A woman checks her plans at a construction project. (Photo: Serhii Krot, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Historically, the industry has been dominated by males, and while that is still true today, we are slowly challenging this reality as the number of women in construction is steadily increasing. In 2021, women made up 10.9% of the United States construction industry which is up from 9.9% in 2018.
The 2020 Silverado Fire burns toward homes in Orange County, northeast of Irvine. (Photo: markmandersonfilms, via Shutterstock)Sarah Mapel bought her dream home in Santa Cruz County’s Boulder Creek neighborhood in 2018. Later, she purchased fire insurance through the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plan, a state-mandated program for consumers unable to acquire such insurance due to high-risk factors. “It was quite expensive,” she said.
An illustration of California battered by the coronavirus pandemic. (Image: bekulnis, via Shutterstock)More than two years after California imposed the nation’s first lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, the deadly disease persists, fueled now by the highly infectious subvariants and clouded by fears that the malady will stick around awhile — a long while.
An illustration of the unknown road ahead. (Image: Pro-Studio, via Shutterstock)California faces many challenges now. One is the climate emergency. Another is economic recovery. Add COVID-19 positivity. That is a partial list. You get the picture. Why imagine scenarios for the Golden State over the next decade or century? We turn to Marina Gorbis.
Students studying in a California classroom. (Photo: GagliardiPhotography, via Shutterstock)OPINION: One of the charges I hold seriously is to ensure every child in California has the resources they need to succeed. As a product of California’s K-12 public schools in the Central Valley, I can still recall the deficiency in resources as well as the knowledge of those that were appointed to secure that my future endeavors were aligned for excellence.
A video doorbell system captures an image of a person stealing a package off a porch. (Photo: RightFramePhotoVideo, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Thieves watch the packages being delivered and then abscond with them before the homeowner gets an opportunity to retrieve the package. Porch pirates stole an estimated 210 million packages last year. A recent study found that 64% of Americans have been the victim of porch piracy in the past year.
A beach in Carlsbad, San Diego County, which has the nation's largest desalination plant. (Photo: Sherry V Smith, via Shutterstock)Here we are again: California is enduring another punishing drought, this one only a few years after the last one ended, which was the most severe drought in the state’s nearly 500 years of recorded history. Low winter snowpack combined with scorching summer temperatures and the driest winter months in 100 years have severely impacted the state’s water supply. Lake Oroville, an important reservoir in Butte County, had sunk to 49% of capacity by July 1
The Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside, located on the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County.(Photo: Sherry V Smith, via Shutterstock)With California’s statewide top-of-ticket races stacking up as weak-challenger romps, attention – and spending – turns to seven ballot measures, which taken together may well add up to the costliest state election ever. Experts say this could be the year that election-related spending tops $1 billion – a figure more in line with a presidential campaign.
A liquid nitrogen bank containing a suspension of stem cells for biomedical research. (Photo: Elena Pavlovich, via Shutterstock)California is planning on spending $49,000 an hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the next year to help scientists develop what some describe as “miraculous” cures and treatments for currently deadly afflictions. The spending plan was approved with no fuss last month while state lawmakers and the governor wrestled more noisily with a $308 billion state budget
A bicycle parked near the Golden Gate Bridge during a summer outing. (Photo: Juliana F Rodriguez, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Time is almost up for Gov. Newsom and the state legislature to invest in critical solutions to two major crises—sky-high gas prices and climate change. If they act now, they can help Californians spend less on gas by delivering transportation options that are better for the environment. That’s why legislators should support $2 billion for the Active Transportation Program (ATP).