April 26, 2018

26Apr

IN THIS ISSUE:​

Top Policy/Political Stories

  • Valley
  • State
  • Federal
Additional information on the following topics
  • Agriculture/Food
  • Criminal Justice/Public Safety
  • Economy/ Jobs
  • Education
  • Environment/Energy
  • Health/Human Services
  • Immigration
  • Land Use/Housing
  • Public Finances
  • Transportation
  • Water
  • “Xtra“​

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Valley:

Promising unity, an end to political infighting, Latino community backs Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo for county supervisor candidate

The Bakersfield Californian

Flanked by top leaders from the Latino community, Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo emphasized the importance of unity among supporters before formally announcing she would challenge David Couch for Kern County’s newly drawn District Four supervisor area.

 

Report: Nunes built bunker to fight Trump’s opponents

Fresno Bee

Rep. Devin Nunes has transformed the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence into “a beachhead“ to gather support for President Donald Trump against his enemies, according to an article published this week in The New York Times Magazine.

 

EDITORIAL: A call for bi-partisanship from community to Congress

Sierra Star

During the years of the Obama administration the left constantly reminded folks that Mitch McConnell had stated that it was the Republican’s job to make that President a one-term leader. The American people re-elected him to another term but sent many Republicans to the Congress.

 

State:

 

Republicans surge past Villaraigosa in California governor’s race, poll says

Modesto Bee

The two major Republican candidates in the race to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown are battling for second place to make the November runoff, while Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has strengthened his lead, according to a new poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies.

See Also:

     Poll: Newsom, Villaraigosa and Cox lead race for California governor The Mercury News

     Little-known Republican threatens to shake up US Senate race in California Sacramento Bee

     Poll: Republicans surging in California governor’s race The Sacramento Bee

 

GOP’s gas-tax bank shot

The Bakersfield Californian

California’s congressional Republicans are all in on an initiative to repeal the state’s 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. As they see it, it could help them maintain control of the House of Representatives.

See Also:

     Republicans ready to turn in signatures for ballot measure to repeal California gas-tax increase Los Angeles Times

 

California voters: Get ready for an onslaught of television ads

Los Angeles Times

After a sleepy campaign, California voters are now being bombarded with television advertisements in the governor’s race, an onslaught that is expected to ramp up in coming weeks.

See also:

     Fact-checking TV ads in California governor’s race PolitiFact

 

EDITORIAL: Call Sacramento’s bluff on dealing with sexual harassment in the Capitol

OCRegister

The California Legislature is forever passing tough laws for others and then exempting its own — so why should the Sacramento tiger change its stripes in the #MeToo era? Well, it hasn’t.

 

California AB 2943 — Christian Books & Booksellers Would Be Threatened

National Review

Activists claimed I was lying, arguing in bad faith, and/or exaggerating the effect of California’s AB 2943, a bill that purports to declare “sexual orientation change efforts” to be an “unlawful business practice.” I claimed the bill was so broad that it could even ban books.

 

Federal:

 

Veterans Affairs Nominee Jackson Bows Out Amid Firestorm

Roll Call

Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Veterans Affairs secretary, has stepped aside amid new allegations of alcohol abuse and faulty prescription practices, a senior White House official said Thursday.

Also See:

     Ronny Jackson Withdraws as Veterans Affairs Nominee WSJ

 

EDITORIAL: Mick Mulvaney’s message to bankers: You have to pay to play

Los Angeles Times

It’s standard operating procedure for lawmakers to declare that campaign donations by special interests do not sway them, even though the vast majority of their constituents don’t believe it. That’s what makes acting Consumer Finance Protection Bureau director Mick Mulvaney’s comments to a banking industry trade association Tuesday so remarkable.

 

EDITORIAL: Trump’s consumer watchdog tells bankers to go after his agency

San Francisco Chronicle

Mick Mulvaney was never the right choice to run a consumer agency he despises. Now he’s showing even more contempt for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by asking bankers to help gut the agency and revealing his pay-to-play mind-set.

