POLICY & POLITICS
North SJ Valley:
Atwater will ask Newsom to lift COVID-19 rules. Some residents plead to ‘open Merced County’
Merced Sun-Star
Merced County residents and the City of Atwater ask officials to lift social and economic restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic by reopening businesses. Public Health say they must comply with state orders.
Judge orders Stanislaus County to reimburse Modesto church nearly $100,000. Here’s why
Modesto Bee
A judge this month ordered Stanislaus County to reimburse The House Modesto church nearly $100,000 in property taxes, but the sum is less than half of what the church was seeking.
Rep. McClintock Says California COVID-19 Response Has ‘Done Enormous Damage’
Capital Public Radio
McClintock suggested that California and other states with orders forcing businesses to close and people to stay home based their decisions too heavily on health risks.
EDITORIAL: Stanislaus leaders must be fully transparent with coronavirus reports by ZIP code
Modesto Bee
Modesto has 10 ZIP codes. We should know how many COVID-19 cases are in each; a single coronavirus report for a city of 215,000 does not give us much to go on.
Central SJ Valley:
Fresno attorney nominated for U.S. District Court seat, White House says
Fresno Bee
A Fresno-based attorney has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the White House said Wednesday. Dirk B. Paloutzian has practiced law for 25 years, according to his resume.
See also:
● Trump Nominates Fresno Attorney for Federal Bench GV Wire
Fresno’s nonessential shops should remain closed through May, city councilman says
Fresno Bee
Fresno Councilmember Nelson Esparza said Wednesday the city should uphold its shelter-in-place order through at least May 31, an opinion that falls sharply on the opposite side of some of his outspoken colleagues on the council.
See also:
● Ready to open shops amid COVID-19? Fresno official says owners need to start planning Fresno Bee
● Coronavirus updates: Surge in cases continues; Fresno business cited for not closing Fresno Bee
Mendota Mayor Fears COVID-19 Case Numbers Are Higher Than Officials Say
VPR
Mendota currently has 8 confirmed cases of the coronavirus but Mayor Rolando Castro says he thinks the number is higher.
Kings County lifts shelter-in-place, says Governor’s order still in effect
abc30
The Kings County Board of Supervisors lifted the county’s shelter-in-place directive at Tuesday night’s board meeting. However, the board said the county will continue to follow Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order.
See also:
● County rescinds shelter-in-place order Hanford Sentinel
Visalia Times Delta
Visalia’s school district will bring high-speed internet to thousands of homes in an effort to close the digital divide that has prevented many San Joaquin Valley residents from accessing online learning materials.
Cox: A strong COVID-19 recovery starts with strong support for small business
Hanford Sentinel
Since this crisis began, I have heard from dozens of small businesses, farms, and, in particular, minority borrowers who have been shut out of federal economic stimulus funds.
South SJ Valley:
Bakersfield Californian
The City of Bakersfield has announced modifications, cancellations or postponements of upcoming events because of COVID-19 precautions, according to a news release from the city manager’s office.
Kern County Fair board warns it may have to close for good
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Fair may soon close permanently if it cannot find enough grant money or donations to cover its financial losses during the coronavirus shutdown, members of the event’s board of directors warned Wednesday.
State:
Surf’s down in California: Governor will close beaches
Fresno Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom will order all beaches and state parks closed starting Friday after people thronged the seashore during a sweltering weekend despite his social distancing order that aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to a memo sent to police chiefs around the state.
See also:
● Gov. Gavin Newsom to order all California beaches closed after seeing SoCal crowds abc30
● Memo says California governor will order all beaches closed Bakersfield Californian
● Newsom to order closure of all state beaches and parks, report says San Francisco Chronicle
● Newsom poised to close beaches throughout the state to slow coronavirus spread Los Angeles Times
● Column: Don’t endanger your friends and family. Patience, please, and stay off the beach Los Angeles Times
● Skelton: All Californians have a right to their beaches. Even during the coronavirus crisis Los Angeles Times
When can you get your hair cut at a salon in California? It could be months, Newsom’s plan says
Fresno Bee
It’s going to be a while before you can get your hair cut in a California salon again. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said it will be months before places like hair and nail salons, movie theaters and in-person church services can resume operation.
See also:
● Gov. Newsom outlined a four-phase plan for reopening. We’re at stage one Los Angeles Times
● Gov. Gavin Newsom says staying home now will help reopen California sooner Los Angeles Times
● When stay-at-home orders expire in each of California’s 58 counties Los Angeles Times
● 1st in California, rural Modoc County to drop shelter-in-place orders, open for business Friday San Francisco Chronicle
● California reopening: There’s a plan but no firm timetable and many questions Los Angeles Times
● Second wave of coronavirus could be more deadly, experts warn. What does history say? Fresno Bee
Criticism grows over Gov. Newsom’s management of the crisis
Los Angeles Times
Advocates for seniors and people with disabilities blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration last week for advising hospitals to prioritize younger people with greater life expectancy for care during the coronavirus outbreak, saying the state’s medical shortage guidelines were discriminatory and crafted without their input.
