CalMatters

California has more debt from the surge in unemployment claims during the pandemic than any other state.

Expiration of two COVID-19 emergency programs means Californians could lose their Medi-Cal insurance or find Covered California unaffordable.

The California Supreme Court agreed with a lower court’s order that UC Berkeley cap its enrollment. New statements from the university say it will be able to enroll almost all of the students it planned for the coming academic year. The cap is the result of a lawsuit based on the California Environmental Quality Act.

A group of California legislators has crafted vaccine laws that would be the most aggressive state approach to vaccines in the nation.

Volunteers fanned out across the state for the first statewide count of California’s unhoused population since 2020. The number is expected to have risen, prompting more questions about the impact of the state’s increased spending.

At stake is whether counties considered high risk — including L.A. — should keep indoor masking requirements under new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or follow the state’s lead in removing nearly all mask requirements.

Many working undocumented immigrants won’t qualify for state health insurance even if they don’t earn a living wage. That leaves them with few viable options for coverage.

School communities are falling apart at every level, as the debate over mask and vaccine mandates splinter parents, teachers and now students.

California’s African Americans are dying from COVID at a higher rate now. And they make up a disproportionate and growing share of the death toll for middle-aged Californians.

In a repeat of last year’s criticism, legislators were told there’s “a very real risk” the cap-and-trade program won’t meet California’s greenhouse gas goals. The state air board is revising the program.

The Sierra Nevada hasn’t provided nearly as much water as predicted. Now the state is struggling to overhaul its snow runoff forecasts.

Millions of Californians at high risk from conditions like heart disease, autoimmune disorders and diabetes feel unprotected and forgotten as the state rolls back its COVID orders.