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CALmatters

CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable. For more information about its mission, donors, staff and contact information, see CalMatters' About Us page.

Three men falsely arrested based on face recognition technology have joined the fight against a California bill that aims to place guardrails around police use of the technology. They say it will still allow abuses and misguided arrests.

These wrongly arrested Black men say a California bill would let police misuse face recognition

June 12, 2024 at 5:36 a.m.

Three men falsely arrested based on face recognition technology have joined the fight against a California bill that aims to place guardrails around police use of the technology. They say...

Uber lost an effort to overturn a 2020 California law that compels businesses to offer employment benefits to more workers rather than treating them like independent contractors.

Business |
California gig worker law AB 5 withstands challenge from Uber

June 11, 2024 at 10:56 a.m.

Uber lost an effort to overturn a 2020 California law that compels businesses to offer employment benefits to more workers rather than treating them like independent contractors.

Student loan borrowers can become eligible for lower payments or faster debt forgiveness by applying for federal loan consolidation by June 30.

Education |
Student loan relief deadline approaching for 300,000 California borrowers

June 10, 2024 at 10:58 a.m.

Student loan borrowers can become eligible for lower payments or faster debt forgiveness by applying for federal loan consolidation by June 30.

A bill that would increase penalties for those who assault hospital emergency department workers is facing the same pushback that other recent tough-on-crime legislation has from progressive Democrats leery of increasing incarceration rates.

Why increasing penalties for assaulting ER workers is dividing California Democrats

June 7, 2024 at 7:28 a.m.

A bill that would increase penalties for those who assault hospital emergency department workers is facing the same pushback that other recent tough-on-crime legislation has from progressive Democrats leery of...

Adults without high school diplomas can attend community college, but few of them receive financial aid, even when they’re eligible. A new proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian aims to fix that. But it may be too late.

Education |
An obscure option could help Californians without high school diplomas pay for college — if it survives

June 6, 2024 at 6:58 a.m.

Adults without high school diplomas can attend community college, but few of them receive financial aid, even when they’re eligible. A new proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Community...

These projects can give renters and low-income homeowners a chance to go solar, but the PUC's action limits the option.

California sides with big utilities, trimming incentives for community solar projects

June 6, 2024 at 4:04 a.m.

These projects can give renters and low-income homeowners a chance to go solar, but the PUC's action limits the option.

The people who receive excess aid are not wealthy. About half of the households who owed the IRS for excess premium subsidies in tax year 2021 earned less than $50,000, according to data from the agency.

Get your health care through Covered California? Beware of this tax peril

June 5, 2024 at 4:12 a.m.

The people who receive excess aid are not wealthy. About half of the households who owed the IRS for excess premium subsidies in tax year 2021 earned less than $50,000,...

The latest bid to break up California is the brainchild of a real estate developer in San Bernardino County. It taps into growing resistance to the state’s liberal governance by more conservative residents.

Forget the first 220 failures to split California. This developer has a new plan to secede

June 3, 2024 at 11:47 a.m.

The latest bid to break up California is the brainchild of a real estate developer in San Bernardino County. It taps into growing resistance to the state’s liberal governance by...

The state is directly investing money for low-income students and all newborns to attend college. After two years, the program is still not widely known by the students who need the most financial assistance.

Education |
Raising a kid in California? They may have a college savings account you don’t know about.

June 4, 2024 at 3:47 p.m.

The state is directly investing money for low-income students and all newborns to attend college. After two years, the program is still not widely known by the students who need...

The specific question before the state’s highest court is whether Prop. 22 conflicts with the state Legislature’s constitutional power to enforce a complete workers’ compensation system. Because of a clause in the initiative declaring gig workers independent contractors not eligible for workers’ comp, the whole law could be thrown out. But the justices did not seem to want to do that.

California News |
State Supreme Court seems poised to leave Prop 22 unchanged

May 21, 2024 at 6:15 p.m.

The specific question before the state’s highest court is whether Prop. 22 conflicts with the state Legislature’s constitutional power to enforce a complete workers’ compensation system. Because of a clause...

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