Although still in its infancy, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute has already generated extensive media coverage in connection with its mission and activities.
WHO STRUCK LATINOS FROM REDISTRICTING CANDIDATE POOL? California’s independent redistricting commission — created by 2008 and 2010 ballot propositions with the goal of addressing gerrymandering — drew widespread criticism earlier this month when the randomized selection process did not choose a single Latino applicant despite Latinos comprising 40% of California’s population. The Sacramento Bee
RESEARCHERS: REVAMP CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING PANEL SELECTION RULES On Tuesday, the eight men and women selected to draw new political maps as members of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission will meet for the first time. They have a little less than a month to fill the final six seats on the panel, a job that will be closely watched after the initial selection process failed to produce a single Latino commissioner — in a state where Latinos compose about 40% of the population. Los Angeles Times
A report released today by the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Minnesota and the University of Houston researchers makes the provocative recommendation that the California State Legislature should no longer have the power to strike finalists from the pool of applicants for California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission. The report was issued in the wake of a series of controversial strikes in the selection of the new slate of commissioners. Election Law Blog
California legislators’ ability to strike finalists for the commission that draws district lines for state and federal elections has led to fewer Latino applicants being chosen, according to a study released Monday by researchers from USC, the University of Houston and the University of Minnesota. The researchers, including Christian R. Grose, academic director of the USC Schwarzenneger Institute for State and Global Policy, examined racial and ethnic diversity in the process of choosing commission members. MyNewsLA.com
Amid trying times and economic hardship like we are currently facing, it’s often difficult to find a silver lining, but it’s worth noting that bold projects that drive meaningful change have often sprung out of turmoil and crises. Take Hoover and Glen Canyon dams, for example, which rose from the depths of the Great Depression to put Americans to back to work and power the economic growth of the West. PV Magazine
It was a sunny, chilly day on Jan. 20, 1981, when President Reagan stood outside the Capitol for his inaugural address and declared that “government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” He was talking about the recession that had been weighing on Americans since the late 1970s, making the case for why more taxes and regulations were not the answer to the country’s economic woes. Los Angeles Times
A month ago, the anti-gerrymandering group Arkansas Voters First wasn't planning to include a virtual "Drinks and Dialogue" Zoom meeting in its campaign to get an initiative on the November ballot. But now, it's about all it can do. "It was really successful," a group spokesman, George Shelton, said. "This is a very popular issue in Arkansas, and there's a lot of people who want to sign the petition but can't because of the circumstances." NBC News
After nearly a month of mandated self-isolation, California is aiming at “a safe reset for a roadmap to recovery.” Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced an advisory council to help plan the state’s economic revival whose members include Disney chief Bob Iger, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Deadline
Price School of Public Policy vice dean Neeraj Sood launched a study Friday testing Los Angeles County residents for immunity to the coronavirus. The project, launched in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Public Health and L.A. County Chief Science Officer Dr. Paul Simon, will identify individuals who have contracted and developed antibodies to combat the virus. Daily Trojan
It's a simple blood test, a finger prick, but the results could represent an important next step in the fight against COVID-19. Drive-thru blood testing began on Friday at six locations in L.A. County as part of a new pilot study headed by Dr. Neeraj Sood of University of Southern California, in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Spectrum News 1