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I’m CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow, and I’m checking in for Lynn today.
Another contentious election season is upon us, and you may have questions.
Am I registered to vote? How do I register to vote? Is my newsletter secure? Can I vote in a language other than English? What if I mess up my ballot? How do I track it after I drop it in the mail?
The CalMatters Voter Guide has you covered. We answer your most frequently asked election questions and provide you with the resources you’ll need to make sure your vote counts.
Check it out here.
California’s housing crisis, explained: CalMatters has a detailed review why housing is so expensive in California and why homelessness is so persistent. There is now a lesson plan-ready version of these explainers and other information – specifically designed for teachers, libraries and community groups – as part of CalMatters for learning initiative, with Spanish translations.
Other stories you should know
Are oil companies hollowing out California?
Three years ago, Governor Gavin Newsom declared that “California stood up to big oil and won.”
He said this after signing legislation that purportedly gives state regulators the power to cap refiner profits and penalize oil companies for raising prices. But California never used those powers. Instead, last year the California Energy Commission voted to delay the rules for five years.
Now that gas is hitting $5.30 a gallon nationwide, that decision is under a new spotlight. The Iran war sent world oil prices soaring, but the war is only part of the story. California has a structural problem: fewer refineries, a closed market, and a lack of easy outside supply options. When prices go up nationally, they can go up even more here.
Supporters say this is exactly the moment the 2023 law was created for. Read more here.
California war hero finally gets his Medal of Honor at 100
You’re not alone if you haven’t heard the incredible story of an American pilot in the Korean War who took on seven enemy fighters, shooting down four of them before barely landing his badly damaged plane. That’s because the military kept Royce Williams’ heroic story a secret for decades.
Not anymore.
Williams, 100, received the Medal of Honor last month during Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. CalMatters reporter Deborah Brennan recently interviewed Williams at his home in San Diego County. Read about it here.
And finally: Malignant clams
Golden clams still threaten life in the delta. CalMatters Water Reporter Rachel Becker and Video Strategy Director Robert Meeks have a video segment on Rachel’s mollusk story as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. SoCalMatters airs at 5:58pm on Fridays on PBS SoCal.
California voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: True investigative journalists dig deep to find facts that officials want to keep hidden. They do not share fables posing as investigative journalism.
New regulations for plastic containers put the health of Californians at risk while driving up food prices, limiting food choices, and putting small businesses and family farmers out of business, writes Kevin KellyCEO of Emerald Packaging.
Other things worth your time:
$80 million mistake — why Sutter County should pay the state back // Sacramento Bee
We visited ground zero for hospice fraud: Los Angeles, CA // CBS News
The ultra-rich are considering a $500 million fund to influence politics in California // Bloomberg
Bay Area climbers rescued off Mount Shasta. What went wrong? // Redding Record Spotlight
LA Chinatown, a place of extraordinary longings and amazing dreams // Los Angeles Times
Video in San Francisco showing get-out-the-vote petition collectors offering $5 for signatures prompts fraud investigation // KCRA
The San Jose Council is moving forward with the plan to distribute homeless shelters throughout the city // KQED
“Life-sustaining” rural healthcare: Thompson, Huffman and McGuire Hold City Hall // Eureka Times-Standard
Controversial ‘illegal orders’ billboard goes up near Naval Base San Diego // NBC San Diego
