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TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional Politics:
WORTH NOTING: Maddy Institute taking applications for $56K fellowships Bakersfield Californian The Maddy Institute is accepting applications for its Public Service Graduate Fellowship. Students throughout the San Joaquin Valley who have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and are applying to or have been accepted into a nationally ranked graduate program for fall 2018 will be eligible to apply for one of two $56,000 fellowships.
CALmatters In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 28, the day after President Trump signed his executive order temporarily banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, Congressman Charlie Dent, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania, put in a call to Kevin McCarthy, the six-term Republican from Bakersfield, California, and majority leader of the House of Representatives. Among the many travelers caught in the chaos at airports across the United States was a Syrian family that had been granted visas to join their relatives in Pennsylvania. But when they arrived in Philadelphia, the family was immediately sent back. The relatives contacted Dent for help, and Dent, in turn, went to McCarthy. See also: · Kevin McCarthy relishes role as Trump’s fixer, friend and candy man The Washington Post · Dreamers to McCarthy: Step up and do right by us Bakersfield Californian
House Democrats, Fusion GPS want Nunes to release interview transcript Business Insider The House Intelligence Committee’s top Democrat is calling on the panel’s Republican majority to release the transcript of the panel’s November interview with Glenn Simpson, the cofounder of the opposition research firm Fusion GPS. “In light of the selective leaks of Mr. Simpson’s testimony and the misleading manner in which Fusion GPS’ role has been characterized, I support releasing the transcript,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the panel’s ranking member, said in a statement through his office on Monday.
Modesto Bee editor named to succeed Jim Boren in FresnoThe Fresno BeeJoe Kieta, a veteran news executive who has served as editor of The Modesto Bee since 2012, has been named editor of The Fresno Bee. He succeeds Jim Boren, who is retiring Jan. 19 after a 48-year career at The Bee, the last five years as executive editor. President and Publisher Ken Riddick made the announcement Friday.
MLK Celebrations/Day of Service: · Downtown Fresno march honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Fresno Bee · Dozens spend Martin Luther King Day serving homeless at Poverello House Abc30 · Tulare County marchers celebrate peace, unity Visalia Times-Delta
Farmworkers’ daughter takes reins as Fresno City Council president Vida en el Valle Esmeralda Soria – the daughter of Mexican immigrant farmworkers who became only the second Latina ever on the Fresno City Council three years ago – assumed the title as council president of California’s fifth-largest city on Jan. 11.
With end of program protecting Salvadoran immigrants, a Valley city faces a crisis Fresno Bee Buenaventura Peneda was waiting to get paid after a day of pruning pomegranate trees. As he does every two weeks, he’ll send $500 of his earnings to his wife and family in El Salvador.
Women’s March, organized in days last year, returning to Modesto bigger, stronger Modesto Bee Women’s March Modesto is back, with hopes of becoming even bigger and better than last year’s impressive debut. The nonpartisan event, coming Saturday, will feature a march down Modesto’s McHenry Avenue, with a unity rally, booths and music at Graceada Park, the ending point.
Survey: 98 percent of residents would recommend Clovis Clovis Roundup In 2013, when a random sampling of Clovis citizens were first surveyed and 94 percent said they would recommend Clovis to friends and family, council members and city staff doubted the city could rank much higher, but then that number climbed to 96 percent in 2015, and once again, another group of citizens surveyed last September shattered the city staff’s expectations, with a whopping 98 percent saying they would recommend Clovis.
Wieland to retire, backs candidate for court positionMadera Tribune Wieland: I will retire in 2018 after serving for more than 20 years as a judge of the Madera County Superior Court. It has been an honor, a privilege and a series of experiences that I will always cherish.
Tulare hires investigator to look into police chief Visalia Times-Delta Tulare officials have hired an investigator to begin looking into allegations against Police Chief Wes Hensley. Hensley was placed on administrative leave in September. City officials have not said why Hensley was placed on leave stating it is a “personnel matter.”
More detours ahead: City moving forward with plan to rebuild Belle Terrace bridge Bakersfield Californian Motorists who use the Belle Terrace bridge to cross Highway 99 may soon have to consider an alternate route. At its Jan. 10 meeting, the Bakersfield City Council approved an agreement with the California Department of Transportation to move ahead with plans to rebuild the bridge at Belle Terrace and Wible Road to accommodate a widening of Highway 99.
