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California’s healthcare affordability office claims power to punish overspending hospitals
Year after year Californians watch their health bills increase faster than their wages — for some, to the point where care becomes unaffordable. Four years ago, the state created an office to curb that trend. Now, the California Office of Health Care Affordability is gaining new power to control costs. Its board last week adopted…
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Even blue California wants lower taxes and smaller government
Scheduling note: WhatMatters will rest Labor Day weekend and return to your inboxes Tuesday. We live in a blue state that elects Democrats year after year. But a slim majority of us would prefer a smaller government and lower taxes. That’s one of the key findings from an August report by the Public Policy Institute…
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August Jobs Report: Payrolls Jump 162,000, Fed Hike Odds Barely Move
August’s jobs report blew past expectations, with payrolls up 162,000 and prior months revised higher. But Fed rate hike odds barely moved, a sign inflation, not employment, will decide the September meeting.
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Fact check: Is Sam Altman right that almonds use more water than ChatGPT queries?
Altman claims 38,000 ChatGPT queries equal one almond’s water use.
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Mortgage Rates Climb to 6.71%, a New High For 2026
The Freddie Mac 30-year mortgage rate increased 5 basis points to 6.71% this week, following the rise in the 10-year Treasury yield.
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Homebuyers Have More Fresh Options Than They’ve Had in 4 Years
Homebuyers are gaining more power, with new listings jumping and demand flat. Here’s what you need to know about the housing market for the four weeks ending August 30: Fresh listings hit their highest level since August 2022. New listings of U.S. homes for sale rose 2.1% from a week earlier on a seasonally adjusted…
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Florida’s Luxury Market Pulls Away From the Pack, With Miami and Tampa Posting Double-Digit Price Increases
The luxury housing market in parts of Florida is outperforming the U.S. luxury market as affluent buyers flock to the Sunshine State, fueling high-end demand. Luxury prices in Miami and Tampa are rising faster than anywhere else in the nation. In West Palm Beach, luxury sales are rising faster than anywhere else. Please visit Redfin’s…
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Clock is ticking as LA Olympics organizers plan massive spending spree to retool venues
LA28 officials are stockpiling money and preparing to spend it fast. The organizing committee has effectively built a Fortune 500 company in Downtown L.A.
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California’s top Democrats struggle but can’t resolve the question of wildfire liability
Gavin Newsom’s late-session deal failed in the Legislature. It would have lessened liability for utilities whose equipment causes wildfires. A state Senate compromise never got a vote.
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California schools are sitting on arts money. A change in law might get them to spend it
The proposed changes aim to allay schools’ apprehension about spending their arts money granted through an initiative voters passed in 2022.
