August 21, 2018

21Aug

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Valley:

 

Valadao challenges TJ Cox to televised debates

Fresno Bee

Rep. David Valadao, the Hanford Republican, has challenged Fresno Democrat TJ Cox to two televised debates, both set to take place on Oct. 25. 

See also:

     Valadao challenges Cox to debate on Oct. 25 Hanford Sentinel

     Valadao facing criticism, tough opponent in November election Visalia Times-Delta

 

Who’s writing checks to Democrats in Central Valley House races? Bay Area liberals

Sacramento Bee

Democrats’ unprecedented fundraising in Central Valley House races this year is fueled in significant part by the support of well-heeled donors in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. 

 

Fresno’s Mason-Dixon Line

The Atlantic

More than 50 years after redlining was outlawed, the legacy of discrimination can still be seen in California’s poorest large city.

 

Ashjian: Tax Vote Should’ve Been 50/50 For Parks & Police: Ashjian

GV Wire

It has been said, “Two men look through the same jail cell walls, one sees mud​​ and one sees stars.” Certainly, this is the way that I see the Fresno parks sales tax initiative.

 

Merced DA Morse ‘more likely than not’ sexually harassed employee, county report says

Merced Sun-Star

A county-funded investigation into District Attorney Larry Morse​​ II “sustained” allegations the veteran politician sexually harassed a married female employee, the Merced Sun-Star has confirmed.

Did Tulare County Judge John Bianco violate Constitution?

Visalia Times Delta 

Tulare County Judge John Bianco barred the media and the public from attending a hearing regarding property seized during a series of search​​ warrants aimed at Tulare hospital's former managers. 

 

McFarland at a financial crossroads

Bakersfield Californian

By their own admission, city leaders say McFarland is more of a town rather than a city, and it's a long way from being your typical suburb. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a poverty rate of 37 percent, meaning this city/town of more than 15,000 residents in the northern part of Kern County isn't exactly a booming metropolis. 

 

Stockton Releases New Details On Guaranteed Income Program 

capradio.org

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs gave more details Monday about the city's plan to provide a guaranteed income for 100 families.

 

State:

 

Capitol Weekly's Top 100 -- 2018 Capitol Weekly

Capitol Weekly

Welcome to the 10th running of Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 list, our annual look at people who aren’t elected to office but who wield decisive influence on California politics or policy — or both.

 

The Top Four Reasons California Is Unsustainable

Forbes

California is a place unlike any other on the​​ Globe.  It boasts perhaps the greatest natural resources of any state along with shining high-tech industries.  However, like many good economic stories, government policies threaten its future.

 

Exclusive: FBI probing cyber attack on congressional campaign in California - sources

Reuters 

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation​​ is investigating a cyber attack on the congressional campaign of a Democratic candidate in California, according to three people close to the campaign.

 

EDITORIAL: This is what arrogance in power looks like at the California Capitol

Sacramento Bee

Since returning for the final month of the legislative session, too many Democrats have displayed why some Californians are concerned about one-party domination of the state Capitol. Let us count the ways.

 

The Long Run: How Do You Send the Right Message as a Female Candidate?

KQED News

Political ads are meant to grab voters' attention and that's certainly what Democrat Katie Hill was going for with a standout ad from last spring. It features Hill scaling the side of a mountain as the wind whips her hair.

 

Federal:

 

The truth is out there, Rudy, and Mueller must be able to question Trump about it

Los Angeles Times

Former New York Mayor and Trump TV lawyer Rudy Giuliani is trying to extricate himself from his mind-boggling comment Sunday on “Meet the Press” that “truth isn’t truth.”

See also:

     EDITORIAL: The Trump White House, where “truth isn’t truth” San Francisco Chronicle

 

These are the 2018 midterm election candidates who have been cyber attacked (so far)

San Diego Union-Tribune

Cyber attacks in the run up to the November 2018 elections are gaining a spotlight with hackers targeting at least four Democratic candidates running for Congress in the U.S., so far, including two in California.

