The latest Public Policy Institute of California poll of 1,578 adult Californians finds that 73% oppose the construction of data centers in their communities. cal.news/4feOTih 📸 Mario Tama

About 300 California programs may fail the test, including many cosmetology and some arts programs. cal.news/4fDaDpw 📸 Bob Chamberlin

Should Californians be allowed to sue a corporate monopoly? Why Some Democrats are worried Some Democrats are leery about stifling business if Californians are allowed to sue corporations over monopolization

How we reported on undercover police operations in California jails The California Supreme Court is reviewing convictions that turned on Perkins operations, which are stings orchestrated by police and prosecutors in jails.

University of California professors want the SAT back. Here’s a timeline of how that might happen Several University of California professors want the system to bring back the SAT for admissions. UC eliminated the test in 2020.

Opinion | California has seen what happens when technology platforms grow faster than public understanding. cal.news/4yj94UZ 📝 William Lu 📸 Erin Hooley, AP

We are grateful for CalMatters members, like Kathleen, whose donation powers our nonpartisan and independent voter guide and journalism. Please consider an extra gift today when donations can be matched dollar-for-dollar. cal.news/4wM34CI

District attorneys say the so-called Perkins operations are a powerful investigative tool to solve crimes or exonerate people. The practice has helped to secure hundreds of murder convictions. But critics say law enforcement has gone too far: cal.news/4ppYasL 📸 Sarah Reingewirtz

Opinion | One of the task force’s biggest wins was how it’s helped accelerate the return of beneficial fire to California’s landscapes. For a millennia, Native peoples used low-intensity fire to manage the landscape. cal.news/3RjQmfp 📝 Bradley Franklin & Kyle Greenspan 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

A contentious bill lawmakers are debating this year has them asking the question: Should Californians have the right to sue if a company is using unfair tactics to strangle its competition? cal.news/4bnzAmk 📸 Fred Greaves

'Psychological war’: Inside California’s expanding use of jailhouse stings He thought his cellmates were gang members. They turned out to be undercover agents.

More than 2,000 UC professors in science, technology, engineering and math have signed a petition urging the UC to reinstate the SAT or ACT as requirements for undergraduate admissions for STEM majors by fall 2027. cal.news/3RwYVnb 📸 Raquel Natalicchio

CalPERS just had one of its best years in a decade. Why it matters to taxpayers CalPERS recorded a double-digit investment return for a second consecutive year. The California pension fund hit 14.8% in 2025-26.

California is suing to stop the proposed merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount in what would be a $110 billion deal between the two conglomerates spanning news and entertainment. cal.news/4vY3vK1 📸 Jae C. Hong, AP

CalMatters filed nearly two dozen formal public records act requests with law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Orange and Santa Clara counties. Almost all were denied. cal.news/4vz5aF4 🎨 Adriana Heldiz

A CalMatters analysis shows that Perkins operations include false evidence ploys, jail cells outfitted with recording devices, and cash payments of up to $3,000 per day to undercover operatives, also known as Perkins agents. cal.news/4wJaeYo 🎨 Adriana Heldiz

Sewage pollution is keeping kids out of the water in this California beach town A surf camp buses kids to other beaches, and junior lifeguards travel up the coast from this California beach town plagued by cross-border sewage.

Opinion | Done intelligently, safety regulations do not have to curtail e-bike adoption and all the upsides these joyous devices bring to cities clogged by traffic. cal.news/3SY4k7i 📝 Paul Thornton 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.,

The largest single piece of federal housing legislation to come out of Congress in at least a generation is about to become law. cal.news/3QReIwX 📸 Rahul Lal

California’s largest public pension fund just had a banner year, riding a soaring stock market to record its second consecutive double-digit annual investment return. cal.news/4ypuHmS 📸 Rich Pedroncelli, AP

Opinion | Should the SAT be required for undergraduate admissions? The New York Times Editorial Board says yes. I disagree. cal.news/4flxNQ6 📝 Robert Kaplan 📸 Butch Dill, AP

Your gift will fund independent, spin-free and actually free reporting. Please give today. cal.news/4bIs8ST

It’s report card day for CalPERS with the state’s largest public pension fund scheduled to release its annual investment return. As of last week, its assets were worth $634.5 billion — about $80 billion more than a year ago. cal.news/4wJGRW0 📸 Rich Pedroncelli, AP

The contamination has also eroded traditions and hindered outdoor activity, leaving a generation of beach dwellers wary of the water. cal.news/4pfdQyI 📸 Adriana Heldiz

Kaiser Permanente nurses who answer advice and triage calls say their duty of care for patients is being increasingly threatened by workplace surveillance. cal.news/4fwCUhp 📸 Chad Surmick

California police and fire unions are backing bills that would create new retirement benefits or raise pay. Lawmakers approved them overwhelmingly. cal.news/3Tw2vOR 📸 David McNew

For many public colleges and universities in California, keeping their campuses safe includes owning military-grade weaponry — AR-15s, stun grenades designed to cause temporary blindness and sonic weapons... cal.news/4plTQuy 📸 Adriana Heldiz

Opinion | Reviving SAT requirements won’t fix California's university admissions problems In college admissions, the real quandary isn’t about requiring SATs. It’s about how to select applicants if they all seem to be exceptional.

