A series exploring the state’s vast impact on the nation
No state has had a bigger impact on the direction of the United States than California, a prolific incubator and exporter of outside-the-box policies and ideas. This occasional series examines what that has meant for the state and the country, and how far Washington is willing to go to spread California’s agenda as the state’s own struggles threaten its standing as the nation’s think tank.
The state maintains a single file that records every legal handgun transfer since 1996 and every rifle and shotgun transfer since 2014. No other state has anything like it.
Ron DeSantis made his name on culture war issues. But the new presidential candidate’s healthcare record includes running one of the least-insured states in America.
A return to in-person work might seem like a good thing. But some red-state leaders worry the return-to-work economy will limit their talent pool.
Californians moving to Nevada hope to re-create a California lifestyle — a tech hub with mountain views — without the Golden State’s problems. It’s not working exactly as planned.
The governors of California and Florida — two of the nation’s biggest ideological rival states — are leading in opposite directions. Both may run for president.
The California’s Air Resources Board, who have been mandating emission standards for decades, recently voted to stop selling new gas cars in the state by 2035. But in this political climate, can California continue to lead the way?
The desert tortoise is teetering on the brink of extinction. Can California’s Endangered Species Act save it from oblivion?
A 22-year-old woman and an abortion doctor from California played key roles in the legal fight that led to Roe vs. Wade, now struck down.
A battle over olive oil labeled as Californian has implications beyond the state’s groves, drawing in food safety advocates, marketing consultants and hedge fund players.
Napster founder Sean Parker had a vision and proved more politically savvy than his Silicon Valley billionaire contemporaries. But things went sideways when California dreaming met Washington deal making.
California has touched off a biofuel boom in pursuit of climate action. But environmental activists and analysts fear an unwelcome chain reaction in agriculture.
Getting low-income communities to transition to electric cars is a key climate challenge for California and the nation. A rural city is paving the way.
California sparked a national push to ban gas lines into homes. Its success hinges on persuading home cooks the gas stove is obsolete.
No state pursues environmental justice more aggressively than California. The White House and other states are borrowing from its tools and tactics.
California legalized medical weed 25 years ago, spurring a nationwide shift. But federal government rules stymie research on marijuana’s potential.
California had a plan for the government to do your taxes for you. Tax software firms led by Intuit worked to kill it. Why it’s getting another look in Washington.
Angered by a lack of diversity on corporate boards, California took an audacious, legally tenuous plunge. That initiative is changing corporate America.
Climate credits sold to California polluters bring billions to landowners. But scientists ask if that’s an environmental investment or a Ponzi scheme.
California expected its network of hydrogen car fueling stations to extend coast to coast. But it’s struggling and the rest of the nation is taking a pass. Why?
In the name of climate action, California pushed the world toward electric cars. But building enough of them is creating its own environmental crises.
