CALMATTERS

• Reducing drug penalties likely increased homelessness in California, new report says
  August 27, 2026
  When Californians voted to reduce drug penalties in 2014, it likely had the unintended consequence of also increasing homelessness in the state, according to a new report. The report, released Thursday by the Public Policy […]
• She caused a terrible crime. Now she’s trying to answer why
  August 27, 2026
  Gov. Gavin Newsom knows his changes to California prisons will be part of his legacy, from suspending the death penalty to refashioning San Quentin as a hub for rehabilitation. “It was always about public safety,” […]
• She made a fatal choice at 22. Now she’s in prison, figuring herself out one day at a time
  August 27, 2026
  Grace Coleman woke up in a hospital and learned she caused a fatal crash. Now in a California prison, she's striving to hold herself accountable.
• A broken promise could cost some California counties and cities millions of dollars
  August 27, 2026
  Years after California reduced vehicle license fees and promised to make cities and counties whole, a glitch in the payment system may cause San Mateo County to lose $220 million a year.
• Culture and ethics meets tech: UCLA debuts country’s first bachelor’s in digital humanities
  August 27, 2026
  UCLA’s new major fuses technological tools for statistical analysis, coding, 3D mapping and data visualization with traditional humanities in subjects like history, literature and global cultures.
• Can California help lower the cost of GLP-1s? Here’s what lawmakers are proposing
  August 27, 2026
  An LA-area Democrat wants California to partner with drug manufacturers to make weight loss drugs cheaper — drawing on her own experience paying out of pocket.
• Increased spending on California public schools has not raised achievement. Here’s what’s next
  August 27, 2026
  The governor will appoint new state education leadership. But three bills to hold the state more accountable just died in the state senate.