Investigation

Skincare brands make billions selling products, including some harmful to young skin, to tweens | Investigating "Sephora kid" Concerns

Skincare brands make billions of dollars annually selling stuff to children 12 and under, even though dermatologists caution against minors using some of these products that are meant for adults. The CBS News Confirmed team analyzed top kidfluencers with more than 42 million followers combined and found that 94% of their recent skincare posts did not let kids know they were getting free products or commissions from the brands they promote. That social media marketing is turning many in this generation into so-called "Sephora kids," but they often don't realize that some viral products can harm young skin. Check out what happened when CBS News California investigative correspondent Julie Watts sent her 11-year-old daughter undercover shopping with her friends. BEHIND THE INVESTIGATION: CBS News California investigates troubling trend in skincare industry WATCH PART 1 - Investigating "Sephora Kid" Concerns: How skincare brands make billions selling products to tweens. WATCH PART 2 - Investigating "Sephora Kids" Solutions: Fifth-graders investigate California bill targeting anti-aging skincare sales to minors. READ MORE HERE: How the skincare industry makes billions marketing products to tweens, including some that could harm young skin

• May 22, 2025
• 4:43

FAIR Plan Fix: What are lawmakers doing to fix California's insurance and why is it taking so long?

FAIR plan problems are nothing new, but suddenly, everyone is paying attention to California's insurance crisis. Are we any closer to a fix? CBS News California investigates the flood of insurance-related bills in the aftermath of the L.A. fires and why it's taken so long for lawmakers to take action. WATCH OUR CONTINUING COVERAGE: CBS NEWS CALIFORNIA INVESTIGATES California's Insurance Crisis

• Apr 10, 2025
• 5:22

CA Insurance Commissioner to require more FAIR Plan transparency following CBS News California Investigation

The public is on the hook for the FAIR Plan's debt, but we don't have access to the FAIR Plan's financials. Should that be legal? California's Insurance Commissioner says, "No." Now he's committing to fix it following a CBS News California Investigation. WATCH THE FULL INVESTIGATION HERE: California FAIR Plan secrets: Why the state's insurer of last resort is so secretive FOLLOW OUR CONTINUING COVERAGE: CBS NEWS CALIFORNIA INVESTIGATES California's Insurance Crisis

• Mar 19, 2025
• 3:05

"American Nightmare" survivors Denise Huskins, Aaron Quinn use their trauma to help retrain law enforcement

In an exclusive interview, Huskins and Quinn take us through his interrogation, showing us step-by-step how old-school interrogation training led to their "American Nightmare."

• Feb 10, 2025

Do Newsom's wildfire "fact checks" align with the facts? A breakdown.

CBS News Confirmed checked Gov. Newsom's "fact checks" on the L.A.-area fires and found that although many were correct, a few omitted crucial context. Here's what we know.

• Jan 24, 2025

California Senate Insurance Committee finally has a leader amid corruption probe

Two days after CBS News California Investigates initially aired this story, Senate President pro-Tempore Mike McGuire re-appointed Democratic Sen. Susan Rubio, who served in the role for the last six years, to lead the committee.

• Jan 24, 2025

Leaked emails reveal Newsom's office will not negotiate crime bills, unless DAs pull 2024 ballot measure to amend Prop. 47

Emails obtained by CBS News California Investigates reveal the Governor's Chief of Staff​ did not want to negotiate with the initiative coalition unless they agreed to postpone their ballot measure until 2026.

• Jan 17, 2025

California's fentanyl fight: Politicians V. Parents

This year-long investigation provides an unprecedented look at California's one-party supermajority legislature through the eyes of grieving parents who discover how California lawmakers kill popular bills by not voting.

• Jan 17, 2025

Tougher on crime: Investigating California's Proposition 36

This year-long investigation by CBS News California investigative correspondent Julie Watts examines the many components of California's new tougher-on-crime law.

• Jan 17, 2025

"American Nightmare" victims help get Matthew Muller to confess to more crimes

In an exclusive interview with CBS News California, Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn reveal the timeline of Matthew Muller's cold-case crimes. Crimes they helped solve. The survivors detail how it took a decade, a documentary, a small-town chief, and a rural district attorney to get anyone to listen.