Here’s what the 'once-in-a-lifetime' federal housing bill means for California The federal housing bill does a lot of little things. Supporters hope it will put a dent in California and the nation's housing shortage.

Opinion | Reviving SAT requirements won’t fix California's university admissions problems In college admissions, the real quandary isn’t about requiring SATs. It’s about how to select applicants if they all seem to be exceptional.

UC, Cal State get a billion more dollars in Newsom's final budget Since Gavin Newsom became governor eight years ago, state support for the University of California and Cal State has grown by 50%.

Kaiser nurses say technology is making their jobs — and patient care — worse Call center nurses at Kaiser Permanente said workplace surveillance tools and AI prioritize speed and cost savings over quality and safety.

The largest single piece of federal housing legislation to come out of Congress in at least a generation is about to become law. cal.news/3QQY3cR 📸 Rahul Lal

Opinion | Gavin Newsom and his family have had a long and complicated relationship with the oil industry. cal.news/4y6ezGu 📝 Dan Walters 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

A new state audit says poor planning by the State Bar of California led to the exam fiasco that aspiring lawyers faced in February 2025. cal.news/4w06EsW 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Opinion | The next governor’s job will require sustained pressure on utility spending, not flashy campaign slogans. cal.news/4vYSCb5 📝 Travis Ritchie 📸 Haven Daley, AP

The state is facing a lawsuit from the Trump administration targeting a new law restricting sales of Glock semi-automatic handguns. cal.news/4pdJH2R 📸 Alex Brandon, AP

AR-15s and stun grenades: Inside the arsenals of California’s campus police forces State law permits campus police to own and use military weapons as long as they report it to the public. However, not every college follows the law.

California police and fire unions are backing bills that would create new retirement benefits or raise pay. Lawmakers approved them overwhelmingly. cal.news/4h4lcmA 📸 David McNew

Kaiser Permanente nurses who answer advice and triage calls say their duty of care for patients is being increasingly threatened by workplace surveillance. cal.news/4vpKEGK 📸 Chad Surmick

Opinion | The United States has a voting problem, but it’s not the one Trump likes to mewl about. cal.news/4beWhJk 📝 Jim Newton 📸 Salvador Ochoa

Since Gavin Newsom became governor, state support for California’s public universities has grown by 50%. cal.news/3R8OV3l 📸 Adriana Heldiz

Opinion | In late June, after only a few minutes of discussion, both houses of the Legislature completely overhauled how California manages the nation’s largest public school system and its nearly 6 million students. cal.news/44gJJ0i 📝 Dan Walters 📸 Laure Andrillon

For years, state Sen. Roger Niello has attempted to address what he sees as a persistent issue: predatory law firms and their disabled clients suing swaths of small businesses for disability access violations. cal.news/4h48B2I 📸 iStock

Proposal would allow drivers to trade personal data for potentially lower insurance rates AB 311 would change California insurance law by allowing drivers to be tracked through telematics, which transmits data to insurers.

The College Journalism Network at CalMatters investigated how public campuses throughout California were complying with a state law that requires transparency about military equipment. This guide is for student journalists to investigate their own campuses. cal.news/4faihq9 📸 Adriana Heldiz

Opinion | For two decades, beginning in the late 1970s, the most powerful issue in California politics was crime. cal.news/44VYaqE 📝 Dan Walters 📸 Mark Abramson

Opinion | In California, where 80% of public school students are students of color and 60% rely on school meals, the lack of accessible nondairy options is a significant issue. cal.news/3QWAJKL 📝 Suzy Sayre & Emily Lin 📸 Adriana Heldiz

All across California, unhoused people are suffering at alarming rates from less obvious but potentially enervating mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. cal.news/44CxyLz 📸 Louis Bryant III

For many public colleges and universities in California, keeping their campuses safe includes owning military-grade weaponry — AR-15s, stun grenades designed to cause temporary blindness and sonic weapons... cal.news/3R2p3pC 📸 Adriana Heldiz