California Insider

In California’s vineyards, entire harvests are going unpicked, something few imagined possible in one of the world’s top wine regions. For many growers, it means seasons of work with no return and fa…

Months after the LA fires, rebuilding remains uncertain. Many homeowners are discovering that the help they expected isn’t enough, and the process of starting over has become far more complicated tha…

California’s community colleges are contending with widespread enrollment fraud that has prevented real students from getting the classes they need and disrupted campus operations.

More than 1.2 milli…

California is the world’s fourth-largest economy, but daily life here is becoming less and less affordable. Housing costs take up more than half of some families’ incomes, while utility bills, gas pr…

To address California’s housing shortage, lawmakers in Sacramento are considering SB 79, a bill that would allow taller apartment buildings in neighborhoods currently reserved for single-family homes…

California just doubled its film tax credits to $750 million annually, but some say there's a problem. While the state courts big-budget productions, thousands of independent filmmakers making movies…

California’s governor has called for a special election in November 2025 to redraw the state's congressional districts. If approved, it would temporarily set aside the voter-created redistricting com…

California’s shrinking refinery network is only part of the story. New limits on Kern County oil are adding to the pressure, and decisions in Sacramento could influence what comes next.

Catherine Rehe…

Los Angeles has become a target of crime due to a key component in its infrastructure: copper.

Thieves are unconcerned with causing widespread disruption to critical services or eroding local history,…

An independent study challenges long-held assumptions about greenhouse gas emissions. In parts of California, natural seeps and aging wells appear to be releasing more methane than modern oil operati…

ADUs are popping up across California. Homeowners are turning garages into rentals, adding units in backyards, and stacking two at a time. But behind the growth, there is a mix of red tape, scams, an…

In California, the housing market appears stable, but the income needed to afford a typical home is well over $200,000 a year. Most households make less than half that. Only 18 percent of Californian…

As tariff policies evolve, California ports are under pressure to adapt. The Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest in the country, is moving record volumes without the backlogs of recent years. Chie…

Stanley Zhong, a teen prodigy from Palo Alto, earned a 1590 on the SAT and built a secure code tool during the pandemic that later led to a job offer from Google. However, he was rejected by every Un…

Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131 aim to speed up housing approvals by limiting the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in targeted areas. Former Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer explains h…

California’s prison system has been experimenting with rehabilitation for years. Programs like Zac Skow’s dog rescue work inside facilities to build trust and teach responsibility. But as Hector Brav…

Cleanup in LA’s fire zones has slowed to a crawl. The Army Corps finished its work, but half the burned lots are still sitting untouched. Homeowners are now on their own, facing blocked haul routes, …

Mark Baatz moved to Los Angeles from Canada in the 1980s and took a sales job at a small tow truck dealership run by his father and a partner. Over the next 37 years, he helped grow the business thro…