See also:

     I Just Hacked a State Election. I’m 17. And I’m Not Even a Very Good Hacker.  POLITICO

      New Russian Hacking Targeted Republican Groups, Microsoft Says The New York Times

     FBI probes computer hacks in California House campaigns AP News

      Russian Hackers Target Conservative Groups in Widening Cyberattacks WSJ

      Microsoft says it has found and disabled a Russian operation targeting U.S. political institutions with​​ fake websites Washington Post

 

The GOP’s Social Security Raid

WSJ

Senator Marco Rubio recently rolled out a bill that would allow Americans to collect Social Security benefits to take time off from work after having or adopting a child. 

 

Pollsters: Trump and GOP are losing young, female voters permanently

TheHill

Cox, the research director at the Public Religion​​ Research Institute, agreed with Greenberg, adding that young, millennial women do not believe Trump supports them on some of the issues they care about. 

 

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh tells Republican senator that Roe v. Wade is 'settled law'

Washington Post

Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) told reporters on Tuesday that she asked President Trump's pick about whether he considered Roe to be settled law. Collins said Kavanaugh told her he agreed with current Chief Justice John Roberts, who said during his 2005 confirmation hearing that Roe was “settled as a precedent of the court.” Collins and Kavanaugh​​ met for more than two hours on Tuesday morning.

 

"A blue wave is obscuring a red exodus"

Axios

Dave Wasserman, the Cook Political Report's House analyst, says the most under-covered aspect of 2018 is that "a blue wave is obscuring a red exodus." 

 

Other:

 

MTV launches drive to get young people to vote

AP

MTV is launching its first-ever midterm election drive to encourage young people to register and vote.

 

Why Even a Blue Wave Could Have Limited Gains

New York Times

The divergent geography of 2018 means we will really have two midterm elections, and one favors Republicans.

 

Our​​ politicians have no idea how the Internet works

The Washington Post

The expansive Luddite Caucus has no idea how 21st-century technology actually works, nor any apparent motivation to learn.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Will adding a sour kick get millennials to eat raisins?

Fresno Bee

Sun-Maid Raisins is easily one of the most recognizable brands in the United States. But even the company’s iconic red bonnet-wearing farm girl hasn’t been enough to keep this century-old cooperative from losing touch with consumers, especially younger ones.

 

‘No one wins in a trade war.’ Ag advocates urge Trump to end tariffs standoff

Merced Sun-Star

Agricultural advocates in California are ratcheting up the pressure on the White House as a months-long trade dispute threatens to cost the industry​​ billions of dollars and potentially put farmers out of business.

See:

     U.S.​​ businesses beg Trump team for relief from tariffs as trade war with China rolls on Los Angeles Times

     U.S. Moves Toward New Tariffs on China Despite Fresh Round of Trade Talks WSJ

Kern fruit in spotlight at L.A's Majordomo

Bakersfield Californian

Fruit grown in Kern County definitely heads to some far-off destinations but it's not every day that it lands a starring role on a plate at a high-end Los Angeles restaurant.

 

America’s Invisible Pot Addicts

The Atlantic 

Public-health experts worry about the increasingly potent options available, and the striking number of constant users. “Cannabis is potentially a real public-health problem,” said Mark A. R.​​ Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York University.v

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

STAR Team reinstated to help fight gang crime in Merced County

ABC30

The return of a special task force could be the solution to the growing gang problem in Merced County.

 

Six California prosecutors expected to give update on Golden State Killer

Visalia Times-Delta

It's been a week since Tulare County residents got confirmation that the state's most notorious serial rapists got his start in Visalia. On Tuesday, six district attorneys in counties across California are joining together to make an announcement on the case against Joseph DeAngelo, 72.

 

California Assembly advances bill to replace bail system

Merced Sun-Star

The California Assembly has narrowly passed a bill to​​ make California the first state to completely eliminate bail for suspects awaiting trial and replace it with a risk-assessment system.

