Our political polling shifts into high gear for 2020

A battle for the popular vote

People jam a political rally during the 2008 presidential campaign. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)

by NAHIMA SHAFFER posted 07.09.2019

Millions of ballots are cast in a presidential election, but winning the White House comes down to just this: 270 votes.That’s the majority in the Electoral College, which picks the president. Sometimes the selection follows the national popular vote, sometimes not, and a candidate can become president by winning as little as 11 states.

A key move to address California’s wildfire crisis

A resident watches smoke billowing from the Woolsey Fire, November, 2018, in Southern California. (Photo: BrittanyNY, via Shutterstock)

by PATRICK LAVIN posted 07.10.2019

OPINION: California is facing a wildfire crisis of epic proportions, and with the 2019 fire season already upon us, the immediate threat of yet another highly destructive and costly wildfire looms over communities all across the state. Everyone agrees that something must be done to address this crisis, and yet legislators still have not taken definitive action.

Kaiser mental health workers vote on contract

Kaiser Permanente workers picketing during a five-day strike in December. (Photo: National Union of Healthcare Workers) United Healthcare Workers

by SARAH ABDESHAHIAN posted 07.10.2019

After months of bargaining, thousands of mental health clinicians across California were poised to vote on the latest contract offer from Kaiser Permanente. Simultaneously in San Francisco, dozens of Kaiser Permanente mental health clinicians are going on strike today. Voting on the latest contract could end as early as today.

For California, yet another weird ranking

Cable cars on California Street in San Francisco, an iconic image. (Photo: canadastock, via Shutterstock)

by CHUCK MCFADDEN posted 07.08.2019

The ranking comes from WalletHub, a financial services company that likes to rank cities and states on various topics. WalletHub got a group of college professors together and asked them to round up and interpret statistics on such fun factors as “marinas per capita” (Nebraska didn’t do well.) Shockingly, we’re not even in the running in that category.  Florida, New York and Maryland are tied for the lead.

USC pays UCSD $50 million to settle recruitment fight

Students outside the library at the University of California, San Diego. (Photo: Stanislavsky, via Shutterstock)

by DAVID JENSEN posted 07.05.2019

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles is coughing up $50 million and publicly apologizing for its tactics in recruiting a star Alzheimer’s researcher from UC San Diego, it was reported Thursday. The Los Angeles Times story about the unprecedented settlement described the case as an “ugly academic war.” It had the potential of bringing $340 million in research grants to USC.  

Privacy Act hinders foster care placements

A solitary child sits ona park bench. (Photo: Alex Tor, via Shutterstock)

by Susanna Kniffen, Kristen Power and Jennifer Rexroad posted 07.08.2019

OPINION: There are more than 55,000 children in foster care in California and about 34 percent of them will be placed with relatives according to AdoptUSKids — that is, if social workers can find their family. When a child is removed from the home and placed in out-of-home care, relatives are the preferred resource because this type of placement maintains the child’s connections with their family.

Strapped stem cell agency winding down

A liquid nitrogen bank containing stem cells.(Photo: Alena Pavlovich, via Shutterstock)

by DAVID JENSEN posted 07.02.2019

The $3 billion California stem cell agency on Monday served up the bad news with only a smattering of sugar coating. No more applications for research funding are being accepted. The cash is running out, perhaps as early as the end of August.