California Divide

A wood framing company is accused of stiffing workers and the state $2.6 million. Two employees could face penalties and jail if convicted.

In the first Trump administration, California passed a "Sanctuary State" law that, with some exceptions, prohibited local law enforcement from automatically transferring people to federal immigration authorities. Now the state is readying legal challenges to thwart a second Trump administration's mass deportation plans.

Floodwaters devastated the small communities of Pajaro and Planada in early 2023. California gave each town $20 million to recover – but as residents face down another winter, much of the aid has yet to reach them.

ValleyBuild is a workforce development program that helps applicants into apprenticeships for construction trades.

California wants to protect witnesses in workplace investigations from deportation, but the Biden administration program for undocumented employees is at risk with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

California voters refused to raise the statewide minimum wage to $18 an hour. Fast food and health care workers already get more.

Homeless Californians face many barriers to casting a ballot, even in elections that affect their lives. Some counties and nonprofits are trying to boost turnout.

California child welfare agencies must investigate claims of Native American ancestry before separating a family, the California Supreme Court stressed in a new ruling that affects several contested cases.

Inland communities with big population booms will experience the most extreme heat days under climate change projections. The combination puts more people at risk — and many cities are unprepared.

For years Laurel LaMont has fought for better options for what she calls the “missing middle,” often referred to as workforce housing. Now she is being evicted.