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California’s Season of Crisis
From stalled clean-energy infrastructure projects to a massive strike in Hollywood, California is beset by challenges.
Over the last decade, California has grappled with a number of serious, systemic issues that have only grown worse with time.
Prior to the Covid19 pandemic, major cities in California were already experiencing an alarming increase in homelessness, drug addiction, and crime.
As in many other instances, Covid19 revealed and worsened existing trends. California public schools had long struggled with falling test scores, low rates of student proficiency in math and reading, and unequal outcomes for minority students. In the wake of Covid19, these problems have increased exponentially.
In Covid19’s aftermath, California is facing a spiraling series of other challenges as well.
Energy Crisis
“California’s latest power grid problems are just the beginning,” predicted Camille Von Kaenel for POLITICO last summer. “State officials knew ahead of the recent heat wave that the grid was on shaky ground.”
“We went right up to the edge of breaking our grid, but it didn’t,” California Governor Gavin Newsom tried a tone of reassurance in the aftermath. “This transition worked.”