California, Explained From the Source.
California News Now publishes plain-language guides to the California rules people actually search for — rent caps, court records, property tax, wages, benefits, insurance — each one citing the statute, ordinance or agency page it comes from, and each one noting what is different in your county.
The Rule, Not a Paraphrase
Every guide names the California statute, ordinance or agency page that sets the rule, so you can read it yourself.
County by County
Courts, assessors and benefits offices are run county by county. We say which of the 58 applies to you.
Dated and Rechecked
Wage floors and rent caps change every year. Every page carries the date its source was last verified.
Our Mission
Most California explainers paraphrase each other until the original rule is three steps away and a year out of date. California News Now works the other direction: start at the code section or the agency page, say plainly what it requires, name the counties and cities where a local rule overrides it, and date the page so a reader knows how fresh it is. We publish what the rule says. We do not give legal advice.
Steve Levine
Editor & Publisher
Steve Levine runs California News Now, where he writes and edits plain-language guides to California rules — housing, courts, taxes, wages and benefits — each built from the statute or agency page that sets it. He also publishes OpenClassActions.com, where the same approach is applied to consumer settlements.
Connect on LinkedInFrequently Asked Questions
What is California News Now?
A free California guide site. We publish plain-language explanations of California rules — housing, courts, taxes, wages, benefits, utilities, insurance and the DMV — with the governing code section or agency page cited on every guide.
Is this legal advice?
No. We describe what a published California rule says and link the official source. We are not a law firm and cannot advise you on your situation. For advice about your own case, talk to a California attorney or the relevant agency.
Why does the site organize things by county?
Because California does. All 58 counties run their own superior court, their own assessor and their own social services agency, and many cities set their own minimum wage and rent rules on top of the state’s. A single statewide number is often the wrong answer for where you live.
How current is the information?
Each guide carries the date its source was last checked. Rules with an annual adjustment — minimum wage, CPI-linked rent caps — are marked with the year they apply to. Where we have not rechecked a page recently, the date says so rather than hiding it.
How do you make money?
Advertising. Nothing on this site is a paid placement, and we do not take payment to cover, omit or frame a topic a particular way.