California likes to pat itself on the back for being a leader in protecting the environment. Every year, California workers dig up hundreds of thousands of tons of soil contaminated with things like lead, petroleum hydrocarbons and chemicals like DDT. The …
In summary Research on California taxpayers has shown that some top earners do leave the state in response to large tax increases, but studies vary in their estimation of how many people leave. Lawmakers in blue states like California may prefer to tax the …
In September 2020, workers in Brawley near the Mexico border began loading dump trucks with soil from the site of an old pesticide company. As an excavator carefully placed the Imperial County waste into the vehicles, a worker sprayed the pile with a hose, …
It’s difficult to explain a senseless act of violence. But after every mass shooting — in just the last two days, the total in 2023 went from 33 to 39 nationwide — we (the media, the public and policymakers) try anyway. The motive remains unclear as law …
In summary State and local officials are still asking law enforcement to prevent gun violence. Community leaders believe gun violence should be treated as a public health crisis, and incorporate prevention strategies that address the social factors in …
EN RESUMEN Los funcionarios estatales y locales siguen pidiendo a las fuerzas del orden público que prevengan la violencia armada. Los líderes comunitarios creen que la violencia armada debe tratarse como una crisis de salud pública e incorporar …
In summary Legislation to impose “wealth taxes” on the fortunes of very wealthy Californians is being proposed, but would they generate new revenue or persuade the rich to flee? Would imposing “wealth taxes” on the richest Californians generate a …
EN RESUMEN El año pasado, un proyecto de ley habría dirigido más fondos al grupo de estudiantes con los puntajes más bajos en las pruebas estandarizadas, que habrían sido los estudiantes de raza negra. En cambio, el gobernador propone dinero extra para las …
In summary California’s chronic shortage of housing manifests itself in sky-high housing costs, the nation’s worst poverty and its highest level of homelessness. Everyone in California knows, or should know, that the state has an immense shortage of …
Yet another mass shooting, and another reprise of a tragically familiar refrain. After the massacre late Saturday night at Monterey Park’s Star Ballroom Dance Studio that left 10 dead and 10 others hospitalized, on Sunday one politician after another, …
In summary Last year, a bill would have directed more funding to the student group with the lowest standardized test scores, which would have been Black students. Instead, the governor is proposing extra money for high-poverty schools, not Black students …
In summary California hospitals face a 2030 deadline to complete retrofit upgrades required under state law. Facilities in rural areas say the nearly 30-year-old legislation was enacted with a top-down approach, and failed to recognize the distinct …
In summary California wants more people to use public transit for transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but ridership is down and transit systems face a “fiscal cliff.” California utopians, including those holding public office, envision a …
Up until this month, Madera County — with a population of more than 150,000 spread out across 2,000 square miles of Central Valley farmland and sparse Sierra — had a single general hospital. Then, on Jan. 3, it closed its doors for good. As CalMatters …
In summary Under financial strain, the lone hospital in this Central Valley county closed its doors this month. Legislators and industry officials say other hospitals across the state may suffer the same fate. In Madera County, one-fifth of residents live …
EN RESUMEN Bajo presión financiera, el único hospital en este condado del Valle Central cerró sus puertas este mes. Los legisladores y funcionarios de la industria dicen que otros hospitales en todo el estado pueden sufrir el mismo destino. Read this …
EN RESUMEN Mientras el estado se prepara para poner fin al estado de emergencia, los sitios de pruebas con menos demanda cerrarán primero. Read this article in English. California se está preparando para cerrar docenas de sitios de prueba y tratamiento de …
In its first formal response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $297 billion spending plan, the Legislature offered some pointed feedback on Wednesday: The governor’s fiscal forecasters are being too optimistic and the state needs to prepare for a worsening budgetary …
In summary Despite recent policy changes, many California families seeking behavioral health treatment through Medi-Cal struggle to get the services they need in a timely manner. Given the scale of the emergency, state leaders must ensure these systems are …
In summary As the state prepares to end the state of emergency, those sites with less demand will close first. California is preparing to close dozens of state-run COVID-19 testing and treatment sites ahead of the planned end of the state of emergency in …
