Lauren Hepler

NEW: California is pumping money into homeless shelters as cities clear tents. Our year-long investigation found it's not working: - <1 in 4 go onto permanent housing - Widespread violence + misconduct - 2,007 deaths since 2018 (2x as many as jails) calmatters.org/housing/2025/0…

Concerned about California's drug addiction crisis? Read this insane story about one treatment center's quest to get insurers to pay for services, by @ByrhondaLyons + @jocelynwiener: calmatters.org/health/mental-… via @CalMatters

CalMatters spoke with three men who were detained on the streets of Los Angeles during the first weekend of the raids. These are the stories of how they were arrested, treated in government detention and, ultimately pressured to voluntarily deport.  calmatters.org/investigation/…

Taken: What happens after an LA immigration raid Masked men pull up quickly and approach Latino men. When someone runs, they’re taken. When they don’t answer a question, they’re taken. When they can’t produce papers, they’re taken.  W/@WendyFry_ @LAHepler @AnatRubin1 @add

NEW: Hundreds of drivers who've killed on California roads improperly kept their licenses. Some got in other crashes or racked up new tickets. “How can he keep driving?” said Gaudy Lemus, who's son Joseph, 18, died after a 2021 crash. calmatters.org/investigation/… @CalMatters

Law enforcement agencies across Southern California violated state law more than 100 times last month by sharing information from automated license plate readers with federal agents, records show. cal.news/3HV4giP 📝 @kharijohnson & Mohamed Al Elew

NEW: LA homelessness officials are refusing to release public records to LAist about allegations of high-level wrongdoing — including whistleblower retaliation — that led to $800,000 in taxpayer payouts. Attorneys say it’s unlawful for LAHSA to withhold. laist.com/news/politics/…

Have you ever driven or ridden on a California road? You might have passed the drivers with 6, 12, even 17 tickets, who the state routinely allows to keep their licenses — some even after they kill. Robert Lewis for @CalMatters: calmatters.org/investigation/…

Go to the border with @MrOlmos, who investigated what really happened on a California immigration raid: "Border Patrol had no prior knowledge of criminal or immigration history for 77 of the 78 people arrested" calmatters.org/economy/2025/0… via @CalMatters @bellingcat + Evident Media

"No one is going to say no to Lake Tahoe.” Must read Julie Cart story on a new era of eco-development clashes in Northern California: calmatters.org/environment/20… via @CalMatters

A shocking investigation from @LAHepler. calmatters.org/housing/2025/0… (The City of Sacramento has repeatedly declined to allow me and @RENEECBYER inside its Roseville Road shelter...)