A Plea for the Old School Senate

Roll Call

What could have been a contentious meeting about shortening Senate debate time for nominations turned into more of a bipartisan conversation among some of the most senior senators at taking another shot at moving regular spending bills.

 

Other:

 

Facebook’s financial results appear untarnished by Cambridge Analytica scandal

Los Angeles Times

Facebook Inc. continued to add users and saw revenue soar in the first quarter despite facing its worst crisis in company history over the mishandling of personal data belonging to millions of unsuspecting users.

See Also:

     Poll: Facebook affected 2016 election, threatens users’ privacy, many Californians say  Los Angeles Daily

     Facebook beats Wall Street’s revenue estimates, shares rise Reuters

     Facebook profit hits an all-time high, unaffected by recent scandals — so far Washington Post

 

How artificial intelligence is transforming the world

Brookings

Darrell West and Brookings President John Allen discuss the integration and deployment of artificial intelligence in sectors like finance, national security, and health care and make recommendations for addressing some of the ethical and legal issues surrounding AI.

See also:

      Beyond the hype on artificial intelligence AEI

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Farm Bureau to highlight tariff impacts

Hanford Sentinel

Farmers for Free Trade and the California Farm Bureau Federation will host a news conference featuring California farmers and the secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Karen Ross, to highlight the negative impact of new tariffs on California exports.

 

The Farm Labor Drought

NPR

A shortage of workers willing and able to do farm labor is forcing some big changes on California’s agricultural sector.

 

Strawberry season is upon us, but it’s not a good one

Visalia Times-Delta

There’s a consensus — this year’s crop of strawberries is among the worst seen in 20 years. That agreement doesn’t come from those who are enjoying the heart-shaped berries, but the people who are growing and selling them.

 

California “Track and Trace” program sees pot’s every move

The Mercury News

From birth to death — and beyond, when added to foods and extracts — plants like this will soon enter California’s elaborate new “Track and Trace” program, providing the same information you’d find on a pack of gum or box of copy paper.

 

Bill to create banks for cannabis businesses clears hurdle in Legislature

San Francisco Chronicle

A second state Senate committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would make it easier for California cannabis businesses to write checks — instead of using hoards of cash, as is common practice now — to pay taxes, rent and fees to vendors.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​ ​/​ ​FIRE​ ​/​ ​PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Golden State Killer arrested, suspected in at least 12 slayings, 45 rapes, authorities say

Fresno Bee

After four decades of dead ends, Sacramento law enforcement leaders announced Wednesday they arrested the man they believe was the East Area Rapist who killed and terrorized people in the 1970s and 1980s.

See also:

     Golden State Killer suspect linked to Visalia mystery, was an Exeter police officer Fresno Bee

     Alleged serial killer arrested in Sacramento also known as Visalia Ransacker, officials say ABC30

      Here are the headlines behind the horror of East Area Rapist, 1979-2018  Merced Sun -Star

      Watch drone video of FBI investigators searching suspected East Area Rapist’s home Merced Sun -Star

     He was quirky and complex. But they never thought the former cop next door could be notorious Modesto Bee

     Sacramento police: Former Exeter cop is Visalia Ransacker Visalia Times-Delta

     Ex-cop arrested in sadistic California crime spree from ’70s and ’80s The Bakersfield Californian

     What do we know about the Golden State Killer and his victims? Hanford Sentinel

     ‘The day I have dreamed of for 40 years’: Police detail East Area Rapist’s Stockton attacks Stockton Record

     Modesto on edge when East Area Rapist struck 40 years ago Modesto Bee

     EDITORIAL: After 40 years, persistence, publicity and DNA evidence pay off in East Area Rapist case Sacramento Bee

     Ex-cop is suspected ‘Golden State Killer’ The Mercury News

     Golden State Killer: DNA from Orange County killings helped lead to an arrest OCRegister

     Ex-Cop Arrested in Golden State Killer Case: ‘We Found the Needle in the Haystack’ New York Times

 

San Joaquin County Sheriff Stripped of Role in Death Investigations

KQED

San Joaquin County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new model for investigating deaths in the wake of allegations that the coroner, who is also the elected sheriff, used his political office to shield officers who killed civilians.

