Commentary
California’s stubborn ‘achievement gap’
Two recent critiques of the state's efforts to raise academic achievement by disadvantaged students indicate that reality is beginning to rear its ugly head.
No clear frontrunner for governor, but new poll names five with the best shot
A poll shows three Democrats and two Republicans have voter support percentages in the teens. The top two vote-getters in June will face off in November.
She spent six of her last years in arbitration with her HMO. Her husband’s still fighting the system
Arbitrators in medical disputes are supposed to be unbiased, but this couple suspected there is an incentive to favor HMO’s in arbitration.
A former political ally tests LA liberals’ allegiance to Mayor Karen Bass
Mayor Karen Bass isn't vulnerable on her right, but she may be on her left, as City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist and ex-supporter, runs against her.
California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.
Lawmakers passed a law creating a state department to review inmate deaths, but it hasn’t completed a single death review in its first year.
Yousef Baig
California Voices Editor
Denise Amos
California Voices Deputy Editor
Dan Walters
Columnist
Jim Newton
Contributor
Pedro Rios
Contributor
Robert Greene
Contributor
Reader Reactions
Gov. Newsom’s water proposal
Re “Gov. Newsom: California must get past differences on water. Voluntary agreements are the path forward” Feb. 4, 2020. We applaud Gov. Gavin Newsom for his effort. While many details remain to be worked out, the governor hits at the heart of the matter and the reason the voluntary agreements are so worth the effort: […]
Commentary
PG&E seizure: Real threat or a bluff?
Gov. Gavin Newsom is threatening a stake seizure of Pacific Gas & Electric if it doesn't meet his demands for change. Is it real or just a bluff.
Commentary
Gov. Newsom: California must get past differences on water. Voluntary agreements are the path forward
Gov. Gavin Newsom: Inaction, recalcitrance, and adherence to the status-quo puts our water future at risk. The alternative to the voluntary agreements is a contentious regulatory process that will take many years and require adjudicating a thicket of litigation in every direction before restoring river flows.
Commentary
University of California should work to improve the SAT and ACT, not scrap them
Marten Roorda, ACT: Test equity and fair access to higher education must be meaningfully evaluated and addressed on an ongoing basis. But attempting to fix the problem by reducing or eliminating standardized testing such as the SAT or ACT will create several unintended consequences that need to be fully considered.
Commentary
Here’s a way to help cut California’s college costs and help students succeed
Susanna Cooper and Michal Kurlaender, UC Davis: Allowing high school students to take college-level courses while they are still in high school is good for students, good for high schools, and good for community colleges, which are the primary vehicle for dual enrollment. Asian American students are more than twice as likely to enroll in college-level courses as African American students. And there are 1,260 high schools in California in which zero students are dual enrolled.
Commentary
Gov. Newsom should invest in clean transportation. It will make California healthier
Bill Magavern, Coalition for Clean Air: California’s vehicles are responsible for the vast majority of its emissions of toxic diesel particulate matter and smog-forming NOx and are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. We must do much better, and quickly.
Commentary
Capitol grinds up major housing bill
A Senate bill to make housing more affordable by overcoming local resistance to high-density construction, dies, a victim of NIMBYism.
Commentary
California is right to focus on adverse childhood experiences. Other states should follow
Chuck Ingoglia, National Council for Behavioral Health: California is leading the nation in creating a health care model that recognizes mental wellness cannot be separated from physical health, a model every state in the nation must adopt. Integrating trauma-informed care into primary care will require a fundamental change in the established health care model.
Commentary
‘California for All’ vs. daunting reality
Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants a "California for All" that closes its economic gaps, but the reality is daunting and at the moment, the gaps are growing wider.