Disease experts split on benefits of valley fever bills introduced this week Bakersfield Californian Advocates for valley fever research give Bakersfield Assemblyman Rudy Salas an “A” for effort for what they call the most robust legislative effort to address the disease in California history. But public health officials and disease experts are split on whether the remedies proposed by Salas will bring improvements. See also: · New California Bills Address Growing Valley Fever Problem Capital Public Radio
Sequoia Prompt care closes, joins Quick Care at VMC Visalia Times-Delta Visalia residents will now have one less place to go if they’re feeling under the weather. The Sequoia Prompt Care located at 820 South Akers St. permanently closed its doors to patients on Sunday. The clinic merged with the crowded Visalia Medical Clinic QuickCare, located at 5400 W. Hillsdale Ave., on Monday. Both facilities are owned by Kaweah Delta Healthcare District.
Who is Jeff Heinle? An introduction to abruptly introduced supervisorial candidate Bakersfield Californian Political candidates usually get to schedule celebrations to announce that they’re running for public office. They arrange flags and banners and invite a host of supporters to crowd in behind them as the television cameras roll. That’s not how things went for Bakersfield city firefighter Jeff Heinle. Heinle walked, relatively unprepared, into a firestorm battle for the 3rd District Kern County supervisor’s race against veteran incumbent Mike Maggard this week.
Four will vie to succeed Ray Gonzales, represent downtown area in BCSD special election Bakersfield Californian We have a race. Four candidates have stepped up and filed papers to run for a vacant seat in Bakersfield City School District’s Area 3, which spans central and downtown Bakersfield. The seat was left vacant by Raymond Gonzales, who retired abruptly over health concerns last April.
Couple’s bequest of $2.37M sets CSU Stanislaus record Modesto Bee Helen and Lou Yecny lived a frugal life. But the Hilmar couple’s attention to saving and their desire to help educate local students led to the biggest single gift ever received by California State University, Stanislaus.
Former judge will challenge Dan Dow for DA Modesto Bee A retired Stanislaus County judge and former attorney, who says the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office should investigate a series of recent inmate deaths at the county jail, is challenging incumbent District Attorney Dan Dow in the June primary election.
Downtown Modesto jail is closing. Where are the prisoners going, and who’s moving in? The Modesto Bee For a decade, the Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury has recommended the antiquated downtown Modesto men’s jail, which opened in 1954, be demolished or closed. In 2007, its report called the jail on H Street, “old, smelly, overcrowded (and) out of date.” Today, it is no longer one of these things.
Modesto said chemical companies knew the groundwater was poisoned, so the city sued Modesto Bee In a ruling with implications for cities across the United States, appellate justices this week rejected Modesto’s request to reinstate a $75 million judgment against a producer of toxic dry cleaning chemicals. However, the ruling also paves the way for a new trial under conditions favorable to Modesto.
State Politics:
Los Angeles Times Insisting that California lawmakers continue to restrain government spending growth in preparation for a recession he believes is just around the corner, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday unveiled a state budget for 2018 that proposes banking most of a $6.1-billion tax revenue windfall expected to show up in the fiscal year beginning July 1. See also: · Skelton: In his final state budget, Gov. Jerry Brown is tying up loose ends for his successor — and protecting his rear Los Angeles Times
Myers: Don’t expect Jerry Brown to tackle Proposition 13 in his final year as governor Los Angeles Times On this last lap as California’s chief executive, a job he’s held longer than anyone in history, Gov. Jerry Brown seems to relish his reputation as a teller of political truths. Last week, he offered a candid assessment of problems he believes were caused by the state’s most famous tax-cutting law, Proposition 13. But in so doing, Brown revealed another truth: He’s not going to tackle them before leaving office in 2019.
California gas-tax initiative fails but another gains steam The Union Democrat A Republican candidate for governor has failed to collect enough signatures for his proposed ballot initiative to eliminate last year’s increase in the gas tax, but he said Friday he’s backing another repeal measure instead. See also: · Gas tax repeal likely failed in California The Sacramento Bee · Assemblyman Travis Allen fails to qualify initiative to repeal gas tax, will support campaign for similar measure Los Angeles Times · California gas tax repeal fails to qualify, but another effort could reach the ballot The Mercury News
Brown goes to court to finish pension reforms Calpensions While his lawyers urge the state Supreme Court to allow pension cuts, Gov. Brown is taking his time to fill a vacant seat that would make his appointees a majority on the high court, four of the seven justices. The vacancy created by the retirement last August of Justice Kathryn Werdegar, who gave notice in March, is being filled by different justices temporarily brought up from the appeals court to hear each case.
California Lawmaker Proposes Taxing Services Democratic Senator Bob Hertzberg is calling for a sales tax on professional, construction, financial and agricultural services. The bill could also change the income and corporate tax structure. Hertzberg says he has three main objectives. “One, really harmonizing the economy and the growth of the economy with the tax system,” he says. “Two, creating a tax system that really supports the core values that we care about, education, infrastructure. And three, bringing government closer to the people.”
