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CalMatters’ Digital Democracy has been awarded the Punch Sulzberger Prize for Journalism Innovation in the national Poynter Journalism Prizes. cal.news/44q0jfw

Commentary: The issues that were plaguing CA when Newsom took office in 2019 are as formidable as ever, reflecting not only their complexity but the tendency of the dominant party to become a collection of often hostile quasi-parties. cal.news/42ZTAX9 📝 Dan Walters

"Without speaking to Ryan, they denied the care he needed," she said, her voice tight with unspilled tears. “They said he could control his addiction if he really wanted to.” cal.news/3Z589HH

Took a break from the news recently? Didn’t have time to read that 5,000-word investigation? Catch up with CalMatters on the radio: cal.news/4m4yH5N

California’s first-in-the-nation privacy agency is retreating from an attempt to regulate artificial intelligence and other forms of computer automation. cal.news/4jHKpSe

A bill by Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson could help finally break the Highway 37 gridlock despite worries about harming endangered species. cal.news/4k2JKdT

The hearing had testimony from union representatives, patients and more about Kaiser’s ongoing troubles in the behavioral health space. But perhaps the most impactful statement, various legislators and advocates said, was the absence of Kaiser Permanente itself. cal.news/3EHt6BT

inmate firefighters say it’s hard to advance from a prison crew to a civil service firefighting job, because their criminal records make it tough to obtain the necessary certifications. State Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes wants to make it easier. cal.news/44KSktJ

In 2021, state leaders began pouring millions of dollars into increasing the pipeline for therapists, but many students say the educational requirements are still too onerous. Part of the problem is that it takes a long time to become a therapist. cal.news/4kcRQkt

Commentary: She nearly lost her life. My daughter missed years of school, friendships and milestones because an algorithm decided that her desire to be “healthy” was an opportunity to push toxic content. cal.news/435253a 📝 Neveen Radwan

Commentary: California doesn’t need another entrant on its list of managerial failures, but it has one in what happened when the State Bar changed its test of aspiring lawyers. cal.news/4jZDIL2 📝 Dan Walters

Commentary: If CA's economy is booming, as Newsom boasts, one might wonder why the state’s unemployment rate is the third highest in the nation, with more than a million jobless workers, and why its poverty rate is the nation’s highest. cal.news/42P3ex8 📝 @dancalmatters

After President Donald Trump's early budget eliminated the Head Start program, advocates led a nationwide lobbying effort to save it. cal.news/3EY4m8m

Commentary: This paradox calls into question whether GDP is the best measure of financial success for state policymakers. If we’re first in homelessness and first in the cost of everyday goods, does being fourth in GDP matter? cal.news/3GJ7Lse 📝 Aref Aziz

California and the nation have seen a surge in mental health disorders among students. For example, about 284,000 California children and teens deal with major depression, and two-thirds of them do not receive treatment, according to state estimates. cal.news/3GIUzDL

Earthquakes, wildfires and floods all could cause problems for California prisons. A new audit says they aren't ready to quickly evacuate prisoners. cal.news/42U4WNO

Last week Santa Cruz enacted a tax on sodas, ice teas and other beverages with added sugar. Voters approved the 2-cent-per-ounce tax in November, despite the beverage industry pouring at least $1.2 million in opposition. cal.news/434b6tm

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Commentary: This is not the time to pit programs and people against each other. It is time for leaders to put people first and advance a vision for California that lies in stark contrast to that of federal leaders. cal.news/3ZcULBt 📝 Chris Hoene

Commentary: California already has a mini-version of the polluter-pays movement called cap-and-trade, and it proves the point that consumers eventually shoulder the financial burden. cal.news/436ICiv 📝 Dan Walters