See also:

     Bill to eliminate bail advances despite ACLU defection Sacramento Bee

     Effort to end cash bail in California clears major hurdle in Legislature Los Angeles Times

     Bill to end cash bail passes California Assembly amid heavy opposition San Francisco Chronicle

     ACLU moves to oppose California bail overhaul bill it once supported San Diego Union-Tribune

     Bail system facing potential revamp Capitol Weekly

     Calif. Moves Closer to Eliminating Bail System KMJNow

California lawmakers move to cap prison time for felons, including robbers, murderers

Sacramento Bee

California’s approach to crime​​ and punishment is complicated enough that a state watchdog agency once referred to it as a “chaotic labyrinth of laws with no cohesive philosophy or strategy.”

 

Millions are caught up in America’s criminal-justice system ‘because they’re poor’

The Washington Post

“The problem we have now is we think prison is the only way to hold people accountable when they break the law.”

 

Public Safety:

 

Fresno County could cost itself money by claiming inmates as employees in pipeline explosion case

ABC30

Fresno County's argument to save money in a lawsuit over the pipeline explosion at the sheriff's foundation shooting range will actually be very expensive in the long run.

 

Scam alert: Authorities warning Tulare County residents about phone scam 

ABC30

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of a new phone scam. In some instances, victims are reporting that they are being called​​ about a missed jury summons.

 

Yosemite Boulevard dedicated in memory of fallen Modesto police officers

Modesto Bee

Modesto’s busy Yosemite Boulevard on Sunday will be dedicated in honor of the only two Modesto police officers killed in action in the department’s 134-year history.

 

Progressive vets, gun control advocates join forces on the campaign trail

Sacramento Bee

Democrats are ready to play offense on the issue of gun control — led by a coterie of veteran candidates competing in competitive districts. 

 

Despite California privacy law, marketers are still scheming to snatch your data

Los Angeles Times

If anyone should be capable of communicating in plain English, you’d think it would be the Assn. of National Advertisers, an organization of nearly 2,000 companies, representing 25,000 brands, that touts itself as “the voice of the marketer.”

 

Fire:

 

Amid record-breaking fire season, new workshops offer history of Sierra wildfires

Fresno Bee

Over the last few years, the questions coming into the Central Sierra Historical Society and Museum have taken a specific turn. With that in mind, the museum began working to create an educational forum for its patrons.

 

Ferguson Fire fully contained, cost of fire surpassed $100M

Sierra Star

Following a month-long battle that cost two firefighters their lives and burned 96,901 acres, fire officials announced Sunday the Ferguson​​ Fire is now 100 percent contained.

 

Call Fire 50% contained in lower Kern Canyon

Bakersfield Californian

A wildfire that broke out in the lower Kern Canyon area has been held to 370 acres and was 50 percent contained as of Monday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. 

 

California's largest wildfire brings new dangers for firefighters on front lines

Los Angeles Times

After more than three weeks, firefighters Monday continued to struggle against the largest fire in modern California history as the Mendocino Complex blaze prompted more evacuations and posed new dangers to those on the front lines.

See also:

     Firefighter’s death may be linked to safety breach in airplane retardant​​ drop San Francisco Chronicle

 

Even as California gets hotter and drier, lawmakers continue to punt on wildfire liability

Los Angeles Times

The most intense debate in the California Legislature this summer was also the wonkiest: Whether to lift the requirement that investor-owned electric utilities such as Southern California Edison reimburse property owners for losses​​ caused when their electrical equipment sparks a fire, even if the utility did nothing wrong and could not have reasonably prevented the blaze.

 

Forest Service to Work More Closely With States to Battle Wildfires

Pew Trusts

The U.S. Forest Service plan, touted at the Capitol Thursday by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, focuses on working with state and tribal stakeholders to target localized preventive treatments, including prescribed burns, to areas most likely to benefit from them.