Why Californians pay more state and local taxes than Texans San Jose Mercury News California was the birthplace of the 1970s tax revolt, but its residents still pay more in state and local taxes than those in most other big urban states. And many are asking why as they assess how a new federal income tax law that caps state and local tax deductions will shake out for them. “We have relatives in Missouri, and when we travel there we wonder why it costs so much more here,” said Bob Jackson, 66, a retired postal worker who lives in San Jose.
CA governor’s race candidates attack front-runner Newsom The Sacramento Bee It wasn’t so much a debate as it was a pile on. On stage with nearly all of his fellow candidates for governor Saturday morning, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom took fire from all sides. See also · Newsom settles in as center of his rivals’ attention in first major debate of California governor’s race Los Angeles Times · Immigrants needed to ‘pick the fruits and vegetables,’ candidate for governor says Sacramento Bee · Donald Trump is a racist, Democratic candidates say The Fresno Bee · Single-Payer Healthcare Divides Gubernatorial Candidates at Town Hall The California Report | KQED News · Villaraigosa Super PAC forms in California governor’s race The Sacramento Bee · Super PAC led by Obama, Clinton vets forms to help Villaraigosa in governor’s race Sacramento Bee · Reagan, Schwarzenegger … Winfrey? Capitol Weekly
California Atty. Gen. Becerra tells Fox News that Trump has been racist ‘in every respect’ Los Angeles Times After President Trump rejected a bipartisan solution to aid so-called Dreamers, reportedly disparaging African, Latin American and Caribbean countries in the process, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Sunday that Trump was showing himself to be a racist “in every respect.” See also: · DACA not dead, but Trump is a racist, says California’s attorney general Sacramento Bee
Some real fixes to safeguard California voters The Sacramento Bee A lot of attention is focused on making sure our voting systems are safe from Russian interference, and for good reason. We can never allow a repeat of the meddling that marred the 2016 presidential election and continues to consume Washington politics. But we also must pay attention to the nuts and bolts of voting. So Californians should be reassured that steps are being taken.
California’s Political Charity Wall Street Journal Much has changed in Donald Trump’s first year as President, including some progressive principles. Lo, California Democrats in 2016 campaigned to extend a tax hike on the rich. Now they’re promoting a gimmick to help reduce their wealthy residents’ tax burden.
Opinion: Why is liberal California the poverty capital of America? Los Angeles Times Guess which state has the highest poverty rate in the country? Not Mississippi, New Mexico, or West Virginia, but California, where nearly one out of five residents is poor. That’s according to the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, which factors in the cost of housing, food, utilities and clothing, and which includes noncash government assistance as a form of income.
Rent control in California: Proposal to lift restrictions blocked in committee The Mercury News A closely watched attempt to repeal a California law restricting rent control died at a packed committee hearing Thursday, but proponents vow to keep fighting — and, if they get nowhere in the Capitol, to take the issue straight to voters.
Help Wanted: Sen. Tony Mendoza sought spring interns despite allegations Sacramento Bee Sen. Tony Mendoza’s office continued to advertise for new interns after the Artesia Democrat agreed to temporarily step down as the California Senate investigates alleged misconduct toward three former employees, including an intern and a Sacramento State fellow.
Will plan to replace state-tax deduction with charitable donation fly? San Francisco Chronicle A bill that would let Californians circumvent the limit placed on state tax and local deductions under the new federal tax law was passed by a state Senate committee last week after a group of law school professors defended the idea in a paper.
Federal Politics:
Government resumes accepting applications to renew DACA Los Angeles Times Federal immigration authorities, in a victory for so-called Dreamers, quietly announced they have resumed accepting requests for renewals in DACA, the Obama-era program that shielded hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation. “Until further notice, if you already applied for #DACA and it was expiring, this is your chance to reapply,” California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra tweeted Saturday night. See also: · DACA Recipients Can Apply For Renewal, Government Says NPR · DACA Ruling — Symptom of Constitutional Atrophy National Review
Trump: Program protecting young illegal immigrants ‘probably’ dead Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on Sunday “I’m not a racist” in response to reports that he had described immigrants from Haiti and African countries as coming from “shithole countries.” See also: · As Shutdown Talk Rises, Trump’s Immigration Words Pose Risks for Both Parties New York Times · Democrats negotiating ‘in good faith’ on Dreamers deal, Flake says Politico · Kamala Harris emerges as voice of immigrant advocates in the Senate Sacramento Bee · Immigrants with jobs, education worry that Trump will force them into the shadows Sacramento Bee · Why Not DACA and Border Security? And Why Not Now? The Weekly Standard
How Dianne Feinstein has taken on Trump since she got a major Democratic challenger Los Angeles Times California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has long relied on her reputation as a compromiser to get things done in Washington, D.C.
