TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional Politics:
Deadline Fast Approaching – Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship – Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, March 16th, 2018
The Maddy Institute
Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders throughThe Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.
Senate intel leaders: House GOP leaked texts (Nunes mentioned)
Fresno Bee / New York Times
The Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that Republicans in the Devin nunes-led House intelligence Committee were behind the leak of private text messages between the Senate panel’s top Democrat and a Russian-connectd lawyer.
See also:
· Senate Intel leaders shared concerns with Ryan about Nunes panel POLITICO
· Opinion: It’s Time for Devin Nunes To Go – for Good Red State
Before Kevin and Devin, there was Bill
Capitol Weekly
Former Republican Congressman Bill Thomas, who capped a 28-year House career as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, has been out of Congress for more than a decade. His name is no longer familiar outside of his Bakersfield base. But two of his protégés are very well known – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who served as Thomas’ district director, and Oversight Committee Chair Devin Nunes, who Thomas encouraged to run for Congress and who nurtured his career after he got there.
Opinion: Denham abandons Dreamers; I won’t when elected to Congress
Modesto Bee
A young woman recently volunteered to work on my campaign. A student at Modesto Junior College, she speaks four languages and should be a great volunteer in my challenge to the incumbent in the 10th Congressional District, Jeff Denham. That is, if she is still here to see the final outcome of our efforts. This volunteer is a Dreamer, one of roughly 3.6 million young men and women whose parents brought them into this country when they were children. In her case, she was just 3 years old.
Fresno Bee
Four months after the patients of Coalinga State Hospital doomed a 1-cent sales tax needed to maintain police and fire staffing in the city, the state Assembly is weighing a change to state voting law that would limit sexually violent predators’ voting rights.
City of Fresno being sued for approving industrial development
ABC30
The site is 110 acres of land at Orange and Central, adjacent to the Amazon Fulfilment Center and Ulta Cosmetics warehouses.The citizens’ group, organized by the Leadership Council for Social Accountability, held a news conference to announce their lawsuit. Erica Fernandez says the city’s failure to do an environmental impact report violates state law and endangers the health of nearby residents.
Freshman arrested for alleged threats against Clovis West, Buchanan
The Fresno Bee
Law enforcement overnight arrested a 15-year-old freshman for allegedly making online threats against Clovis West and Buchanan high schools, Clovis Police Chief Matt Basgall said. Clovis and Fresno police detectives arrested the boy before 2 a.m. Friday. Basgall said both departments were contacted by concerned citizens who saw a Snapchat picture of an assault rifle with a warning to both Clovis West and Buchanan students.
See also:
· Clovis Unified investigates potential threat to Clovis West ABC30
· Central High School West student accused of shooting threatsThe Fresno Bee
In a day, March overtakes all of February in rainfall
Modesto Bee
By Thursday afternoon – the first day of March – the nearly half-inch of rain that fell in downtown Modesto eclipsed the total in all of February. And, more is on the way.
Air district blames ‘atmospheric stagnation’ for wintertime pollution spikes
Bakersfield Californian
The valley air district’s wintertime fireplace restriction program ended for the 2017-18 season Wednesday, but not before residents of the San Joaquin Valley suffered through several days of badly polluted air this winter. Air officials say dry weather patterns — “high pressure and atmospheric stagnation” — were largely to blame.
10th store gets liquor sales permit on central Fresno road
The Fresno Bee
A proposal to allow a new convenience store to sell beer and wine was approved Thursday by the Fresno City Council, despite fears of residents in the nearby Lowell Neighborhood north of downtown Fresno. Developer George Beal wants to build a Johnny Quik convenience store with a Subway sandwich shop and an eight-pump gas station at the southwest corner of Belmont and Van Ness avenues in central Fresno. As part of the project, Beal also sought permission to apply to the state for a license to sell beer and wine for off-site consumption.
Court ruling against Kern districts puts local politics in tough pickle
The County of Kern is in a political pretty pickle right now, facing the possibility of completely redrawing its political boundaries in the middle of this election year.
Alfonso Noyola resigns as Arvin city manager
The Bakersfield Californian
The City of Arvin will be losing its city manager at the end of the month. Alfonso Noyola resigned from the position after being approved in February for a city manager position in Boulder City, Nevada. Noyola, who came in as the Arvin city manager in January 2015, will continue to serve in the position through March.
