News

Health Care

FDA moves to ease restrictions on blood donations for men who have sex with men

January 28, 2023

Long criticized as discriminatory, the policy has prevented many gay and bisexual men from donating blood. The Food and Drug Administration revealed a draft of its new approach on Friday.

He was picked last in the 2022 draft. Now he's key to the 49ers' Super Bowl hopes

January 28, 2023

Brock Purdy outperformed every reasonable expectation as a backup's backup in San Francisco. Now, the 23-year-old is poised to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl.

Videos like the Tyre Nichols footage can be traumatic. An expert shares ways to cope

January 28, 2023

People can experience symptoms of PTSD after being exposed to videos with violence and death. Those symptoms can show up immediately or weeks later.

The city of Memphis releases videos of Tyre Nichols' arrest and beating

January 27, 2023

In the videos released by the City of Memphis, officers are shown aggressively dragging Nichols from his car. Later, officers are seen beating and kicking Nichols as he lies on the ground.

Environment

Sierra Nevada forests have seen ‘unprecedented’ level of high-severity wildfires, study finds

January 27, 2023 | Randol White

A new study from UC Davis researchers found that the proportion of good to bad fire in the Sierra Nevada — and much of California — is out of balance.

Health Care

California coronavirus updates: Judge blocks California law preventing doctors from spreading COVID-19 misinformation

January 27, 2023

A federal judge has blocked a California law intended to keep doctors from spreading false information about COVID-19.

State Government

California reparations task force aims at more than dollars, seeks policies to prevent harm

January 27, 2023

The task force members are discussing monetary and nonmonetary reparations ideas to compensate for slavery and racism. Some say they want policies to prevent future harms against Black Californians.

State Government

State Justice Department hasn’t probed — or even logged — all police shootings of possibly unarmed people

January 27, 2023

The department told CalMatters it can’t say how many cases it chose not to investigate during the past 18 months under a new state law, which aimed to ensure state oversight of police shootings.

State Government

Republican plan would outlaw homeless camps near California schools or parks

January 26, 2023 | Chris Nichols

Sacramento, Elk Grove and Los Angeles passed similar encampment bans last year, despite opposition from advocates who say they harm unhoused residents by separating them from resources.

Environment

Disaster recovery center connects Sacramento-area winter storm victims to help

January 26, 2023 | Kristin Lam

The center in Galt can help Sacramento-area residents deal with the aftermath of winter storms that brought strong winds and flooding.

State Government

Rep. Adam Schiff announces 2024 Senate run, teeing up a high-profile primary

January 26, 2023

89-year-old Sen. Feinstein has not announced if she will retire, but Democratic hopefuls are already entering the race for her senate seat.

Race and Equity

‘The Chinese Lady,’ a play about the history of Chinese oppression and Anti-Asian hate, comes to Capital Stage

January 26, 2023 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

The play touches on themes of anti-Asian hate and othering as it follows one of the first Chinese women to immigrate to the United States. It will open at Capital Stage this weekend and run through Feb. 26.

Cal State contends with 'unprecedented' enrollment declines

January 26, 2023

Enrollment decreases across CSU mean some campuses could see budget cuts.

Here's what we know about the Monterey Park shooting victims

January 25, 2023

The families of the 11 people who died in the attack at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio are sharing memories of their loved ones.

Suspect in Half Moon Bay farmworker massacre charged with 7 counts of murder

January 25, 2023

An employee of one of the two agricultural facilities where the shootings occurred was arrested and taken into custody. The rampage, believed to be a workplace violence incident, was California's third mass killing in just eight days.

Health Care

California allocates $20M toward abortion clinics’ physical, digital security

January 25, 2023 | Kate Wolffe

Abortion care providers in the state can apply for funds to bolster the security of their physical locations and increase digital privacy. The move is in response to increasing violence against abortion clinics and their staff.

Race and Equity

School funding proposal aims to achieve equity, but does it go far enough?

January 25, 2023

Last year, a bill would have directed more funding to the student group with the lowest standardized test scores, which would have been Black students. Instead, the governor is proposing extra money for high-poverty schools.

California to expand pest-detecting dog teams with $4 million in federal funding

January 24, 2023 | Rich Ibarra

The USDA announced plans to spend over $70 million on projects aimed at upgrading the nation’s pest prevention infrastructure. California programs will see over $15 million of the funds, part of which will be used to expand a pest detection dog team.

Mass shootings can be contagious, research shows

January 24, 2023

It may not be a coincidence that several mass shootings took place in a few days. Research shows perpetrators are often inspired by media coverage of other shootings.