CALMATTERS

• Newsom amplió la educación preescolar gratuita. Ahora las guarderías privadas no pueden permitirse permanecer abiertas.
  February 17, 2026
  El gobernador triplicó los fondos para la primera infancia y amplió el programa de kínder de transición a todos los niños de 4 años. Sin embargo, los centros preescolares están cerrando, lo que dificulta encontrar […]
• CA private daycare centers struggle under free early-ed expansion
  February 17, 2026
  I’m CalMatters reporter Nigel Duara and I’m subbing in for Lynn today. Education dollars have been a major element of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s seven-plus years in office. But two bills he signed have created unforeseen […]
• Who’s running for California Insurance Commissioner? Here’s a look at the field of candidates
  February 17, 2026
  There are 15 candidates vying to be the state's top insurance regulator, a hot seat as thousands of LA residents try tapping insurance to help them recover from wildfires.
• Community schools are key ingredient of California’s tumbling crime rates
  February 17, 2026
  Community schools are becoming neighborhood hubs by prioritizing academics, youth and family services, mental health and restorative justice.
• Newsom expanded free preschool. Now private daycares can’t afford to stay open
  February 17, 2026
  The governor tripled early childhood funding and expanded TK to all 4-year-olds. But preschools are closing, making infant care harder to find.
• California schools face a new budget hit: Soaring insurance costs after sex abuse lawsuits
  February 17, 2026
  A recent state law lifted the statute of limitations on sex abuse lawsuits, driving a huge increase in payouts by school districts and government agencies. It has also increased insurance premiums for all agencies.
• Kaiser strike hits fourth week as 31,000 workers demand higher pay and better staffing
  February 16, 2026
  Thousands of Kaiser health care workers, including 22,000 nurses in Southern California, are on strike to demand better pay and staffing. The walk out has resulted in canceled or delayed appointments and surgeries, patients say.
• A California county’s only hospital cleared a federal hurdle, but it still needs millions to reopen
  February 14, 2026
  Congress restores critical access status for Glenn Medical Center, but the shuttered California hospital still needs $40-50 million to reopen.
• 'Es hora': los líderes de California revelan la mayor ofensiva contra conductores ebrios en décadas
  February 13, 2026
  Una coalición bipartidista de legisladores estatales ha presentado 10 proyectos de ley, un paquete sin precedentes diseñado para detener a los conductores mortales.
• California schools that ban cellphones make students want them more
  February 13, 2026
  Punishing all for the noncompliance of a few breeds resentment. Schools should confiscate phones from students who repeatedly offend.