Democrats in droves seek to topple GOP in California’s congressional races San Francisco Chronicle For California Democrats, the flood of candidates looking to unseat GOP members of Congress could be too much of a good thing. See also · ANALYSIS: Republican strategists say Democrats virtually certain to win House in 2018 ABC News · People calling Trump a racist, but will it affect him at the ballot box? San Francisco Chronicle · Poll: Republicans’ satisfaction with nation’s direction highest in decade TheHill · One-third of voters give Trump an F for first year: poll TheHill · Trump’s first-year report card: Voters say he’s no genius Politico
Trump administration to allow states to require some Medicaid patients to work to be eligible Los Angeles Times The Trump administration cleared the way Thursday for states to impose work requirements on many Americans who depend on Medicaid, the mammoth government health insurance program for the poor.
VA says it won’t study medical marijuana’s effect on veterans Washington Post The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will not conduct research into whether medical marijuana could help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain, as veterans groups are pushing for the use of the drug as an alternative to opioids and anti-depressants.
Other:
RAND Over the past two decades, national political and civil discourse in the United States has been characterized by “Truth Decay,” defined as a set of four interrelated trends: an increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data; a blurring of the line between opinion and fact; an increase in the relative volume, and resulting influence, of opinion and personal experience over fact; and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. See also: · The Countries Where People Say The News Is Reported Accurately [Infographic] Forbes · Should All Political Meetings Be Taped? National Review
Walters: Setting the record straight on two politicians CALmatters Notwithstanding the maxim about not speaking ill of the dead, sometimes it’s necessary, as historians often do, to complete the record and teach a lesson about human behavior. That brings us to two major figures in the California Legislature three decades ago, both since deceased, John Vasconcellos and Lou Papan.
Topics in More Detail…
EDITORIALS
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: ‘Let us march on ballot boxes’Fresno Bee This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the five-day, 54-mile Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights. This is an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at the conclusion of the march. We reprint it in observance of Dr. King’s birthday.
America clearly has a long way to go to reach Martin Luther King Jr.’s promised landLos Angeles Times Nearly 50 years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. went to the mountaintop and looked out over the promised land. In a powerful and prophetic speech on April 3, 1968, he told a crowd at the Mason Temple in Memphis that while there would certainly be difficult days ahead, he had no doubt that the struggle for racial justice would be successful.
How to decide if a single Delta tunnel makes sense The Mercury News One of Jerry Brown’s biggest failures as governor has been his stubborn, foolhardy approach to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that provides a portion of the drinking water for 25 million Californians, including more than 5 million South Bay and East Bay residents.
Only this Republican whisperer can save California from offshore drillingFresno Bee California wants an exemption. So does Oregon, Washington, New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, South Carolina is still waiting on an answer.
Los Angeles needs open space for wildlife and for our sanityLos Angeles Times For years, residential developments in the hillsides and canyons of Los Angeles have encroached on wildlife as our neighborhoods have spread into, well, theirs.
California needs to ensure that money aimed at low-income students actually gets to them Los Angeles Times In the budget he released this week, Gov. Jerry Brown called for fully funding the Local Control Funding Formula, his landmark 2013 overhaul of education financing that was designed to direct substantial amounts of extra money to schools with high numbers of low-income students. More money has been going to the formula each year, and it’s great that now — two years sooner than expected — the governor wants to add $3 billion to the amount.
CEQA and the California housing crisis Orange County Register Abuses of the California Environmental Quality Act are aggravating the state’s housing crisis, according to a recent study by Los Angeles lawyers Holland & Knight. With more than half of renters and over a third of homeowners with mortgages in California cost-burdened by housing — spending more than 30 percent of household incomes on housing — and many forced to commute long distances to work in order to live in affordable housing, California’s housing crisis has made life difficult even for those with well-paying, professional jobs.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Trump to ease regulation on family farms Fox Business Video Liberty Farms owner Martha Boneta says rural America is one of the over regulated sectors in the country.
Los Angeles Times Legalizing marijuana nationwide would create at least $132 billion in tax revenue and more than a million new jobs across the United States in the next decade, according to a new study. New Frontier Data, a data analytics firm focused on the cannabis industry, forecasts that if legalized on the federal level, the marijuana industry could create an entirely new tax revenue stream for the government, generating millions of dollars in sales tax and payroll deductions.
