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Ben Christopher

@frombenc.bsky.social
1.3K followers 539 following 254 posts

Housing reporter @calmatters.org. Occasional dad tweets. Tell me things: Ben@calmatters.org / signal: BenC.2017

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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
“Whether a victory for pro housing advocates or local control advocates, this is going to be a decision that will have big ripple effects." www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/a...
sfchronicle.com
Exclusive: Developer sues Menlo Park, setting up high-stakes showdown over California housing law
The developer of a major high-rise plan that has stirred controversy in Menlo Park has sued the city, asking a judge to force the project’s approval in a test of California’s housing laws.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Phenomenal reporting here. www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...
Text from the article: "These agencies, the California Statewide Communities Development Authority and the California Municipal Finance Authority, aren’t required to regularly publish data about the projects that they’ve helped qualify for the exemption. So the Chronicle conducted its own analysis of public meeting agendas and property tax data.

The analysis found that CSCDA and CMFA have enabled 195 property owners across the state to apply for the exemption since 2023, and could strip nearly $4 billion in value from California’s tax rolls — or around $40 million in revenue to local schools, transit authorities and police departments each year. The potential loss comes as many cities and school districts already face gaping budget shortfalls, with some asking voters to raise their own taxes to fill the gap."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
It really is a banner year for California voters who love to make decisions about state tax policy. calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org
5 tax measures are on the California ballot. Here’s how to make sense of them all
California voters haven’t had to make so many decisions about tax policy at the ballot since 1994. Our analysis shows voters to reject new taxes.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In his final batch of 2026 bill signings, @governor.ca.gov signs SB 1090 into law, writing: “While extraordinary recovery challenges may warrant targeted adjustments, such measures should be carefully considered, narrowly tailored, and responsive to demonstrated local conditions.”
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Marcel Moran @marcelmoran.com · 30/09/2026
Huge kudos to the reporting team at @calmatters.org whose incredible series on the California DMV's lax approach to drunk driving has led to a number of new laws passed:
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A builder's remedy project. A CEQA challenge. That guy from the Big Short. This story has a lot. www.realtor.com/news/trends/...
realtor.com
'Big Short' Investor Michael Burry Sues To Halt 'Dangerous' Subdivision in California Wildfire Zone
Burry, a resident of Saratoga, CA, says adding additional housing to the area will put residents in danger.
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
CalMatters @calmatters.org · 24/09/2026
Breaking: It was illegal for Sheriff Chad Bianco's office to seize ballots from the Riverside County registrar, rules California Supreme Court. cal.news/4AqYEnz 📸 Noah Berger, AP
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco arrives at the Supreme Court of California in San Francisco for a hearing about his seizure and recount of more than half a million 2025 election ballots on Aug. 24, 2026. Photo by Noah Berger, AP Photo
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Mikhail Zinshteyn @mzinshteyn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
His "job is a mostly under the radar, but often indispensable, fixture of California’s urban housing market: He helps people get their building projects approved. "So-called land-use consultants and permit expediters are wayfinders of bureaucracy, sherpas of red tape." By @frombenc.bsky.social
calmatters.org
How do you get a housing permit in California? He can hook you up, for a fee
There are some people for whom their whole job is guiding others through California's housing permitting bureaucracy.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Yeah, makes sense! I'm also curious to what extent current or estimated HOA fees are capitalized into this and/or how those fees compare to SFH maintenance costs. Is that something that you did (or one could conceivably) account for?
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
I had always assumed that size was the main factor, so interesting to me that there's still such a big gap even when account for sqft
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Out of curiosity, what quality characteristics are being adjusted for?
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Sometimes a story grow up out of a single quote. “In a perfect world, my job would not need to exist.” Meet the wayfinder of red tape who navigates one of the state's most infamously Byzantine housing approval bureaucracies. calmatters.org/housing/2026...
calmatters.org
How do you get a housing permit in California? He can hook you up, for a fee
There are some people for whom their whole job is guiding others through California's housing permitting bureaucracy.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
To all who celebrate: www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...
youtube.com
Earth, Wind & Fire - September (Official HD Video)
YouTube video by EarthWindandFireVEVO
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
“Across the country, I’d lectured about how educational inequality is systemic, but that this fact did not absolve each of us of our individual choices. And in the end, I could not even sustain the cause within my own family.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/m...
nytimes.com
In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?