 

Update: Sex scandal forces resignation of former Modesto youth pastor

Modesto Bee

The founding senior pastor of an Arizona megachurch, caught up in a sex scandal with roots in Modesto, has resigned, congregants were told Wednesday evening at a special meeting of Highlands Church in Scottsdale.

 

Efforts to regulate bail companies have some unlikely allies: bail agents

Los Angeles Times

In recent years, the seriousness and number of official complaints related to the bail industry in California have significantly increased while bail agents and bounty hunters face limited oversight, putting vulnerable communities at risk of fraud, embezzlement and other forms of victimization.

 

Report finds San Diego jails are failing inmates with mental illness

The San Diego Union-Tribune

A new report on suicides in San Diego jails doesn’t mention Heron Moriarty by name, but among the cases it highlights as preventable suicides is one Michelle Moriarty knows is her husband. Hours before he died, a nurse practitioner recommended Heron Moriarty be placed on suicide watch. But a jail sergeant ignored the nurse’s recommendation, the report says.

 

Public Safety:

 

Prepared, concerned committed – that’s how Merced’s responders roll

Merced Sun-Star

When school officials hear certain words or phrases over the airway, action is taken and an entire community of law enforcement and first responders spring into action. Questions come later.

 

Fire:

 

Vacant house fires threatening Fresno neighborhoods

ABC30

Vacant house fires are a growing problem in the City of Fresno. Fire crews were called to their 13th of the year.

 

California lawmakers take on insurance industry over wildfire coverage

Sacramento Bee

The Senate Insurance Committee, chaired by arguably the upper house’s most moderate Democrat Sen. Steve Glazer, will vote on two bills with major implications for homeowners and insurers.

See also:

·       Why you may pay more in your power bill for damage from utility-caused fires 89.3 KPCC

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

Fresno’s extreme poverty puts the city in a bad spot on a national list

Fresno Bee

Fresno ranks No. 2 in the nation for cities with the highest rates of extreme poverty, a new study shows. The research by Wall St. 24/7, published this week in USA Today, used census data to rank 20 cities throughout the U.S. by growth rate of extreme poverty growth from 2010 to 2016.

See Also:

     Visalia prospers despite growing Bakersfield, Fresno poverty rates Visalia Times-Delta

 

Aldi grocery store files in Hanford for building plans

Handford Sentinel

The Hanford Aldi grocery store has finalized a lease for 22,500 square feet – a new building at the southwest corner of 12th Avenue and Lacey Boulevard. That’s the same corner that already has Chipotle, Jimmy John’s and The Habit Burger Grill.

 

The San Francisco Bay Area’s economy is ‘defying gravity’ — and it reveals how powerful the tech industry has become

SFGate

It probably comes at no surprise that the San Jose and San Francisco metro areas have the strongest economies in the US. Many of the nation’s largest tech companies are headquartered there, and one economist recently told Mercury News that the Bay Area’s economy “is defying gravity.”

 

Jobs:

 

Job Opportunities Root and Rebound comes to Fresno

Roots and Rebound

Project Rebound is looking for really stellar candidates with local knowledge and deep connection to the Fresno community and criminal justice issues.. Positions include:

Fresno-Women’s Support & Social Services Manager

Fresno – Reentry Attorney

Fresno-Employment & Economic Security Coach

For more information please contact Jennifer Leahy at projectrebound@mail.fresnostate.edu

 

Modesto’s Crystal Creamery cuts its workforce by 5 percent

Modesto Bee

Modesto’s Crystal Creamery has cut its workforce by about 5 percent, the dairy company confirmed Wednesday.

