PPIC BlogNews and Analysis of California Policy View by topic Climate Change/Energy Criminal Justice Economy Fiscal & Governance Reform Health & Human Services K-12 Education Political Landscape Population PPIC Higher Education Center PPIC Statewide Survey PPIC Water Policy Center All NEVER MISS AN UPDATE! Sign up for our blog alerts to receive insights from PPIC by email. Comments Health & Human Services Pandemic or Not, Teen Mental Health Is Fragile Paulette Cha March 4 2021 Teen mental health in California had been declining prior to COVID-19. Stressors from the pandemic may be making things worse. Read More California’s Prison Population Drops Sharply, but Overcrowding Still Threatens Prisoner Health Heather Harris March 2 2021 The state’s prison population declined by more than 20% in 2020 as authorities took steps to address the COVID-19 pandemic. But some California prisons are still well above capacity, posing potential health risks for prisoners and prison workers. Read More Video: A Conversation with University of California President Michael V. Drake Mary Severance February 26 2021 Dr. Michael V. Drake talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about how UC has responded to COVID-19 and discusses the system’s ongoing efforts to increase equity and diversity. Read More To Speed Up Vaccine Distribution, Improve Broadband Access among Seniors Niu Gao, Joseph Hayes February 25 2021 Seniors rely on the internet to check vaccine availability and set up appointments. Disparities in broadband access may compound challenges for many communities already hit hard by the pandemic. Read More California Joins National Effort to Extend Health Insurance Enrollment Shannon McConville February 17 2021 As California continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s health insurance marketplace—Covered California—has initiated a special enrollment period intended to boost access to health coverage. Read More