See also:

     Managing Forests to Reduce Wildfire Risks PPIC

 

EDITORIAL: A deserved defeat for PG&E bailout

San Francisco Chronicle

The Legislature appears to have mercifully extinguished Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s campaign for a de facto bailout in the wake of the catastrophic Wine Country fires linked to its power lines.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

This shopping center at busy Clovis intersection is adding some healthy business

Fresno Bee

The Trading Post shopping center at Herndon and Clovis avenues is getting some new tenants that promise to keep you fit, healthy and calm. 

 

Harris Ranch Wants To Expand Selma Cattle Operation

The Business Journal

The Fresno Planning Commission will consider on Thursday a proposal to expand Harris Ranch Beef Company’s cattle slaughterhouse and meatpacking plant south of Selma.

 

Tubbs details how SEED project recipients will be picked

Stockton Record

Recipients of the mayor’s proposed guaranteed income project will be randomly selected after surveying the median income of neighborhoods throughout Stockton.

 

Stocks extend their gains, though tech companies lag

Los Angeles Times

Retailers and airlines helped lift U.S. stocks broadly higher Monday, extending the market's gains from last week. Technology companies lagged, weighing down the Nasdaq composite index for much of the day.

 

Trump trillion-dollar-plus deficits are putting America on a path to fiscal ruin

USA Today

Though no one in Washington will admit it, our nation's finances are in deep trouble.​​ Spending is up, revenue is down, and this will only get worse.

 

AP FACT CHECK: Trump's economic fiction: 'record' GDP, jobs

AP 

President Donald Trump is distorting the truth on U.S. economic growth and jobs.

 

Jobs:

 

Full California Employment Report for July 2018 Available

California Center for Jbs & the Economy

Report

 

AP FACT CHECK: Trump on black unemployment

AP News

President Donald Trump is taking unjustified credit for recent job gains by black Americans.

 

American CEO Pay Is Soaring, But the Gender Pay Gap Is Drawing the Rage 

Bloomberg

Knowing a chief executive out-earns you by a factor of 300 is typically less upsetting than learning about a 20 percent wage difference between men and women.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Thousands of students in Clovis Unified head back to school

ABC30

As the flag went up a new school year began at the Clovis Unified School​​ District. More than 43,000 students headed back to 42 schools. 

 

Fowler High sees largest class of seniors and largest class with GPAs 4.0 and up

ABC30

Fowler High School welcomed 200 hundred seniors last week. Principal Rick Romero said this is their largest class ever. However, he added the class of 2019 is also a very special one because 35 of them have grade point averages of 4.0 or above.

 

51% of school violence incidents flared in just 10 states last year. Is your state one of them?

Visalia Times-Delta

Fifty-one percent of all incidents of violence and threats against schools took place in just 10 states during the 2017-18 school year, a report released Monday finds. 

 

Back to school: Is the United States falling behind on education?

Politifact.com

The United States spends big on education. But what is the return on that investment compared with the rest of​​ the world?

 

California Sticks Its Schoolkids’ Futures in a Vise

Zocalo Public Square

Even with record education funding, escalating retirement costs and expensive new demands have brought school districts to the brink.

 

Poll shows support for charter schools, vouchers is growing

AP News

Support for charter​​ schools and private school voucher programs has gone up over the past year.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Charitable Giving To Fresno State Up 22% For 2017-18

The Business Journal

Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro announced today that charitable giving to the university increased 22 percent in the 2017-18 academic year.

 

Castro Rejects Restricting Employee Speech: “Where Would We Draw The Line?”

KMJ-AF1

 Fresno State faculty and staff have been officially welcomed back to campus, but the Fall Assembly took place under the​​ shadow of what President Joseph Castro described as “turbulence” from earlier in the year.

 

SJCOE opens Code Stack Academy to build a passion for coding

Stockton Record

The city’s first accelerated software engineering school wants those who are passionate for computer coding. The San Joaquin County Office of Education last week announced the launch of Code Stack Academy.

