Juliet Williams

Kamala Harris announces she won't run for California governor Conjecture about whether Harris would run for governor began almost immediately after she lost the November election to President Donald Trump.

The time for a decision has finally come. Let the governor's race begin!

They worked with the U.S. in Afghanistan. Now Trump could return them to the Taliban Afghans who fled the Taliban and resettled in California have lost legal protections and financial support in President Trump's second term.

Powerful story today by @akoseff.bsky.social on the Afghans in California who are caught in legal limbo as the Trump administration changes policies:

Spokane ICE protesters, including Stuckart, arrested by federal agents Federal agents on Tuesday morning arrested and searched the homes of multiple people who took part in a June 11 mass protest against immigration enforcement in Spokane.

Spokane politician arrested by feds at his home for protesting ICE kidnapping of two immigrants at check-in appointment.

"Former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart … was indicted by a federal grand jury and [will] be charged with conspiracy to impede or injure law enforcement."

YES

With carpenters’ help, California eases housing rules—and sparks labor clash California’s new environmental reform law, backed by carpenters, eases housing construction rules but deepens divisions within the labor movement.

The Carpenters Union is "a pariah" among California construction trades unions, @jeannereporter.bsky.social and @frombenc.bsky.social report. Yet the Carpenters struck the deal for the biggest overhaul of California's environmental law in a generation. Here's the backstory:

Gavin Newsom ordered state workers back to the office. Why he backtracked Newsom argued state employees needed to boost productivity and rebuild public trust by working in-office nearly full-time. Why delay? Politics, critics say.

Earlier this year, the governor demanded that state workers return to the office four days a week — then he negotiated away the requirement in return for other savings in union contracts, @mayacmiller.bsky.social reports: calmatters.org/politics/202...

Construction teams work at the Quito Village Development Project in Saratoga on April 13, 2023. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters Hed: Lawmakers wanted a new infrastructure agency to operate in secret. Why they backed down

For months, a plan to create an infrastructure financing agency largely shielded from the public eye sailed smoothly through the state Senate. Lawmakers only backtracked when transparency advocates sounded the alarm. cal.news/44cKpEP

📝 Martin do Nascimento

Lawmakers backtrack on plan to keep infrastructure agency's business secretive A plan to create a secretive infrastructure entity glided through the state Senate. Lawmakers are now backtracking after transparency advocates sounded the alarm.

Lawmakers continue to try to keep documents that belong to the public secret and unsearchable. @bystellayu.bsky.social is keeping them accountable for @calmatters.org

An excellent explanation by @frombenc.bsky.social of the Legislature's vote to claw black a longstanding environmental regulation often used to block housing. #CalMatters

Beautiful storytelling. The people’s business.

Congress is fighting over this tax deduction. Here’s how it affects Californians The House wants to raise the SALT deduction cap, which would help wealthy Californians pay less in federal taxes. The Senate disagrees.

The House wants to raise the SALT deduction cap, while the Senate wants to keep it at $10,000, the limit first established in 2017 to help pay for tax cuts for big corporations. Here's my look at how the outcome could affect millions of high-income California taxpayers.

FAC Sues San Diego for Public Records About Controversial Use of Force Against Marcus Evans Police Officers Shot Evans with Beanbag Rounds and Deployed a Police Dog that Mauled His Arm

FAC has sued the CIty of San Diego to force the city to disclose records about SDPD officers' use of force against Marcus Evans. Evans had his hands in the air when he was shot with beanbag rounds and mauled by a police dog.
firstamendmentcoalition.org/news/post/fa...

California voted to bar immigrants from schools and social services in 1994. Now most Californians see immigrants as a benefit to the state.

Read this story of the last 30 years that @frombenc.bsky.social and I reported. Smart editing by @jwilliamsjourno.bsky.social

calmatters.org/politics/202...

The First Amendment gives the press and reporters the right to observe, document, and record protests in public from a reasonable and safe distance. If you are a reporter with questions about your right to cover protests, reach out to our free legal hotline: bit.ly/FACLegalHotl...

Democrats resisted some of Gavin Newsom’s budget cuts, but left tough choices for later The budget state lawmakers approved rejects some Medi-Cal cuts, and pays for public transit and higher education. Now the real negotiations with Newsom begin.

The California Legislature passed a state budget today that relies more on borrowing than spending cuts to close a projected $12 billion deficit, aiming to push off difficult decisions about priorities even as that gap is only expected to grow in future years. calmatters.org/politics/202...

California police are illegally sharing license plate data with ICE and Border Patrol LAPD and the counties of San Diego, Orange, and Riverside have repeatedly shared automated license plate reader data to federal agencies

Law enforcement agencies across Southern California violated state law more than 100 times last month by sharing information from automated license plate readers with federal agents... From my colleagues at @calmatters.org

Can Trump deploy troops in LA? A federal judge hears Newsom's case today Gov. Newsom argues Los Angeles does not need the military to keep the peace: "To put it bluntly, there is no invasion or rebellion in Los Angeles; there is civil unrest that is no different from episo...