The medical marijuana mess: A prescription for fixing a broken policy Brookings Institution In 2013, Patrick and Beth Collins were desperate. Thirteen‐year‐old Jennifer, the younger of their two children, faced a life‐threatening situation. In response, the Collins family took extreme measures—sending Jennifer thousands of miles away in the company of her mother. Beth and Jennifer became refugees from a capricious government whose laws threatened Jennifer’s health, the family’s safety, and the life they had built together.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Bakersfield Californian Under a state law that went into effect Jan. 1, California teens 15 years and under are now required to consult an attorney before they can legally waive their Miranda rights. It’s a statute that Kern County defense counselors say is long overdue. Law enforcement calls it overreaching, however, saying it will only make investigations more difficult.
Downtown Modesto jail is closing. Where are the prisoners going, and who’s moving in? The Modesto Bee For a decade, the Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury has recommended the antiquated downtown Modesto men’s jail, which opened in 1954, be demolished or closed. In 2007, its report called the jail on H Street, “old, smelly, overcrowded (and) out of date.” Today, it is no longer one of these things.
Public Safety:
Coalinga State Hospital said to be on lockdown, but no official confirmation given Fresno Bee Trash-littered hallways, jammed doors, broken windows and clogged sewage are problems reported at Coalinga State Hospital, which is being described as having “riot-like conditions,” according to emails sent to The Bee. The hospital’s website states the visitor’s center is closed due to a lockdown. Hospital staff would not confirm a lockdown had occurred.
Fire:
Thomas fire, California’s largest on record, finally 100 percent contained The Fresno Bee The Thomas fire, the largest wildfire on record in California and the trigger point for this week’s deadly mudslides in Montecito, was declared 100 percent contained Friday. The fire burned for more than a month, though its spread was contained several weeks ago. Heavy rains earlier this week, which caused land burned by the fire to create mudflows that buried neighborhoods, helped fully extinguish the blaze. In the end, the fire burned 281,893 acres.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
The California Corporate Giant You Never Heard Of Zócalo Public Square California is so big that you don’t need to be a mouse to hide here. You can be a giant elephant, and still escape notice. Californians have little sense of some of the largest and richest institutions in our state. For example, here’s a straightforward trivia question that, I’ve found, stumps even Californians who know the state quite well: What is the second-richest company in California after Apple?
The GOP’s New Tax Plan Will Affect Everyone, But Will It Grow The Economy? The hubbub over the Republican tax plan has died down some since it passed, but the bill isn’t forgotten — not by a long shot. Many Americans will see the effects already this year, when the IRS gives employers new guidance on how much money to withhold from people’s paychecks. And you can bet it will be a major talking point in the 2018 midterm elections, supplemented by regular presidential tweets touting new hiring and higher stock prices.
The century gap: Low economic mobility for black men, 150 years after the Civil War Brookings The legacy of American racism is dominating the headlines again. One of the arguments used against the removal or relocation of Confederate symbols is that “it is simply part of our history”. This is not the case. The results of the enslavement, disenfranchisement and exclusion of black Americans remain visible and vivid in 21st century America.
Jobs:
Companies might have raised wages even if tax reform never passed Marketplace Walmart workers could see their wages go up as soon as next month. The company announced today that it is raising its starting wages to $11 an hour and expanding its parental leave policies. Up till now, Walmart workers were paid $9 an hour to start and then were bumped up to $10 an hour after they completed their training.
RAND The rate of criminal punishment in the United States has had far-reaching economic consequences, in large part because people with criminal records are marginalized within the labor market. Given these negative economic implications, federal, state and local officials have developed a host of policies to encourage employers to hire ex-offenders, with varying degrees of success.
America’s Most And Least Trusted Professions [Infographic] Forbes People have always been hugely skeptical about honesty across different professions, whether they’ve questioned a teacher’s views on the behavior of a child in the classroom, a doctor’s diagnosis or a banker’s financial advice. That raises an important question: what professions do Americans consider the most and least trusted today? Gallup recently polled people about honesty and ethical standards in different occupations, finding that nurses top the honesty league for the 16th year in succession.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Can 600-plus California districts narrow the achievement gap? EdSource As part of the California School Dashboard, the state’s new school accountability system, 1 in 4 school districts will receive assistance from county offices of education and the state to help improve the performance of groups of students who have done particularly poorly on criteria set by the state.
Poor showing of CA’s special ed prompts budget response K-12 Daily Spurred by the dramatically poor showing of students with disabilities in statewide testing last spring, Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed new oversight and hundreds of millions of additional dollars aimed at improving special education outcomes.
