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The officer’s illegal use of the network was among the findings in a report on “improper activities” by California state workers. cal.news/4hrPMq7 📸 Damian Dovarganes, AP

Traffic congestion ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend on Interstate 110 in Los Angeles on May 23, 2025. Photo by Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo

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Nancy Pelosi’s possible successors are bending over backwards to prove they’ll protect voters from the potential harms of San Francisco’s most lucrative industry: artificial intelligence. cal.news/4dgtbdN 📸 Santiago Mejia

From left, state Sen. Scott Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan debate at KQED in San Francisco on Oct. 1, 2026. The two Democrats are running to represent the 11th Congressional District, a seat Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is leaving. The debate was co-hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle. Photo by Santiago Mejia, San Francisco Chronicle/Pool

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Gov. Gavin Newsom this week vetoed a bill that would’ve stopped the Department of Motor Vehicles’ practice of keeping excess proceeds from the sales of towed cars. cal.news/4j2ubWt 📸 J.W. Hendricks

A vehicle auction at Bruffy's Tow in Marina Del Rey on Feb. 18, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of four bills on Wednesday meant to speed up the process of building student housing and reduce the cost for developers. cal.news/4hsBGoE 📸 Paul Bersebach

Work continues on new student housing at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton on Nov. 25, 2024. The new six-story Sequoia residence hall will bring 510 new beds to campus. Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register via Getty Images

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Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed a major victory for his signature mental health court on Thursday, but critics say his math appears more than a little fuzzy. cal.news/3Vk8Zl7 📸 Manuel Orbegozo

Gov. Gavin Newsom meets with officials at the BACS St. Regis Center in Hayward where he announced new statewide accountability measures and funding to address homelessness and mental health care on March 2, 2026. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters

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Opponents of Proposition 40 have a message for voters: Don’t be fooled. The billionaire tax is a “Trojan horse” for new taxes on all Californians, ads proclaim. But is that true? cal.news/4yuNeOb 📸 Jeff Chiu, AP

A sign displayed at the Billionaire Tax Now booth at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP Photo

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law that requires large companies to disclose if they or their predecessors profited from chattel slavery. cal.news/4AJW5Nf 📸 Semantha Norris

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a measure to ban anyone from marrying anyone under the age of 18, making California the 18th state to do so in a decade-long nationwide push to outlaw the practice. cal.news/3U3J14X 📸 Rahul Lal

A demonstrator participates in a “chain-in” protest during a news conference at the state Capitol in Sacramento on June 22, 2023, urging lawmakers to ban child marriage in the state. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

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Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that aimed to boost oversight of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority. cal.news/47x9dIc 📸 Larry Valenzuela

A construction site for a segment of high speed rail in Fresno on Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

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On the final day to act on his last scheduled legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed several bills to protect workers from artificial intelligence, including limits on the use of AI in patient care and in firing people. cal.news/4yq5Sq9 📸 Manuel Orbegozo

Labor leaders pressured Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year to approve a package of bills related to artificial intelligence, saying it would influence their support for any bid he might make for president. He has signed only some of the bills. Protesters rally against Salesforce’s collaboration with immigration enforcement agencies and AI job takeover, outside the company’s annual Dreamforce conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on Sept. 15, 2026. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters

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Lyft must pay $272.5 million in a historic settlement with the state of California and three cities over allegations that the company misclassified its drivers before it helped write a law that allowed it to consider them independent contractors. cal.news/47r9axE 📸 Justin Sullivan

A traveler waits for a Lyft pickup at the LAX-it rideshare pickup location at Los Angeles International Airport on March 10, 2026. Photo by Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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Opinion | Neither candidate has produced a plan that would reduce the price of anything, at least anytime soon. That’s not because they don’t care. cal.news/4rIcr4T 📝 Jim Newton 📸 David Crane

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and mayoral candidate, councilmember Nithya Raman debate each other at the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association in Sherman Oaks on Aug. 19, 2026. The pair are running against each other in the Los Angeles mayoral race. Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images

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All kindergartners, first- and second-graders in California will take a basic math skills test under a law signed last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom. cal.news/3VhLhpD 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Students at a classroom at St. HOPE’s Public School 7 Elementary in Sacramento on May 11, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed a law to protect young people facing criminal allegations from deceptive law enforcement techniques by limiting how police use undercover agents. cal.news/4y2yJQx 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Construction of the annex at the state Capitol in Sacramento on April 29, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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Opinion | It’s rare for debates to have any material effect on the outcome of political contests. That’s especially true when contestants repeatedly utter pre-digested talking points rather than actually conduct a dialogue. cal.news/4ykGYZ3 📝 Dan Walters 📸 Grace Widyatmadja

From left, gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton, during CNN’s California Gubernatorial Debate at CNN’s studio in Burbank on Sept. 30, 2026. The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Photo by Grace Widyatmadja, CNN

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Californians watching Wednesday night’s gubernatorial debate would be forgiven for thinking the candidates for governor are President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party. cal.news/3TiZRfY 📸 Grace Widyatmadja