Immigration agents conducting operation in Kern County detain at least 24 undocumented farmworkers
Bakersfield Californian
At least two dozen undocumented farmworkers in Kern County have been detained and marked for deportation proceedings by federal immigration agents this week as they carry out what appears to be a days-long regional enforcement operation, sources confirmed to The Californian Thursday.
Critic’s ‘hobby’ is getting costly, flood agency says
Stockton Record
Flood control officials are asking a judge to impose sanctions against an outspoken critic who they say has forced them to waste hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money on litigation the critic referred to as his “hobby. Dominick Gulli says his battle against a proposed flood control gate near the mouth of Smith Canal in central Stockton is legitimate, and that when he used the word “hobby” in conversation with an opposing attorney, he simply meant he wasn’t getting paid for his work to defeat the project.
State Politics:
California’s biggest IT projects need $100 million to finish, Jerry Brown says
Sacramento Bee
A group of sprawling, expensive state technology projects stands to gain another $100 million in spending under budget proposals advocated by Gov. Jerry Brown’s Office. His administration is requesting the money to complete a $909 million accounting project, a $386 million project for prison inmate health records, a $281 million tax collection program and a $96 million professional licensing program.
The governor’s race isn’t just about Newsom and Villaraigosa – it’s about SF and LA
Sacramento Bee
Which city – San Francisco or Los Angeles – do you love to hate more? This is shaping up to be California’s question for 2018. Each of the top contenders for governor is a former mayor of one those cities, and each embodies certain grievances about his hometown. And backers of both candidates are playing to these resentments.
Newsom Claims SF Street Cred on Single Payer Issue
KQED
As the race for governor heats up, support for a government-run single payer health care system is becoming a kind of litmus test for Democrats— and no candidate has embraced the idea more closely than Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Why the rise of the independent voter is a political myth
Los Angeles Times
For a party halfway in the grave, the news thudded like another shovelful of dirt — thwack! — heaved atop its coffin: The Republican Party may soon slip into third place among registered California voters, trailing Democrats and self-declared independents.
Mendoza’s gone, but Capitol culture still an open question for de León’s U.S. Senate race
Sacramento Bee
Before announcing the resignation of his former housemate, California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León delivered a speech on the Senate floor describing the upper house as a leader against sexual harassment under his command.
Californians and Sacramento’s Handling of Misconduct
Public Policy Institute of California
During fall 2017, the #MeToo movement took the entertainment, sports, and business worlds by storm. Statehouses across the nation were also affected. Here in California, allegations of sexual harassment came to light and have led to resignations, including the recent resignation of State Senator Tony Mendoza, who was on the precipice of a formal expulsion vote. No member of the California Legislature has been expelled since 1905.
Senators want to add extra $1.2 billion to California school funding formula next year
EdSource
The chairman of the state Senate’s budget subcommittee on education and three other Democratic senators are proposing to add $1.2 billion to what Gov. Jerry Brown is budgeting for the Local Control Funding Formula. It’s the first stake in the ground in what could be protracted negotiations over ongoing education spending in the governor’s final state budget.
$2 billion to help house California’s homeless isn’t being spent — and no one knows when it will be
Los Angeles Times
Nearly two years after California lawmakers approved a $2-billion bond to help finance new housing for the state’s homeless, not a penny has been spent, and it’s unclear when any of the money will be available.
See also:
· Democrats Fault Governor on Homelessness Crisis New York Times
How the home of Reagan turned into the Trump Resistance
CALmatters
With more than two dozen lawsuits against the federal administration and new laws designed to thwart federal immigration actions and environmental rollbacks, California has squarely established itself as the Democratic resistance to President Donald Trump.
California Democratic Party’s unifying principle: tack left and boo Trump
CALmatters
As California’s Democrats wrapped up their party’s annual convention Sunday, they left San Diego as they arrived: a party still fraying at the seams after the 2016 election, held together by one strong bond—a unifying dislike of President Donald Trump.