 

A Free Tuition Education

WSJ

New York University announced late last week that it will offer free tuition for every current and future student attending its medical school.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Number of triple-digit days creeping up, but breaking record a longshot

Bakersfield Californian

Bakersfield is deep into the dog days of summer, that time of year when one furnace-hot day seems to merge into another ... and then another.

 

Central California Animal Disaster Team now serving Kern County

KGET

The Central California Animal Disaster Team has a division now serving Kern County.

The CCADT works to provide temporary animal shelters during natural and​​ human-caused disaster.

 

Energy:

 

Progressive vets, gun control advocates join forces on the campaign trail

Sacramento Bee

Democrats are ready to play offense on the issue of gun control — led by a coterie of veteran candidates competing in competitive districts. 

 

Trump administration's rewrite of Clean Power Plan will be a boon to the coal industry

Los Angeles Times

The new power plan would relieve the electricity industry — the second-largest producer of potent greenhouse gases nationwide — from aggressive goals for reducing its carbon footprint.

See also:

      E.P.A.’s New Coal Pollution Rules Will Lead to More Deaths, Agency’s Numbers Show The New York Times

     Trump Moves To Let States Regulate Coal Plant Emissions NPR

     EPA Head Signs Proposal to Undo Restrictions on Coal Plants WSJ

     Trump administration proposes rule to relax carbon limits on power plants The Washington Post

 

Nuclear expert says recent San Onofre incident posed no threat to public — but says operators 'need to quit tempting fate'

San Diego Union-Tribune

An independent nuclear power expert said an incident earlier this month at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in which a canister filled with spent nuclear fuel got wedged into a storage cavity about 18 feet from the floor did not pose a threat to the public or workers at the plant that is in the process of being decommissioned.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Pro-con: Regulate animal testing on toiletries?

CalMatters 

The United States lags behind much of the world in preventing the next shade of lipstick or​​ shampoo scent from being tested on animals.

 

Why addicted mothers struggle postpartum—stats, trends

PEW Trusts

Sleep deprivation, dramatic hormonal shifts and the day-to-day realities of caring for an infant create enormous stress for all women, but especially for those who are struggling to stay in recovery from drug use.

 

The Exercise That Helps Mental Health Most

WSJ

Researchers looking at the link between physical activity and mental health found that team sports fared best, followed by cycling, either on the road or a stationary bike.

 

Broken Bones And Missing Teeth:​​ Scooter Injuries Are Becoming Common At Hospitals

Buzzfeed

Emergency rooms are seeing people injured on scooters, or by tripping over them, but there’s no hard data on how many. Officials are looking to start collecting this information as they consider scooter regulations.

 

Human Services:

 

Adventist Health Bakersfield among local health care facilities to upgrade security​​ plans following active shooter scares

Bakersfield Californian

Administrators have taken notice, and have implemented steps to help prevent or better deal with future incidents. 

 

Californians with Blue Shield health plans complain of sudden, erroneous cancellations

Los Angeles Times

Ashley Summers said she got an unpleasant surprise in February when she tried to pick up a prescription for her rheumatoid arthritis: Her pharmacy said her insurance had been canceled, even though her premiums were paid.

 

There are good reasons to be optimistic about true health reform

Brookings

It is no surprise that partisan gridlock in Washington triggers widespread concern about the future of our health system. 

 

Health Insurance Premiums Are Stabilizing,​​ Despite GOP Attacks

PEW Trusts

Despite Republican efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act, insurance premiums will go up only slightly in most states where carriers have submitted proposed prices for next year. And insurance carriers are entering markets rather than fleeing them.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Trump sees political win in some Democrats' calls to abolish ICE
Los Angeles Times

Establishment Democrats worry that calls by some progressives to abolish ICE, which has more than 20,000 employees, could backfire in November.

