blog post The Ocean Is More than a Pretty Place to Californians By Deja Thomas Jul 31, 2023 Two in three Californians—including solid majorities among both inland and coastal residents--believe the condition of oceans and beaches are very important to the state's economy and quality of life. Majorities say that plastics, marine debris, and declining marine life in the Pacific are major problems.
blog post An Early Look at the 2024 Election By Mark Baldassare Jul 14, 2023 Three Democratic members of Congress—Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee—hold an early lead in the top-two US Senate primary. Former president Donald Trump has a sizeable lead in California's Republican presidential primary, but trails President Joe Biden by a wide margin in the general election.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Tracking CalFresh Participation among Young Children By Tess Thorman Jul 10, 2023 CalFresh food assistance not only helps prevent hunger among young children but is an effective public investment in long-term health and economic outcomes. About one in three infants receive CalFresh each year. Geographic variation in newborn enrollment suggests that more could be done to help eligible families get support right after childbirth.
blog post Renewing California’s Groundwater: Ready, Set, Recharge! By Caitlin Peterson, Sarah Bardeen Jun 21, 2023 California’s wet winter has been a boon for the parched state, and farmers and water managers have been scrambling to funnel some of that abundance into the ground. But how is recharge going—and what could be improved? We get on-the-ground insights from Daniel Mountjoy of Sustainable Conservation and Aaron Fukuda of the Tulare Irrigation District.
blog post Signs of Increased New Business Growth since the Pandemic By Jane Sawerengera, Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn Jun 13, 2023 New businesses are critical to the economy, partly due to their role in spurring job creation. We look at how California has fared in business creation over the course of the pandemic and the economic recovery.
blog post Californians Want Referendum Reforms By Mark Baldassare Jun 7, 2023 While most Californians—including majorities across party lines--like the state’s referendum process, most believe it needs improvement and favor proposed reforms.
Fact Sheet California’s Health Care Safety Net By Shannon McConville, Shalini Mustala May 26, 2023 Millions of low-income Californians rely on the health care safety net. More than 15 million are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program; about 3 million are uninsured. Core providers—including county hospitals, health clinics, and emergency departments—treat patients regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status.
Fact Sheet Water Use in California By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson Apr 19, 2023 To understand California’s water, start here. Water use in California varies dramatically between wet and dry years: learn who’s using California’s water, where, and how much.
Fact Sheet Water Use in California’s Agriculture By Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Josué Medellín-Azuara, Spencer Cole Apr 19, 2023 California is an agricultural powerhouse that relies heavily on irrigation. Discover how much water the sector uses and how groundwater laws and climate change are bringing change.
Report Pandemic Policymaking and Changed Outcomes in Criminal Courts By Heather Harris Apr 12, 2023 California’s criminal courts quickly adopted policies to address COVID-19. But uneven adoption around the state affected who might face those policies—as well as whether people were convicted and the sentences handed out. In particular, remote hearings contributed to racial differences in outcomes, which may influence whether such hearings continue.