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TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional Politics:
US Secretary Of Agriculture Wants Less Regulation For Central Valley Farmers Valley Public Radio U.S Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the World Ag Expo in Tulare on Tuesday. In a town hall meeting, Perdue told a room of farmers and industry leaders that he wants the Trump administration’s rollback of regulations to extend to agriculture.
What’s In Your Air? New Low-Cost Devices Monitor Valley Air Pollution Valley Public Radio In this age of smart homes and electronic assistants, your appliances can now order refills automatically and you can manage your home security system using an app. But can the so-called “internet of things” be used to solve community problems? Some San Joaquin Valley residents think so: They’re trying to address one of the region’s perennial public health problems with a new low-cost device. See also: · Air Quality Info On-The-Go? We Put Smartphone Apps To The Test Valley Public Radio · State Senate Bill Would Triple Penalties for Refinery Air Violations KQED · EPA Collecting Half the Penalties Under Trump as PredecessorsBloomberg · Top EPA Science Adviser Has History Of Questioning Pollution Research Valley Public Radio · How $225,000 Can Help Secure a Pollution Loophole at Trump’s E.P.A. The New York Times
Kevin McCarthy’s immigration problem: conservative loyalty vs. California ag interests Sacramento Bee When California Congressman Kevin McCarthy ran for speaker of the House in 2015, a lack of conservative support sunk his bid. Lately, though, the right has been warming to McCarthy, cheering his public stand in favor of immigration restrictions and defense of President Trump’s immigration demands.
McCarthy allies say he wants to be speaker, not chief of staff Politico House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy insists he’s not in the running for White House chief of staff. And the California Republican’s allies say the only job he really wants — other than the post he currently has — is speaker of the House.
Ag Expo not unlike a state fair on agricultural steroids Bakersfield Californian Arie and Rikie Binnendyk came to this San Joaquin Valley farm town all the way from British Columbia to attend the 51st annual World Ag Expo. Actually the Dutch immigrants who built a successful dairy in Canada were on vacation in California, but they made sure the trip included a visit to one of the most prestigious farm shows in the world. See also: · World Ag Expo brings positive economic impact to Tulare KFSN-TV · Plenty to see and do at world ag expo Fresno Bee · Nunes makes brief appearance at hometown farm show The Fresno Bee
Local farmers look to sell produce to FUSD abc30 There is nothing like a fresh farm to table eating experience and soon, it could be coming to student’s forks. The Fresno Bee Violent crime continues to trend downward in Fresno in 2018, despite last week’s spike in gang-on-gang shootings, police Chief Jerry Dyer said Wednesday in his monthly meeting with the news media on crime trends. The overall drop is 13.9 percent so far in 2018 compared to the same time frame in 2017, Dyer said, with homicides down by 37.5 percent, rape down 14 percent, robbery by 15 percent and aggravated assault by 12 percent. The statistics show shootings dropping by 30 percent. See also: · Veteran FAX driver stops possible rape Fresno Bee
New jail’s programs aim to change inmates’ lives Modesto Bee Stanislaus County leaders said a new minimum security jail facility, now complete at the Public Safety Center, is designed for programs to change the criminal patterns of inmates and ensure fewer come back after their release. Public tours of what’s called the REACT center held this week touted the classrooms in each housing unit, a family reunification room and sitting areas with multimedia screens.
Effort to recall Tubbs moves forward Stockton Record The group looking to oust Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is one step closer to its desired recall efforts as it was given the go-ahead Tuesday to start collecting signatures.Stockton resident and recall leader Brenda Vazquez said the committee’s petition was denied twice previously by City Clerk Bret Hunter, but Tuesday she was notified the petition met the requirements and she could circulate the petition and gather signatures.
Backing grows for superintendent Fresno Bee Dozens of Central Unified students, parents and employees showed their support for renewing Superintendent Mark Sutton’s contract during a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night. Sutton’s three-year contract ends June 30, and the board has not taken action to renew it, mystifying some supporters of Sutton. They say he has been exemplary since he was hired in 2015.
Council set to dissolve agency; Frazier would hold 2 positionsMadera Tribune The Madera City Council has plans to push forward the dissolution of the “Successor Agency to the former Madera Redevelopment Agency” Wednesday night when the council meets in regular session starting at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Part of the plan includes changing the governance of the former Madera Redevelopment Agency, now that its long-time executive director, James E. Taubert has retired. Taubert left the post in December.