 

DACA recipients think frequently about deportation, family separation: study

San Diego Union-Tribune

Many unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as children think at least daily about getting deported from the U.S., a​​ new study finds.

 

Fact Check: Does illegal immigration cost the United States more than​​ $100 billion a year?

AP

Does illegal immigration cost the United States more than $100 billion a year?

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Fresno’s Mason-Dixon Line

The Atlantic

More than 50 years after redlining was outlawed, the legacy of discrimination can still be seen in California’s poorest large city.

 

County’s update of general plan lacks adequate public review, comment

Fresno Bee

Fresno County is about to update its most important development document for the first time in almost 20 years, and it left residents completely out of the process. 

 

Smart City Progress in 2018: 4 Strategies to Deliver on the Promise

Brookings

Almost five years ago, amidst the initial hype of the technology-driven “smart city,” we published a report urging cities to take a step back. While talking to the early digital pioneers within city government, these leaders expressed to us that technological development was happening faster than their agencies could keep up. In​​ response, we proposed judging “smartness” by whether places had developed a clear vision to guide their digital future, rather than by how many sensors and software systems they had installed.

 

What Ends Up On the Sidewalk

CityLab

Sidewalks are a last shred of safe public space. No wonder we’re fighting over them.

 

Housing:

 

Californians are rich with home equity after market surge. Are you? Here’s how to tell

Sacramento Bee

Boosted by soaring home prices, California​​ homeowners are now sitting on the richest vein of home equity in the nation, hundreds of thousands of dollars per home in most cases, an analysis shows.

 

Local parks departments grapple with homelessness

Bakersfield Californian

As homelessness has increased throughout the state and county, some local residents feel uncomfortable with the impact on public parks.

 

Garden Pathways and Dignity Health announce $100,000 homelessness partnership

Bakersfield Californian

Garden Pathways announced an effort Monday to take a deep look at homelessness at least, in one specific part of Bakersfield.

 

'Yes In My Backyard' Movement, YIMBY, Grows As Bay Area Housing Tightens

WBUR

At a Berkeley City Council meeting last year, a developer was trying to get permission to tear down a house in West Berkeley and replace it with two, two-story homes.

 

Rural America Faces A Crisis In 'Adequate Housing'

NPR

Like a lot of the Midwest, western Nebraska slowly emptied out over the years, which is why a lot of locals say the current housing shortage is nothing short of a paradox.

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

CalPERS wants to turn its ‘hole in the ground’ into Sacramento’s tallest building

Sacramento Bee

CalPERS is ready to put up to $550 million into a long-vacant site on Capitol Mall, aiming to build what would become the tallest​​ office tower in Sacramento.

 

Community Voices: Gas tax hurts working families

Bakersfield Californian

I don’t understand when Sacramento politicians passed SB 1, the punitive gas and car tax during the last legislative session.

 

Open government group sues CalPERS over data on pension types

San Diego Union-Tribune

An open government group is suing the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, saying it has failed to disclose records that should be public about benefit recipients.

 

U.S. Chamber Urges Treasury to Relax Offshore Tax Refund Rules

Bloomberg

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urges the Treasury Department to give corporations that overpaid taxes on offshore profits more flexibility in how to use those refunds.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Wonder what destructive … uh, inventive uses Fresno will come up with for scooters

Fresno Bee

Motorized electric scooters may be the latest transportation trend, and they do look fun to ride. But unlike skateboards or inline skates, this craze is being forced upon us without our consent.

 

What do you drive? These are the 10 longest-kept new vehicles in California

Fresno Bee

The national average of keeping a new car is 7.4 years. Here are the cars Californians are holding onto the longest after buying them.

 

Which new car do Modesto-area drivers keep the longest? Hint: It’s not really a car

Modesto Bee

Across the nation, many drivers love to hang on to their SUVs. 

 

Speed limits on several Merced streets​​ could soon change

ABC30

The Merced City council is considering an adjustment to the speed limit for a number of main and residential streets in town.

