Which COVID mitigation measures work
Which COVID mitigation measures work
Research reveals some surprising findings about effective ways to reduce the spread in schools
Brandon Ristoff | Policy Analyst
Brandon Ristoff works as a Policy Analyst at the California Policy Center. Brandon earned his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College, studying the Great Books of Western Civilization. In 2019, he graduated with a Master of Public Policy degree from Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, specializing in applied economic policy. In 2020, he graduated with a M.S. in Applied Statistics from Loyola University Chicago. He has written on California’s COVID-19 reopening, education, and the California Exodus. He is in charge of the California Book of Exoduses, tracking all of the individuals and businesses leaving California because of the state’s burdensome policies.
Latest by Brandon Ristoff
California’s largest school districts are underwater
California’s largest school districts are underwater
Massive debt raises questions about new spending proposals
2,000 CA jobs headed to Florida’s Walt Disney World
2,000 CA jobs headed to Florida’s Walt Disney World
The Happiest Place on Earth might not be in Southern California Disney’s most recent business announcement will be a fairy tale ending for the company’s bottom line. According to an internal staff letter published by Deadline, the Walt Disney Company will move over 2,000 employees from Southern California to Orlando, Florida over the next eighteen...
Smoke on the Horizon: Failed California Fire Prevention Setting Up Terrible Fire Season
Smoke on the Horizon: Failed California Fire Prevention Setting Up Terrible Fire Season
In a recent investigation by CapRadio, Gavin Newsom was found to have misled the public with his progress on his wildfire prevention efforts. How big of a deal is this? Aren’t wildfires just a force of nature or an act of God? Isn’t climate change going to make fires worse anyway? How much did Newsom’s...
How “Vax for the Win” became a huge loss
How “Vax for the Win” became a huge loss
As the number of new people getting vaccinated in California has decreased over the past few months, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new program, “Vax for the Win” to provide incentives to those who are on the fence about getting the shot. While Newsom was not the first governor to institute such programs (see Ohio), he...
Analysis: California’s Charter School Renaissance Continues, While Public Non-Charter School Enrollment Continues to Shrink
Analysis: California’s Charter School Renaissance Continues, While Public Non-Charter School Enrollment Continues to Shrink
Recent news has not been favorable to public schools in California. More and more students are leaving these institutions, according to data from the California Department of Education. Over the past six years, California public school enrollment fell by 4%. This is part of a continual decline in K-12 enrollment that began in the 2004-05...
Dear California: The winter wave is over. Let’s reopen.
Dear California: The winter wave is over. Let’s reopen.
Think back to late December. Christmas was approaching and the news in California was getting grimmer by the day. California had one of the highest COVID case rates of any state. Just a month earlier, Governor Newsom locked down the state yet again. Hospitals were packed and there was a shortage of body bags. There...
Reopening- The Show Must Go On? California’s Contradictory COVID Guidance Continues for the Oscars and for Places of Worship
Reopening- The Show Must Go On? California’s Contradictory COVID Guidance Continues for the Oscars and for Places of Worship
Do you think people in the film industry are considered essential workers? According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, they will be on April 25, when they present the annual Oscars. Variety recently reported that those involved in the production, including the nominees and their guests, will be considered essential workers. This...
Exodus: Silicon Valley Is Getting a Breath of Fresh Air in the Rocky Mountains
Exodus: Silicon Valley Is Getting a Breath of Fresh Air in the Rocky Mountains
California’s Silicon Valley is known across the globe as the hub of tech innovation. But some lesser known tech hubs, affectionately called “Silicon Slopes, “Silicon Mountain” and my personal favorite name, “Silicon Spuds,” are showing themselves as the Davids to the Goliath of California’s Silicon Valley. While many are talking about Texas, Florida, and Arizona...
Reopening Update: Newsom’s Not-So-Full California Reopening
Reopening Update: Newsom’s Not-So-Full California Reopening
After suggestions that Newsom is planning to add a less-restrictive green tier to California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that, assuming the current COVID trajectory in California remains, the tiered system that has been in place since August will be eliminated entirely. According to Governor Newsom, it will be “business as...
Reopening Update: CDPH Becomes the Fun Police
Reopening Update: CDPH Becomes the Fun Police
In some parts of the state, football is finally coming back. While this is going to be an unusual football season, high school football fans were looking forward to supporting their friends and family members on the football field. But in a surprise move, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) created guidelines that confused...
Exodus: Intel’s New Massive Manufacturing Investment Ignores Their Home State, California
Exodus: Intel’s New Massive Manufacturing Investment Ignores Their Home State, California
CLICK HERE to find our comprehensive California Book of Exoduses Intel Corporation announced this week it will invest $20 billion in semiconductor chip fabrication plants, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. This is a big deal given the current global shortage in semiconductor chips. But also, it is important because semi-conductors will be a big...
Reopening Update: UTLA Tries To Outscience the CDC
Reopening Update: UTLA Tries To Outscience the CDC
This week, the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) members have approved their reopening deal with LAUSD, which allows some elementary schools to reopen with a hybrid format as early as April 12. Middle and high schools will have to wait longer and would return to school in a glorified study hall format. While I...
Toppling Tiers: How Newsom’s Tier System Hurts Businesses and Schools
Toppling Tiers: How Newsom’s Tier System Hurts Businesses and Schools
As California is slowly reopening, this is an excellent opportunity to review the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the framework that allows for businesses and schools to reopen in California. With the new update from the California Department of Public Health on Tuesday, forty-seven counties have reached the red tier, covering 89.7% of Californians. Five...