From left, Synergy CEO John McKeown and Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy Chris Wright at the Synergy Oil and Gas production site in Long Beach on April 8, 2026. Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited a Long Beach oil site to pressure Gov. Newsom over state regulations he says are driving up energy costs for Californians. cal.news/4dEa4vc
📸 Ariana Drehsler
Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco speaks on stage during The Western Growers California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at Fresno State in Fresno on April 1, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s investigators had no insider tipsters, no witnesses and no independent analyses from forensic experts when they approached a local judge and asked to take the unprecedented step of seizing hundreds of thousands of ballots cal.news/41oU74K
📸 Larry Valenzuela
Traffic on Highway 50 in Sacramento on June 30, 2022. Some of what Californians pay at the pump funds road upkeep. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
Opinion | No matter how politicians frame it, we Californians are paying some of the nation’s highest taxes. cal.news/3Qb22A4
📝 Dan Walters
📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
A Budget Summary for 2026-27 fiscal year, shown at the Capitol Annex in Sacramento, on Jan. 9, 2026. Revenues vacillate each year, often complicating budgeting. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters
Opinion | Fiscal discipline is not austerity; it is accountability. It means insisting that every dollar produce genuine value for taxpayers.
California does not need a bigger government. It needs a better one. cal.news/3NQEmQY
📝 Peter Weber & Chris Thornberg
📸 Fred Greaves
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The agency also has only one employee right now, charged with protecting some of California’s most vulnerable residents from financial abuse.
Has your family ever worked with a professional fiduciary? If you want to share your story with our reporter, please DM us.
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Our ongoing investigation reveals how California’s agency to regulate the fiduciary industry has failed to stop outrageous behavior. calmatters.org/investigatio...
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But even after police stepped in and arrested her on charges of stealing $2.5 million of her clients’ funds, Bogdanovich maintained total control over Vinyasi’s finances for nearly 10 more months before she resigned. She eventually was sentenced to four years in jail and four under supervision.
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Bogdanovich’s scheme didn’t unravel until a victim went to the Los Angeles Police Department in 2022.
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Vinyasi wasn’t the only client complaining about Bogdonavich. About a year before Vinyasi’s complaint, someone warned the bureau that Bogdanovich was transferring money between client accounts.
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Vinyasi turned to the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau, the place Californians are supposed to rely on in situations like these. The bureau didn’t take action against her at the time, and Vinyasi said he eventually became homeless.
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As a professional fiduciary, Donna Bogdanovich was paid to manage Vinyasi’s money, which was set up in a special needs trust. But over time, she stopped paying the bills, and the consequences piled up.
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Republican gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco speaks on stage during a candidate forum at Fresno State in Fresno on April 1, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters
The California Supreme Court has ordered a pause of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s investigation and recount of ballots cast in the November 2025 special election as multiple lawsuits challenging the effort make their way through the courts. cal.news/4vlFYmk
📸 Larry Valenzuela
People supporting California's proposed billionaire tax hold signs at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. Photo by Jeff Chiu, AP Photo
The health care union behind the tax measure argues its plan is the only viable fix for federal funding cuts to Medi-Cal. But even some of the most liberal lawmakers and labor unions aren’t convinced yet. cal.news/4cbcBuf
📸 Jeff Chiu, AP
A collage-style illustration in green, purple and white tones with several cut-out images, including: photos of two elderly people, court transcripts, a list of financial costs and the California seal.
An ongoing investigation by CalMatters reveals how California's agency to regulate the fiduciary industry has failed to stop the conflicts prohibited by its own code of conduct and outrageous behavior by fiduciaries cal.news/4cgU8MU
🎨 Adriana Heldiz
A jet fuel subsidy could tap funds meant for California roads
A proposed California subsidy for cleaner burning jet fuel could tap road funds and push gas prices higher, with ripple effects for California drivers.
Candidates attend the Western Growers California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at Fresno State on April 1, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters
Opinion | We need to be sold a vision for California that does more to ensure that young Californians can stay in this state, have quality jobs and are protected from the threats from the federal government. cal.news/4ssoXo1
📝 Andrea Escobar & Joselen Contreras
📸 Larry Valenzuela
Petroleum pump jacks are in the Kern River oil field in Bakersfield. A bill would allow lawsuits against oil companies for climate change effects. Photo by Jonathan Alcorn, Reuters
Opinion | This year’s version of the perennial conflict is being played out against what should be a serious concern about the state’s economy. cal.news/41loxEU
📝 Dan Walters
📸 Jonathan Alcorn
Workers clear debris from a home destroyed in the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades on April 15, 2025. Photo by Genaro Molina, Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Opinion | When my family home burned in the Palisades fire last year, my community suffered a second trauma — navigating a completely broken insurance system that fails consumers and insurers. cal.news/4t1hUUs
📝 Merritt Farren
📸 Genaro Molina
An inmate at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on March 17, 2023. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters
In a rare showing of bipartisanship, Republicans in the Assembly’s public safety committee are backing a tough-on-crime bill authored by a Democrat. cal.news/4miKMEV
📸 Martin do Nascimento
Congratulations Anat, and thank you @medillschool.bsky.social!
Read her investigation: calmatters.org/investigatio...
Alfred Aldrete in the Tower District of Fresno on Feb. 27, 2026. The Clovis Police Department referred to prosecutors a criminal charge against him after he helped with security during a student-walkout protest against federal immigration raids. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters
A central California police department this week filed criminal charges against a man who helped escort student protesters during a protest against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, but the case quickly dissipated... cal.news/3OsLMtJ
📸 Larry Valenzuela
A United Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport on Nov. 7, 2025. Photo by Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Gov. Gavin Newsom is advancing a plan that could funnel hundreds of millions in road dollars to a struggling oil refinery — pitching it as a cleaner jet fuel initiative. cal.news/4dvgwoa
📸 Justin Sullivan
Opinion | Trump endorsing Hilton may help keep California governorship in Democratic hands
If ex-TV commentator Steve Hilton pulls far ahead of Sheriff Chad Bianco, it cuts the chances for a 1-2 GOP outcome — likely the only way California can get a Republican governor.
California HOA triumphs over ADU law
A Carlsbad condo-owner lost his legal battle to turn his garage into an apartment over the objections of his homeowners association.
A graphic announces a “2026 Emmy Nominee” for CalMatters, Evident Media and Bellingcat in the category of Outstanding Editing: News. The design features bold yellow and orange accents, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences logo, and a video thumbnail referencing a report about a border patrol raid.
Inside the newsroom:
CalMatters, @evidentmedia.org and @bellingcat.com's collaborative documentary, “Operation Return to Sender” has been nominated in the 2026 News and Documentary Emmy Awards. cal.news/4siPi7K
Students walk through campus at Sacramento City College on Feb. 23, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
California community college students in need of medication abortion services could access care directly on campus if the Legislature passes a proposal by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani. cal.news/4ccQofC
📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
The quad at San Francisco State University in San Francisco on July 7, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters
Seven campuses at the Cal State system are in fiscal dire straits because of chronic enrollment declines. Last month the schools submitted reports to the Legislature on their turnaround plans. cal.news/4mbcQtS
📸 Semantha Norris
Republican gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco speaks on stage during The Western Growers California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at Fresno State in Fresno on April 1, 2026. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters
Opinion | Bianco’s rhetoric doesn’t qualify as a constitutional crisis, but his actions do. Every day the ballots remain in his evidence locker hardens the precedent of his overreach. cal.news/3PSNl4F
📝 Bryon Gustafson
📸 Larry Valenzuela