“The president is of course limited to his authority,” Breyer said. “That’s the difference between a constitutional government and King George.”

calmatters.org/justice/2025...

The quiet truce between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump is over Newsom’s anger is escalating after Trump called in the National Guard to Los Angeles without his consent. Newsom is questioning the president’s mental fitness and called him a “stone cold liar.”

A carefully calibrated truce between @gavinnewsom.bsky.social and Donald Trump, forged in the wake of January’s devastating wildfires across Los Angeles, collapsed over the weekend — putting both the governor and California at increasing risk of reprisal
calmatters.org/politics/202...

Coalition Condemns Harm to Journalists Covering Protests Against ICE Raids in Los Angeles See the 2024 Impact Report >>

With 24 other orgs, FAC condemns the treatment of journalists covering the protests against ICE raids in LA. Targeting journalists violates the First Amendment.
firstamendmentcoalition.org/2025/06/09/c...

The quiet truce between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump is over Newsom’s anger is escalating after Trump called in the National Guard to Los Angeles without his consent. Newsom is questioning the president’s mental fitness and called him a “stone cold liar.”

It took longer than many of us expected, but the fragile Trump-Newsom detente has exploded in full public view. By @akoseff.bsky.social

Lawmakers say no to Newsom’s big social service spending cuts The governor proposed major cuts to Medi-Cal and other social programs to close a $12 billion deficit. Democrats in the state Legislature are proposing more borrowing to keep those programs afloat.

As if there wasn't enough going on in California today, Democrats in the Legislature responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed deep cuts to social services with a "no thanks" proposal relying on borrowing.
By @bystellayu.bsky.social @jeannereporter.bsky.social and @mzinshteyn.bsky.social

A protester holds a sign on the steps of the state Capitol calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would require a human operator in all autonomous vehicles in Sacramento on Sept. 19, 2023. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters Hed: Zombie Bills: Why California lawmakers bring back legislation governors kill

Even when a bill dies one year, and even if a governor kills it, there’s a strong likelihood it will return, especially if big money interests like labor unions and business groups want it signed into law. buff.ly/87igcRx

Is it sex education or porn? A California city comes to blows over library books MAGA-aligned leaders took over the city council and set up a community review board for library material and singled out LGBT books. Have they gone too far?

A "MAGA-nificent" city council transformed Huntington Beach into the conservative bulwark of California.

Liberal critics hope they've finally gone too far as a special election next week has become "ground zero" in the national battle over library books.
calmatters.org/politics/202...

How gentrification is killing the bus: California’s rising rents are pushing out commuters Gentrification has led to fewer bus and train riders, a study from UCLA researchers found, showing how the housing crisis affects all areas.

"...as dense urban neighborhoods grow more costly, lower- and moderate-income renters, the very people most likely to ride the bus, are pushed out and replaced by a more affluent set who, on the whole, tend to favor getting around by car." @frombenc.bsky.social calmatters.org/housing/2025...

State claims there’s zero high-risk AI in California government—despite ample evidence to the contrary A state report provided to CalMatters says 200 agencies reported no automation around sensitive decisions. Some called the report befuddling.

State agencies don't use high risk automated systems, a state report claims, but legislative staff say it could cost billions of dollars for CA agencies to assess high risk AI they use or plan to use. A source told me those two things can't be true + somebody's lying calmatters.org/economy/tech...

A California senator was arrested for DUI; police say it was for the influence of drugs Footage seen by CalMatters appears to show that Sen. Sabrina Cervantes was not at fault when an SUV smashed into her vehicle.

Sacramento police say the state senator was driving while under the influence of a drug when crash occurred. Footage seen by CalMatters appears to show she had the right-of-way.

Money promised to “save” local news vanishes as California proposes deep cuts Lawmakers struck a handshake deal with Google last year to pay local news outlets in exchange for less regulation. Now, the budget deficit could prompt the tech giant to pull back.

A controversial $125 million deal California struck with Google last year to prop up the state’s struggling journalism industry is already on track to shrink — before any of the money has been delivered to news outlets.
via @jeannereporter.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/pzvzv3w5

Gavin Newsom pushes tax credits for Hollywood while proposing major cuts As he details deep cuts to public health care and universities in his budget, one thing remains intact: $750 million in tax credits for Hollywood.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed deep budget cuts this week. But he's doubling down on his proposal to boost Hollywood tax incentives to $750 million a year.

California's budget woes are back: State faces $12 billion deficit With President Donald Trump's tariffs wreaking havoc on California’s economy and health costs rising, state leaders will have to make tough cuts

California's budget deficit hits $12 billion, throwback to another era. Newsom says the state economy was booming before Trump announced his tariffs. By @akoseff.bsky.social

Come work @calmatters.org!

We're looking for the next amazing Environment and Health Editor to lead a lineup of stellar environment and health reporters here in California.

Details:

calmatters.org/about/jobs/e...