New CA bills, inspired by fires, seek insurance changes
CALmatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media (publisher of the Palo Alto Weekly, Mountain View Voice, Pleasanton Weekly and The Almanac in Menlo Park and their websites.)
Here are the most recent stories reported by CALmatters' team of journalists:
Did California’s existential issues scare off potential candidates for governor?
Californians may never know for sure, but the half-dozen existential issues imperiling the state, from high living costs to water supply, may have scared off some candidates for governor.
Thu, Jan 22, 2026 5:30 am
A California national monument may lose protected status, risking plant and animal life — and water
Volcanic rock at the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument filters rain and snowmelt into an underground aquifer network that holds as much as 200 of California's biggest reservoirs.
Thu, Jan 22, 2026 5:30 am
ICE ignores hard lessons LAPD learned after Rodney King beating
Federal immigration agents are forgoing the basics that LA police espouse after their years of ignominy: de-escalation, accountability and protecting and serving.
Thu, Jan 22, 2026 5:30 am
Fires burn swiftly, but insurance battles linger: New bills propose consumer-friendly regulations
As fire survivors continue to navigate life after disaster, California lawmakers roll out new bills attempting to further regulate insurance companies like State Farm.
Thu, Jan 22, 2026 5:30 am
Newsom promociona avances contra el robo de EBT mientras Trump presiona a los estados azules sobre el fraude de beneficios
Los californianos de bajos ingresos solían perder millones de dólares al mes a manos de estafadores que saqueaban sus cuentas de asistencia alimentaria y otras prestaciones públicas. El gobernador Gavin Newsom destaca mejoras en seguridad mientras la administración Trump acusa a los estados demócratas de tolerar el fraude en la asistencia social.
Thu, Jan 22, 2026 1:21 am
Lobbyists and lawmakers mingle over luxury tequila, shrimp and cigars at capital party
Hundreds of politicians, staffers and lobbyists attended the annual "back to session bash" Thursday, funded by tribal groups, sports betting companies and other special interests aiming to influence them.
Wed, Jan 21, 2026 3:00 pm
White House blocks Gavin Newsom from interview at official U.S. venue in Davos
Newsom’s scheduled interview in Davos was canceled Wednesday after the Trump administration denied him access to the official U.S. venue.
Wed, Jan 21, 2026 1:33 pm
Can AI replicate dance?
Can artificial intelligence replicate one of the most complex human art forms — dancing — and is it a threat to dancers and their profession? CalMatters reporters set out to answer those questions by first testing four commercially-available AI video-generation models: OpenAI’s Sora, Google’s Veo, MiniMax’s Hailou and Kuaishou’s Kling. The models were prompted to […]
Wed, Jan 21, 2026 6:00 am
Generative AI is eating culture. See how close it’s getting to disrupting dance
Dancers say their craft can’t be duplicated by AI. Our tests show they’re right — for now.
Wed, Jan 21, 2026 5:35 amStay informed.
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