Records call Perez and Jara’s marijuana activity into question The Bakersfield Californian Cannabis has fueled a tense public split between county supervisors Mike Maggard and Leticia Perez. It’s powering attacks on the county as a whole from sidelined medical-marijuana dispensary owner David Abbasi. And it has led to a wide-ranging investigation by the Kern County District Attorney’s office into corruption, bribery and extortion, District Attorney Lisa Green said Wednesday. See also: · Perez and Elienberg level extortion claims against Abbasibakersfield.com · Personal struggles tied to close connection between Supervisor Leticia Perez, husband and Abbasi Bakersfield Californian
Are plans for electric-car factory in Hanford losing financial juice? Supporters say no Fresno Bee A project that would churn out speedy, high-end electric cars in Hanford is reportedly on life support because the Chinese entrepreneur behind it is in financial straits. As a result, the 1-million-square-foot plant leased by Faraday Future may never build a single vehicle
Wasco hosting high-speed rail meeting Bakersfield Californian The California High Speed Rail Authority will hold a meeting in Wasco on March 1 to provide an update on the project. The meeting will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Wasco Veterans Hall, 1202 Poplar Ave. Officials involved in the project will discuss high-speed rail developments in the Wasco area and other parts of Kern County, such as design completion, right-of-way acquisition and employment opportunities. See also: · Bridges and Walls: High Speed Rail Design and Architecture
State Politics:
How Jerry Brown Turned California Into a Model for America Truthdig The genius of Jerry Brown is that he has fundamentally reinvented both himself and California, arguably the most significant state in the country. Through two separate four-year terms as governor, he has established a bold model for progressive governance that is an inspiration for a nation mired in despair and frustration.
Walters: Brown’s parole measure hits big legal snag Fresno Bee When Gov. Jerry Brown was promoting Proposition 57 to voters in 2016, he characterized it as a common sense criminal law reform that would give nonviolent felons a better chance at rehabilitation by allowing them to earn earlier releases on parole. However, it did not specify which felonies would be deemed nonviolent. Rather, Brown’s campaign confirmed that it would be every felony not included on a specific Penal Code list of 23 violent crimes – and that lack of specificity is now backfiring.
Dem operative, Valley native Renteria to run for governor Fresno Bee Amanda Renteria, a Tulare County native and longtime Democratic operative who was the national political director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, has filed paperwork to run for California governor. See also: · Woodlake’s Renteria surprises all with run for governor Visalia Times-Delta · Clinton aide Amanda Renteria opens campaign for CA governor The Sacramento Bee · Top Clinton aide to run for California governor Sacramento Bee · Five things to know about Amanda Renteria Sacramento Bee · Amanda Renteria: Learn about the candidate for CA governor’s race The Sacramento Bee · Another Democrat Files To Enter 2018 Governor’s Race Capradio.org · Hillary Clinton’s former national political director files to run for California governor The Mercury News
Political Notes: An Independent’s Run for Office; A Late Entry for Governor; Union Endorsements Fox and Hounds Daily Can an Independent capture a statewide office in California? Seems like impossible odds in a state so large in which voters pay little attention to candidates until Election Day. Being associated with a major political party gives a candidate a foundation for his or her campaign. However, in the case of Steve Poizner’s decision to run as an independent for Insurance Commissioner he could upset conventional thinking. Gender gap may help DemocratsMadera Tribune The most dramatic news in the year’s first big round of political polling, out a few days ago, was that Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, once the prohibitive leader in the run for governor, has fallen into a virtual tie for first place with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in the seven-candidate field of significant candidates.
Should Election Day be a California state holiday? KFSN-TV Should California make Election Day a state holiday? What do you think? South Bay Assemblyman Evan Low introduced AB 21-65 in Sacramento Monday. It would make the day of general elections in November a state holiday.
Counties Await State Funds For New Voting Systems Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing millions of dollars for an upgrade of old voting machines, long sought by counties. The money would come as counties transition to a much cheaper voting system, mostly based on mail-in ballots.
Legal experts to brief sexual harassment panel at California Capitol Sacramento Bee Ann Ravel, an elections expert who resigned from the Federal Election Commission last year citing partisan gridlock and dysfunction in the agency, will testify today at the Legislature’s joint committee on sexual harassment prevention. See also: · Walters: California Capitol harassment cases not handled consistently nor as per Prop. 50 rules The Mercury News · Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia accused of improper workplace behavior by anonymous ex-staffers Los Angeles Times · California #MeToo advocate hit with new claims of misconduct Washington Post · Mendoza bills under criticism were cleared with state Senate officials Los Angeles Times · Stockton Democrat temporarily takes over California Legislative Women’s Caucus while chair faces harassment investigation Los Angeles Times
Becerra blasts Trump administration as acting ‘like Neanderthals’ Sacramento Bee The Trump administration keeps losing in court because “their folks act like Neanderthals,” state Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Saturday in explaining why his office has yet to lose a lawsuit against the president’s efforts to drastically change policies and regulations implemented by the previous administration.
Los Angeles Times Motorists on the 605 Freeway may have recently noticed their ride getting smoother when they pass through El Monte — at least state officials hope they have. Three months after the state began collecting an extra 12 cents per gallon in gas taxes,officials have put dozens of road and bridge repair projects on the fast track. With momentum growing for a Republican-led campaign to repeal the gas tax hike, nervous proponents of the higher charges are hoping the flurry of construction activity on California highways will save the $54 billion the levies will generate during the next decade for the state’s badly neglected road system. See also: · Skelton: If Republicans have their way, California highways stand to lose big under Trump’s infrastructure plan Los Angeles Times
Single-payer healthcare in California? Why advocates are playing the long game CALmatters By many measures the rambunctious campaign for a single-payer health care system in California appears to be floundering. A bill that would replace the existing health care system with a new one run by a single payer—specifically, the state government—and paid for with taxpayer money remains parked in the Assembly, with no sign of moving ahead. See also: · Cressman: Democrats must stand up for single payer The Sacramento Bee
CalFresh Reaches Millions of Californians and Reduces Poverty California Budget & Policy Center The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the country’s largest anti-hunger program. SNAP benefits are 100% federally funded and help families and individuals put food on the table by paying for a minimally adequate diet. Research shows that SNAP yields important long-term benefits in terms of participants’ economic self-sufficiency, health, and educational attainment, especially for children.
