California Brings Some Answers—and Many Questions—to America’s Gun Violence Crisis

How the State Is Trying to Solve One of Our Most Pressing Problems

Takeaway from a discussion around gun violence in California and the U.S.

“This is not going to be one of those gun violence discussions where we have pro-gun and anti-gun people duking it out and reciting the same talking points,” said Lois Beckett, a senior reporter at the Guardian who covers gun policy, criminal justice, and the far right in the U.S., kicking off last night’s Zócalo/California Wellness Foundation panel discussion. “They are usually pretty boring, because we actually all know what they are going to say. Instead, we have three people who know each other well, have at times collaborated, and …

by Sarah Rothbard | August 20, 2021

The Fires California Grieves—And Needs

In Her Scorched Klamath Mountains Community, a Fire Advisor Contemplates Mortality and Renewal

by Lenya Quinn-Davidson | July 19, 2021

On a recent Sunday, I lay alone by my favorite hometown swimming hole, taking in the familiar sensations of the South Fork Trinity River. The hot sun, the light up-canyon …

To Beat Climate Change, Rural Towns and Farms Need to Head North

A Policy of ‘Managed Retreat’ Would Move California’s Thirsty Agriculture to a Wetter Part of the State

by Jeremiah Ramirez | July 7, 2021

Twenty-five years ago, at age 18, I followed my uncle to the top of Mount Lassen for a 10,000-foot view of Northern California’s Fourth of July fireworks. We watched the …

Is Independence Still Worth Celebrating?

Contemplating Dependence and Interdependence on the Nation’s Birthday in Remote Independence, California

by Joe Mathews | July 4, 2021

Why do Californians celebrate Independence Day when we’ve given up on our independence?

That question occurred to me on a recent visit to Independence, California, a settlement of 600 people on …

Small Towns Can Create Big Change

From Banning Private Prisons to Universal Broadband and Pre-K, Necessity and Opportunity Allow California Communities to Punch Above Their Weight

by Sarah Rothbard | June 18, 2021

Before answering the question of the evening—“What Makes a Good Small Town?”—the panelists at a Zócalo/California Wellness Foundation event had to choose a definition. What, asked moderator and Los Angeles …

The Next Great California Water War Is Starting Underground, in the Mojave Desert

Minerals, Nuts, and the Navy Are at the Center of a Novel Fight Over Groundwater, and Its Governance

by Joe Mathews | June 1, 2021

Can California regions regulate groundwater without destroying their businesses and communities?

That’s the question being posed as regions and localities implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the historic 2014 state …

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