Does Legal Status Affect Educational Attainment in Immigrant Families? SSRN Of the estimated 11.1 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., 1.1 million are children. Due to differential treatment in the labor market, teenage undocumented immigrants face low returns to schooling. To measure the effect of legal status on the educational choices of Hispanic teenagers, we compare siblings who differ in their legal status due to their birth country
New survey of minorities adds dissenting view to public satisfaction with schools Brookings How do members of racial minority groups view public education in the U.S.? This question is important, given both the widely recognized achievement gap between white students and students of color, as well as systematic differences in public schools by neighborhoods—differences which strongly correlate with income and race. Yet, public opinion polls typically do not offer detail on racial differences in opinions of local public schools.
Higher Ed:
Couple’s bequest of $2.37M sets CSU Stanislaus record Modesto Bee Helen and Lou Yecny lived a frugal life. But the Hilmar couple’s attention to saving and their desire to help educate local students led to the biggest single gift ever received by California State University, Stanislaus.
CSU Faculty: State Budget Means Too Many Students Are Turned Away KPBS In 2017, San Diego State University had to turn away about 90 percent of its undergraduate applicants. Across the California State University system, 31,000 students who qualified for a spot didn’t get one.
California Importing More College Graduates, But Not Keeping Up With Workforce Demands The California Report | KQED News One in three Californians say they are seriously considering leaving the statebecause of high housing costs. And, for the past decade or so, California has been exporting more residents to other states than it imports. But new census numbers show one group keeps coming: young college graduates. The Public Policy Institute of California crunched the numbers and found almost 140,000 college graduates moved to California from other states between 2011 and 2016. That’s about half as many college degrees as the entire University of California system produced over the same period.
Do only a fraction of California’s Latino and black students go to four-year colleges? PolitiFact California Democratic candidate for California governor Antonio Villaraigosa recently described the lack of poor and minority students at state universities as a “crisis.” The former Los Angeles mayor rattled off statistics about the severity of the problem during aninterview with San Diego TV station KUSI on December 6, 2017: “I believe it’s really important that the next governor focus on the fact that we have about an 80 percent (high school) graduation rate. For poor kids, it’s closer to 70 percent. About 13 percent of them are going to a 4-year college and only 9 percent of them are graduating (from college).”
College Thought Diversity Is More Important than Ethnicity National Review While seemingly obsessed with promoting diversity based on gender, orientation, ethnicity, and (belatedly) class, the liberal establishment is far less concerned with ideological diversity.
The looming student loan default crisis is worse than we thought Brookings This report analyzes new data on student debt and repayment, released by the U.S. Department of Education in October 2017. See also: · Education Dept. awards debt-collection contract to company with ties to DeVos The Washington Post
Is Gov. Brown’s proposal for a public online community college a good idea? Some educators say no Los Angeles Times Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to create a statewide community college that offers only online courses seems headed for a bruising legislative brawl.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Los Angeles Times Sometimes it seems as if California’s cap-and-trade program can’t catch a break. It wasn’t so long ago that critics were blasting the program as a failure. Its fortunes seemed to hit bottom at the state’s May 2016 auction of emission allowances, each of which carries the right to pump one ton of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Only 11% of the allowances offered at that auction were sold. Only one-third of the inventory sold at the next auction three months later.
Natural disasters made 2017 a year of record insurance losses The Economist But the reinsurance industry emerged in good shape
Energy:
Oil Trades Near Three-Year High as Iraq Joins Call to Keep Cuts Bloomberg Oil reached new highs in London as OPEC members called for output curbs to continue, allaying concerns that the recent rally could weaken their commitment.
Oil Seller Turns to the Enemy as Electric Cars Dent Petrol Profits Bloomberg As the tussle between electric vehicles and the oil industry intensifies, Japan’s biggest refiner is considering a novel approach: Co-opt the enemy’s product.
Fight over offshore drilling is just getting started The Sacramento Bee California wants an exemption. So does Oregon, Washington, New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, South Carolina is still waiting on an answer.
Los Angeles Times In April 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown called on the people of the most populous state to reduce their water use by 25% in response to a punishing four-year drought.
CPUC’s latest order backing batteries spells more trouble for fossil-fuel power plants Los Angeles Times California, the state that helped birth the global boom in battery-toting electric vehicles, is trying to spark a similar transformation for utilities. And that spells trouble for power plants all across the U.S. that run on natural gas.
