Emily Hoeven

WhatMatters

California’s jobless claims site crashes as backlog grows

Tech glitches have struck California’s beleaguered unemployment department once again. The Employment Development Department’s website was unable to process claimants’ information over the weekend and was still plagued with difficulties Monday. “Some customers are experiencing issues using these services,” a pop-up on EDD’s benefits registration webpage read Monday. “We’re working to restore service as soon […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 23, 2021

WhatMatters

State halves desk-spacing rule — will more schools reopen full-time?

California just made it significantly easier for K-12 schools to bring students back to campus full-time — but some of the state’s largest districts and most powerful unions are pushing back, suggesting that hundreds of thousands of students may not receive daily in-person instruction this school year. Student desks should now be kept a minimum […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 22, 2021

WhatMatters

A day of historic votes

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, March 19. Three big decisions The results of three controversial votes on Thursday could reverberate across California’s political, environmental and educational landscape for decades to come. Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake: — Ethnic studies curriculum. After heated debate that spanned four years, four drafts and more than […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 19, 2021

WhatMatters

Will Newsom appoint an Asian attorney general?

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, March 18. Surge in anti-Asian hate Pressure is mounting on Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint an Asian American or Pacific Islander attorney general amid a surge in anti-Asian harassment and violence, including Tuesday shootings in Atlanta in which a man killed eight people, six of whom were women of Asian […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 18, 2021

WhatMatters

New school battle: What counts as ‘reopening’?

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, March 17. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀 Desk spacing major issue One of the biggest fronts in California’s school reopening battle comes down, quite literally, to a few feet. But the fight over how far apart students’ desks should be spaced is really a fight over what constitutes school “reopening.” […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 17, 2021

WhatMatters

Newsom launches anti-recall campaign

Good morning, California. It’s Tuesday, March 16. Democrats close ranks In a tacit acknowledgment that he will likely face a recall election this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday officially launched a campaign against the effort to remove him from office. The move came two days before the deadline for organizers to submit the final […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 16, 2021

WhatMatters

Patients about to flood vaccine system — millions newly eligible

Today, millions of Californians will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, inundating a system already straining under the weight of limited supply, pervasive tech glitches, political infighting and general confusion. Originally, only Californians with disabilities and severe health conditions were set to become eligible for the vaccine today. But the state on Thursday expanded prioritization […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 15, 2021

WhatMatters

California on verge of massive COVID changes

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, March 12. More vaccines, more reopenings Things are about to change big time in California. Today, the state is expected to reach its goal of administering 2 million vaccines in underserved communities, triggering a shift in reopening criteria that will make it easier for counties to move from the most […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 12, 2021

WhatMatters

Summer school likely for thousands of kids: SF and San Diego make plans

Two of the state’s largest districts have unveiled plans for multimillion-dollar summer school programs, signaling this could be one of California’s main strategies to address a year of learning loss during the pandemic. San Francisco Unified announced a $50 million initiative Wednesday to offer in-person classes, summer camps and child care to all 52,000 K-12 […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 11, 2021

WhatMatters

Newsom speech ushers in election season

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, March 10. High stakes for governor Buckle your seatbelts: It’s officially election season in California. That much was evident from the ambience of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State speech Tuesday night. The governor stood at a podium in Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, flanked by massive screens that alternated […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 10, 2021