Norma Johnson cracks a faint smile as she adjusts her stylish cat-eye glasses. She’s at St. Mary’s Center’s cafeteria in West Oakland, where older adults in interim housing or living on the streets can drop by for a free meal. But Johnson’s mind is elsewhere. Her treasured red leather rocking chair, along...
California Expands Eligibility for up to $80,000 in Mortgage Relief Money
Angela Morrow was only eight months into a new career as a flight attendant when she was laid off from her job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting her at risk of losing her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in San Bernardino County. Morrow, 63, said she was able to save her...
Why Does California Teachers Union Oppose Dyslexia Screening for All Children?
Lea este artículo en español. California sends mixed messages when it comes to serving dyslexic students. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the most famous dyslexic political official in the country, even authoring a children’s book to raise awareness about the learning disability. And yet, California is one of 10 states that doesn’t require...
Powerful Storms Bring Little Relief to California’s Depleted Groundwater
The powerful storms that clobbered California for weeks in December and January dropped trillions of gallons of water, flooding many communities and farms. But throughout the state, the rains have done little to nourish the underground supplies that are critical sources of California’s drinking water. Thousands of people in the...
CSU Schools on Notice: Enroll More Students or Lose Money
The California State University system is putting campuses on notice: Enroll more students or lose money. It’s a stunning reversal of fortune for the 23 campuses of the country’s largest public university system, which have collectively lost 27,000 students in two years — part of a national wave of declining...
Deadline for Seismic Upgrades at California Hospitals Fails to Recognize Rural Realities
Re the CalMatters article: “Why hospitals are struggling to meet earthquake safety deadline” The issue of seismic safety at hospitals is of utmost importance to the future of patients who live in remote areas in California. As the CEO of a rural hospital, I know California’s rural hospitals would love...
Madera Hospital Closure Is a Medical Disaster. Who Else Will Shut Down?
In Madera County, one-fifth of residents live in poverty and many don’t have health insurance. The last thing this largely rural, Latino-majority part of the San Joaquin Valley needed was for its only general hospital to close its doors. But years of financial struggles forced 106-bed Madera Community Hospital and...
Newsom’s Oil Industry Tax Won’t Lower Gas Prices. Here’s What Will.
Retail gasoline prices last year shot to record highs in California – a spike partly related to crude oil prices – but to a level unique to the Golden State. Responding to widespread outrage, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a special session of the California Legislature to consider imposing an excess profits tax on...
Race to Zero: Can California’s Power Grid Handle a 15-Fold Increase in Electric Cars?
As California rapidly boosts sales of electric cars and trucks over the next decade, the answer to a critical question remains uncertain: Will there be enough electricity to power them? State officials claim that the 12.5 million electric vehicles expected on California’s roads in 2035 will not strain the grid. But...
How Much Does the State Legislature Look Like California?
Lea este artículo en español. The California Legislature that has reconvened is the most diverse ever: It includes a record number of women, occupying 50 of 120 seats, with one still being contested. It also includes an all-time high of Latino legislators, as well as lawmakers who openly identify as...