A decade ago, I made a decision about my daughter’s education that I hoped would challenge New York City’s separate and unequal school system. Now 16, she thinks I made the wrong choice.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This unprecedented policy idea, which I wrote about in March, intended to beef up California's factory-built housing industry will remain unprecedented for now with Newsom's veto. calmatters.org/housing/2026...
Veto message from Gov Newsom points to "millions of dollars in initial capitalization, funding that was not included in the state budget."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
My wife, a public employee, has to pack her own lunch to third-party sponsored work conferences, lest she run afoul of state ethics rules by accepting a bribe in the form of a free tuna salad sandwich. calmatters.org/politics/202...
The questionable expenses included: Premium Uber and Lyft rides to and from a restaurant, bar, and nightclub between 9:40 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. that “clearly appear to be for personal enjoyment rather than for the benefit of the state;” Numerous meals in Folsom, where CEO Choudri has a home; Repeated reimbursed ride-hailing trips to Planet Fitness gyms in and around Sacramento, even after a supervisor wrote that “the state does not cover ride share[s] to gyms”; $118,000 in international travel despite the contracts explicitly barring international travel; A nearly $40 Uber Black luxury car charge for a trip of less than one mile in downtown Sacramento.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The thought did cross my mind when reading this bit: "Parking lot owners might prefer their regular income and low upkeep over selling to a developer. A few could be holding out for land prices to rise even more."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Me, driving back from the space port after spending $43 million on a private rocket launch into orbit: "Happy birthday, kiddo. What was your favorite part?" My kid: "When I got to watch Bluey in the car."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
A question I always have when walking around the East Bay and wondering how it's possible that an eye-wateringly valuable lot in one of the most in-demand job centers in the country is sitting empty but for the weeds. Very nice work here. www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...
sfchronicle.com
San Francisco land is worth a fortune. There are still more than 2,000 parcels sitting undeveloped
Despite being in one of the most expensive cities in the world, some parcels of land in San Francisco have sat empty for years. Here's where they are.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
AB 1903 made its way through the legislature without a single "no" vote this year. At around 11:20pm last night, it passed the Senate unanimously without opposition. At midnight, it died under mysterious circumstances. calmatters.org/housing/2026...
calmatters.org
Why a bill to juice condo construction died even though California lawmakers voted for it
Supporters said a condo construction bill would unlock affordable for-sale housing that California desperately needs. But deadlines matter.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
"The chief executives of PG&E and Edison wrote to Senate Pro Tem Monique Limon and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on Monday, telling them that the utilities had collectively lost $20 billion in market value since Thursday." calmatters.org/economy/2026...
calmatters.org
Wildfire liability bill dies without a vote on final day of session
The measure, which was opposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state's public utiliites, never came to a vote in the Assembly.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Generations Z and Alpha have been algorithmically spoon fed inanity their entire lives, sapping them of the requisite attention spans and critical thinking skills needed to comprehend, much less appreciate, the demanding, but ultimately rewarding, cultural touchstones of prior, wiser generations.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Late to this one. A great read and a very helpful explainer on how changes in average household size — both because of aging boomers and declining birth rates among their kids — exacerbates to the state's housing crunch: www.latimes.com/california/s...
latimes.com
Aging Californians aren't leaving their longtime homes. It's worsening the housing crisis
Changing demographics — namely an aging population and smaller families — have driven down the average household size in California. So even as more houses are added to the market, vacancy rates have ...
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Anna Kramer @annackramer.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
SCOOP: Trump officials are pressuring the National Park Service to find a way to give a small piece of Yosemite to a private developer. The land would be used for a road, to give the developer rare private access to the heart of the park.
notus.org
Trump’s Quietly Working to Give Part of Yosemite to a Private Developer
The National Park Service is under pressure to make an unprecedented deal that cedes a quarter-mile strip of the park.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
calmatters.org/housing/home...
calmatters.org
Reducing drug penalties likely increased homelessness in California, new report says
Prop. 47 led to an estimated 7,000 more unsheltered homeless Californians between 2015 and 2019, according to a new PPIC study.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"The proposal assumes that the project complies with environmental regulations unless the commission proves the development would 'result in a specific, adverse and unavoidable impact” to the environment.'" calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org
A Newsom donor could get a break from California's Coastal Act
The proposal would expedite the environmental review of a Newsom appointee’s mixed-use project in Santa Monica, despite opposition from both state lawmakers representing the area.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Chad Bianco's lawyer argued that the Riverside Sheriff was well within his legal rights to seize ~650k ballots last March, that state election law doesn't apply and that sheriffs don't have to listen to AG Rob Bonta. California's Supreme Court did not seem convinced. calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org
A California sheriff seized 650,000 ballots. Justices are skeptical of his defense
California’s Supreme Court questioned whether Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco was within his legal rights when he seized the ballots
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Context: Many locals are very angry about a proposed affordable development next to a Rocklin school. Last week, HCD advised the city that the project has to be approved by-right. Council delayed a vote on the project. Some more here from the Sac Bee: www.sacbee.com/news/local/a...
