Although still in its infancy, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute has already generated extensive media coverage in connection with its mission and activities.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) is teaming up with former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder to push for redistricting reform, saying he wants to "terminate" gerrymandering. Schwarzenegger joined Holder for an event Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where the two spoke on the issue just hours after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases involving alleged partisan redistricting. Schwarzenegger called gerrymandering a "national scandal." The Hill
Former Attorney General Eric Holder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger called upon the Supreme Court to limit partisan gerrymandering Tuesday as the court heard arguments on the issue. "It’s incumbent upon the Supreme Court to look at our democracy and to see the reality of what is happening, and to say that there are limits," said Holder, a Democrat who served under former President Barack Obama. "The Supreme Court has said that there are limits with regard to racial gerrymandering; there’s a clear precedent there. The Supreme Court has never said that there are limits when it comes to partisan gerrymandering." NBC News
An attorney for a group of Maryland Republicans urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to end the practice of drawing sharply partisan congressional districts, but some justices seemed reluctant to venture into an area that has long been the domain of states. The court heard oral arguments in cases from Maryland and North Carolina that offer the justices the opportunity to address how far mapmakers of either party can go in pursuit of political advantage. The Baltimore Sun
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to act on partisan gerrymandering, calling the matter “one of the most important issues in America today.” The court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in two cases — one centered on Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina, the other challenging Democratic-led gerrymandering in Maryland. The Washington Post
Former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday condemned Donald Trump's fiscal 2020 budget proposal and urged the president to reconsider taking money away “from the poor little kids” to give to the “rich folks.” The Trump administration unveiled its 2020 budget on Monday, which includes cutting domestic spending on education and environmental protection to make room for more defense funding and expanded U.S. immigration enforcement initiatives. Newsweek
Gov. Larry Hogan has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to back up the claims of Maryland residents who argue the state’s 6th Congressional District was unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments March 26 in a case in which Republican voters argued their influence was diluted when the district was redrawn following the 2010 census. The district stretches from Western Maryland into Montgomery County. The Baltimore Sun
It's 1987, I'm four years old and watching Predator. It was the 80s, so yeah, I lived on the edge. Arnold Schwarzenegger is yelling, "Get to the chopper!" and using mud to hide his thermal signature from a nasty, invisible alien. As I watch and re-watch Predator, awed as Arnold plays Major "Dutch" Schaefer, a Green Beret leading a covert, rescue mission, an idea pops into my mind: "I should be in Special Forces." Twenty-five years later, I don my Green Beret and earn my tab. Today, there's still no question in my mind that Hollywood movies had a lasting impact on my decision to serve, and I'm not alone — you know it's true. We Are The Mighty
Between 2013 and 2018, property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing from a leading lender added $134.7 million and $51 million per year to the economies of California and Florida, respectively, according to a new report conducted by the University of Southern California and funded by the Ygrene Energy Fund. Using California and Florida data from PACE lender Ygrene, which has provided $1.16 billion for 54,500 property improvements between 2013 and 2018, analysts found that projects added 1,305 full-time equivalent jobs in California and 603 in Florida annually*. Greentech Media
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is joining forces with an influential Democrat to tackle one of California’s biggest problems: pollution from cars and trucks. The transportation sector is California’s largest source of planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution — and emissions are trending up, not down. But Schwarzenegger and Kevin de León, the former state Senate leader who is now running for a Los Angeles City Council seat, see an opportunity to clear the air. Los Angeles Times
Think California should build a lot more dams to catch these deluges? Forget it. Yes, the next severe drought is inevitable. And after California dries out and becomes parched again, we’ll wish we’d saved more of the current torrents. Instead, the precious water is washing out to sea. There’s one dam being planned north of Sacramento in Colusa County that makes sense: Sites. There are also some dam expansion projects that could work. Los Angeles Times