California lawmakers want to boost tenant protections Los Angeles Times Following failure of a bill that would have expanded rent control, a trio of California lawmakers is introducing legislation aimed at adding other protections for renters. Democratic Assemblymen David Chiu of San Francisco, Richard Bloom of Santa Monica and Rob Bonta of Alameda want to make it harder to evict tenants and extend timelines before evictions could occur. Bay Area lawmaker’s bill would protect medical marijuana patients from losing their jobs The Mercury News California could soon join the growing number of states that protect most medical marijuana patients from being fired from their jobs if they test positive for cannabis. Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, on Wednesday introduced a bill that would prevent companies from refusing to employ people simply because they use cannabis to ease an injury or illness.
Federal Politics:
Every immigration proposal in one chart PBS NewsHour A range of immigration proposals under debate in the Senate this week could change the lives of hundreds of thousands of young, undocumented immigrants who are now protected from deportation by DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The measures will join several bills that are under consideration in Congress — not to mention the immigration proposal the White House released earlier this month. See also: · Senators say they are close to a bipartisan immigration plan, but Trump warns against it Los Angeles Times · Bipartisan immigration deal may face veto by Trump Modesto Bee · Do three-quarters of Americans support the DREAM Act? Nancy Pelosi says so PolitiFact California
Fact check: Trump’s ‘Deficit Reduction’ FactCheck.org White House press aides are claiming President Donald Trump’s budget contains trillions in “deficit reduction,” when it actually calls for larger deficits for the next several years and would add $7 trillion to the national debt over 10 years. See also: · Budget’s medical care attack puts all at risk Fresno Bee· What’s wrong in budget? Everything Modesto Bee · Trump’s food-stamp plan: Government picks the meals for poor people San Francisco Chronicle · Under Trump budget, food stamp recipients wouldn’t be able to choose what they buy 89.3 KPCC Kevin de León boosted by back-to-back union endorsements in Senate bid against Sen. Dianne Feinstein Los Angeles Times California Senate leader Kevin de León received a significant boost in his bid to defeat U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday, winning the endorsement of one of the state’s most politically powerful labor unions.
Vulnerable California Republican breaks with Trump on gas tax Los Angeles Times Vulnerable California Republican Rep. Mimi Walters broke with President Trump Thursday over his desire to raise the national gas tax to pay for infrastructure. She responded on Twitter to a Washington Post article reporting that Trump is pitching a 25 cent increase in the gas tax. The current 18.4 cents per gallon national gas tax hasn’t been increased since 1993.
How an Abundance of Democratic Candidates Could Help the GOP Hold the House New York Times This is Republican country, at least by California standards. But on a recent night, every folding chair set up in a tidy home on a suburban cul-de-sac was filled with a voter who wanted to meet one of the five Democrats running for Congress here.
Vanity Fair Months after his chaotic resignation as chief of staff, and with his successor on the hot seat, Priebus comes clean about everything: the inauguration crowd-size fiasco, the decision to fire Comey, the Mooch, the tweets, how he helped saved Jeff Sessions’s job, and his mercurial former boss. “I still love the guy,” he says.
Other:
What we know about mass shootings PolitiFact At least 17 people were killed in a Florida high school shooting on Valentine’s Day, the latest mass shooting in the United States. Among the victims were students and adults at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., said Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel. Authorities identified the suspect as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former student who had been expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons. See also: · 17 dead in ‘horrific’ Florida school shooting, suspect had ‘countless magazines’ ABC News · What we know about the Florida school shooting PBS NewsHour · Florida gun laws: You don’t need a permit or license CNN · In 1996, Australia Enacted Strict Gun Laws. It Hasn’t Had a Mass Shooting Since. Slate · Mass shootings are getting deadlier. And the latest ones all have something new in common: The AR-15 Los Angeles Times · Trump calls for flags to fly at half-staff after South Florida school shooting TheHill · Trump: ‘Neighbors and classmates knew’ alleged Florida shooter was ‘big problem’ Politico · Archive: Trump Signs Bill Revoking Obama-Era Gun Checks for People With Mental Illnesses NBC News · Watch Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Rick Scott address the NRA. Slate · Trump Tells N.R.A. Convention, ‘I Am Going to Come Through for You’ The New York Times · Opinion | The Congress Members Receiving the Most N.R.A. Funding The New York Times · House Speaker Ryan: Florida shooting shouldn’t threaten right to own guns Reuters · Lawmakers express sadness after Florida school shooting CNN · New Gun Laws Won’t Stop Mass Shootings. People Can. National Review · After Sandy Hook, More Than 400 People Have Been Shot in Over 200 School Shootings The New York Times · Since Sandy Hook, a gun has been fired on school grounds nearly once a week Los Angeles Times · The Florida School Shooting Was the 18th School Shooting of the Year. And It’s Only February Time · U.S. averages a school shooting every 2.5 days in 2018 POLITICO · America’s Failure to Protect Its Children from School Shootings Is a National Disgrace New Yorker
Digging into the data: How attainable is the California Dream today? 89.3 KPCC No one has the exact same definition of the California dream. Ask the 39 million current Californians about what the dream should be, and aside from most of us agreeing that the daily temperature should dip no colder than the mid-‘50s, you’ll likely get 39 million very different answers.