sacbee.com
Rocklin council delays vote on Sierra Wilds Apartments amid school safety debate
For many residents, the question was not whether Rocklin needs affordable housing but whether this particular site is appropriate.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
An illuminating Facebook post by Rocklin mayor Dave Bass that speaks to the shifting political balance between local and state governments over housing in California. www.facebook.com/daveforrockl...
From a lengthier post: "So when somebody asks me: “Why doesn't Rocklin just say no?”
That's why I want people to understand the whole picture.
Because “just say no” sounds great until the State threatens enforcement, a developer sues, the City hires outside counsel, the developer wins attorney's fees, and potentially enormous statutory penalties start piling up.
That doesn't mean we roll over. It doesn't mean every housing project is good. It doesn't mean Sacramento is right.
And it sure as hell doesn't mean I think residents should shut up and accept whatever is put in front of them. Quite the opposite.
It means people need to understand how dramatically Sacramento has tilted the playing field. A city trying to protect itself from the ideocracy of Sacramento while still providing workforce housing now carries real financial exposure it didn't carry in the same way a year ago.
Translate that into normal English: Sticking up for yourself can now become financially disastrous."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I wish fewer coastal Californians had to contend with the region's notoriously unaffordable housing market. (Monkey's paw curls) www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...
A screen shot from a San Francisco Chronicle article summarizing a new PPIC survey: "In coastal regions...the sense that housing is a paramount problem is actually declining, the researchers found, as people who can afford the region's high housing costs are increasingly the only ones left living here."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
As we pivot from polling firm to purveyor of cutting social commentary, we will not be accepting questions at this time. www.latimes.com/california/s...
Quote from a Los Angeles Times article about a "bogus" poll about the L.A. City mayoral race: "“Median Strategies was created as a short term social experiment to examine how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification,” the company said in an email to The Times. “We are not seeking publicity or attribution for the individuals involved and are declining interviews.”

The phony poll also claimed that 16% of its respondents said they had voted for Pratt, and that of those voters, about 85% were planning to vote for Bass in the general, while about 7% would support Raman."
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
As a result, I also miscounted the number of jurisdictions newly exempt from SB 423 streamlining. There are three (Santa Ana, Palm Desert and Cudahy) not four. Correction note and changes made!
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I made a silly mistake in this story from Tuesday. I wrote that the entirety of SoCal was passing the halfway mark of its RHNA planning cycle this year. It was just a big chunk. The San Diego area passed the halfway mark last year. calmatters.org/housing/2026...
calmatters.org
Almost nowhere in California is building enough, according to the state. Here’s why
California ordered cities and counties to plan for 2.5 million new homes by 2030. Only five jurisdictions are on track to hit their numbers.
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Eviction Lab @evictionlab.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
“Less than a third of cities and counties [in California] are on track to permit enough “above moderate” units, the category that typically refers to market-rate housing.” calmatters.org/housing/2026... By @calmatters.org’s @frombenc.bsky.social
calmatters.org
Almost nowhere in California is building enough, according to the state. Here’s why
California ordered cities and counties to plan for 2.5 million new homes by 2030. Only five jurisdictions are on track to hit their numbers.
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Zack Haber @zackhaber.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Well this sucks but is important for folks to know about: oaklandside.org/2026/08/12/o...
oaklandside.org
Don’t put green ‘compost’ bags in your green Oakland compost bins
Bioplastics are often advertised as compostable. But curbside compost collectors can’t process the bags or similar foodware.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Scroll down to the bottom to see how your town is doing. calmatters.org/housing/2026...
calmatters.org
Almost nowhere in California is building enough, according to the state. Here’s why
California ordered cities and counties to plan for 2.5 million new homes by 2030. Only five jurisdictions are on track to hit their numbers.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Good overview of the coming legislative fight over the future of California's signature climate change policy: www.kqed.org/news/1209340...
kqed.org
Inside the Fight for the Future of California’s Climate Dollars | KQED
Changes to the state’s cap-and-invest program could leave billions of dollars less for housing, transit or high-speed rail — forcing lawmakers to make tough spending choices.
