California is facing a drought again. Governor Gavin Newsom prepared for wildfire season by signing a deal to set aside $536 million for prevention efforts, including forest health maintenance and fuel breaks. CalMatters’ Emily Hoeven helps review the deal, which some critics say isn’t enough to fix California’s severe and worsening wildfires.
And nearly 40,000 Californians of color have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic started, compared to 18,000 white Californians. These figures are only one of many reasons behind the ongoing push for equity in vaccine distribution, and Nicole interviewed Dr. Manuel Pastor, director of the Equity Research Institute at USC, to break down approaches to solving the challenge at hand.
This week’s episode also reviews relief for California’s childcare providers and why the death of a fracking ban bill may be good political news for Gov. Newsom.
Listen to the “California State of Mind” episode, co-hosted by Nicole Nixon and Elizabeth Aguilera. Subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Follow @yourgoldenstate, @CalMatters and @CapRadioNews on Twitter to engage with our show every week and see the top California news of the day.