California Today: The ‘Grand Central of the West’ or a Glorified Bus Terminal? New York Times We will probably always call it Silicon Valley. But the steady move of technology companies into downtown San Francisco is shifting the center of gravity of what is arguably America’s most innovative industry from the rambling, suburban streets of the Valley to the tightly concentrated and increasingly vertical neighborhood behind San Francisco’s Embarcadero.
California Hispanics, even Republicans, are primed to make history The Hill Change is happening in Hispanic-American politics this election year. While two current Hispanic governors — Nevada’s Brian Sandoval and New Mexico’s Susana Martinez — are leaving office as their terms expire, two more Hispanic gubernatorial candidates are running for November election in Idaho and California.
Save California football? Proposal to ban tackling before high school creates uproar Sacramento Bee Hours after two California legislators unveiled a plan to outlaw tackle football until high school, angry coaches, parents and former players began mobilizing to protect America’s favorite sport from a notoriously “nanny” state government.
When it comes to press freedom, America is no longer a ‘beacon’ for the world Columbia Journalism Review IN MID-DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, Reuters Chief Operating Officer Reg Chua got a call no editor wants to receive. Two of the news agency’s reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, had gone to dinner with police officers in Myanmar and not come back. The pair, as Chua would later discover, had been arrested under the country’s colonial-era Official Secrets Act. They had been investigating the brutal oppression of the Rohingya Muslim population in Rakhine state. Chua immediately went to work, filing a missing persons report and reassuring other reporters in the region.
Topics in More Detail…
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
US Secretary Of Agriculture Wants Less Regulation For Central Valley Farmers Valley Public Radio U.S Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the World Ag Expo in Tulare on Tuesday. In a town hall meeting, Perdue told a room of farmers and industry leaders that he wants the Trump administration’s rollback of regulations to extend to agriculture.
Ag Expo not unlike a state fair on agricultural steroids Bakersfield Californian Arie and Rikie Binnendyk came to this San Joaquin Valley farm town all the way from British Columbia to attend the 51st annual World Ag Expo. Actually the Dutch immigrants who built a successful dairy in Canada were on vacation in California, but they made sure the trip included a visit to one of the most prestigious farm shows in the world. See also: · World Ag Expo brings positive economic impact to Tulare KFSN-TV · Plenty to see and do at world ag expo Fresno Bee · Nunes makes brief appearance at hometown farm show The Fresno Bee
Cactus pads treated with harmful pesticides found in California stores Fresno Bee California officials are warning consumers to stay away from imported cactus pads from Mexico sold at specific stores because they may have been treated with unapproved pesticides. The state has identified six stores that carried the cactus, including one in Madera.
Senators working on fix to agriculture provision in GOP tax law TheHill Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said Wednesday that lawmakers are working on a fix to a provision in the new tax law that is having “unintended effects” in the agriculture sector. The provision in question allows farmers to deduct up to 20 percent of sales to cooperatives but not to other companies.
California Blocking Native Americans From Weed Business Rolling Stone Like most folks, the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel got into the weed business for the money. The 700-member tribe, situated about 45 minutes east of San Diego, California, was roughly $50 million in debt from a failed casino project when the Obama Department of Justice issued the Wilkinson memo in December of 2014, giving Native-American nations the same leeway that had been given to states like Colorado and Washington. Essentially, the feds said, if you keep marijuana regulated; keep it out of the hands of children and criminals; and keep it out of places where it’s still illegal, we’ll leave you alone.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on the latest ”mass shooting,” See: “Top Stories – Other,” above
Crime:
Sweep targets street gang directed from California prison Fresno Bee Authorities arrested 31 people Wednesday who they said are connected to a violent, drug-running multi-state street gang directed from inside one of California’s most notorious prisons. The massive sweep by more than 750 law enforcement federal, state and local officers netted 29 suspects on drug and weapons charges across 10 Northern California counties.
DMV clerk issued phony driver’s licenses and let applicants skip tests, feds say Sacramento Bee Another worker inside the California Department of Motor Vehicles has been charged with issuing phony driver’s licenses, the latest in a series uncovered by an ongoing federal probe of the agency.
