California Archives - YES! Magazine Solutions Journalism

Video | YES! Presents Rising Up With Sonali

Protests Across California Target Trump–Musk Assault on the Public

In recent weeks, a coalition of advocacy organizations in California have come together to protest the impact of the pro-billionaire budgeting decisions happening in Washington, D.C. As part of a

| Mar 19, 2025

A More Humane Future for Shelter Animals

Other states could learn from California’s approach to overcrowding in animal shelters.

s.e. smith | Dec 16, 2024

Video | Donald Trump | 2024 Election | YES! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali

Countering California’s Rightward Shift

A newly formed coalition vows to take on the MAGA multitudes in California.

| Nov 15, 2024

Video | Incarceration | YES! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali

Here’s How to Respond to Crime, Not React to It

A new ballot measure in California would reverse progress on reducing mass incarceration. Here's what our regular correspondent Dortell Williams has to say about it.

| Oct 4, 2024

Cop Cities Meet Growing Resistance Nationwide

Faced with the spread of militarized police training facilities known as "cop cities," grassroots activists are taking the call to #DefundPolice to cities nationwide.

Victoria Valenzuela | Oct 4, 2024

Unlearning Queerphobia

Schools are a powerful place to begin building an LGBTQ-affirming culture, as an antidote to fear and bigotry.

Sara Youngblood Gregory | Oct 2, 2024

Opinion | Restorative Justice | Domestic Violence | California Health Report | Mental Health

How Healing Circles Create Space for Change

Restorative justice can be a challenging approach to domestic violence, but it can also be rewarding when the people involved are participating with genuine desire to find a path forward.

Marjorie Coffey | Sep 13, 2024

Punjabi Californians Find a Lifeline Through Community Health Workers

Facing a health care system without sufficient translation services and a grueling economic landscape, Punjabi residents in Fresno, California, have created an organization to help meet their community’s unique needs.

Claudia Boyd-Barrett | Aug 16, 2024

Video | Abolition | Incarceration | YES! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali | Dortell Williams

Prevention, Not Prisons

Dortell Williams, who has spent more than 30 years in prison, reflects on the true causes of crime.

| Jul 25, 2024

Opinion | Artificial Intelligence

AI Can’t Fix Our Broken Health Care System, But People Can

AI is trained on data from our health care system as it exists, which means the data is contaminated by racial, economic, and regional disparities. But there are solutions.

Jennifer McLelland | Jul 19, 2024

As Summer Swelters, Can Workers Get Heat Protections?

As temperatures continue to rise, California workers, worker protection groups, and state regulators are making progress on implementing heat regulations.

s.e. smith | Jul 1, 2024

Going Back Outside for Pride

We can no longer accept Pride events that only make room for one type of queer person—or that cater primarily to the corporations more invested in rainbow capitalism than collective liberation.

Jenn M. Jackson | Jun 18, 2024

Mollie Engelhart of Sage Regenerative Kitchen spoke with YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about regenerative farming

Video | regenerative farming | YES! Presents: Rising Up with Sonali

Why This Vegan Restaurant Introduced Meat

Sage Regenerative Kitchen’s executive chef explains why she added meat to the menu—and why she believes so deeply in regenerative farming.

| Jun 14, 2024

Dortell Williams joins YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali to discuss what it means to be an incarcerated father.

Marking Father’s Day From Behind Bars

Father’s Day is a special time for many families. But what about those families separated by incarceration?

| Jun 13, 2024

Planning Parenthood for Incarcerated Men

An innovative sex-ed curriculum in Southern California is teaching incarcerated men about consent, birth control, and dismantling masculinity.

Amy DePaul | Jun 10, 2024

How Black Parents Got Cops Out of Oakland Schools

After adopting the George Floyd Resolution for Police-Free Schools, Oakland-area schools saw significant reductions in racist criminalization of Black and Brown kids.

Malaika Parker | Jun 6, 2024

Dortell Williams, serving a life sentence without parole in California, shares his experience on Rising Up With Sonali.

Facing Life Without Parole Inside a California Prison

Recent reforms in prison communications have allowed Dortell Williams, serving a life sentence without parole in California, to share his experience face-to-face for the first time.

| May 3, 2024

Can California Kids Get Specialty Care Sooner?

Children are more likely to survive when treated by pediatric specialists than those trained to treat adults; but there’s a shortage of these specialists in California and nationwide.

Claudia Boyd-Barrett | Apr 26, 2024