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Pending Home Sales Dip to Lowest Level in Nearly 3 Years
The homebuyers who remain in the market have more choices, less competition and more negotiating power. Here’s what you need to know about the U.S. housing market for the four weeks ending September 13: Buyers have more breathing room than they’ve had in years. Pending home sales fell 3.5% from a week earlier to their…
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California’s tough on crime law promised treatment. Here’s why people are falling through the cracks
California’s Prop. 36 gave certain people facing criminal charges an option to have their cases dropped if they complete drug treatment. Now, counties are on their own to figure out how to provide it.
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Newsom and legislators withhold school funds while state blows money on pork and luxury travel
While the state withheld $3.9 billion from schools, it spent $1.3 billion on pork projects and $600,000 on train consultants’ questionable luxury travel bills, reports say.
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LA mayoral rivals clash over public safety and the police chief but miss key issues
Mayor Karen Bass’ challenger, Councilmember Nithya Raman, says LA has lost confidence in Chief Jim McDonnell. That prompted Bass to back him, even as police protect ICE agents and draw the public’s anger.
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From slavery to riches: A founding mother of Black Los Angeles finally gets her due
Biddy Mason, while enslaved in California, sued and won her freedom. Then she bought and developed CA land and launched a church and a school. Now LA is renaming a park for her.
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California wants to ban child marriage. Why are these civil rights groups trying to stop it?
It’s legal for anyone under 18 in California to get married. That may change with a bill on Gov. Newsom’s despite efforts by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood to protect the practice.
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He championed vaccine mandates. Will that record help him unseat a party-shifting conservative?
In one of California’s newly created congressional districts, candidates diverge sharply on healthcare issues, but most voters agree healthcare costs too much.
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The missing piece of California’s new crime law: Drug treatment
Two years ago, proponents of Proposition 36 pledged the measure would curb crime, substance abuse and homelessness in California. So after voters overwhelmingly passed it, how well is the law working? We’re publishing a special report today looking at how the law is affecting lives on the ground in courts and in jails. CalMatters’ Marisa…
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August 2026 Rental Report: Rents Fall for 37th Straight Month as Concessions Give Renters More Leverage
August 2026 marks the 37th year-over-year rent decline for 0–2 bedroom properties across the 50 largest metros.The national median asking rent fell $16, or 0.9%, compared to a year ago.
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Permits Hold Steady but Starts and Completions Fall in August
New residential construction activity showed signs of current trepidation among builders, but also some optimism for the future. Completions of new homes fell sharply, down 11.9% month over month and 27.1% year over year as builders are facing soft demand from buyers stretched thin by affordability constraints in the current high mortgage rate environment.