See also:
· Walters: Democrats’ fault lines, including Latino splits CALmatters
Federal Politics:
Tom Steyer, pushing Donald Trump’s impeachment, to call out Democrats and Republicans
Sacramento Bee
Tom Steyer is ratcheting up political pressure on Democrats and Republicans in Congress who have not publicly called for President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
US ambassador quits in latest sign of roiling US relations with Mexico
Los Angeles Times
Roberta Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico and one of the State Department’s most experienced Latin America hands, said Thursday that she is quitting in what appeared to be fallout of the Trump administration’s roiling relations with Mexico.
Trump says US to impose hefty tariffs on steel, aluminum imports
Reuters
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he would impose hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to protect U.S. producers, risking retaliation from major trade partners like China, Europe and neighboring Canada.
Republicans Irate, Democrats Press After Trump Gun Control Meeting
Roll Call
As Republican leaders scrambled to address the apparent disconnect between themselves and President Donald Trump on gun control legislation at a bipartisan meeting of lawmakers on Wednesday, Democrats pressured the president to keep his word. “We’re not ditching any Constitutional protections simply because the last person the President talked to today doesn’t like them,” GOP Sen. Ben Sasseof Nebraska said in a statement Wednesday.
See also:
· Pelosi optimistic on gun control bill, but doubts a renewed assault weapons ban can pass Los Angeles Times
· McConnell shelves gun bills for banking reform TheHill
· Republican and Democratic Lawmakers Get Facts Wrong on Gun Policy New York Times
· Science On Gun Laws Is Lacking, RAND Report Finds NPR
· Gun Policy in America RAND
President Trump has made 2,436 false or misleading claims so far
Washington Post
In the 406 days since he took the oath of office, President Trump has made 2,436 false or misleading claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president.
Other:
Popular fishing tackle would be banned under new California bill
Sacramento Bee
Assemblyman Bill Quirk, D-Hayward, introduced Assembly Bill 2787 on Feb. 16. The bill would outlaw the manufacture, sale and purchase of lead fishing weights that are under 50 grams.
Forecast shows California salmon fishermen in for another year of sharp limits
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
A third straight year of low king salmon runs is expected to deliver another blow to one of the North Coast’s most iconic and lucrative fisheries, wildlife managers indicated Thursday, as both regulators and fishermen faced the prospect of a federally mandated plan to reverse the trend and rebuild key stocks.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, March 4, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: Charter Schools –Pre-empted for Oscar programming.
Sunday, March 4, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report: “California’s Future” – Guests: PPIC Experts: Eric McGee, Shannon McConville, Caroline Danielson, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Sarah Bohn, Paul Warren, Magnus Lofstrom and Brandon Martin. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, March 4, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy:State Auditor Report on Charter Schools – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor’s Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
Topics in More Detail…
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
California Pesticide Spray Ban Could Hamper Effort To Curb Citrus Pest
Capital Public Radio News
A Sacramento County Superior Court ruling says the California Department of Food and Agriculture must stop using nearly 80 pesticides on public and private property throughout California. Jonathan Evans with the Center for Biological Diversity is one of the plaintiffs in the case. He says last week’s decision still allows the CDFA to use a variety of other methods to address pests.
Smaller pot growers in state feel stifled
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
At a first-of-its-kind meeting with the state’s top cannabis officials and North Coast marijuana industry leaders to discuss the state’s new regulations for the business sector, Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar was unequivocal in his biting analysis that both state and local regulations are prohibitively stringent and have stifled the ability of existing cultivators to legalize their operations.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Local and Federal Politics,” above
California spent nearly $1.8B fighting major 2017 wildfires
89.3 KPCC
California state agencies spent nearly $1.8 billion fighting fierce wildfires that killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses last year. Legislative Analyst’s Office officials told lawmakers Thursday that the federal government will reimburse most of the costs, but the state will still need to come up with about $371 million.
California spent nearly $1.8 billion last year fighting major wildfires
AP
The federal government will reimburse most of the costs, but the state still will need to come up with about $371 million on top of its existing wildfire budget, the Legislative Analyst’s Office told the Senate Budget committee. That shouldn’t be a problem because state revenue has far exceeded expectations so far this fiscal year and the general fund is flush with cash
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Why Trump’s new steel and aluminum tariffs are controversial
Brookings
David Dollar, a senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center, discusses the new steel and aluminum tariffs announced by President Trump and explains the impact they will have on the U.S. economy and international relations.