 

Is it more dangerous to be a cop, a pilot or a logger? The 12 most deadly jobs in California

Sacramento Bee

More than 350 California workers die from work-related injuries during a typical year, but most of those deaths occur across a small number of occupations.

 

Stalemate weakens fund for jobless benefits

CALmatters

Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenues over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.

 

California unemployment benefits fund ill-prepared for a downturn

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenue over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.

 

A Year-Round Opportunity To Fight Poverty in California

CAFWD

The Earned Income Tax Credit, a cash-back program for hard-working people, has long been established as one of the strongest policy tools we have to fight poverty and make work pay better. Our great state has the worst poverty rate in the nation.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Groundbreaking for Matilda Torres High School in Madera

ABC30

With a scoop of dirt, Madera Unified is one step closer to opening their new high school, Matilda Torres High School, providing students with new opportunities.

 

Two schools, district recognized among state’s best

Hanford Sentinel

The hard work and achievements of two Kings County schools and their district are being recognized by the state this year.

 

Engaging families in school the goal of resources fair

Bakersfield Californian

The “Now We’re Cooking” Resource Fair held Wednesday evening at Evergreen Elementary School in south Bakersfield operated under one simple premise: If school districts can get parents and their children directly engaged in school — together — the young students almost always do better, academically and behaviorally.

 

MUSD lays it all out

Madera Tribune

As the increase in concern over turbulence in public schools spreads across the nation, Madera Unified School District is making a concerted effort to engage its high school students in a joint examination of the school climate that presently prevails at Madera High and Madera South High.

 

English learners are becoming English-proficient at higher rates. How did LAUSD pull it off?

KPCC

Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District who are still learning English are becoming proficient in their new language at record levels.

 

Since 2007-08, Spending Per State Prisoner Has Increased More Than Twice as Fast as Spending Per K-12 Student

California Budget & Policy Center

Under Governor Brown’s proposed 2018-19 budget, spending per prisoner would exceed $80,000 – up by 32% since 2007-08. Spending per K_12 student would be 14% above the 2007-08 level.

 

Despite progress, California’s teaching force far from reflecting diversity of students

EdSource

California has a far more racially and ethnically diverse teaching force than it had 20 years ago — and a more diverse one than is the case nationally. About about 1 in 3 of the state’s 305,000 teachers are teachers of color, compared to 1 in 5 teachers across the nation.

 

What does California’s superintendent of public instruction do? A quick guide

EdSource

The job of state superintendent of public instruction has been around since California itself. The position was written into the state’s 1849 constitution; four years later, Gov. John Bigler asked unsuccessfully for the Legislature to abolish it.

 

School attendance: A building block of student achievement

Brookings

In a new video based on research from the Hamilton Project at Brookings, Lauren Bauer uses Jenga blocks to illustrate the ways in which poor school attendance negatively affects both chronically absent students and their classmates.

 

Higher Ed:

 

CCC-Associate Degree for Transfer

CSU

The California Community Colleges (CCC) Associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) and the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degrees are two-year associate degrees that are fully transferable to the CSU and are no more than 60 semester units or 90 quarter units.

 

California online community college announces first health care pathway

California Economy Reporting

The proposed California online community college has announced its first partnership to establish a program pathway in the health care industry to meet needs like more coders.

 

Villaraigosa advocates for new university campus in Stockton and tuition aid tied to public service

EdSource

A new Cal State campus in Stockton, a new medical school at UC Merced and a plan giving students a year of free tuition at a state university in exchange for a year of public service were some of the ideas gubernatorial candidate and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa put forward at a pre-election forum on higher education Tuesday evening.

 

How professors contribute to the democratic deficit

AEI

Students today are frustrated with the state of politics in America. Instead of having to sit in classes and in dorm rooms wondering what to do about the current levels of dysfunction, they should be taught how to become civically involved — and supported by their professors in their efforts to learn how to change the status quo.

