A student grapples with the timed SAT. (Photo: Have a nice day photo, via Shutterstock)The University of California, grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, will make academic testing — such as the SAT and ACT — optional for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle. But that policy may be short-lived: Next month, the Board of Regents will meet to decide the future of standardized tests in UC admissions beyond 2020.
Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County’s top health official, is in the hot seat as the COVID-19 pandemic exacts its rising toll. With over 10 million residents, the county is by far California’s largest, and it has the most confirmed coronavirus cases.
Protester at the capitol, April 20, 2020. Photo by Karlos Rene AyalaI had it in my head to make a series of documentaries about common people and how they are dealing with the fallout of COVID-19 in America. Nothing fancy, just simple questions, simple visuals and personal truths.
Protest at the state capitol, April 20, 2020. Photo by Karlos Rene AyalaThe California state capitol was the scene of two recent Lockdown protests, the first on Friday April 17, and a second, much larger, on the following Monday. Documentary filmmaker Karlos Rene Ayala covered both and made a short film about each of the events.
A Census worker canvassing a neighborhood. (Photo: Wayne Via, Shutterstock)Pushing back the census deadlines could have a profound political impact on California, ultimately forcing the state to draw scores of political districts for the 2022 elections within a tiny, two-week window. The Trump administration’s plan, announced earlier by Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, calls for a 120-day delay in developing and reporting the finished data.
People line up outside a Trader Joe's market in San Francisco on April 5 during tne coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: Bjorn Bakstad, via Shutterstock)>As the number of known COVID-19 cases statewide continues to grow, overwhelming majorities of Californians are worried about a family member getting sick or about their personal finances worsening due to the coronavirus.
A laboratory researcher examines cancer stem cells. (Image: science photo, via Shutterstock)Backers of a $5.5 billion stem cell research proposal in California today have once again missed a self-imposed, but critical deadline as they continue to struggle with securing enough signatures to place the measure on the November ballot.
Kim Alexander at Capitol Weekly's Post-Mortem of the 2018 Election. Photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol WeeklyFollowing the harrowing scenes of voters braving long lines and exposure to the coronavirus during Wisconsin’s primary election last week, there is a renewed discussion of the importance of vote-by-mail options.
A student works from home via a computer and online instruction. (Photo: Motortion Films, via Shutterstock)Schools, parents and children in California are facing a steep learning curve as they switch to remote learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools shut down abruptly in mid-March, forcing teachers to scramble to come up with online or distance learning materials. Meanwhile, parents had to figure out how to set up home schools while balancing jobs.
A California voter casts a ballot by mail. (Photo: vepar5, via Shutterstock)When Californians went to the polls in March, the big news was the consolidation of the Democratic primary contest. Few would have expected that we were also effectively seeing the end of the primary election season — with subsequent elections throughout the spring either cancelled or run under the cloud of a viral pandemic.