Public Safety:
New jail’s programs aim to change inmates’ lives Modesto Bee Stanislaus County leaders said a new minimum security jail facility, now complete at the Public Safety Center, is designed for programs to change the criminal patterns of inmates and ensure fewer come back after their release. Public tours of what’s called the REACT center held this week touted the classrooms in each housing unit, a family reunification room and sitting areas with multimedia screens.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Markets Q&A: Is the worst of stock market turmoil over?Madera Tribune Is it safe to come out now? The stock market has found firmer footing following its breathtaking drop earlier this month, when the S&P 500 lost 10.2 percent in just nine days. Stocks climbed Tuesday for the third straight day, and the S&P 500 is now down less than 8 percent from its record high, set on Jan. 26.
Inflation Takes Big Toll on Americans’ Pay Bloomberg Inflation just took the biggest bite out of Americans’ paychecks in almost five years. Real average hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers, who make up more than 80 percent of employees at companies, fell 0.5 percent in January, according to government figures released on Wednesday. It marked the fifth decline in the last six months and could go a long way in explaining the abrupt slowdown in January retail sales, and why fourth-quarter credit-card debt registered the second-largest percentage increase since 2007.
Marketplace Given that fears of higher interest rates driven by inflation have been one key factor in the turbulent markets this month, much attention is being paid to the release of the consumer price index just now. It’s up by 0.5 percent, more than expected. The core rate, excluding volatile food and energy prices, is up 0.3 percent, the most in a year.
US producer prices rise in January on gasoline, healthcare Reuters U.S. producer prices accelerated in January, boosted by strong gains in the cost of gasoline and healthcare, offering more evidence that inflation pressures were building up. The report came on the heels of data on Wednesday showing a broad increase in consumer prices in January. The Labor Department said on Thursday its producer price index for final demand rose 0.4 percent last month after being unchanged in December.
Jobs:
California Poised To Become Largest Jobs Creator – For Marijuana Forbes California is poised to become the largest recreational cannabis market in the world. It’s also a great place to get a job helping marijuana growers, processors, and sellers or work in adjacent services including legal advice, marketing and security for the nascent industry.
U.S. weekly jobless claims rebound from near 45-year lows Reuters The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rebounded from a near 45-year low last week, but remained below a level that is associated with a tightening labor market.
Fox: PAGA Problem Mirrors Workers Comp Before Reform of 2004 Fox & Hounds For the business community, the difficulties of the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) are similar to what business faced under the burden of workers compensation costs over a decade ago. Small businesses particularly had to cope with workers comp costs that stood at twice the national average threatening the viability of many establishments.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Valley School District’s youngest students are missing school at alarming rate KFSN-TV The kids in Mrs. Her’s kindergarten class are eager to learn and they’re having fun. This is a time when her students at Storey Elementary start to read and write, which is why it’s important not to miss class. Twenty-two percent of kindergarteners in Fresno Unified have been chronically absent.
Clovis Unified to open new employee health center Clovis Roundup When ITT Technical Institute on Herndon and Clovis avenue closed in the fall of 2016, Clovis Unified School District jumped at the opportunity to acquire its 25,000 square-foot building with plans to convert part of it into a health center for employees, retirees, and their dependents. Now, about a year and a half later, Clovis Unified is ready to unveil the health center with a ribbon cutting ceremony this Friday at 11 a.m.
New curriculum trains teachers and students in identifying signs of human trafficking KFSN-TV The state is stepping up its efforts to keep children from being exploited for labor or sex by requiring California classrooms to include human trafficking prevention education as part of sex education. Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the implementation of Assembly Bill 1227, Wednesday morning in Sacramento.
With support instead of punishment, a California school district works to improve special education EdSource As a result of California’s new school accountability system, West Contra Costa Unified, a San Francisco Bay Area school district that includes Richmond and several surrounding communities, is facing considerable pressure to increase the number of special education students who meet math and English language arts standards on tests and who go on to graduate.
Opinion: California’s school-rating system fails — again The Mercury News Five stars, first place, the “Like” button: These are just a few ways we rate and rank products and services in our world today. Schools are no exception. Last spring, the California State Board of Education publicly released the first draft of a new school ranking and rating system, known as the California School Dashboard. Many hoped this online tool, which uses five colors to score the strengths and weaknesses of our local schools and districts, would provide families and policymakers with insight into the quality of schools and districts.
Higher Ed:
How much does Gov. Brown value higher education? Sacramento Bee When it comes to higher education, Gov. Jerry Brown is an enigma. He highlights its importance, but his budget priorities short change the University of California and the California State University.
