Teen Mental Health and Online Learning | CA Water Outlook and Priorities | Italian Tenor Pasquale Esposito Performs

UC Davis study looks at teen mental health during COVID-19 online learning. The Public Policy Institute of California releases its annual report on the state’s water challenges. Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito performs in Sacramento.  

Mental health and online learning

From the beginning of the pandemic, there was concern about how stay-at-home orders would impact children. A constant thread throughout COVID-19 has been understanding the toll if any,  remote learning would have on students. Followed by passionate debates about the best way to balance public health while reducing harm. We’ve had a good number of these conversations on Insight because the issue of mental health and social isolation is far from a fixed topic. It often involves a lot of anecdotes of personal experiences. But researchers are continuing to learn more and better understand how varied the consequences of the pandemic can be.  A new study looked at a specific age group, teens between 14 and 16 years of age.  Researchers looked at how in-person learning versus hybrid or fully remote shaped high schoolers’ mental health and their overall experience with school as well as their academic performance. Drew Cingel is an associate professor at UC Davis and the lead author of the study and joined Insight to share how teens were impacted by online learning during COVID-19.   

California's water outlook

Today we turn the calendar to December and storms arriving in the region seem to signal a promising start for snowfall to ease California’s prolonged drought.  But for now, the overall outlook is not optimistic. Federal climate scientists at NOAA have forecasted a warmer and drier than average winter for California and the broader Western U.S.  And according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of the state is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. All of this suggests California could be in for another year with less water. So, what can Californians expect in the upcoming year as our climate’s future becomes more uncertain? To help answer those questions and explain how California can thrive with less water, Insight invited Jeffrey Mount, a Senior Fellow with the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California, onto the program. 

Pasquale Esposito performs in Sacramento

The holiday season is upon us. Lights are up, homes and trees are decorated, the leaves are falling and the weather is just perfect for that warm cup of tea and your favorite fuzzy sweater. Add to that the sounds and music of the season. And next week at The Sofia Theater, a special event with the work of renowned artist Pasquale Esposito. Esposito will perform many of his holiday favorites along with an original composition at The Sofia on December 9th, accompanied by San Jose State University’s orchestra. Pasquale Esposito joined Insight ahead of his performance in Sacramento to share his catalog of Christmas songs and holiday favorites.