Although still in its infancy, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute has already generated extensive media coverage in connection with its mission and activities.
As independent commissions become more popular, there is evidence that they are having the desired effect. Christian Grose, the academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, has conducted research showing that states with independent commissions tend to be fairer and more representative. In California, "the statewide votes matched the outcomes somewhat more proportionally than we see in these other extreme gerrymandering states so in that sense the commission had an impact," Grose said. CalMatters
Luxury cabanas atop Austin’s JW Marriott kept state legislators cool poolside as August-in-Texas temperatures soared above 103 degrees during each day of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s 2019 annual meeting. The gathered Republican officials could enjoy a $14 rooftop Peppered Paloma cocktail with Patrón silver, housemade grapefruit poblano soda, and Chilean salt, all while gazing over Lady Bird Lake and the nearby state Capitol, or catching a ballgame on the cabana’s 55-inch private TV. Slate
Greta Thunberg, who famously doesn’t fly for carbon footprint reasons, is not wasting any more time. She’s going down the road through the U.S. and Canada, and, by December 2, will land in Santiago, Chile, for the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference. She’ll be protesting and striking and meeting whales along the way. Vanity Fair
Arnold Schwarzenegger provided climate-change activist Greta Thunberg with some muscle in her plans to take on Canada – by arranging to have a Tesla Model 3 at her disposal, according to a report. The Terminator’s rep told Car & Driver that the actor had asked the 16-year-old Swedish student to call “if she needed anything.” Page Six
He’s a former Apprentice host with a larger-than-life persona and a signature catchphrase. He’s a Republican who turned success on-screen into a late career in politics, winning a tough race against a better-credentialed opponent. Arnold Schwarzenegger, at least in some ways, is a lot like Donald Trump. But the former California governor now revels in his role as a gadfly to the president. The Atlantic
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday praised actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) for an op-ed he penned discussing widespread gerrymandering across the country. Schwarzenegger wrote the piece for The Washington Post last week, saying that gerrymandering is “bad for democracy” and American voters “ought to be outraged over the way it debases free elections and fair results.” The Hill
When a North Carolina court overturned the state’s legislative map as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander last week, the unanimous decision provided much more than a needed victory free and fair elections. It was also a valuable reminder: Partisan gerrymandering affects much more than Congress, distorting representation in state houses and senates nationwide. The Washington Post
California has been a leader in the fight to clean our air since one of my heroes, Ronald Reagan, was our governor. The Trump administration, for some reason, is hellbent on reversing decades of history and progress. Whether it is political pettiness, shortsightedness or just plain jealousy, I couldn’t tell you. I can tell you that it’s wrong. It’s un-American. And it’s an affront to long-standing conservative principles. The Washington Post
A former state lawmaker who played a key role in shaping California's landmark actions on global warming is still battling for action on climate change. Former state Sen. Fran Pavley (D), who carried California's first measure mandating a cut in greenhouse gas emissions and a subsequent one increasing the targets, now acts as a mentor on climate advocacy. E & E News
Something changed in around 2012. People started talking about the air. Perhaps they heard their children wheezing, or granny told them she couldn’t climb the stairs, or they were fed up with having constant headaches. China woke up when the city of Beijing had to shut half its factories to make sure its coal-polluted air was safe enough for Olympic athletes to breathe. Two years later the great Sahara dust episode was the alarm call in Britain. After weeks of choking on traffic fumes, Londoners found their cars covered in a fine red dust. Literary Review
