CRB Newsletters

The California Research Bureau publishes two free weekly newsletters: Lunch with a Side of Research and Studies in the News.

Lunch with a Side of Research

A weekly summary released on Mondays of free in-person and online webinars related to policy and research to grab a bite over.

You can see an example newsletter below.

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An example of Lunch with a Side of Research Newsletter with two example events: Being served this week... Better Ballot Sacramento: BBS: Ranked Choice Voting Compared to Other Election Methods Join a virtual panel discussion about Ranked Choice Voting and Sacramento's local elections process. Panelists include Ismar Volic, professor of mathematics at Wellesley College; Deb Otis, director of research for Fair Vote; and Josh Rosa, a volunteer with Better Ballot Sacramento. Organized by the League of Women Voters and Better Ballot Sacramento, the panel will explore how Ranked Choice Voting compares with other popular election methods, how Ranked Choice Voting has performed in other communities, and how this election method might change voter participation in Sacramento. When: Jan. 22 Time: 5:30 p.m. Where: Virtual Information/Registration: BBS link Zocalo: Zócalo: Is Sport the Final Frontier for Queer Acceptance? In the past half century LGBTQ+ people in the United States have made long strides toward full equality and acceptance into mainstream national culture—including the arts, theater, music, and film. Queer athletes excel, too. But they haven’t established the same kind of foothold in U.S. sports. Across the country, state laws take aim at the next generation of professional athletes, banning transgender youth from participating in school sports. Why is queerness so readily accepted in theater and still so taboo on the field? Join Zócalo for a conversation around song, sports, and making queer history. When: Jan. 25 Time: 6:30 p.m. Where: Virtual and In person in Tempe, AZ Information/Registration: Zócalo link

Studies in the News

A weekly summary released on Wednesdays of studies or reports on policy issues impacting California, such as Environment & Natural Resources, General Government, Science & Technology, etc.

You can see an example newsletter below or see our Studies in the News archive.

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An example of Studies in the News letter that showcases two studies of areas: Economy: Could Savannah be the Next San Jose? The Downstream Effects of Large Language Models. By Scott Abrahams, et al. SSRN. Jul. 25, 2024. “[A]s [LLM technology] use moves beyond a few big city hubs and is more widely adopted across the economy, Chattanooga and other once-struggling cities in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and South are poised to be among the unlikely winners. … The shared attributes of these metropolitan areas include an educated work force, affordable housing and workers who are mostly in occupations and industries less likely to be replaced or disrupted by A.I., according to the study by two labor economists. … identified nearly two dozen metropolitan areas expected to benefit from the broader adoption of A.I. technology, including Dayton, Ohio; Scranton, Pa.; Savannah, Ga.; and Greenville, S.C.” (New York Times, Dec. 26, 2024). Note: The researchers list is based on, “high education levels, low employment exposure to LLMs, and affordable housing costs.” No California cities are included in the list. Moreover, it finds California’s major MSAs as having among the most occupational exposure to LLMs. Questions? Contact Devin Lavelle Education: Understanding Belonginess, Support and Perseverance: An Exploratory Study of the Educational Experiences of Foster Youth in California. By Maria Luz Espino, et al. UCLA Center for Transformation of Schools. 2024. “In a recent report from UCLA’s Center for the Transformation of Schools, three main findings are underscored regarding students with experience in foster care: students had a mix of experiences as they navigated the feeling of belonging while in the foster care system, they had a mix of experiences in high school when it came to support, belonging, and safety, and their support systems were critical when navigating college. … Students included in the study were current and former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 26. … While in foster care, 83% survey respondents did not feel respected, 65% did not feel safe, and 66% experienced some form of discrimination and/or prejudice. While attending high school, 58% of the respondents did not feel safe, 60% did not feel supported, and 72% did not feel respected. During the interview portion of the study, some respondents shared why they felt unsupported during those school years.” (EdSource, Dec. 17, 2024). Questions? Contact Maeve Roche.