CALMatters | Mountain View Online |

CALmatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media (publisher of the Palo Alto Weekly, Mountain View Voice, Pleasanton Weekly and The Almanac in Menlo Park and their websites.)

Here are the most recent stories reported by CALmatters' team of journalists:

Google’s new political ad policy will cost consultants, and improve our democracy

Eric Jaye, Democratic political consultant: Google famously implores their company with the slogan, “Don’t be evil.” It is true the company has not always matched that aspiration. But with a bold upgrade of its political advertising standards, Google is delivering a powerful public good.

Fri, Nov 22, 2019 3:01 pm

Changing lives — and credit history — one micro-loan at a time

It’s a Catch-22: to get good credit, consumers must first have good credit scores. Programs like the one run by the nonprofit Mission Asset Fund bridge informal traditional lending practices with the mainstream financial system.

Fri, Nov 22, 2019 2:33 pm

Newsom, Democrats lose effort to force Trump to release taxes—and it wasn’t close

California loses battle for Trump's taxes. State to sue Trump administration over Delta water shipments. Power shutoffs leaves residents hungry.

Fri, Nov 22, 2019 3:30 am

“We need the food that we lost.” Low-income families still reeling from blackouts

Pacific Gas & Electric turned off power to Ana Patricia Rios’ neighborhood […]

Fri, Nov 22, 2019 3:25 am

California rejects federal water proposal, lays out its vision for protecting endangered species and meeting state water needs

Wade Crowfoot and Jared Blumenfeld, secretaries of Natural Resources and CalEPA: After careful review of the federal biological opinions released late last month, our best experts concluded they are insufficient to protect endangered fish. As a result, the state needs to protect California’s interests and values.

Thu, Nov 21, 2019 11:49 am

Why California’s top court just struck down the state’s Trump tax return law

In the lead opinion, California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye says the state constitution makes clear "it is the voters who must decide" whether a presidential candidate's refusal to publicly share tax returns will have consequences at the ballot box. Many constitutional law experts, former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Republican Party are now all officially entitled to say, "I told you so."

Thu, Nov 21, 2019 10:14 am

Money flows to Sacramento as Newsom administration again slaps at GM and Toyota

Good morning, California. “President Trump talks a lot about America’s economic growth […]

Thu, Nov 21, 2019 3:30 am

Kamala Harris’ campaign sputtering

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris' run for the presidency is collapsing. She now must concentrate on winning re-election in 2022.

Thu, Nov 21, 2019 12:01 am

Newsom must stop the Westlands water grab and save the San Francisco Bay-Delta

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta: The Newsom administration needs to make clear where it stands on Delta management. More importantly, the Newsom administration must act on its water values forcefully, and not succumb to the water grab being orchestrated by the Trump-Bernhardt-Westlands alliance.

Wed, Nov 20, 2019 8:00 am

California tightens oil and gas regulation but stops short of a fracking ban

State implements new rules for oil production. Gambling measure may be headed to 2020 ballot. Exposing tobacco industry comes with unintended consequences.

Wed, Nov 20, 2019 3:30 am