drive.

Jordan Love pls

Wtf how is that not Packers ball

Great arm punt Jordan

California’s whip-lash were-rich-were-broke-were-less-broke budget cycles are wild, to experience and cover. To catch up before Gov Newsoms $322 billion budget presentation read this mornings piece by @mzinshteyn.bsky.social & @bystellayu.bsky.social calmatters.org/politics/202...

Today, @governor.ca.gov's Department of Finance will unveil details of Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget of $322 billion. While the state is expecting $16.5 billion more in revenue, Newsom warned of uncertainties ahead. @mzinshteyn.bsky.social and I give a preview: calmatters.org/politics/202...

Latest major fire, the Kenneth fire, was only reported a few hours ago at 50 acres and has since grown to almost 1000.

INBOX: The state has deployed more than 700 out of more than 1,800 incarcerated firefighters participating in the state's Conservation Camps Program.

California’s wildfire season is now almost year-round. By our very own Julie Cart: apple.news/AgYHiVs31Tvq...

Devastating development after devastating development. 💔💔💔 Stay safe everyone. apple.news/Ay3pqcXBWQCu...

Please share/repost and add to this thread of local news resources for folks in LA affected by the wildfires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena/Pasadena, and more: 🧵

Gov. Gavin Newsom has canceled a trip to Washington for Jimmy Carter’s funeral as he deals with four fires burning in Los Angeles right now

INBOX: Newly retired Congresswoman Barbara Lee, an Oakland Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate last year, has now officially launched her campaign for Oakland Mayor.

Check out everything @davidmcswane.bsky.social did to report this story for @propublica.org: www.propublica.org/article/thom...

Biden administration bans cancer-causing solvent used in dry cleaning By contrast: The last Trump admin withdrew an Obama-era effort to ban some uses of the substance, called TCE thehill.com/policy/energ...