Matt Barreto, founder of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, spoke to CapRadio about the California governor’s race and said affordability now dominates concerns among all demographics, including young Latinos. “There’s always that disconnect between Latinos being a huge part of the state economy, the state population, the public school system, but a relatively smaller part of the electorate,” Barreto said. Read and watch more about UCLA from today’s Sacramento Bee, The Guardian and more. 

More highlights from UCLA in the News: May 19, 2026

Spencer Pratt and the reality TV industrial complex | Los Angeles Times

“Politicians are recruited in lots of different ways, but let’s say that now we have reached an era in which part of the recruitment process is based on their ability to engage with new social media platforms,” says Stuart Soroka, a professor in the departments of communication and political science at UCLA.

Postcard misinformation risks spoiling votes in California | Sacramento Bee  

“I’ve not seen this particular dirty trick before, but misleading voters in mailers is common,” said UCLA election law professor Richard Hasen. He pointed to tactics in Virginia’s recent redistricting referendum, where opponents of Democrats’ push to gerrymander published messaging that falsely suggested Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger was opposed to the effort.

China’s influence over politicians exposed after mayor pleads | The Guardian

Rose Chan Loui, a legal expert at UCLA who has helped nonprofits navigate foreign agent report requirements, said U.S. law is quite broad when it comes to actions that require registration, or what type of content would run afoul of federal statutes.

The gut-brain connection | LAist’s “AirTalk”

“The simplest way is that there are anatomical and physiological connections between what goes on within our brain and what happens in our gut,” said UCLA’s Dr. Emeran Mayer (Approx. 1:30 mark. UCLA’s Dr. Kirsten Tillisch was also interviewed.)

The cholesterol-lowering fruit that boosts brain, heart and gut | Telegraph

“The interest started with resveratrol – a compound found richly in red and black grapes – and the longevity and cardiovascular benefits,” says Dr. Zhaoping Li, chief of the division of clinical nutrition at UCLA Health, who has studied the fruit herself. Since then, grapes, and the long list of nutrients they contain, have been linked to better brain, gut and even bone health.

Gas prices are rising. So is public transit ridership | Grist

Some people are better positioned to leave their cars at home, said UCLA urban planning professor Michael Manville. Those with access to commuter rail, which tends to be time competitive with driving, might make a change. But the more likely outcome is people continue driving to work and make shorter or fewer trips or even cut back on other expenses, he said.

Diversifying the classics | KABC-TV

A program at UCLA is putting never-before-translated plays on the West Coast stage. “We translate collectively. We put our heads together to unpack that language and then come up with a version in English that works for actors, that is easy for them to say,” said UCLA’s Barbara Fuchs (approx. 1:25 mark).

Ebola outbreak: U.S. bans travelers from some African countries | The Telegraph

Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said: “You have a serious outbreak, cross-border spread, a difficult border region, delayed recognition, and a virus species where we do not have the same diagnostic and countermeasure playbook we have for Zaire ebolavirus.” (Rimoin was also featured by The Washington Post, ABC News, MS NOW and KTLA-TV.)