 

DMV redesigns website for easier access

Bakersfield Californian

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has redesigned portions of its website to make it easier for customers to access the most​​ frequently used online services. 

 

BART ridership drops on nights, weekends

San Francisco Chronicle

BART’s once-rocketing ridership has taken a 6.3-percent tumble in the past three years — an 8 million-ride drop compared with the system’s peak ridership year of 2016.

 

Expect traffic backups at Truxtun and Oak due to widening, median project

Bakersfield.com

Drivers are being urged to leave early or consider alternate routes this week as construction crews continue work in downtown Bakersfield near the intersection of Truxtun Avenue and Oak Street. A project to add an additional lane in each direction and construct medians in the roadway is likely to cause delays.

 

Trump Auto Tariff Timetable Likely to Slip Amid Europe,​​ Nafta Talks

WSJ

The Trump administration is pushing back its timetable for completing a controversial investigation into whether to impose tariffs on auto imports, as officials try to negotiate agreements with some of the world’s largest car exporters.

 

WATER

 

Local farmers headed to State Capitol to hold water rally

ABC30

Local growers from the South Valley are on an important trip to the​​ State's Capital. Farmers are headed to Sacramento to rally against what they call a "water grab".

See also:

     This is the scene of big water rally at State Capitol in Sacramento Fresno Bee

     ‘Time for action is now.’ Interior chief demands plan to pump more California water south Merced Sun-Star

     Revised ‘water grab’ could lead to severe, irreversible impacts Stockton Record

     Water plan will ‘decimate’ economy; hundreds converge at Capitol for protest Modesto Bee

     EDITORIAL: Valley shows up big at Capitol water rally Modesto Bee

     EDITORIAL: SF, state must compromise on water restriction plan San Francisco​​ Chronicle

 

Vital Us Reservoir Ok For Now, But Shortages Are Looming

The Business Journal

A vital reservoir on the Colorado River will be able to meet​​ the demands of Mexico and the U.S. Southwest for the next 13 months, but a looming shortage could trigger cutbacks in 2020, officials said Wednesday.

 

Big winter for rain, snow could fill state’s reservoirs

San Francisco Chronicle

Over the weekend, the total acres burned in​​ wildfires in California was expected to hit 1 million for the year, announced the National Interagency Fire Center. The chance of an El Niño this winter rose to 70 percent, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

 

Ryan Zinke, Trump's Interior secretary, fires another shot at California water policy
Los​​ Angeles Times

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, stepping up the Trump administration’s attack on California water policy, on Friday issued a memo to his staff demanding a “plan of action” to circumvent state officials.

 

Communities rally to bring clean drinking water to Stratford

Hanford Sentinel

In the midst of the failure of two water wells in the community of Stratford, residents have been left without access to safe and clean drinking water, so local leaders are pitching in to help alleviate the burden.

 

San Francisco Is Fighting California’s Plan to Save Salmon. Wait. What?

KQED

California water officials are poised to​​ approve a revolutionary plan that could redefine the way water is allocated.

 

“Xtra”

 

Fresno’s drinking-est event returns. Sudz in the City is back

Fresno Bee

Sudz in the City is coming back to downtown Fresno, which should cause no small amount of glee for those who have missed the long-running beer festival. The event ran for 21 years before going on hiatus in 2015.

 

Meetings, club events in and around Modesto (08/21/18)

Modesto Bee

Calendar.

 

It's twice as nice as Pita Paradise adds second truck

Bakersfield Californian

You might be seeing double downtown next week. On Wednesday, mobile food business Pita Paradise will unveil a second food truck that's ready for business. 

 

Surfing is now California’s official state sport, lawmaker ‘stoked’

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Jerry Brown bolstered his beach cred Monday​​ with a nod to California’s sweet waves, declaring surfing the official state sport.

See also:

      Surf's up in California, where it's now the official sport AP