Brookings In the last few days, the Trump administration’s oil and gas deregulation push entered a frantic new phase. On the last business day of 2017, the Department of the Interior rescinded a 2015 rule regulating hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) on public lands, and reworked regulations on safety for offshore drilling. Another dramatic announcement occurred on January 4, when the administration proposed opening up nearly all U.S. offshore waters to drilling.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Collaboration Is the Best Strategy to Combat Population Health Concerns RAND Many people immediately think of a doctor in a white coat carrying a stethoscope when they hear the word “health,” but in truth, the greatest opportunities to improve health happen pretty much everywhere but the doctor’s office. Rates of chronic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes are still increasing in the U.S. and are affected by diet, behavior, environment, and culture—factors that cannot be addressed by more doctor’s visits.
UCLA faculty voice: Healthier kids? Just hand their families cash UCLA Poor children turn into unhealthy adults.
Four flu-related deaths in Stanislaus County. Are the outbreaks slowing down? Modesto Bee A difficult flu season that shows signs of slowing down has claimed the lives of four middle-aged adults in Stanislaus County. See also: · California hospitals face a ‘war zone’ of flu patients — and are setting up tents to treat them Los Angeles Times · Today: California’s Fight With the Flu Los Angeles Times · In this deadly flu season, here are tips on how to protect yourselfLos Angeles Times
California leading way to addressing rising US maternal mortality The Mercury News Although the United States spends more on health care than any other country in the world, more than two women die every day during childbirth, making maternal mortality the highest in the U.S. compared with 49 other countries in the developed world. Studies show the U.S. maternal mortality increased more than 26 percent from 19 (per 100,000 births) in 2000 to 24 in 2014. Today, U.S. maternal mortality ratio is roughly 26 (per 100,000 births), with California continuing to show a declining trend, and Texas the highest number of pregnancy-related deaths (not only in the U.S., but the entire developed world).
After a Debacle, How California Became a Role Model on Measles New York Times In December 2014 something unusual happened at Disneyland. People came to visit Mickey Mouse, and some of them left with measles. At least 159 people contracted the disease during an outbreak lasting several months. This is more than the typical number in a whole year in the United States.
IMMIGRATION
For stories on “DACA” See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above
Key findings about U.S. immigrants Pew Research Center The U.S. has more immigrants than any other country in the world. Today, more than 40 million people living in the U.S. were born in another country, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s migrants in 2015. The population of immigrants is also very diverse, with just about every country in the world represented among U.S. immigrants.
Give me your tired, your poor…and they will create jobs for us Brookings On Dec. 15, thousands of immigrants, myself included, were called “the worst of the worst” by President Trump at a ceremony honoring police officers and sheriffs. He was referring to those of us who had won the diversity visa lottery, which granted us permanent residence in the United States.
Workplace Raids Signal Shifting Tactics in Immigration Fight New York Times The Trump administration is taking its campaign against illegal immigration to the workplace. The raids by federal agents on dozens of 7-Eleven convenience stores last week were the administration’s first big show of force meant to convey the consequences of employing undocumented people.
LAND USE/HOUSING
California Politicians Misunderstand How To Fix Its Housing Problem Forbes Housing is a problem in much of California. Prices are high and rising fast in most areas close to the coast. To find affordable housing, millions of people make long commutes with some people spending three or four hours per day driving to and from work. In many cities, long-time residents complain about gentrification forcing them out of rental apartments, leaving them unable to find new, affordable housing, and changing the character of neighborhoods. Everyone knows a problem exists.Unfortunately, most California politicians and activists are relying on exactly the wrong policies to fix the situation.
If not rent control, then what? California renters can’t afford to wait Sacramento Bee Moments before an Assembly committee killed a bill that would’ve made it easier to expand rent control in California, Assemblyman David Chiu made a serious prediction.
Rent or own? The affordability conundrum Marketplace ATTOM Data Solutions reports that 64 percent of Americans now live in places — mostly big metro areas on the East and West coasts — where it is more affordable to rent than own. That means the monthly cost of a mortgage, mortgage interest, insurance and property taxes on a median-priced home in the area will eat up a larger percentage of the average monthly wage there than paying rent on a typical three-bedroom apartment.
Devastated by wildfire, a California city weighs rebuilding amid a housing crunch Washington Post A Christmas tree stands in what was once Jeff Okrepkie’s foyer in Coffey Park, a few red and gold ornaments hanging from its damp branches. Once a picture of planned suburbia, the neighborhood is barren now. All 1,300 homes burned during a few overnight hours in October, a firestorm sweeping through with a mix of high winds and flame so violent that it pushed parked cars blocks away.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California Lawmaker Proposes Taxing Services Democratic Senator Bob Hertzberg calling for a sales tax on professional, construction, financial and agricultural services. The bill could also change the income and corporate tax structure. Hertzberg says he has three main objectives. “One, really harmonizing the economy and the growth of the economy with the tax system,” he says. “Two, creating a tax system that really supports the core values that we care about, education, infrastructure. And three, bringing government closer to the people.”
