The Los Angeles Times reported on a new Los Angeles County dashboard that tracks heat-related emergency room visits and deaths, offering public access to data that was previously difficult to obtain. UCLA experts David Eisenman, Bharat Venkat and V. Kelly Turner said the tool could help officials better understand who is most vulnerable to extreme heat and evaluate whether public health interventions are working. The researchers also highlighted the links between heat illness, social inequality and chronic health conditions. Read more about UCLA in today’s New York Times, CNN and others.

More highlights from UCLA in the News: June 4, 2026

A toxic metal stayed in the air for months after LA County fires | Los Angeles Times

After the Eaton and Palisades fires devastated Southern California, a highly toxic metal stayed in the air much longer and probably traveled much farther than expected, according to a new study. More than two months after the Eaton and Palisades fires were extinguished, researchers from UCLA and UC Davis detected elevated levels of hexavalent chromium — a potent carcinogen — in the burn areas, the paper in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment says. (UCLA’s Michael Jerrett and Yifang Zhu were quoted. Also: Los Angeles Magazine.)

California economy outperforms nation, but job market weak | Times of San Diego

The California economy continues to outperform the U.S. thanks to a strong tech sector and venture capital, but unemployment is high and gas prices are rising, according to the latest UCLA Anderson Forecast released Wednesday. “The overall outlook for the state is slightly weaker than our forecast 3 months ago,” wrote Senior Economist Jerry Nickelsburg in the quarterly forecast. Nevertheless, he added, “Income and output will continue to grow faster than the U.S. even as employment growth is tepid.” (Also: Spectrum News 1.)

Experts want to help young adults turning to AI for advice | CNN’s “Inside Politics”

Ross Szabo, wellness director at the Geffen Academy at UCLA and the author of “A Kids Book about Anxiety” joins Inside Politics to discuss mental wellbeing in an age of screen time and AI chatbots. He shares his concerns about new research showing one in five young adults are turning to AI chatbots for mental health advice. Szabo says he is hopeful that young people want to talk about their mental health, but “any time I see data like this, I’m obviously scared because of the percentage of people who use AI and can go down a really dark place.”

UK axing of black studies program has ‘dangerous parallel’ with US | The Guardian

Kimberlé Crenshaw, a professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University, expressed “profound concern” about plans to withdraw the MA in black studies and global justice, just months after the course was launched. In a statement shared on social media during her U.K. book tour, Crenshaw called the decision an “escalating assault on black studies” and an “ideological, extremist-led campaign that has now explicitly travelled across the Atlantic.”  

Does Raman still have a chance? Uncounted votes could help | Los Angeles Times

“Don’t count [Councilmember] Nithya Raman out yet,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA [Luskin School of Public Affairs], who closely tracks local elections.

More chaos around Alabama redistricting decision? | NPR’s “All Things Considered”

“They’ve closed the door on intentional discrimination claims,” said UCLA law professor Richard Hasen. What’s more, he said, the decision made it extremely difficult for Congress to act, even if it wants to. “What the court has done is denude Congress of its powers that were given after the Civil War,” Hasen said, noting that Congress enacted the Fourteenth Amendment to ensure equal voting rights for former slaves. (Hasen was also quoted by The New York Times.)  

Education Department abandons civil rights focus on Black students | KTTV-TV

“When you provide teachers and school personnel with knowledge and skills to help your lowest performing students, everyone wins,” said Tyrone Howard, an education professor at UCLA who consulted on [the Black Student Achievement Plan].

Voter frustration versus political shift | KCAL-TV

“They’re taking that out in this primary. I think you also saw the city attorney in Los Angeles losing, who was an incumbent. And incumbents are not super popular right now,” said UCLA’s Matt Barreto.

Where are all the subways? | New York Times

“There are places that are doing more to invest in public transit,” said Brian Taylor, a professor of urban planning and public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. Many are large cities already well-known for their walkability and public transit: New York, Washington, Chicago, Seattle.