Q&A: Graham Knaus: Counties Face “Structural” Crisis Under H.R. 1
California’s 58 counties sit at the center of the state’s safety net, quietly processing billions in healthcare and food assistance each year. Now, county officials…
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Q&A with Carlos Marquez of the County Welfare Directors Association of California: What H.R. 1 could mean for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and county eligibility offices
A growing dispute in Sacramento could determine whether hundreds of thousands of Californians eligible for Medi-Cal and CalFresh lose their health benefits under new federal…
Remembering Pablo Rodriguez
Late activist inspired a generation of organizers and built lasting grassroots power Pablo Rodriguez, the executive director of Communities for a New California (CNC) Education…
Fabrizio Sasso, leader of Sacramento Central Labor Council, pushes Dems to fight corporate strangleholds by returning to working-class roots
When I heard Sacramento Central Labor Council Executive Director Fabrizio Sasso speak at the first No Kings Rally, his remarks stood out immediately. He offered…
Brenda Solórzano on urgency, resilience and the future of philanthropy
This interview with Brenda Solórzano, CEO of The California Endowment, was condensed and edited for clarity by Jeff vonKaenel, CEO and Publisher of the Chico…
Sac State filmmaker wins awards, sets sights on the American River
Kathy Kasic isn’t just a filmmaker—she’s our filmmaker. A professor at Sacramento State since 2018, Kasic teaches documentary filmmaking and helps run the university’s Science…
CalRecycle’s leader, Zoe Heller, on battling plastic pollution and working for a cleaner climate
In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Zoe Heller as the new head of CalRecycle. Heller is a circular economy and zero waste specialist with a…
Local Action, Global Goals
Organic waste reduction efforts in Elk Grove are part of worldwide effort “Think Globally, Act Locally” is a slogan associated with environmentalism since the 1970s….
State Senator Ben Allen discusses new efforts to handle household hazardous waste, other eco-threats in California
SN&R recently sat down with California State Senator Ben Allen, who represents the 24th Senate District, which includes the Santa Monica Mountains and the South…
Q&A with David W. Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools, on kids’ mental health
Children and teenagers have been through a lot the past few years, with the disruption and isolation that was COVID, on top of family stress or trauma that can be present any time. Sacramento County Office of Education is focused on this issue for our kids, and Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon sat down with us to discuss his perspective—and the plans SCOE is putting in place.
A Q&A with Senator Josh Newman: How the circular economy effort in California is making a major impact on the environment
As part of our continuing investigation into ways people in our state are working to increase recycling and reduce items filling our landfills, we caught…
Paul Lau, SMUD CEO, discusses the projects that could change the world
Some people have asked why SMUD is on such a bold path. My answer is simple. We can’t afford not to. We’ve all seen the devastating impacts of climate change. We’ve all seen the impacts of poor air quality. We can’t afford to waste any time.
Rachel Machi Wagoner of CalRecycle discusses the benefits of a circular economy in California
Last month, I sat down with Rachel Machi Wagoner, who heads California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, better known as CalRecycle. Our talk was so wide-ranging, we decided to break it into two stories for SN&R: Part 1 focuses on SB 1383 and organic waste. And this second part is the discussion we had about other important legislation, as well as the governor’s zero-waste proposal.
Q&A with Rachel Machi Wagoner of CalRecycle on the intricacies of SB 1383
Rachel Machi Wagoner heads the California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, better known as CalRecycle, so of course her focus is the environment. But what you may not expect is how passionate she has long been to this work, which began at the age of 22.
Sacramento County’s Chief Probation Officer, Marlon Yarber, discusses his department’s goal of achieving positive change
Marlon Yarber was born and raised in Stockton. His personal experiences there, in large part, he says, helped shape his career.
Criminal justice reform: A talk with Contra Costa DA Diana Becton – and what Sacramento might learn from her
Many people in Sacramento are rethinking our criminal justice system. So we decided to sit down with Contra Costa’s District Attorney, Diane Becton. During her…
Q&A with Sacramento County’s new Sheriff, Jim Cooper
Last December, Sheriff Jim Cooper was sworn in at the Sacramento State Ballroom, thereby becoming the first Black Sheriff in the county’s history.