News

State Government

California reparations task force zeroes in on who’d be eligible for compensation

January 30, 2023

California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations agreed residents should qualify for compensation. But should certain “vulnerable” former residents, such as foster kids or ex-prisoners, be eligible?

Tyre Nichols loved skateboarding. That's how his friends say they'll remember him

January 30, 2023

Old videos of Nichols on his skateboard have taken on new meaning in recent days — offering friends a way to remember what he loved and how he lived, as opposed to the harrowing way he died.

State water deliveries to surge — highest in 6 years

January 30, 2023

California cities and growers that receive water from the state aqueduct will get 30% of their allocations — the most in January since 2017.

NPR’s Nina Totenberg reflects on her 50-year career in news and friendship with late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

January 30, 2023

CapRadio Insight host Vicki Gonzalez spoke with Totenberg, NPR's long standing legal affairs correspondent, about her new memoir, time with Ginsburg and thoughts on the controversies surrounding the Supreme Court.

Health Care

FDA experts are still puzzled over who should get which covid shots and when

January 29, 2023

A single booster seems to prevent death and hospitalization in most people, but protection from the current vaccines wanes within months. FDA experts say they need to know more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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.

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.