 

It’s happened again: A fraternity is under fire for racist behavior, and a university has cracked down.

Washington Post

A California university has suspended all fraternities and sororities following racially insensitive incidents and become the latest school to crack down on campus fraternal organizations.

 

A push for mental health care at colleges: Depression and anxiety ‘really eat up our kids’

CALmatters

When student leaders from 23 California State University campuses came together last fall to set priorities for the academic year, improving campus mental health services received more nominations than any other issue. It beat out even that perennial concern, tuition costs.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

EDITORIAL: End discardable plastic bottle caps in California

The Mercury News

Californians should take pride that their state is the nation’s trend-setter for improving the environment. Whether it’s the plastic bags ban or gas mileage standards, California has led with common-sense solutions to long-standing problems.

 

Energy:

 

Why California’s attorney general must stand up to solar companies

Sacramento Bee

In March, the attorney general of New Mexico filed a 17-count civil complaint against Vivint Solar that accused the company — which sells and leases rooftop solar panels in California, New Mexico and other states – of fraud, racketeering and unfair business practices. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra would do well to follow New Mexico’s lead.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

VA Central California hosts forum for contractors

ABC30

VA Central California Health Care System held a forum on Wednesday for contractors to help them learn more the federal contracting process.

 

How to keep intoxicated from clogging emergency rooms

The Mercury News

The law requires transport directly to a hospital emergency room. Many of these people have “uncomplicated alcohol intoxication,” needing only time and basic monitoring to sober safely. These visits cost millions and contribute to emergency department overcrowding, reducing resources for those who have medical emergency needs.

 

Worth Noting: United Way of Kern County gets new president/CEO

Bakersfield Californian

United Way of Kern County has announced a new interim president and CEO.

 

Prescription drugs are costly. This startup helps doctors find cheaper ones

San Francisco Chronicle

As consumers and health insurers grapple with ever-rising costs of prescription drugs, one Bay Area startup thinks it’s found a solution: Get doctors involved.

 

A push for mental health care at colleges: Depression and anxiety ‘really eat up our kids’

CALmatters

When student leaders from 23 California State University campuses came together last fall to set priorities for the academic year, improving campus mental health services received more nominations than any other issue. It beat out even that perennial concern, tuition costs.

 

Primary care is a home run for both sides of the aisle

The Hill

With respect to enhancing value, primary care is foundational. Studies show that advanced primary care reduces unnecessary specialist referrals, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits with better health outcomes for patients.

 

California ObamaCare official urges Trump to restore outreach funding

The Hill

The head of the California ObamaCare marketplace is urging the Trump administration to restore outreach funding to encourage people to sign up, warning of higher premiums if the step is not taken.

 

A warning on health care price setting as envisioned by Assembly Bill 3087

AEI

Assembly Bill 3087 proposes to task an independent state agency with setting payment rates for all health care providers. Such authority conveys substantial power to alter the market. However, the temptation for regulators to overreach presents a threat to rate setting’s success.

 

Dangerous outbreak of E. coli illness from romaine lettuce expands, with 19 states affected

Washington Post

The bacteria can cause serious kidney problems, and at least 42 people have been hospitalized.

 

Human Services:

 

How the Child-Welfare System Could Protect More Kids and Save Billions of Dollars

RAND

The study provides a first-of-its-kind look at how the system works, and how it could work better. It found that a greater emphasis on preventing maltreatment before it happens, and on keeping children within their own extended families when it does, could improve the lives of thousands of children every year.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Activist group to California Latinos: Don’t talk with cops

The Mercury News

As more cities and counties add their voices to an anti-sanctuary movement, one civil rights group wants to fight back by taking an unusual tack – asking Latinos not to cooperate with law enforcement.

