California California union’s billionaire tax qualifies for ballot amid fierce opposition By Kristen Hwang | June 18, 2026 The governor is reportedly trying to negotiate a last-minute deal that would pull the initiative before the ballot is finalized on June 25.
health Can medical malpractice lawsuits protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy? This California lawmaker thinks so By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | April 13, 2026 Medical and mental health organizations condemn conversion therapy, which is rooted in the now-debunked theory that homosexuality is a mental illness.
health Measles is back in California. Health departments are fighting it with less. By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | March 2, 2026 Battling outbreaks as federal funding cuts gut local health departments and vaccine skepticism fuels spread among unvaccinated children.
health Kaiser strike hits fourth week as 31,000 workers demand higher pay and better staffing By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | February 16, 2026 Striking workers with one of Kaiser's largest unions have never before walked off the job.
California California gives Planned Parenthood $140 million boost to keep clinics open By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | October 24, 2025 And still financial troubles loom.
Education Newsom signs first-in-nation law to ban ultraprocessed food in school lunches By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | October 9, 2025 Officials will decide which additives, dyes, and other forms of processing don’t belong in school meals and K-12 cafeterias.
health As RFK pushes MAHA, federal cuts shut down California health and nutrition programs By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | September 15, 2025 Whether federal cuts are legal is still undecided, but local health departments have already made moves to scale back.
California Covered California health insurance will cost more in 2026. Here’s what’s behind the double-digit increase By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | August 15, 2025 Federal subsidies, set to expire at year’s end, are partly to blame.
health Bonta sues Trump administration over Planned Parenthood cuts By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | July 29, 2025 The suit contends Trump's new signature tax law requires states to violate Planned Parenthood’s First Amendment rights.
health Planned Parenthood of California loses $300 million in federal funding under court order By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters | July 23, 2025 A previous temporary restraining order that blocked the funding cut for all Planned Parenthood health centers expired Monday.