blog post In Memoriam: Phil Isenberg By Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Ellen Hanak Oct 27, 2023 Remembering Phil Isenberg, an exceptional public servant. A highly valued member of both the PPIC Board of Directors and the PPIC Water Policy Center Advisory Council, his wise counsel will inform our work far into the future.
blog post County Jails House Fewer Inmates, but Over Half Face Mental Health Issues By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Oct 25, 2023 While the number of people in California's county jails has declined markedly over the last decade, the share of inmates with mental health needs has grown to more than half of the total jail population.
blog post Californians See Problems at the Border but Sympathize with Migrants By Lauren Mora, Dean Bonner Oct 12, 2023 Nearly two in three Californians think the situation at the US-Mexico border is either a crisis or a major problem, while an overwhelming majority are sympathetic to people from other countries who travel to the US border in an attempt to enter the country.
blog post Navigating the Hope (and Hype) around Solar Canals By Sarah Bardeen, Gokce Sencan Oct 11, 2023 Placing solar panels over canals is attracting attention in California. But will solar canals live up to the hype—and will they work in California? Turlock Irrigation District’s general manager, Michelle Reimers, tells us about a new pilot project that could answer some of these questions.
blog post Californians’ Mental Health Varies across Key Groups By Deja Thomas Oct 4, 2023 Asked to rate their own mental health, most Californians say they are doing well. But there is wide variation across groups, and African Americans, young adults, and lower-income Californians are the most likely to describe their own mental health as poor.
blog post Low-income and Undocumented Californians Struggle with Mental Health By Patricia Malagon, Paulette Cha, Shalini Mustala Oct 2, 2023 Nearly one in five low-income adults in California report having serious psychological distress, and those who are undocumented can face barriers to care. California has taken steps to improve access to mental health care, such as expanding Medi-Cal to all low-income residents regardless of age or immigration status, effective January 2024.
blog post Wage Growth Is Struggling to Keep Up with Inflation By Jenny Duan, Daniel Payares-Montoya Sep 19, 2023 Average hourly wages for private-sector workers have increased 15% since just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in many parts of the economy, wages are not rising fast enough to keep up with inflation.
blog post Young Californians May Be Choosing Work over School By Julien Lafortune, Sarah Bohn Sep 14, 2023 How have young adults across the state reacted to the COVID-induced economic downturn? Our analysis finds that, in stark contrast to the Great Recession, the share of young Californians opting for work over school has increased.
blog post How Might Small Farms Fare Under SGMA? By Spencer Cole, Ellen Hanak, Alvar Escriva-Bou Sep 13, 2023 Change is coming to the heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley, as irrigation water declines due to climate change, new environmental regulations, and SGMA. But how will these changes affect farms of different sizes in the valley? We finally have answers.
blog post Retail Theft and Robbery Rates Have Risen across California By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Sep 7, 2023 California has seen an overall increase in retail theft and robbery rates in recent years. Our analysis finds especially notable increases in the Bay Area and the Central Valley, with certain commercial crimes also increasing substantially in parts of southern California.
