State GovernmentState may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyersMarch 22, 2023Gov. Newsom wants to spend $300 million the first year, which could help about 2,300 buyers. But home prices are falling and mortgage rates are rising, complicating the launch.
A boom for concealed carry classes, but long waits for permitsMarch 21, 2023Many more gun owners are seeking California concealed carry permits, even in blue, coastal counties. Gov. Newsom and Democrats in the Legislature are trying again to limit where weapons are allowed.
Mobile home parks offer refuge from California's housing squeeze. Who's watching them?March 21, 2023When mobile home parks fall into disrepair, residents look to the government for help. But it turns out the state has limited options.
Student housing: State’s promise to build more dorms hits setbacksMarch 19, 2023Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to delay state funds to student housing because of the state’s budget deficit. Lawmakers have different ideas on what kind of compromise might be reached.
State GovernmentCalifornia colleges rush to get more students on food assistance before pandemic rule endsMarch 18, 2023Most college students don’t qualify for CalFresh, California’s food stamps program, despite high rates of food insecurity. A pandemic-era rule that made it easier to get aid ends soon.
State GovernmentGavin Newsom moves to ‘transform’ San Quentin as California prison population shrinksMarch 17, 2023San Quentin housed California’s death row for decades. Now Gov. Newsom wants the prison on San Francisco Bay to emphasize rehabilitation and helping inmates re-enter society.
EnvironmentNo California salmon: Fishery to be shut down this yearMarch 15, 2023The salmon industry, worth about half a billion dollars, is devastated. The culprits: Drought and decades of water diversions and development.
State GovernmentCourt upholds California Prop. 22 in big win for gig firms like Lyft and UberMarch 14, 2023An appeals court ruled Monday in favor of companies that want to classify some workers as independent contractors, saying that Proposition 22 is mostly constitutional.
State GovernmentIs your boss complying with California’s new pay transparency law? Here’s how to find outMarch 13, 2023Businesses and workers have questions about California’s new pay transparency law. CalMatters answers which companies need to post pay ranges in job openings, who can ask for their current pay scale, and more.
Helping the ‘unbanked’: California mulls entering banking business to serve disadvantaged consumersMarch 12, 2023Studies say 1 in 4 Californians lacks full access to banks and many pay big fees. A state commission is weighing how to provide public banking options, such as no-fee checking accounts.