Why Californians pay more state and local taxes than Texans San Jose Mercury News California was the birthplace of the 1970s tax revolt, but its residents still pay more in state and local taxes than those in most other big urban states. And many are asking why as they assess how a new federal income tax law that caps state and local tax deductions will shake out for them. “We have relatives in Missouri, and when we travel there we wonder why it costs so much more here,” said Bob Jackson, 66, a retired postal worker who lives in San Jose.
Jerry Brown predicts CA pension cuts in next recession The Sacramento Bee Gov. Jerry Brown this week predicted that his 2012 pension law will survive union challenges in court and blow a hole in the so-called “California rule” that has restricted changes to public employee retirement plans for half a century. “When the next recession comes around, the governor will have the option of considering pension cutbacks for the first time in a long time,” Brown said at a news conference this week where he unveiled his 2018-19 budget plan. See also: · New tax law means fighting over unfunded state pension plans is about to get worse Brookings · Court Gets Advice on Pensions Fox and Hounds Daily · The long-term impact of aging on the federal budget Brookings
TRANSPORTATION
DMV to begin issuing ‘Real IDs,’ required for domestic flights beginning 2020 The Mercury News The California DMV will begin later this month accepting applications for “Real IDs,” a new form of identification required for all commercial flights, including domestic, starting in 2020.
Wrong-way freeway drivers will now be confronted with a ‘sea of red,’ Caltrans says Sacramento Bee Wrong-way drivers on California freeways soon will be seeing red – lots of it. Alarmed by a spate of fatal crashes, Caltrans officials say they will be installing millions of red plastic reflectors – aimed in the wrong direction – on freeways statewide to make it obvious even to the most inebriated motorists that they’ve made a mistake and need to pull over.
Watch Out, Airlines. High Speed Rail Now Rivals Flying on Key Routes Bloomberg Across Asia and Europe, high-speed rail is providing a competitive alternative to air travel on the same routes, in terms of price and the all-important barometer of time. Put that together with the environmental benefits that flow from not burning jet fuel, and staying on the ground begins to make more sense for travelers who would otherwise trudge to the airport.
Ford plans $11 billion investment, 40 electrified vehicles by 2022 Reuters Ford Motor Co (F.N) will significantly increase its planned investments in electric vehicles to $11 billion by 2022 and have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its model lineup, Chairman Bill Ford said on Sunday at the Detroit auto show.
Could big data unlock safer commutes for cyclists? Marketplace Planners are turning to big data for solutions. Georgia Institute of Technology professor Steven French said the hope is to help chart the path forward on bike infrastructure for city planners. “So they can both plan for where they need to make additional bike lanes and route and then correct smaller scale problems like where there’s problems at particular intersection and crossing,” French said.
WATER
Brown administration working to scale down $17 billion Delta tunnels project The Mercury News Faced with a shortage of money and political support after seven years of work, Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration is working on a plan to scale back one of his key legacy projects — a $17 billion proposal to build two massive tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to make it easier to move water from Northern California to the south.
Walters: Forensic report confirms Oroville Dam lapses CALmatters The verdict is in and California stands convicted of gross negligence in the construction and maintenance of the nation’s highest dam, Oroville. The dam on the Feather River came very close to failing last year, forcing the evacuation of a quarter-million people living downstream. Heavy outflows revealed structural flaws in the dam’s concrete spillway and when dam operators switched to an auxiliary spillway that dumped water onto an “unarmored” earthen hillside, it quickly eroded, threatening the entire structure with collapse.
“Xtra”
City Of Fresno
Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon free entry days 2018 The Fresno Bee Late last year, the National Park Service announced its admission-free days for 2018. The first happens Monday, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Stockton Animal Shelter Offers Free Adoptions For Some Dogs Stockton’s Animal Shelter is offering up some dogs free for adoption as the canine population swells. The shelter had more animals than it could care for last week. Animal rescue groups helped to take dogs into their care as dogs at the shelter climbed over 170.
Fairgrounds host California Classic dog show Bakersfield Californian The Kern County Fairgrounds have gone to the dogs this weekend. Dogs of all shapes, sizes and colors participated in the United Kennel Club’s California Classic Jan. 12-14. The dogs and their handlers are evaluated in categories such as conformation, weight pull, obedience and more, with performances organized according to breed.
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