• Jan 6, 2025

California teachers don't get paid family leave. Gov. Newsom vetoed a bill to change that. Lawmakers to try again.

California lawmakers will try again to give public school teachers paid family leave. Critics worry it could come at the actual expense of students.

• Dec 23, 2024

Ahead of Proposition 36 vote, state data show California is not tracking retail theft suspects after arrests

No one — not the Governor's Office, the CHP task force, nor the attorney general — can tell us how many of the people arrested by California's Organized Retail Crime Task Force were sentenced, let alone how many went to jail, received treatment, or re-offended.

• Oct 31, 2024

How a young woman's memory became a focal point in California's Proposition 36 fight

Fentanyl took her life. Frustrated with the legislature, Matt Capelouto took matters into his own hands and attempted to get Alexandra's Law on the ballot so that the public could vote on it themselves.

• Oct 10, 2024

Gov. Newsom vetoes bill to protect California seniors from scammers

Credit card companies are responsible for fraud loss, under federal law. But there's no penalty for big banks when victims wire thousands of dollars to scammers.

• Sep 28, 2024

Newsom signs newborn DNA storage law, prompted by CBS News California investigation

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that was prompted by a decade-long CBS News California investigation into the state's newborn genetic biobank.

• Sep 26, 2024

Why some California Democrats take Big Oil money and vote against environmental laws

When California Democrats accept oil money or vote against "climate-friendly" bills, they are often criticized or accused of being beholden to the oil industry. But are they?

• Sep 23, 2024

California sees significant election official turnover amid threats, misinformation: "I started having panic attacks"

A CBS News California investigation found roughly half of California voters will have someone new to the job running their presidential election this year.

• Sep 5, 2024

Bills to shed light on newborn DNA storage in California quietly killed or gutted

Lawmakers quietly amended a bill prompted by a decade-long CBS investigation into California's Newborn Genetic Biobank. They removed the part that requires the state to reveal who is using our DNA for research and why.

• Jul 31, 2024

Doctor who drove family off cliff fuels legal debate: Should attempted murder defendants get treatment instead of trial?

A doctor who was released from jail after driving his family off a cliff is being called the "poster child" for and against a California law that allows attempted murder defendants to get at-home mental health treatment instead of standing trial for alleged crimes.

• Jul 26, 2024

Lawmakers could force California to stop storing your DNA without permission

California law says genetic testing companies have to get your permission before they store, use or sell your DNA, but the state itself doesn't have to get your permission and has been storing DNA samples from every baby born there since the '80s. Lawmakers want to change that, but face an uphill battle.

• Apr 18, 2024

Fentanyl test strips are sweeping college campuses. Our testing found they may not detect laced fake prescription pills.

Fentanyl test strips used to be illegal in California. Now, state law requires them on community and state college campuses. We put fentanyl test strips to the test, and what we found could save someone you know.

• Apr 2, 2024

What is a local law enforcement agency hiding? CBS sues for body camera footage to find out.

We tried to work with law enforcement for nearly a year to avoid this lawsuit, but one local agency is simply refusing to release video that the public has a right to see. Its legal argument could impact law-enforcement policies across the state if allowed to stand.

• Mar 21, 2024

We got fentanyl-laced pills from a recent bust and put fentanyl test strips to the test

Fentanyl test strips used to be illegal, but now state law requires them on some campuses – and they're everywhere from vending machines to bars. Fentanyl test strips are intended to help young people avoid fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescriptions or drugs. But many warn that test strips alone could do more harm than good. We put fentanyl test strips to the test, and what we found could save someone you know.

• Feb 13, 2024
• 6:13

Why didn't Gov. Newsom's CHP detail stop that retail theft he witnessed at Target?

Also on Thursday, Democratic mayors are joining the fight to reform Proposition 47 despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom's opposition.

• Feb 8, 2024

California State Secrets: What public officials don't want you to know

Heading into this election year, transparency and government accountability are crucial. We're revealing how government officials are spending your tax dollars to keep public information a secret – and how it impacts you.

• Feb 1, 2024

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