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1776 on Wednesday, modernizing state antitrust legislation. However, former supporters argue the bill was defanged after a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort by business groups. cal.news/3Vc96z8 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Gov. Gavin Newsom in Sacramento on Feb. 11, 2026. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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The governor signed a bill Wednesday to give local newsrooms $20,000 in tax credits for up to five journalists and an additional $15,000 for every additional reporter, with no cap. cal.news/4jz1WyR 📸 Alisha Jucevic

Microphones from various news outlets at a press conference in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2023. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters

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The governor, widely understood to be gearing up for a run for president, wanted the spotlight on some bills more than others. Special attention was paid to placing guardrails on artificial intelligence and standing up to President Donald Trump. cal.news/4hvSj1d 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.,

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the Election Rigging Response Act at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Aug. 21, 2025. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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Schools seeking to spend their windfall of Proposition 28 arts education money will have more clarity and guidelines under a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed over the weekend. cal.news/4hFJJNF 📸 David Rodriguez

A student draws with markers at San Antonio Elementary School in Lockwood, on May 11, 2022. Photo by David Rodriguez for CalMatters/ CatchLight Local/ The Californian

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Opinion | Los Angeles proved it can put on a show. It has two years to prove it can also clean up after itself. cal.news/3Tvrv9A 📝 Fiona Hines 📸 Damian Dovarganes

The Olympic cauldron is lit at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ahead of the launch of ticket registration for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2026. Photo by Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo

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Opinion | While Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators have pledged millions of dollars to support Hollywood, they’ve ignored agriculture’s problems — and even worsened them via water restrictions. cal.news/4xVfl7Z 📝 Dan Walters 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Rows of grape vines at a vineyard in Paso Robles on July 30, 2025. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

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Community colleges in California will be required to offer abortion medication through campus health centers starting in 2029, under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday. cal.news/4z7bA03 📸 Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, AP

An abortion-rights activist holds a box of mifepristone pills as demonstrators from both anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington on March 26, 2024. Photo by Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, AP Photo

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California’s High-Speed Rail Authority failed this year to push through most of the state legislation it deemed necessary to keep construction of the 171-mile rail line connecting Merced and Bakersfield on its current schedule. cal.news/4ABF5ch 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Construction of a ramp for California's high-speed rail project in Fresno on Sept. 12, 2025. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

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Throwaway vapes will be illegal in California under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed this week that’s aimed to reduce the risk of battery fires at landfills and recycling centers. cal.news/4rD4oX4 📸 Justin Sullivan

Vape components and products on display at Smoke and Gift Shop in San Francisco on June 25, 2019. Photo by Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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Opinion | Unwarranted loopholes, such as the custom software tax exemption or the film industry tax credits, are welfare for the wealthy and should be closed as a matter of equity. cal.news/4hBXBZi 📝 Dan Walters 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Janitors, nurses, teachers and labor organizers rally at the state Capitol in Sacramento to launch UnRig California on March 11, 2026. The initiative is a multiyear campaign aimed at reforming the state’s economy and tax code. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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Opinion | For an immigrant, it can feel like your financial life just disappeared at the border. cal.news/4hkZXgi 📸 Rich Pedroncelli, AP

A "for sale" sign is posted in front of a home in Sacramento on March 3, 2022. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo

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Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill intended to free up state funds for homeless housing that requires sobriety after vetoing a similar effort last year. cal.news/4rC04r4 📸 Manuel Orbegozo

A man lights a pipe in front of a city worker during an encampment sweep in the Tenderloin in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2024. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters

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Gov. Newsom vetoed two bills that would have helped improve the insurance-claims process for consumers but signed one that also addresses claims-related issues. cal.news/4jv93IA 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

At center, Gayle Nicholls-Ali, an Eaton Fire survivor, holds a sign while protesting outside the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento on Aug. 25, 2026. The group was protesting proposed legislation related to wildfires and utilities. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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A new law will require local agencies to publicly disclose audio recordings and written records of 911 calls originating from privately run immigration detention facilities. cal.news/4iWaik2 📸 Gregory Bull, AP

Immigration detainees walk down a hallway at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego on Aug. 23, 2017. Photo by Gregory Bull, AP Photo

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Even with an El Niño winter looming and memories of flooding still fresh, Gov. Newsom vetoed a bill aimed at shoring up the Delta’s aging levees and protecting the region and vital water infrastructure from flooding and sinking land. cal.news/4e5AzJ8 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

A flooded field near a section of the Cosumnes River near Wilton on Jan. 18, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills Sunday designed to help his mental health court reach more vulnerable Californians. cal.news/4rHx0Pc 📸 Adriana Heldiz

People walk by the San Diego Superior Court in San Diego on Nov. 17, 2025. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

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The San Joaquin Valley has fewer doctors than other parts of California and a long history of poor access to medical care. New medical schools could help increase the pipeline of new physicians, though it will take years. cal.news/3ViQU6U 📸 Sarahbeth Maney

Julieta Muñoz, 23, a medical student at the UC San Francisco School of Medicine, stands outside the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco on Sept. 21, 2026. Photo by Sarahbeth Maney for CalMatters

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws that aim to check federal agents during the Trump administration’s deportation program and improve conditions in detention centers. cal.news/4z3JxyE 📸 Gregory Bull, AP

A woman is detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents outside a Home Depot in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 2025. Photo by Gregory Bull, AP Photo

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