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Mikhail Zinshteyn @mzinshteyn.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I did so much work on this piece about Prop 38, its $8 billion, and the nonprofit that seemingly stands to gain billions of taxpayer dollars. Dig in. calmatters.org/politics/ele...
calmatters.org
Is this proposition a $4 billion giveaway to a billionaire’s LA research center?
Proposition 38 will award $4 billion to one unnamed research center. Under the very specific criteria, only one center seemingly qualifies.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
ICYMI In the battle over whether SB9 ought to apply in the LA fire storm burn areas, Malibu and Pasadena agreed to let the state law to go into effect, settling a lawsuit filed by @yimbylaw.bsky.social LA County, LA City and the state of California fight on. calmatters.org/housing/2026...
calmatters.org
Two cities burned in LA fires settle YIMBY lawsuit
Two California cities agreed to allow multiplex development in single-family neighborhoods after a YIMBY nonprofit sued.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Holy shit. calmatters.org/investigatio...
calmatters.org
Lawmaker told court her mom had dementia in family property battle. Not so, said doctors
Records show Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías also faced a temporary restraining order for elder abuse.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Maybe you thought California has the second lowest homeownership rate of any state, coming in behind New York. Well, according to this new homeownership rate measurement from the Minneapolis Fed, we're actually the lowest. Take that, New York! www.minneapolisfed.org/community-de...
minneapolisfed.org
Homeowners-to-Population Data | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
A portal for accessing the data and calculations behind the homeowners-to-population ratio, or HPOP, an alternative measure of homeownership
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
In this latest installment from California, Tech Capital of the Planet, a story about how state prisons are using fire safety methods pioneered during the early days of the Roman Empire: calmatters.org/justice/2026...
calmatters.org
Repairing fire alarms is too expensive. Now California prisons are paying staff to keep watch
'We wouldn’t let anyone else live in a place that doesn’t have a smoke detector," one prison safety expert said about California falling behind on replacing its fire alarm systems.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
In the race between California's reforestation efforts and megafires, megafires are winning and it's not even close. calmatters.org/environment/...
calmatters.org
California is losing its forests faster than it can replant them — and no one has enough seeds, staff, or money to catch up
California needs to ramp up reforestation to keep pace with wildfires — instead, funding and staff keep shrinking.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Worth maybe stressing that higher land values in this case doesn't necessarily mean that upzoning results in higher cost housing overall. The added density can result in lower land cost per unit.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
More on that window closing here: www.paloaltoonline.com/housing/2026...
paloaltoonline.com
How developers exploited a delay in Palo Alto housing regulations
In the span of two fateful weeks, Palo Altans saw an unprecedented wave of housing proposals totaling nearly 400 units across the corridors that weave through downtown and California Avenue.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
An interesting (in the wild!) example of how upzoning can affect land values. Here's a comparable home for sale, also in the Palo Alto Caltrain station's SB79 zone, selling for 1/4 as much. Unless I'm missing something, the difference is the first one vested its SB 79 app before the window closed.
A Compass add for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath single family home in Palo Alto. The sale price is $1.699 million. The listing does not mention an SB 79 application.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
A disproportionate and growing share of the liability facing California's fire insurer of last resort is centered in some of the state's most affluent zip codes, coverage that's being subsidized by all home insurance customers. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Luxury Homes Are Raising Risks for California’s Insurer of Last Resort
The state FAIR Plan’s liability exposure is concentrated in some of the wealthiest neighborhoods.
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Reposted by Ben Christopher
Mikhail Zinshteyn @mzinshteyn.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Federal agencies that terminated more than a thousand research grants at the University of California admitted that they used keywords related to diversity to screen for projects. It’s an admission that lawyers for the researchers say is proof the agencies illegally cancelled nearly $2b in grants.
calmatters.org
DEI keyword search led to billions in cancelled California university grants
The Trump administration cancelled $2 billion of research grants to UC professors. Their legal team says it has proof that was unconstitutional.
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Ben Christopher @frombenc.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Terrific reporting here. calmatters.org/justice/2026...
calmatters.org
'Psychological war’: Inside California’s expanding use of jailhouse stings
He thought his cellmates were gang members. They turned out to be undercover agents.
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