Commentary

A graduate in cap and gown holds a bouquet of flowers while posing with an older man wearing a light-colored hat and sunglasses. The two stand together smiling in a crowded outdoor graduation venue, with other attendees visible in the background.

Immigration raids have made skin color top of mind for a new generation of California Latinos

As immigration agents conduct roving patrols, a Cal State Fullerton student reflects on the racial profiling her father experienced and how it inspires her to correct the narrative.

By Priscilla Preciado

A suited public official speaks at a podium during a press conference, framed between blurred figures in the foreground. An American flag and part of the California state seal appear behind them as they gesture with their left hand while addressing the audience. A monitor with the words "California 2027-28 Budget Balanced" can be seen next to the public official.

Newsom and California legislators claim the budget is balanced. They need a reality check

Newsom and legislative leaders announced a balanced budget has been enacted, but the truth is California will continue overspending until the chronic deficit is addressed.

By Dan Walters

An electric school bus is charging at Grant Union High School in Sacramento on July 20, 2023. The chargers are bidirectional, which means they can feed power back to the electric grid. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

California schools are the nation’s most segregated, despite voluntary busing programs

After decades of voluntary desegregation, California schools have grown more segregated, not less. District boundaries are a major reason.

By Vesta Kassayan

An aerial view of homes and apartments along a hillside fills the frame.

Los Angeles sits on a sleeping giant of housing supply. It begins with starter home conversions

Los Angeles officials are fighting state housing reforms with a proposal that places the right type of housing in the wrong place. The city should instead be converting its aging housing stock.

By Arthur Gailes

A person wearing a floral top sits in a row of seats, looking at a packet of papers, while a laptop rests on their lap, with other people nearby also using laptops.

Commentary

A reporter’s work on unsafe jails shows why California shouldn’t weaken its public records law

Giving agencies more time to fill records requests would likely delay families getting details on how their loved ones died in custody.

By David Myers • July 16, 2026

A smartphone displays the Kalshi app listing in the Apple App Store while resting on a laptop keyboard.

Commentary

What Californians could lose betting on life through prediction markets

Prediction markets are becoming mainstream. But when people bet on an election or a public crisis, it becomes easier to ignore the human stakes.

By William Lu • July 15, 2026

A firefighter wearing yellow protective gear and a helmet walks through a smoky forest, surrounded by tall trees and scattered branches. The scene is hazy with smoke.

Commentary

California is making progress on fire prevention. Federal retreat, shaky funding put it at risk

California set an ambitious target to reduce wildfire hazards each year, and is making real progress. Preserving that momentum as federal partnerships fade and state funding declines is crucial.

By Bradley Franklin and Kyle Greenspan • July 15, 2026

Two people ride a bicycle and an electric bicycle in opposite directions on a paved path through a park.

Commentary

Making e-bikes safer in California is smart. Smothering this new technology is not

Lawmakers in Sacramento introduced a flurry of bills this year targeting e-bike safety. Thankfully, the ones that risked undermining their adoption have been tossed out.

By Paul Thornton • July 13, 2026

A person uses a tablet to complete a digital standardized test while seated at a desk.

Commentary

Reviving SAT requirements won’t fix California’s university admissions problems

In college admissions in California, the real quandary isn’t about requiring the SAT. It’s about how to select applicants when they all seem to be exceptional.

By Robert Kaplan • July 11, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a podium during a news conference, flanked by lawmakers and officials.

Commentary

How Newsom’s complex history with the oil industry could affect a presidential run

Newsom's longtime personal and political dealings with Big Oil include ties to the Getty family and several recent state regulation changes.

By Dan Walters • July 10, 2026

PG&E crews install underground utility conduit along a rural roadside as workers stand beside an open trench and an excavator during construction.

Commentary

Lowering California’s high utility costs takes more than flashy slogans. It needs these reforms

Wildfire spending is the largest driver of rate increases, adding hundreds of dollars to power bills. The state has let utilities work around cost limits.

By Travis Ritchie • July 10, 2026

Students sit at desks in a sunlit classroom, facing a whiteboard covered with posters and math diagrams. A boy in a yellow shirt is in the foreground, mid-gesture, while a row of blue bins filled with composition notebooks lines the right side of the room under partially closed blinds.

Commentary

Does crowning California’s governor the education czar mean academic results will improve?

Lawmakers just passed a bill that would let the next governor pick the state's schools chief, in place of the state school leader voters elect.

By Dan Walters • July 9, 2026

A voter hands paperwork to an election worker seated at a check-in table inside a polling place while another voter fills out paperwork in the foreground.

Commentary

California ponders a fundamental question: Should voting be easier or harder?

This year offers a series of opportunities for Californians to consider their voting principles and whether they should enlarge or constrain participation.

By Jim Newton • July 9, 2026

A student sits at a cafeteria table holding a cucumber slice beside a school lunch tray containing a turkey sandwich, sliced deli meat, fresh vegetables, yogurt, applesauce and a carton of fat-free milk.

Commentary

They’ve got milk, but many California kids can’t tolerate it. Schools can now offer alternatives

A federal law change lets schools offer nondairy beverages instead of milk, but they’re more expensive. More money became available in the California budget.

By Suzy Sayre and Emily Lin • July 8, 2026

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California

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