Fewer California Immigrant Students Seek College Assistance There’s been a significant drop in applications for college financial aid by California students who are in the country illegally after being brought to the U.S. as young children. See also: · California Department of Education urges eligible ‘Dreamers’ to seek financial aid The Mercury News · California State University study finds 42% struggle to afford food SFGate
Brookings As the U.S. Department of Education proposes weakening the Gainful Employment (GE) rules regulating for-profit and vocational education programs, accurate estimates of the earnings outcomes and debt incurred by students in these programs are essential for judging the merits of various policy options.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
What’s In Your Air? New Low-Cost Devices Monitor Valley Air Pollution Valley Public Radio In this age of smart homes and electronic assistants, your appliances can now order refills automatically and you can manage your home security system using an app. But can the so-called “internet of things” be used to solve community problems? Some San Joaquin Valley residents think so: They’re trying to address one of the region’s perennial public health problems with a new low-cost device. See also: · Air Quality Info On-The-Go? We Put Smartphone Apps To The Test Valley Public Radio · State Senate Bill Would Triple Penalties for Refinery Air Violations KQED · EPA Collecting Half the Penalties Under Trump as PredecessorsBloomberg · Top EPA Science Adviser Has History Of Questioning Pollution Research Valley Public Radio · How $225,000 Can Help Secure a Pollution Loophole at Trump’s E.P.A. The New York Times
Risk of disastrous heat, floods and fire skyrockets with warming, Stanford prof finds San Francisco Chronicle The extreme weather that brought record floods and ruinous wildfires to the United States in the past year is just a taste of what’s to come, new research out of Stanford University shows.
$40 Million Later, A Pioneering Plan To Boost Wild Fish Stocks Shows Little Success NPR Back in 1983, it seemed like a good idea. Local populations of California white seabass, a favorite among recreational and commercial fishermen, prized for its mild, tender, flaky white flesh, were declining. While a fishery management plan didn’t exist back then, sports fishermen had noticed a decline in their catches, and asked officials for help. State lawmakers then reached out to the marine biologists at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in San Diego to see if they could boost stocks by trying something unusual — raising the fish in a hatchery and releasing them into the sea.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
HHS head says he will uphold ObamaCare as law TheHill The top federal health official on Wednesday said he will uphold ObamaCare as long as it remains the law. See also: · Republican Foes of Health Law Try a Patch Job Ahead of MidtermsWSJ
A surprise no one wants: Big medical bill even with coverage Fresno Bee This winter’s nasty flu season may smack patients with a financial side effect: surprise medical bills. People who wind up in the emergency room or need an ambulance can be blindsided by hefty, unexpected charges. This often happens after patients visit a doctor or hospital outside their insurance network so coverage was limited. Insurance deductibles that reset every January and must be paid before coverage begins can make these invoices even more painful.
Los Angeles Times
Single-payer healthcare in California? Why advocates are playing the long game CALmatters By many measures the rambunctious campaign for a single-payer health care system in California appears to be floundering. A bill that would replace the existing health care system with a new one run by a single payer—specifically, the state government—and paid for with taxpayer money remains parked in the Assembly, with no sign of moving ahead. See also: · Cressman: Democrats must stand up for single payer The Sacramento Bee
Weed study: Marijuana use less harmful than alcohol for brain damage The Fresno Bee It’s a common stereotype that people who smoke weed are a bit foggy-headed and missing a few brain cells. But a new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found that alcohol is much more damaging to your brain than marijuana. In fact, the study — which was published in the journal Addiction — suggests that weed use doesn’t seem to alter the structure of a person’s brain at all.
How best to treat opioids’ youngest sufferers? No one knowsMadera Tribune Two babies, born 15 months apart to the same young woman overcoming opioid addiction. Two very different treatments.
Could these simple steps help prevent homeless ‘patient dumping’ in California? Sacramento Bee Hospitals would be required to get written confirmation from homeless shelters before discharging patients to those facilities under a bill introduced Wednesday in the California State Senate.
FDA approves first blood test that can help diagnose a concussion Los Angeles Times The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a first-ever blood test to detect the telltale signs of serious brain injury, bringing to fruition a long quest to make the diagnosis of concussions simpler and more precise. After deliberations that took less than six months, the FDA approved the marketing of the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator to aid the evaluation of concussions in adults.
Medical Records May Finally Be Coming To Your Apple Smartphone NPR Richard Klein switched doctors last year. The new doctor put him on a new blood pressure drug. But it didn’t help. The failure was entirely predictable.
Human Services:
CalFresh Reaches Millions of Californians and Reduces Poverty California Budget & Policy Center The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the country’s largest anti-hunger program. SNAP benefits are 100% federally funded and help families and individuals put food on the table by paying for a minimally adequate diet. Research shows that SNAP yields important long-term benefits in terms of participants’ economic self-sufficiency, health, and educational attainment, especially for children.
Testimony: Safety Net Plays Key Role in Reducing Poverty Public Policy Institute of California Poverty is high in California, and it has not improved as much as the economy has in recent years. In fact, California’s poverty rate is highest in country, according to our estimates. Throughout this presentation, I will rely on the California Poverty Measure research (a joint effort between PPIC and Stanford) that accounts not only for earnings but also for benefits from major safety net programs and the cost of housing to give a comprehensive, accurate, and state-specific account of the resources families have on hand to meet their basic needs.
Citing deficits, House GOP to take aim at entitlements TheHill Republicans on the House Budget Committee are pushing forward with a new budget resolution this year designed largely to rein in spending on entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security, according to the panel’s chairman. President Trumphas delivered his 2019 budget, Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) said Wednesday, “and it’s now the Congress’s time to act.”