 

Pro- and anti-Trump forces score points on immigration, but both sides are losing

Los Angeles Times

When it comes to illegal immigration, California is no longer at war with a single foe — the Trump administration. It’s now officially at war with itself.

 

Supreme Court’s conservative justices appear to back Trump’s authority for travel ban

Washington Post

The conservative majority on the Supreme Court seemed to agree Wednesday that President Trump has the authority to ban travelers from certain majority-Muslim countries if he thinks that it is necessary to protect the country.

See also:

·       EDITORIAL: Whatever the Supreme Court decides on the law, Trump’s Muslim ban is bad policy  Los Angeles Times

·       The DACA Decision and the Judicial Threat to the Rule of Law  National Review

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Tribes seek act of Congress to expand lands

San Francisco Chronicle

It’s been said that the only real law of history is the law of unintended consequences. My candidate for good intentions gone haywire comes courtesy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its fee-to-trust program.

 

Housing:

 

Rent control will worsen California’s housing crisis

Sacramento Bee

Our coalition continues to work toward solutions and to ease the financial burden of millions of Californians. We have embraced a number of important measures to ease the housing crunch, and coalition members have worked in favor of offering local aid to create more middle-class housing and earmarking money to help our skyrocketing homeless population.

 

What a change to rent control restrictions could mean for you

89.3 KPCC

Rent control policies can differ by location and building. In units subject to rent control, landlords are limited in how much they can increase rent, which can vary depending on existing local laws.

 

HUD Secretary Ben Carson to propose raising rent for low-income Americans receiving federal housing subsidies

Washington Post

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson proposed far-reaching changes to federal housing subsidies Wednesday, tripling rent for the poorest households and making it easier for housing authorities to impose work requirements.

See also:

     HUD Floats a Plan Intended to Reduce Dependence on Housing Assistance New York Times

 

Regulators are fueling another housing boom

AEI

Just eleven years after the last housing bubble burst, the United States is in the midst of yet another boom — both caused by errant federal housing policy and inflated by regulatory malpractice.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Stalemate weakens fund for jobless benefits

CALmatters

Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenues over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.

 

California unemployment benefits fund ill-prepared for a downturn

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenue over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.

 

California, like the rest of the country, needs to confront the pension crisis

OCRegister

State pension funds nationwide reported unfunded liabilities of $1.4 trillion in 2016, explains The Pew Charitable Trusts in a ew report, up $295 billion from the previous year.

 

Calpers Rejects Plea to Divest From Carmakers Over Emissions

Bloomberg

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System opposes plans by the Trump administration to relax vehicle emissions standards. But don’t expect Calpers to exert its muscle by dumping shares of car makers.

 

California Congressional Republicans take their shot

CALmatters

California’s congressional Republicans are all in on an initiative to repeal the state’s 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. As they see it, it could help them maintain control of the House of Representatives.

 

The federal budget outlook: Even crazier after all these years

Brookings

In an odd twist, the strong projected economy makes the projections of large deficits more worrisome. The strong economic performance is due in significant part to the implementation of the tax legislation.

 

April 2018: Personal Income Tax Tracker

Legislative Analyst’s Office

April is a major revenue month for the state. This post includes two graphs that track the state’s progress in meeting the administration’s January 2018 projection for April personal income tax receipts. At the end of the post, we provide an update on corporation tax collections to date.

 

A Year-Round Opportunity To Fight Poverty in California

California Economy Reporting

For most Californians the stress of mid-April has subsided as tax-season has ended. At CalEITC4Me our work to fight poverty is just beginning. Most don’t realize that hard-working Californians can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit they’ve earned at anytime throughout the year.

 

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Amtrak San Joaquins Morning Express Toolkit

California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley

Dan Leavitt from the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority has shared a digital toolkit (click here to download) with the Partnership Board to help promote Morning Express Service, a schedule reconfiguration launching May 7th.

