Dear CalMatters reader,

After a record 118 consecutive months of economic expansion, 2020 opened in California with the highest of hopes. But by the end of the year, parts of California had been under three different emergency declarations: for the coronavirus, for wildfires and for widespread protests over racism and police abuse.

To help you understand the major issues in our state, CalMatters recently published a California primer on how the past tumultuous year shaped state policy and politics going into 2021. Join us for a members-only virtual conversation with CalMatters Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Dave Lesher, who will discuss the major developing stories Californians should follow in 2021, and what Californians need to know as the state battles these ongoing crises.

When: Friday, Jan. 22, Noon