See also:
· The destructive path of protectionism AEI
· 2002 United States steel tariffs history: Donald Trump on steel, aluminum look for same Business Insider
Jobs:
Google job quotas favored women, blacks, Latinos over white and Asian men: lawsuit
San Jose Mercury News
Google, in seeking to improve its workforce diversity, imposed illegal hiring quotas favoring women, blacks and Latinos and discriminating against white and Asian men, a former employee claims in a lawsuit.
Revitalizing wage growth: Policies to get American workers a raise
Brookings
One simple question—are wages rising?—is as central to the health of our democracy as it is to the health of our economy. Without rising wages, the dreams of American families to live in good homes, to support their families, to retire comfortably, and to see their children do better—what we call the American Dream—simply cannot be realized.
EDUCATION
K-12:
California’s school dashboard is just confusing. Here’s a better way to grade schools
Sacramento Bee
They seem almost quaint now, those days when California issued annual scores for each school based on how well its students performed on the state’s annual standardized tests. Local newspapers scrambled to print the Academic Performance Index scores of every school in their circulation areas. Real estate agents flaunted them to parents looking for new homes, although, in a way, high scores reflected more about the demographics of the surrounding community — how affluent and educated it was – than about the quality of the schools.
Higher Ed:
Deadline Fast Approaching – Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship – Applications for two $56,000 Fellowships Due Friday, March 16th, 2018
The Maddy Institute
Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders throughThe Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place.
Stanford University report reveals nearly 200 cases of sexual misconduct
The Mercury News
In a first-of-its-kind report, Stanford University this week revealed nearly 200 reports of sexual harassment, sexual violence and other unwanted sexual contact involving faculty, staff and students during the 2016-17 academic year, including 29 allegations of sexual assault.
UC system’s global rankings slip amid funding cuts, international competition
Los Angeles Times
The University of California has slipped in the rankings of an annual global survey of higher education, escalating concerns that funding woes and growing international competition are beginning to erode the quality of the nation’s top public research university
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Eloy Ortiz Oakley became the first Latino chancellor of the California Community Colleges system in December 2016. A first-generation college graduate and a product of California schools, Oakley has bold plans for the country’s largest college system. He met recently with The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board and talked about his goals, especially for a new fully online college geared to working adults who want to earn meaningful credentials to help their careers.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Air district blames ‘atmospheric stagnation’ for wintertime pollution spikes
Bakersfield Californian
The valley air district’s wintertime fireplace restriction program ended for the 2017-18 season Wednesday, but not before residents of the San Joaquin Valley suffered through several days of badly polluted air this winter. Air officials say dry weather patterns — “high pressure and atmospheric stagnation” — were largely to blame.
Energy:
Protesters, Policymakers and a Polar Bear Try to Protect Clean Power Plan
KQED
California’s top energy and environment officials today protested the federal rollback of the Clean Power Plan — an ambitious effort to slash carbon pollution from power plants nationwide.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fewer Californians will be insured next year, and those who are could feel the impact
Modesto Bee
Almost 20 percent of people with health insurance on the independent market in California will drop coverage next year because they won’t face a tax penalty, a survey predicted. The study by Harvard Medical School researchers suggested that 378,000 fewer consumers in California will have insurance in 2019 when the Internal Revenue Service will no longer assess a tax penalty on the uninsured.
‘Not experimental anymore’: UCD Med Center expands free testing for Medi-Cal families
Sacramento Bee
Families on Medi-Cal can now receive free genomic testing to diagnose rare genetic disorders at UC Davis Medical Center, according to an announcement Thursday. “Children with rare genetic disorders that come to our clinic and many times they don’t have an answer,” said Dr. Suma Shankar, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Precision Genomics Clinic at UC Davis. (The genomic testing) helps us come to a definite diagnosis.”
The Mercury News
In the age of Black Panther, Thor and Captain America, California’s health insurance plans bring you … A giant, androgynous red heart. The health insurers debuted their bubbly superhero Tuesday in front of California’s stately Capitol building. The heart, who wore black booties and white, Michael Jackson-esque gloves, had no name. No matter. S/he bopped. S/he waved at school children. S/he flashed the thumbs-up. S/he made the Capitol feel a bit like Disneyland.
Los Angeles Times
California’s individual health insurance market will probably see a sharp drop in enrollment but should remain stable after Congress eliminated the requirement for individuals to carry coverage, a Harvard-led study published Thursday found.
