Jonathan Horwitz

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 23rd July 2023

Palm Springs is an oasis for tourists, but not for the area's majority low-income students

What comes to mind when you think of greater Palm Springs?

For tourists, second homeowners and retirees, the Coachella Valley leans into its image as a desert oasis. For many local youth, however, the glamorous vision is a mirage. Palm Springs Unified School District serves a higher proportion of socioeconomically disadvantaged children than every other midsize or large school district in the state of California.

Nearly 20,500 of the district’s 21,000 students — 97.5% of them — qualify as soci

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 25th March 2023

How a rural California district became a hotspot in the nationwide debate about school policing

How a rural California district became a hotspot in the nationwide debate about school policing

On the outskirts of eastern Riverside County, one semi-rural district's discussion of how to best protect students has come to epitomize a nationwide debate over the role law enforcement officers should play in schools.

High school students say they feel unsafe at school following a series of about a dozen incidents in recent months where administrators have called the sheriff’s department to deal w

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 21st July 2022

3 plans to import water from Sea of Cortez to Salton Sea advance in state review

Three concepts to restore the Salton Sea by importing water from the Sea of Cortez are moving forward for review by a state-appointed independent panel.

The Salton Sea Independent Review Panel has been analyzing 18 water importation concepts submitted to the state between 2017 and 2021; some envisioned sourcing water from the Pacific Ocean, while others would tap Mexico's Sea of Cortez, which lies between Baja California and mainland Mexico.

Thirteen concepts passed an initial screening, but o

National Parks Traveler • 1st January 2022

Saguaro National Park At Risk

The vast, arid landscape of Saguaro National Park is often simply characterized as a desert. While it’s true that the park lies within the formidable Sonoran Desert where summer temperatures reach north of 115 degrees, the land between park boundaries teems with life and hosts complex habitats.

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 4th September 2022

Late buses, no air-conditioning: Nationwide bus, labor shortages affect local students

Recent problems flared up at the end of last school year when kids waited more than an hour at unshaded stops for their buses to arrive.

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 5th June 2022

'It's OK to not be OK': Local experts, students shed light on pandemic's effects on mental health

Even though COVID-19 cases are rising again, many are ready to move on and resume their lives. But it's not that easy for everyone.

National Parks Traveler • 1st July 2021

Drought Is Reshaping The National Park Landscape In Unprecedented Ways

Blowing sand, relentless bark beetles and invasive grasses are just some of the consequences of continued hot, dry weather.

USC Annenberg Media • 6th March 2021

A River Ran Through It

When California ordered a lockdown last March, Bre and Virginia Parks started walking their local river trail. The only thing missing was the water.

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 8th October 2022

COD board hears pleas for new facilities — and a warning that politics is harming morale

COD board hears pleas for new facilities — and a warning that politics is harming morale

At a marathon five-hour meeting Friday, the College of the Desert Board of Trustees heard pleas from City of Coachella and Desert Hot Springs leaders to build facilities in or near their cities, and took heat from an educator who said morale among instructors is flagging amid high-profile political battles.

In an impassioned public comment, Heather Benes, an English professor, warned trustees they are gett

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 21st September 2022

Coachella, Palm Springs officials trade barbs, accusations over COD bond distribution

Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez is defending his use of a “misogynistic trope” directed at Palm Springs City Councilmember Christy Holstege on social media.

USC Annenberg Media • 3rd May 2021

The Longest Hike

In 1972, California voters mandated the creation of a coastal trail from Oregon all the way to Mexico, but it still isn't complete.

National Parks Traveler • 1st December 2020

2nd Annual Threatened and Endangered Parks: America’s Reeling Reefs

The first standardized national assessment of coral reefs in all U.S. states and territories finds that conditions in vital marine ecosystems are fair but vulnerable and declining.

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 1st May 2022

For the Compton Cowboys, Stagecoach is just the beginning of an entertainment industry takeover

At once there is nothing unusual and something extraordinary about a group of cowboys hanging around a corral at the Stagecoach country music festival.

Palm Springs Desert Sun • 4th April 2022

What are the 38 properties the COD Board of Trustees has been discussing in closed session?

The City of Palm Springs has alleged that the college's board of trustees has violated California law by failing to disclose to the public the nature of their real estate negotiations.