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Prison Admissions Resume as COVID-19 Spreads

By Heather Harris

California has resumed prison admissions after an eight-week moratorium, a change that – if it leads to increased crowding -- could put the prison population at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.

Explainer

Making Sense of California’s Economy

By Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune, Vicki Hsieh

We take a look at where California's economy has been, where it might be headed, and how we can better insulate Californians against future upheavals.

Report

Improving California’s Water Market

By Andrew Ayres, Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Gokce Sencan ...

Water trading and banking will prove important tools to help California bring its groundwater basins into balance under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). A broad range of policy changes could help improve and expand California’s water market while protecting communities from harm.

Report

Improving College Graduation Rates: A Closer Look at California State University

By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson

Low college graduation rates come at a high cost—lower salaries, lower tax revenue, and fewer college graduates in the workforce. At California State University (CSU), the nation's largest university system, graduation rates have an outsized financial and economic impact on students and the state.

CSU has made strides in improving graduation rates, but there is more work to be done. The system continues to struggle with graduation gaps—underrepresented students are much less likely to complete their degree compared to their peers, and these gaps have not narrowed over time. Also, CSU's on-time (four-year) graduation rates still lag behind those of similar universities nationwide.

By 2025, CSU aims to further increase graduation rates while cutting graduation gaps in half. To assist campus planning for this goal, we identify several promising programs and policies. More broadly, the CSU Chancellor's Office must work with campuses to evaluate and expand successful efforts, and the state must play a role in supporting new policies to move the needle on graduation gaps and on-time graduation.

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Housing

The high cost of housing poses a threat to the state’s economic future and widens inequality. Not surprisingly, Californians identify housing affordability and homelessness as among the most important issues facing the state. PPIC examines current and emerging housing needs and highlights the role of public policies in addressing the state’s housing crisis.

Report

Land Transitions and Dust in the San Joaquin Valley

By Andrew Ayres, Jaymin Kwon, Joy Collins

Agricultural operations and wind erosion are two of the largest sources of dust in the San Joaquin Valley, and the valley’s air quality may decline with increased farmland fallowing and a warmer, drier climate. This will impact low-income, rural communities first and foremost, but proactive management can help identify high-risk areas and direct funding to cost-effective interventions.

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