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Facing $1.5B fire alarm bill, CA prisons go with human smoke detectors
Do you smell smoke? Inside California prisons, there are people assigned to do just that. As CalMatters’ Cayla Mihalovich explains, California’s 31 prisons have outdated, malfunctioning or inoperable fire alarm systems. But replacing all those systems, which include various detection devices, control panels and network connections, would cost $1.5 billion. To get around shelling out…
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The Summer 2026 Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Housing Market Ranking
The summer 2026 ranking evaluates the 200 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas using a combination of housing market conditions and broader measures of economic health and livability.
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High prices, hesitant demand weigh on June new home sales
June Census data shows new home sales at a 628,000 annual pace, up 1.6% from May but down 5.6% year over year. The median price fell to $398,300 and the market carried 9.3 months of supply.
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Public funding cuts, lost grants, stagnant wages: How economic woes are dimming a vibrant art scene
With world-renowned cultural campuses, San Diego is one of the country’s top 100 arts communities, but can it hold its position amid shrinking arts investment and rising costs?
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Aging oil refineries don’t need more public dollars. California should let them retire
The state has made billions of dollars in concessions for refineries, but that may not be enough to avoid their retirement. Some are more than 100 years old.
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Newsom appointed a close ally to this state board. Environmental groups say he has a conflict of interest
Environmental groups want Board of Environmental Safety member Rhys Williams to resign over ties to a lobbying firm — the latest Newsom aide to land a plum state board seat.
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California can’t replant its forests fast enough to keep up with wildfires
California’s wildfires are destroying forests faster than the state can replant them, and federal cuts are making the gap worse.
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California sues Trump over emergency funding rules that pressure states on elections
The Trump administration wants to link emergency preparedness grants for states to its preferences on immigration enforcement and the administration of elections.
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‘Tale of two’ Miami housing markets reflects changing priorities, international demand
Miami continue to house diverse housing ecosystems, including luxury and single-family segments supported by migration and limited supply.
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Conviction tossed in $1 million Bay Area COVID fraud case over juror bias
Atilla Colar in 2023 was convicted on 44 felony charges related to an alleged COVID benefit fraud scheme at a Bay Area parolee rehabilitation program.