Uber Launches Service to Get People to the Doctor’s Office
KQED
Uber wants to get you from your home to your doctor’s office — and you won’t even need to open the Uber app. The company announced Thursday that it’s teaming up with health care organizations to provide transportation for patients going to and from medical appointments.
Will California’s $3 billion in stem cell spending pay off? First royalty check arrives
Sacramento Bee
Back in 2004, when California’s stem cell agency was little more than an idea in the minds of researchers, its backers predicted a gold rush of royalties that could inject $1.1 billion into state coffers. This month, after more than 13 years, the first stem cell royalty check has finally found its way to the state.
IMMIGRATION
Immigration agents conducting operation in Kern County detain at least 24 undocumented farmworkers
The Bakersfield Californian
At least two dozen undocumented farmworkers in Kern County have been detained and marked for deportation proceedings by federal immigration agents this week as they carry out what appears to be a days-long regional enforcement operation, sources confirmed to The Californian Thursday
Immigrant families prepare for ICE raids with emergency plans
The Mercury News
Miguel Rico’s worst fear is getting separated from his three children. Following a four-day ICE sweep across Northern California, the Mexican immigrant has reason to worry. “When you hear the news you get scared, especially if you have young kids,” he said. “But at the same time, we have to look for options and we have to be prepared. Information is the best way to be prepared.”
Fox and Hounds Daily
The war of words between Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director Thomas Homan over Schaaf ‘s warning that ICE was about to raid Northern California counties looking for illegal residents could bleed into another major issue rising in California this election year—crime.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
10th store gets liquor sales permit on central Fresno road
The Fresno Bee
A proposal to allow a new convenience store to sell beer and wine was approved Thursday by the Fresno City Council, despite fears of residents in the nearby Lowell Neighborhood north of downtown Fresno. Developer George Beal wants to build a Johnny Quik convenience store with a Subway sandwich shop and an eight-pump gas station at the southwest corner of Belmont and Van Ness avenues in central Fresno. As part of the project, Beal also sought permission to apply to the state for a license to sell beer and wine for off-site consumption.
City of Fresno being sued for approving industrial development
ABC30
The site is 110 acres of land at Orange and Central, adjacent to the Amazon Fulfilment Center and Ulta Cosmetics warehouses.The citizens’ group, organized by the Leadership Council for Social Accountability, held a news conference to announce their lawsuit. Erica Fernandez says the city’s failure to do an environmental impact report violates state law and endangers the health of nearby residents.
New Laws Part II: 2018 Ushers in Changes to Land-Use, Development Laws
PublicCEO
As we noted in Part I of this two-part series, lawmakers passed a wave of new laws in 2017. Today we look at the bold moves California legislators made to address the State’s affordable housing crisis, while passing a number of smaller measures concerning land use, public works and public property that will impact local government agencies. Here is a recap of these laws that, unless otherwise noted, went into effect Jan. 1.
Housing:
Barriers to homeownership still exist for people of color
Marketplace
Racial discrimination in the home loan industry used to be explicit and legal: Redlining indicated neighborhoods where African-Americans and other people of color lived, and encouraged banks not to lend there. Now it looks a bit different. Aaron Glantz, a reporter at Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, talked with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal about his new piece, “Kept Out,” exploring how redlining lives on in this economy (you can listen to the podcast this weekend). The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California spent nearly $1.8 billion last year fighting major wildfires
AP
The federal government will reimburse most of the costs, but the state still will need to come up with about $371 million on top of its existing wildfire budget, the Legislative Analyst’s Office told the Senate Budget committee. That shouldn’t be a problem because state revenue has far exceeded expectations so far this fiscal year and the general fund is flush with cash.
TRANSPORTATION
California transit agency tracks tech buses with cameras
Merced Sun-Star
A transit agency in Silicon Valley set up six cameras to count how many buses carrying Apple and Google and other tech employees are using its roads after the companies refused to share that information. “The best we can do is spy on them in video cameras,” Adam Burger, the transit agency’s senior transportation planner, told an advisory board meeting in Cupertino this week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday.
New bullet train business plan will show higher costs, CEO Brian Kelly says
Los Angeles Times
The California bullet train will take longer to build and cost more than previously estimated under a soon-to-be-released business plan, but plans to begin the project by linking the Bay Area to the Central Valley remain intact, according to the rail authority’s new chief executive, Brian Kelly.
