Jorge Reyes Salinas, photo by Scott Duncan PhotographyJorge Reyes Salinas is communications director for Equality California, an LGBTQ advocacy group, and a fearless advocate for undocumented residents and the LGBTQ+ community.
Averell 'Ace' SmithAce – his given name is Averell, but his nickname stuck – cut his political teeth decades ago on the successful campaign of his father, Arlo Smith, for district attorney of San Francisco. Later, Arlo ran for state attorney general but lost by an eyelash; Memories of that race and the lessons learned remain vivid more than 30 years later. Smith’s more recent efforts include the launching of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and the handling of Rick Caruso’s unsuccessful fight against Karen Bass for mayor of Los Angeles. In a new Oral History, Smith shares the story of his life in politics.
Per a recent Axios study, only 14% of young people want to spend their career in the government or in nonprofit work. This makes the government by far the least enticing employer to Gen Z, who overwhelmingly responded that they would rather work at any size company instead.
Photo by 3rdtimeluckystudio via ShutterstockDespite the stakes readily apparent to virtually everyone working in AI, the technology is largely unregulated in the United States. And, no surprise, California legislators have been quick to jump into the void.
Nikki Ellis, photo by Scott Duncan PhotographyFrom her early interest in Latin America to her work on a recent trade mission to Japan, Nikki Ellis has long had a global outlook on life.
Assemblymember Liz Ortega, photo by Scott Duncan Labor unions have been at the center of Assemblymember Liz Ortega’s life since early childhood and the centerpiece of her career.
Photo by Ray Buse via ShutterstockIn counties like Los Angeles, we see almost no increase in Latino share of votes cast from 2014-2022, and even drops in electoral impact of older Latinos.
Photo by Lightspring Via ShutterstockWith California’s high levels of recidivism in mind, Oakland-based nonprofit Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs (CROP) is set to open a reentry campus there for formerly incarcerated people in early April.
Mario Vasquez Zuniga. Photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol WeeklyMario Vasquez Zuniga is a digital strategist, co-owner of a flower shop and a passionate LGBTQ+ advocate. The 28-year-old, who immigrated from El Salvador as a young child and grew up in the Palmdale-Lancaster area, loves coming up with creative solutions to problems. “I definitely have an entrepreneur spirit,” he said.
Photo by Mega Pixel via ShutterstockCA Assembly Bill 77 would require the California Dept. of Public Health, which oversees vital statistics, to use such marks on birth and death certificates and marriage licenses.