News

Capitol Spotlight: Daisy Gonzales, California Student Aid Commission

Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol Weekly

Daisy Gonzales, the new Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), is no stranger to navigating crises. From her upbringing as a foster youth, juggling school while moving homes, to managing the Assembly Budget Committee during the recession, Dr. Gonzales knows how to find innovative solutions to challenging situations.

News

California preparing for ban on private college legacy admission

Image by AlexLMX

The longstanding private college admissions practice of giving preference to the offspring of big bucks donors or notable alumni will soon come to an end in California. For some observers, the final sunset of legacy admissions across the state’s higher education system can’t come fast enough.

News

Don’t look back in anger: experts weigh in on the 2024 election

L-R: Marva Diaz, Marva Diaz Strategies; Laurel Rosenhall of the Los Angeles Times; Paul Mitchell, Political Data Intelligence; and Kristin Olsen-Cate, California Strategies; Mark Baldassare, Public Policy Institute of California; Thad Kousser, UC San Diego; Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol Weekly

On Nov. 7th Capitol Weekly and the UC Student and Policy Center hosted a post-mortem of the 2024 election that featured three issue-specific panels conducted over Zoom and a live keynote panel. All featured some of the brightest and most experienced political minds in California. The story below features a very brief overlook of each

Podcast

A Post-Mortem of the 2024 Election

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Capitol Weekly and the UC Student and Policy Center presented A Post-Mortem of the 2024 Election. We gathered a score of experts for a timely and informative review of the November 5 election, providing analysis, opinions and insight. What happened inside the campaigns? Why? What happens next? Nearly two dozen California insiders will discuss the results of the election and provide a look-ahead at what it means for 2025.

Third House

Spending on lobbying firms topped $550 million through 21 months of legislative cycle

Image by ohmygouche

Special interest groups, or “lobbyist employers” as they’re known in the parlance of the California Secretary of State’s office, paid lobbying firms more than $84 million to lobby members of California’s state government in the third quarter of 2024, the most of any quarter thus far during the 2023-24 legislative cycle, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports. 

Podcast

Election Day Episode with Paul Mitchell

Photo by Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We have reached the end of the road – Election Day. After a years-long presidential campaign filled with twists, turns and surprises, we are at the deciding point: will the next president be former president Donald Trump, or Vice President Kamala Harris? And, which party will control congress? Does the path to control of the House run through Orange County? What does all of this mean for California’s 2026 gubernatorial race? Political data guru Paul Mitchell joins us to read the tea leaves and tell us what to expect on Election Night.

CA120

CA 120: Understanding the polls

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, image from Associated Press

There is likely nothing more confusing to voters than the avalanche of polls that spill forth every election year. With what many consider to be America’s most crucial election in generations just days away, this lengthy piece from pollster and election data analyst Paul Mitchell is a valuable guide to understanding how polls are conducted and presented to you, the voters. 

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