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How California insurance commissioner candidates Jane Kim and Ben Allen measure up
Two Democrats with differing approaches vie to regulate one of the biggest insurance markets in the world.
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Prop 45 explained: CEQA overhaul could shift who holds power over building
Prop 45 would shift who’s in charge of building in California. Supporters say it would also speed it up.
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What California’s new e-bike laws mean for you and your neighbors
Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Indigenous Peoples’ Day off and will return to your inboxes Tuesday. With more e-bikes on roads and sidewalks, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed three new laws that aim to strengthen safety for riders and pedestrians. One of the laws sets sidewalk speed limits and another cracks down on electric…
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September 2026 Hottest Housing Markets
The Kenosha, Wisconsin metro moved up one spot from last month to claim the top spot on the hottest housing markets list for the first time since January 2026. Kenosha has ranked in the top 20 a total of 67 times, but has claimed the top spot only five times.
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California’s biggest state worker union authorizes strike in Newsom’s last months
Demanding better pay and a more flexible work-from-home policy, state workers in SEIU Local 1000 voted to authorize a strike as the union negotiates with Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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Mortgage Rates Jump For Seventh Straight Week to 7.40%; Highest Rate in 35 Months
The Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose for the seventh consecutive week, up 12 basis points to 7.40%. Rates are now a full 110 basis points higher than they were last year at this time, which was 6.30%. This increase comes amid continued upward pressure from the 10-year Treasury yield, which averaged 5.28% this week,…
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U.S. Housing Costs Could Return to “Normal” Within 5 Years. Here’s What It Would Take.
Housing costs could hypothetically return to “normal” within the next five years if mortgage rates drop to 6% and home-price growth holds steady around 2.1%. Alternatively, housing costs could return to normal in just a slightly longer timeline–within about six years–if mortgage rates stay where they are today, about 7.5%, and home-price growth flattens. For…
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The UC got rid of the SAT in admissions. It may be on its way back
After the UC stopped requiring the SAT, some professors say students are coming in with weak math and writing skills.
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How election deniers are using public records to sow doubt in California
California election skeptics filed dozens of public records requests. Some are soliciting donations from people who believe election results can’t be trusted.
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Newsom apologized to tribes for historic harms, but vetoed 2 bills that would have empowered them
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that would’ve given tribal governments a greater voice in water projects and in preventing the destruction of sacred Indigenous religious sites on state land.