Penny wise and pound foolish: Proposed SNAP budget cuts will reduce outcomes Brookings In President Trump’s 2019 budget, he proposes changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would significantly reduce the efficiency and efficacy of the program. This is unfortunate given the overwhelming evidence highlighting the long-term payoffs of SNAP investments, as illustrated in a recentHamilton Project analysis which showed that SNAP benefits helped reduce health problems later in life, improved educational outcomes, lifted women’s economic self-sufficiency, and improved families immediate financial situation.
Fact Check: Trump Pledge to Expand Mental Health programs PolitiFact On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump pledged to expand mental health programs. His fiscal year 2019 budget takes some steps forward, but other parts of his budget blueprint — as well as other legislative efforts — are a step back. The president’s budget highlights several line items that enhance efforts on mental health.
IMMIGRATION
For stories on federal immigration debate, See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above
ICE launches new immigration sweep in LA area; at least 100 detained so far Los Angeles Times Federal officials are in the midst of an immigration enforcement operation in the Los Angeles area and have so far detained more than 100 people suspected of being in violation of immigration laws. See Also: ICE Detains More Than 100 In Los Angeles Area Immigration RaidsNPR Arrests of immigrants with no criminal record spike in LA 89.3 KPCC
Green Cards, Citizenship Could Be Harder to Get for Immigrants Who Use Public Benefits KQED Immigrants who sign up for a broad range of taxpayer-funded services, including food aid or subsidized preschool, could face a tougher road to legal residency, and eventually U.S. citizenship, under a new proposed guideline from the Trump administration.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Tiny apartments: New California bill would reward developers who go compact The Mercury News A California lawmaker frustrated by the lack of low-cost efficiency apartments being built to ease California’s housing shortage is taking a shot at spurring their construction — by making them more profitable for developers.
The courts are risking California home values. Lead paint measure just aims for a fix Sacramento Bee A dangerous lawsuit – funded by out-of-state trial lawyers who stand to make tens of millions of dollars – will hurt California homeowners and threaten property values, taking particular aim at low-income families who’ve achieved the American dream of homeownership. Yet you wouldn’t know this after reading Dan Morain’s column on Jan. 19 on a statewide ballot measure to clean up hazards in homes. ‘Declaration of war’: liberals divided as California mulls housing push The Guardian The mayor of Berkeley, California, has called it “a declaration of war”. A neighborhood group in Los Angeles said it would be akin to forcing Native Americans from their land. Amid a desperate housing crisis, legislators in the Golden State have prompted an outcry with new proposals that threaten to take the rulebook that governs American city planning and throw it out the window.
PUBLIC FINANCES
For stories on “federal budget” See: “Top Stories – Federal Politics,” above
New pension plan will squeeze California cities Sacramento Bee California cities struggling with recent hikes in their pension fees will see another one in 2021 because of a decision CalPERS made on Tuesday to speed up the rate of their debt payments.
TRANSPORTATION
Wasco hosting high-speed rail meeting Bakersfield Californian The California High Speed Rail Authority will hold a meeting in Wasco on March 1 to provide an update on the project. The meeting will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Wasco Veterans Hall, 1202 Poplar Ave. Officials involved in the project will discuss high-speed rail developments in the Wasco area and other parts of Kern County, such as design completion, right-of-way acquisition and employment opportunities. See also: · Bridges and Walls: High Speed Rail Design and Architecture
Los Angeles Times President Trump’s infrastructure proposal isn’t worth much. And what it is worth for California, the state’s Republican delegation in Congress is trying to destroy. That’s the irony. More precisely, it’s cynical politics outweighing needed public works.
Trump urges GOP to consider a 25-cent hike in the gas tax Washington Post President Trump tried Wednesday to persuade his fellow Republicans to raise the gas tax. In a closed-door meeting on infrastructure with members of both parties, Trump pitched the idea of a 25-cent increase in the gas tax, which hasn’t been raised since 1993. There’s a growing rift among Republicans about whether it’s worth considering a tax hike to fund much-needed upgrades to America’s roads and bridges.
Facing surging costs for bike crashes, L.A. has started to overhaul some bikeways Los Angeles Times As Los Angeles faces surging costs for lawsuits over bicycle crashes, city crews have started to remove and replace badly broken pavement traveled by cyclists, a Bureau of Street Services official told lawmakers Wednesday. At a City Hall hearing on the battered state of bike infrastructure, Assistant Director Greg Spotts said that in June, the bureau got funding to do a one-time, comprehensive inspection of bike lanes, routes and other designated “bikeways.”
