UCLA in the News lists selected mentions of UCLA in the world’s news media. Some articles may require registration or a subscription. See more UCLA in the News.
Large disparities in L.A.’s Latino labor force | Los Angeles Times’ De Los
A study from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute released Wednesday analyzed the Latino workforce across the state of California, with a focus on L.A. County, the Bay Area, the central San Joaquin Valley and the north San Joaquin Valley. Included in the data collected by the program’s Latino Data Hub — which uses data predominantly from 2022 for this study — are examinations of demographics, human capital and employment conditions of a group of workers that makes up 40% of California’s total workforce. (UCLA’s Rodrigo Dominguez-Villegas was quoted; UCLA’s Miguel Hernández, Alberto Vargas, Rosario Majano and Misael Galdámez were cited.)
The Salton Sea’s stench is making people sick | CalMatters
Residents around the Salton Sea have long complained of respiratory ailments from particulate pollution that wafts from its shoreline. Now UCLA researchers have identified another air pollutant that could be sickening people in communities near the inland lake: hydrogen sulfide … “Communities that live next to the shore or within a mile of the shore experience exposure to hydrogen sulfide,” said Consuelo Márquez, who authored the reports with Alejandra López and Isabella Arzeno-Soltero. “We hear stories: ‘my child faces chronic nosebleeds and has had asthma their whole life.’”
When is your home safe after wildfire smoke? | Bloomberg
“‘What are we facing? What are we exposed to? Is it safe?’ We hear these questions all the time,” said Yifang Zhu, a professor at the [UCLA Fielding School of Public Health] who’s been measuring pollution related to the fires since early this year. “This knowledge and new insights will be very helpful for the future.” (UCLA’s Michael Jerrett was also quoted.)
Election law expert on challenges to democracy | NPR’s “Fresh Air”
“Well, I think we need to set the stage a little bit here and understand how elections are run in the United States. So in most other democracies, there’s a national nonpartisan authority that runs elections. They have a national role of voters. In most of those countries, there’s a national identity card, which can be used to determine citizenship,” [said UCLA’s Richard Hasen.]
A new era of political violence is upon us | Los Angeles Times
“There are these moments of great democratic despair, and we don’t think the political system is sufficiently responsive, sufficiently legitimate, sufficiently attentive, and that’s certainly going on in this particular moment,” said Jon Michaels, a UCLA law professor who teaches about the separation of powers and co-authored “Vigilante Nation: How State-Sponsored Terror Threatens Our Democracy.”
Kirk shooting reignites campus free speech issues | Los Angeles Times
Mary Corey, a senior continuing lecturer at UCLA’s history department who studies American social movements and popular culture, said Kirk’s death disturbed her. “I wish it hadn’t happened — it makes me cringe, it makes me unhappy, it makes me more afraid,” said Corey. (UCLA student Eli Tsives was also quoted.)
One-third of college students have positive mental health | Inside Higher Ed
Data from the most recent Healthy Minds Survey, published Tuesday, found that only 36 percent of college students are thriving — reporting high levels of success in relationships, self-esteem, purpose and optimism — down slightly from 38 percent the previous year … “We should be encouraged that we’re seeing some signs of a positive trend, but we also should keep in mind that the levels are very high,” said Daniel Eisenberg, the study’s lead author and a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.
California legislators strike deal to help oil industry | Los Angeles Times
Mary Nichols, an attorney at UCLA Law’s Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, said the bill probably wouldn’t affect the ongoing project off Santa Barbara County’s coast — which remains tied up in litigation — but makes clear that there’s no easy path for any other company looking to take advantage of offshore oil in federal waters under the oil-friendly Trump administration.
Tumult as COVID-19 vaccine boosters deployed under RFK Jr. | The Guardian
Changing the rules to make vaccination easier will depend on the state, said Lindsay Wiley, a professor of law and faculty director of the health law and policy program at UCLA School of Law. “In several states, governors and health officials are solving the prescription problem pretty swiftly, so it’s a rapidly evolving situation right now. In other states, the legislature may need to take action to fix the problem,” Wiley said.
Justice Democrats keep unseating moderates | LAist 89.3-FM’s “AirTalk”
“Jimmy Gomez has had close races the last two elections; maybe even longer, since he’s been in Congress. He’s won very narrowly, 51-49 in a district that is heavily Latino, very heavily Democratic,” said UCLA’s Zev Yaroslavsky (approx. 8:35 mark).
The little round pill that’s winning awards season | The Hollywood Reporter
Doctors say the pills don’t exactly cure stage fright — they just keep the body from betraying it. “Using beta-blockers for performance anxiety is off-label, but it’s not uncommon,” notes Dr. Andrew Leuchter, director of UCLA’s neuromodulation division. “This is a drug that prevents adrenaline from activating the fight-or-flight response.”