 

Amtrak San Joaquin changes fare policies

The Business Journal

Amtrak San Joaquin has made changes to its fee schedule that could save passengers money and allow them to change trains without incurring added costs.

 

Nightmare 90-minute ‘super commutes’ more common as Bay Area housing shortage intensifies

The Mercury News

Across the Bay Area, workers are spending more time sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or squeezed into crowded trains and buses — further evidence of the intensifying struggle to balance a well-paying job with an affordable place to live.

See Also:

     Stunning increase in Bay Area ‘super commuters’ in the last decade amid housing crisis SFGate

     Investing in regional rail can erase prescription for gridlock OCRegister

 

Metro wants to end free rides for clean-air vehicles in toll lanes

Los Angeles Times

Facing rising congestion in the 110 Freeway and 10 Freeway toll lanes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday will consider ending free rides for commuters who drive alone in zero-emission vehicles.

 

PG&E customers can get $3000 off the new Nissan Leaf — for now

San Francisco Chronicle

Automakers, it seems, have figured out a new way to reach potential electric vehicle buyers — go through their utility company. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced this week that its customers can receive $3,000 off a new 2018 Nissan Leaf, a special offer that will end July 2.

 

WATER

 

Are California’s Cities Ready for the Next Drought?

Public Policy Institute of California

California’s urban areas—where more than 90% of residents live—managed the last drought quite well. How well prepared are cities and suburbs to weather the next long dry spell? Here are two things to know about urban drought preparedness.

 

No love for Tulare Lake Storage project

Hanford Sentinel

While the Temperance Flat Reservoir Project has strong local support, the Tulare Lake Storage and Floodwater Protection Project continues to get slammed in the competition for state funds.

 

Oroville Dam without DWR? It’s a possibility

The Mercury News

A bill proposed by Assemblyman James Gallagher which would take the State Water Project out of the hands of the state Department of Water Resources passed unanimously on Tuesday through a legislative committee.

 

Proposition 68—A $4 Billion Bond for (Mostly) Water

CALmatters

California voters have shown no reluctance in the past to put water and park spending on the state’s credit card. Most recently, voters agreed to borrow another $7.5 billion in 2014 with Prop 1.

 

California Voters Will Consider Two Water Bonds This Election Cycle

capradio.org

Two different water bonds are set to appear on the California ballot this election season, after a $9 billion measure gathered enough signatures to qualify in November, according to the Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday.

See Also:

      California voters should expect to decide on an $8.9-billion water bond in November  Los Angeles Times

      California Voters Will Consider Two Water Bonds This Election Cycle Capital Public Radio

     California voters to decide on $8.9 billion water bonds in November Reuters

 

“Xtra”

 

The top 5 events for a fun-filled weekend in Fresno

ABC30

Thinking about your weekend plans already? Perfect. From a scavenger hunt through downtown Fresno to the annual rodeo parade through Old Town Clovis, here’s what’s in store.

Hundreds of cowboys enter qualifying runs for Clovis Rodeo

ABC30

Each one is a professional cowboy, and the horses they ride have experience, but that doesn’t mean they have an easy ride entering the Clovis Rodeo. Wednesday morning the first qualifying run took place at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds.

 

Clovis North drama program puts finishing touches on ‘Mary Poppins’ production

Clovis Round Up

The Clovis North Bronco Drama program is ready to take the stage for its production of Disney’s “Mary Poppins.”

 

Thursday Night Market returns with new look

Hanford Sentinel

It’s going to a good week for those in the market — for a market.

 

CALM to host Give Big Kern nonprofits for Meet & Greet

Bakersfield Californian

Give Big Kern Day is Tuesday, but the early birds at CALM are hosting an event for the fundraising campaign this weekend.

 

On the Road: Top national parks in California and surrounding states

Stockton Record

This week is National Parks Week, with admission to all national parks and monuments free through Sunday. Californians are blessed by close proximity to this amazing world.