WATER
February has been bone dry. Has drought returned to California? Sacramento Bee Weather experts spent much of this winter cautiously optimistic. There were still weeks to go in the wet season and the reservoirs were full, thanks to last winter’s near record-breaking rain and snow. See also: · What drought? Seven California cities where water use is up San Jose Mercury · California drought: Water conservation slipping statewide as dry weather returns San Jose Mercury · Water conservation slipping California Data Exchange Center
Southern California water agency considers paying for twin Delta tunnels The Sacramento Bee In a dramatic twist on the Delta tunnels saga, Southern California’s powerful water agency is exploring the feasibility of owning the majority stake in the controversial project, a move that raises fears of a “water grab.” Under the plan floated Monday by three board members, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California would pour an extra $6 billion or more into the tunnels plan beyond what it has already pledged, enabling the twin tunnels to get built at the same time. See also: · Why MWD thinks California needs the 2-tunnel water plan KPCC· 5 things to know about the plan to ship water to Southern California 89.3 KPCC
“The Water Stinks.” For Many Rural Americans the Only Choice Is Toxic. Mother Jones “I’ll be honest with you,” said Gary Michael Hunt. “You never know when you go in there and turn on the faucet if you have water, or if you ain’t going to have no water.” Hunt, a former coal miner who lives in Martin County, Kentucky, said he has had reliability and safety issues with his drinking water for about 25 years—including water permeated by excessive amounts of disinfectant chemicals. “The water stinks. It’s cloudy-looking,” he explained. Hunt’s not alone: More than a thousand of his neighbors in Martin County regularly have to deal with creaky faucets that sometimes spew liquids of various scents and hues.
“Xtra”
Feel free to forward this calendar to friends, family, or whomever you think would enjoy hearing about all the wonderful activities going on in the Central Valley.
Memorial, Freeway 168 Interchange Dedication to be held in honor of late Harry Armstrong Clovis Roundup In honor of the longtime and late Clovis council member Harry Armstrong, the Armstrong family is hosting a Memorial and Freeway 168 Interchange Dedication on Feb. 15 at Clovis Veterans Memorial District. A lunch buffet will be served beginning at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Memorial and Freeway 168 Interchange Dedication at 12:30 p.m. The Memorial and Freeway 168 Interchange Dedication is open to the public.
Munoz: We need to jazz up promotion for long-running festival Bakersfield Californian Last week, the mainstage lineup for the 2018 Bakersfield Jazz Festival was released. Not through an official news release but a Facebook post from CSUB music educator and festival director Jim Scully. According to the post, this year’s lineup will include drummer Carl Allen, pianist Lao Tizer, soul jazz outfit The Funky Knuckles, guitarist Dave Stryker, pianist Amina Figarova and Latin jazz icon Poncho Sanchez. Local and second stage acts are to be announced in the near future.
Hats off for heart health awareness at Adventist Health Bakersfield’s NICUThe Bakersfield Californian The big day of love, Feb. 14, isn’t just reserved for romantic antics. For babies in Adventist Health Bakersfield’s neonatal intensive care unit, Valentine’s Day came in the form of knitted caps smaller than a Valentine’s Day card.
Art, math intersect in ‘Geometrix’ student show If the right side of the brain covers art awareness and the left is responsible for science and math comprehension, then these talented students at South High School are tapping their full potential. The teens created a series of work that makes up “Geometrix,” on display now at The Empty Space Gallery.
Turn back time at annual Whiskey Flat Days For 361 days of the year, Kernville is a tranquil town of rubber-duck races, fishing and other outdoor fun. But for four days around Presidents Day, the town revisits its wild west past.
EDITORIALS
What’s not to like in Trump’s proposed budget? EverythingModesto Bee Is there anything to like about President Trump’s budget he officially proposed Monday? Yes. That it will likely be ignored. Most of Trump’s budget suggestions are at once foolhardy, dangerous and vindictive. We find the president’s 34 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency all three, the same as his desire to cut 26 percent from the State Department. Adding $716 million to a defense budget already bloated with weapons even the generals don’t want (or need) seems profligate; but spending part of that on new “low-yield nuclear” weapons actually brings the world closer to oblivion.
Federal budget cuts put Californians’ health at riskMercury News Congress does have a doctor in the House. Fifteen of them, to be exact. And another physician in the Senate. So there’s no excuse for the appalling attack on health care in the budget deal passed by Congress on Friday and signed by President Trump.
California needs a workable delta tunnel plan Los Angeles Times Like a patient waiting for heart bypass surgery while the insurance company dickers with the hospital over the numbers, California has been stuck in pre-op for decades, awaiting approval of an aqueduct or tunnel bypass from the Sacramento River around (instead of through) the state’s hydrological heart — the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
Here’s a morbid exercise: Can you keep track of which school shooting was the last before Parkland?Los Angeles Times If you started typing “school shooting” into Google search Wednesday afternoon, you might have noticed that auto-fill took over and anticipated the next word: “today.” So even the bloodless algorithms within Google recognize that, when one tries to find information about a fresh school shooting, the search needs to be narrowed. Because people are still searching the school shooting from last week. And the one before that. And the one before that. We are six weeks into 2018, and so far there have been at least six shooting incidents on school grounds that have wounded at least one person, including the massacre Wednesday, in which 17 people were reported killed at a high school in Parkland, Fla. The madness that never endsSan Francisco Chronicle Amid the horror and grief and disgust of the shooting Wednesday that left 17 dead in Parkland, Fla., it’s worth pausing to reflect on the school massacres that seemed unthinkable at the time. |