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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.

New California laws rewrite car-buying rules with return policy and pricing reforms

December 26, 2025 at 9:12 a.m.

California lawmakers let automakers opt out of recent changes to the state’s lemon law and approved a law giving used car buyers three days to return a used vehicle.

Students walk through campus at Cal State San Marcos on May 6, 2025. (Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters)

Even more Cal State campuses will automatically admit eligible students under a new state law

December 26, 2025 at 8:04 a.m.

California State University last year launched a pilot program to attract more students to the university system and to steer some to campuses that have been struggling with enrollment declines.

Stacks of tortilla packages at a supermarket in Fresno on April 9, 2024. (Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local)

A new California law requires tortillas to include an extra ingredient. Here’s why

December 26, 2025 at 5:04 p.m.

Tortillas sold in California are going to have a new ingredient, one that’s intended to help nurture healthy infants.

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at Google’s San Francisco office about a joint effort with major tech companies. (Tayfun Coskun, Anadolu via Getty Images)

Gov. Newsom takes a ‘situational’ line with tech as Silicon Valley cozies up to Trump

December 4, 2025 at 7:50 a.m.

Gavin Newsom is a longtime ally of the tech industry. Asked about its leaders’ rightward shift, he downplayed the moves while still offering some criticism.

An aerial view of houses along a coastal bluff at Boneyard Beach in Encinitas on Sept. 3, 2024. (Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters)

More housing on the California coast? Changes at this powerful agency signal a pro-building shift

November 17, 2025 at 7:45 a.m.

Three new pro-development appointees at the Coastal Commission are trying to remedy its poor reputation among housing activists and Democratic leaders.

An underwater view of golden mussels growing on a dock at a Delta boatyard in Stockton on Oct. 23, 2025. (Fred Greaves for CalMatters)

‘Emerging threat’: An invasive species is upending life in the Delta, with no help on the way

November 6, 2025 at 6:38 a.m.

One year after the discovery that golden mussels had invaded the Delta, thick colonies coat boats and piers and threaten water supplies for cities and farms. Yet the state has...

U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk throws hats to the crowd shortly before he was fatally shot at a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. (Trent Nelson, The Salt Lake Tribune /Reuters via CalMatters)

How UC Berkeley is preparing for Turning Point’s final tour stop after Charlie Kirk’s death

November 4, 2025 at 8:48 a.m.

UC Berkeley officials won’t divulge security plans but say they are prepared to host the conservative organization Turning Point USA on Nov. 10 after its founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated...

Mailers about Prop 50 in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

Proposition 50: Will it enhance or hinder representation in California

October 30, 2025 at 12:06 p.m.

Prop. 50 would enact a congressional map that helps Democrats, but a new analysis finds it doesn’t change Californians’ representation much on other measures.

15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road

November 2, 2025 at 7:22 a.m.

As alcohol-related roadway deaths spike across the state, an investigation finds California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the country.

Vice President JD Vance, right, watches a demonstration by Marines during activities to mark the upcoming Marine Corps' 250th anniversary on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Camp Pendleton on Oct 18, 2025. (Gregory Bull, AP Photo)

What went wrong when Marines fired over Interstate 5? California leaders demand answers

October 23, 2025 at 10:40 a.m.

Several California lawmakers are demanding answers from the Trump administration after shrapnel rained down on Interstate 5 over the weekend during a live fire event that was part of the...

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