710 Freeway is a ‘diesel death zone’ to neighbors — can vital commerce route be fixed?
Los Angeles Times
For decades, the 710 Freeway has been the commercial spine of Southern California, funneling the trucks carrying thousands of tons of furniture, clothes, televisions and other goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach into the region’s sprawling network of freeways and warehouses.
BMW gives PG&E customers $10000 electric-car discount
San Francisco Chronicle
BMW may be angling for a bigger slice of the nation’s largest electric vehicle market — California — and aiming at some of the same drivers courted by Tesla.
‘We’re listening,’ Department of Transportation says on the future of driverless cars
Washington Post
The visionary world where cars will travel about without drivers will be shaped by a third set of federal guidelines this summer, one that seeks to nudge the nascent industry rather than regulate it.
WATER
In a day, March overtakes all of February in rainfall
Modesto Bee
By Thursday afternoon – the first day of March – the nearly half-inch of rain that fell in downtown Modesto eclipsed the total in all of February. And, more is on the way.
Since Drought is the New Normal, Why Aren’t We Maximizing Proposition 1 Funds?
Fox and Hounds Daily
In recent Fox & Hounds columns, Fox & Hounds Editor and Co-Publisher Joel Fox and the Bay Area Council’s Vice President for Public Policy Adrian Covert rightfully question why the $2.7 billion dollars set aside for additional water storage as part of voter approved $7.5-billion water bond proposal, Proposition 1, has not yet been fully allocated.
Brutal Long-Term ‘Mega-Drought’ a Specter Hanging Over State
PublicCEO
Californians confronted with a bone-dry winter have to wonder if Gov. Jerry Brown and other state officials acted precipitously in April 2017 in declaring an end to the Golden State’s five-year drought. But there’s an even more ominous question to contemplate as well: Is the severe long-term “mega-drought” that some climate scientists predict for the American Southwest already under way.
“Xtra”
The Clovis restaurant scene is hopping: Openings, closings and other shake-ups
Fresno Bee
The Clovis restaurant scene is hopping. There are new restaurants coming, a few saying goodbye and some places shaking things up a bit. Empty restaurant spaces are getting snapped up quickly by newcomers, said Craig Holdener, a vice president at commercial real estate firm Newmark Grubb/Pearson Commercial.
‘Hanging By a Moment’ hitmaker to play Stanislaus County Fair
Modesto Bee
The Stanislaus County Fair dips into the pop/rock genre with the latest band announced to play during the 2018 expo. Lifehouse will take to the fair’s Variety Free Stage on Wednesday, July 18, according to a press release. The band’s hits include the 2001 debut single “Hanging By a Moment,” which spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Top 10 charts. Other hits off the band’s seven albums are “You and Me,” “First Time,” “Whatever it Takes,” “Broken,” “Halfway Gone,” “Between the Raindrops” and “Hurricane.”
Take me home! Dogs available for adoption
Dogs at Kern County Animal Services are looking for their forever homes. Can you help?
EDITORIALS
Congress couldn’t do it. These are the real defenders of California’s gun control values
Fresno Bee
California has long had some of the toughest gun laws in the country and, in Sen. Dianne Feinstein, one of the country’s toughest advocates for gun control. But if the past few years have proven anything, it’s that enacting federal legislation to prevent the next mass shooting is, at best, a long shot.
Trump’s willingness to consider gun control is welcome. But can we believe him?
Los Angeles Times
President Trump brought lawmakers from both parties to the White House on Wednesday to discuss, publicly, the thorny issue of guns in the wake of the Valentine’s Day massacre at a Florida high school.
Trump’s leadership AWOL on Russia
San Francisco Chronicle
The country’s top cyber spy has disturbing news. Despite Russia’s past and present meddling in American elections, the White House isn’t pushing for counter measures to blunt Moscow’s conduct.
Immigration divides us just as it hurts us
Merced Sun-Star
Immigration enforcement in America has taken a wrong turn. It’s at once heartless, punitive and lazy. Heartless because it tears apart families; punitive because California, which dared to confront cruel inequities by becoming a symbolic “sanctuary” state, is being prioritized; lazy because ICE agents appear to be going after the easiest targets.