News from across California that affects Ventura County readers.
An American flag waves on a flagpole in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire. Firefighters are performing mop-up activities in the burn area, though the fire continues to burn, in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 9, 2025. Photo by Ted Soqui for CalMatters No single failure explains the devastation of the Palisades and Eaton fires that burned through Los Angeles County in January 2025, a new report c...
Rachel Becker · Oct 9, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom meets with officials at the BACS St. Regis Center in Hayward where he announced new statewide accountability measures and funding to address homelessness and mental health care on March 2, 2026. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed a major victory for his signature mental health court last week, but critics say his math appears more than a littl...
Jocelyn Wiener and Marisa Kendall · Oct 9, 2026
A patient at La Clinica in Oakland picks up her prescription on Sept. 26, 2019. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters Doctors and health insurers filed a lawsuit last week alleging Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature violated the law when they approved a healthcare tax that could substantially increase insurance premiums for Californians. The lawsuit claims the recently passed tax on hea...
Kristin Hwang · Oct 9, 2026
A vehicle auction at Bruffy's Tow in Marina Del Rey on Feb. 18, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters Last week Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would’ve stopped the Department of Motor Vehicles’ practice of keeping excess proceeds from the sales of towed cars. The DMV’s handling of the money came under scrutiny following a CalMatters investigation that showed the agency had kept...
Andrew Donohue and Byrhonda Lyons · Oct 9, 2026
Photo via istockphoto.com California is suing two Christian anti-abortion nonprofits over a disputed treatment the groups call “abortion pill reversal” in a case that could reshape the nation’s ongoing battle over abortion rights. An Alameda County judge heard six weeks of arguments in the case, and will ultimately decide whether the First Amendment shields two anti-abortion groups that pro...
Kristen Hwang · Oct 2, 2026
Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis stands next to a recently installed lock and seal securing ballots at the county's elections office in Redding on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Salvador Ochoa for CalMatters FBI agents paid a visit to Shasta County last week after Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis claimed ballots looked, felt and smelled funny as workers were counting them i...
Ryan Sabalow · Oct 2, 2026
Visitors gather at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica on Aug. 2, 2025. The beach is a major draw for tourists and surfers. Photo by Kathryn Wheeler The tension between tourists, Californians living in the state’s coastal enclaves, and the tech companies that profit from vacation rentals is coming to a boil. The small coastal city of Pacifica has recently become the poster child for the battle betw...
Kathryn Wheeler · Oct 2, 2026
A block of Equinix data centers sit across the street from a Prime data center on Great Oaks Blvd. in South San Jose on Aug. 31, 2026. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney, CalMatters Facing growing public backlash and a pivot from his own past vetoes, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of seven bills on Monday that aim to force the data center industry to pay its own way in California. Three...
Katherine Ortiz · Oct 2, 2026
Jennifer Levi addresses the media during a press conference at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Feb. 12, 2026. Levi recounted how her son, Braun Levi, was killed by a drunk driver in May of 2025. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law four bills aimed at curbing a startling rise in DUI fatalities in recent years, including measure...
Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler · Oct 2, 2026
Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta, left, during a training session for crews to learn how to use remote hydrants at Clearlake Oaks on Aug. 27, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters As the Lucas Fire tore through Mendocino and Lake Counties, two portable fire hydrants sprouted from Lake County’s Keeling Park, pumping water directly from Clear Lake. It was the first test of a homegrow...
Rachel Becker · Oct 2, 2026
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