Posts Tagged: traditional

News

Dangerous mix: Law enforcement and mentally ill suspects

A suspect in custody, handcuffed by police. (Photo: Boyfare, via Shutterstock)

Police response to mental-health calls often ends – again and again – in chaotic, noisy hospital emergency rooms, where staff is stretched thin, and a heart attack is likely to take precedence over someone in the throes of a mental-health crisis. “Traditionally, people would be dropped off at the ER, and the only option was to transfer them to a psychiatric facility,” says Dr. Scott Zeller, a nationally known emergency psychiatrist and former president of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry.

News

Amid COVID-19, graduation ceremonies go online

A photo illustration of graduation ceremonies held online. (Image: Ekaphon Maneechot, via Shutterstock

Several universities have committed to having an in-person graduation at a later date but in the meantime, they are doing the best they can by staging virtual celebrations. University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, as one example, is having a watch party on Facebook Live May 22 for the nearly 150 students who are graduating.

Opinion

Pharmacy middlemen: Pass your cost savings on to consumers

A pharmacy worker on the the job. (Photo: wavebreakmedia, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: In 2018, legislators took positive initial steps to regulate some of the egregious business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) – little-known middlemen in the health care system who have contributed to rising costs. However, more must be done to ensure that Californians are able to access affordable treatment options such as receiving cost savings at point of sale at the pharmacy counter, for example.

Opinion

For many workers, ‘gig economy’ has a dark side

A delivery person -- an independent contractor? -- on the job. (Photo: Davide Bonaldo, via Shutterstock)

The expanding gig economy in California is often praised for giving workers flexibility and independence. Be your own boss, set your own schedule, companies tout, and these companies would like us to think that drivers, cleaners and personal shoppers actually prefer the gig economy to traditional employment. The rosy spin ignores the reality for California’s low-wage workers.

Opinion

Charter schools are not the enemy

The Orange County School of the Arts, a California charter school. (Photo: LunaSee Studios

OPINION: In recent weeks, much has been reported on the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) teacher strike outcome. Valid issues addressing major concerns associated with California’s deteriorating public education system include teacher pay and benefits, school district budgets, classroom size and conditions to name a few.

Opinion

Making the case for charter schools

A chalkboard in a vintage charter school.(Photo: Greg and Jan Ritchie, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: With Election Day less than a week away, voters have started casting ballots in the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction between Assemblymember Tony Thurmond and former Partnership for Los Angeles Schools CEO Marshall Tuck. Pundits are framing the race as a face-off between teachers’ unions and education reformers – no surprise, since one of the race’s key debates has been about whether or not charter schools are good for public education.

News

UPDATE: CA120: Probing the early primary

Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, who along with Sen. Ricardo Lara authored the early primary legislation, addressing the Assembly in May. (Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)

With just-passed legislation from Sen. Ricardo Lara sitting on Gov. Brown’s desk, the 2020 California Primary looks to be headed to the front of the line. Well, not the very front – the first four spots in the nominating calendar would be reserved for Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

Opinion

Cutting carbon emissions: Avoid command-and-control

The Los Angeles skyline late at night. (Photo: Songquang Deng, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: Intense pressure will be applied by some legislators, regulators, and stakeholders who favor a heavy-handed command and control approach instead of market-based measures to clean the air and reduce GHGs. Look no further than the March 3 South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) governing board meeting for a real-life example.

News

Exit poll: Harris dominates Senate rivals

CA120: Even with 34 U.S. Senate candidates on the ballot, an exit poll of absentee voters shows that Kamala Harris is lapping the field. Slightly more than half report having voted for Harris, more than three times the level of support for her closest rival in Tuesday’s top-two primary, fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez. Republicans would need a strong late consolidation of support behind Duf Sundheim to have any hope of preventing an all-Democratic general election.

News

Data: Will political races ever have their ‘Moneyball’ moment?

A man at a computer screen making his picks during "March Madness." (Photo: SAJE, via Shutterstock)

ANALYSIS: Now that we’re in the middle of March Madness and nearing the opening of the 2015 Major League baseball season, we see the sports data geeks take center stage. Ever since the book, and subsequent movie, “Moneyball,” fans have been intrigued by the data that appears to be a major driver in sporting decisions, from the players chosen for a team, to the offensive and defensive formations, where and when the percentages suggest shooting or passing, and so on.

Support for Capitol Weekly is Provided by: