blog post The EPA’s Martha Guzman Discusses New Environmental Justice Initiatives By Sarah Bardeen May 15, 2023 Martha Guzman is leading the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to protect public health and the environment for Region 9, which includes California. We spoke with Ms. Guzman to learn more about the EPA’s latest environmental justice initiatives—and found her to be a fountain of both information and enthusiasm about the new opportunities.
blog post Metropolitan Water District: “We’re the Squirrels of the Water System” By Sarah Bardeen May 8, 2023 Deven Upadhyay is the assistant general manager and executive officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides water to 19 million people. This week on the blog, Upadhyay describes how Met is handling California’s recent precipitation whiplash—and shares some improvements that are in the works.
blog post The Toll of the San Joaquin Valley Floods: “It’s Not Pretty” By Sarah Bardeen Apr 26, 2023 Lois Henry is the engine behind the small but mighty two-person journalistic operation that is SJV Water, an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. We asked her about the flooding she’s seen so far this year—and what might happen as the weather heats up.
Report Achieving Universal Broadband in California By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao, Darriya Starr, Amy Gong Liu Mar 29, 2023 In 2021, California invested over $6 billion to expand broadband infrastructure, address affordability, and promote digital literacy. This report examines barriers to installing broadband in underserved communities and offers recommendations as the state aims to close the digital divide.
blog post California’s Private Colleges Are Preparing for the End of Affirmative Action By Kevin Cook, Mary Severance Mar 23, 2023 The US Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling this year that declares affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional. We talked with Kristen Soares, president of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, about the potential impact of the court’s decision.
blog post Californians’ Views on Governor Newsom and the State of the State By Mark Baldassare Mar 7, 2023 Majorities of California adults (58%) and likely voters (57%) approve of Governor Newsom—good news for him as he forgoes the traditional state of the state address to speak directly with communities around the state.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Feb 1, 2023 Key findings include overwhelming majorities say housing affordability and homelessness are a big problem; many Californians worry younger generations will be unable to afford a home. Majorities expect bad times ahead for the state financially. Approval of Newsom and Biden has remained steady, while approval has fallen for the US Supreme Court and Congress.
blog post 2022 Year in Review By Mark Baldassare Dec 15, 2022 During the past year, California worked to rebound from the pandemic while confronting drought, inflation, an economic divide, and political polarization. President and CEO Mark Baldassare reflects on the role PPIC has played in helping identify equity-centered approaches to the challenges and opportunities facing our state.
blog post New State and Federal Measures Aim to Manage Extreme Heat Risks By Gokce Sencan Nov 30, 2022 As climate change progresses, extreme heat events will become more frequent, more severe, and longer in duration. Several new state and federal programs aim to protect individuals and communities from the effects of extreme heat.
Report English as a Second Language at California’s Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez, Laura Hill, Daniel Payares-Montoya Nov 28, 2022 Colleges began implementing reforms aimed at improving English as a Second Language pathways in fall 2021—during a historic pandemic. We cannot yet disentangle the impact of reforms from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, but an analysis of early implementation finds that colleges have made significant progress.