See also:
● Newsom is cutting huge, secret deals for coronavirus in a hurry. Lawmakers want to know moreSacramento Bee
● EDITORIAL: Gavin Newsom’s half-baked announcements harm credibility, raise troubling questionsSacramento Bee
CBS
The California Republican Party is suing Governor Gavin Newsom to prohibit the practice of ballot collecting or “ballot harvesting” during two upcoming special elections in the state, arguing it stands “in direct conflict” with social distancing guidelines and Newsom’s shelter-in-place mandate to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Coronavirus death toll higher in California than previously known, new data suggest
Los Angeles Times
Total deaths across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic are more than 9% higher than historical averages, according to newly released federal statistics, suggesting the toll could be hundreds or even thousands of deaths more than what’s been attributed to the disease thus far.
See also:
● U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Is Far Higher Than Reported, C.D.C. Data Suggests New York Times
Does California law allow lawmakers to vote from home? Top Democrats are divided
Sacramento Bee
The Assembly concluded remote voting could be unconstitutional, potentially exposing the Legislature to open meeting violations and leaving laws vulnerable to legal challenges.
How coronavirus is busting California’s $187 million census campaign
CalMatters
Despite investing more than any other state, California’s response rate is off more than 10% from the final 2010 count. Even with extensions, there’s a possibility for a record low turnout that would sink the state’s $187 million investment.
EDITORIAL: Why letting California go bust is a ‘really dumb idea’
San Francisco Chronicle
Facing a national pandemic it is uniquely qualified and situated to fight, the federal government has forced California and other states to do most of the job. Now it’s adding insult to irresponsibility by refusing to pay them.
Federal:
Grim count: US virus toll passes Trump’s 60,000 marker
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump likes to talk about the most, the best, the thing that nobody has ever seen. Now he is trying to make a virtue of a lower number, arguing that the efforts of his administration have warded off a far greater death toll than otherwise would have been seen.
See also:
● Coronavirus deaths top 60,000 in US. ‘We learned a lot of lessons here, painfully’ Modesto Bee
● US coronavirus cases surpass 1 million and the death toll is greater than US losses in Vietnam WarCNN
● Coronavirus Has Killed More Americans Than Any Flu In Half A Century Forbes
Trump says he’s not extending social distancing guidelines
Fresno Bee
President Donald Trump said the federal government will not be extending its coronavirus social distancing guidelines once they expire Thursday, and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, predicted that by July the country will be “really rocking again.”
See also:
● White House’s Social Distancing Guidelines Will Be ‘Fading Out,’ Trump Says Capital Public Radio
● Jared Kushner Says ‘We Have All The Testing We Need,’ Counter To Health Expert Estimates Forbes
● Jared Kushner mocks the ‘eternal-lockdown crowd,’ says he hopes the US will be ‘really rocking again’ by July Business Insider
Trump administration launches ‘Operation Warp Speed’ to accelerate vaccine development
The Hill
The Trump administration is pushing agencies to speed up the vaccine development process in the hopes of quickly coming up with an effective way to guard against the coronavirus, two people familiar with the effort confirmed Wednesday.
See also:
● F.D.A. Plans to Announce Emergency Use of Coronavirus Drug New York Times
● Trump Administration Has Enough Tests for 2% of Each State’s Population, Official Says Wall Street Journal
● Congress steps up on testing and tracing State of Reform
● Opinion: If we can’t develop a COVID-19 vaccine, is there a ‘plan B’ for the economy? AEI
U.S. officials crafting retaliatory actions against China over coronavirus as President Trump fumes
Washington Post
The president has in recent days told aides and others that China has to pay for the outbreak and publicly floated demanding billions in compensation.
Congress Needs to Solve the COVID-19 Liability Problem
The Bulwark
A liability shield simply shifts the costs of harm from one person to another. When a government shields businesses from liability, they are imposing liability on workers and customers by forcing them to bear the cost of the disease—either by paying medical bills or paying higher insurance bills, or both.
Trump’s allies sound alarm over his attacks on independent watchdogs
Politico
President Donald Trump’s recent hostility toward independent federal watchdogs has jolted the very Senate Republicans who are among his most outspoken defenders.
Opinion: Republicans must adapt to modern times and keep Congress working despite coronavirus
Sacramento Bee
House Republicans who blocked a rule change to allow proxy voting are needlessly putting their colleagues and their staffs in danger. Congress must do its work, but meeting in person is unwise at this time because of the danger of spreading COVID-19.
Coronavirus Trackers:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California
COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus.
See also:
● California Department of Public Health
● Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic – WHO
● John Hopkins University & Medicine John Hopkins University
● Tracking coronavirus in California Los Angeles Times
● Coronavirus Tracker San Francisco Chronicle
● Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count New York Times
● How many coronavirus cases have been reported in each U.S. state? Politico
● Coronavirus Daily NPR
● Coronavirus tracked: the latest figures as the pandemic spreads Financial Times
● Coronavirus in California by the numbers CalMatters
Elections 2020:
Newsom gets starring role in new Trump campaign ad praising coronavirus response
Fresno Bee
Donald Trump’s campaign debuted an online ad Wednesday featuring extensive praise of the president’s response to the coronavirus pandemic from one of his fiercest critics: California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Sexual assault allegation leaves top Democratic women grappling with support for Biden
Fresno Bee
Some leading Democratic women are throwing their support behind Joe Biden after an allegation of sexual assault that has come to light in recent months.
See also:
● Biden assault allegation prompts GOP attacks, Dem worries Fresno Bee
● New Information Emerges Around Biden Sexual Assault Allegation Capital Public Radio
● Assault allegation puts Joe Biden — and the Democratic Party — in a bind Los Angeles Times
● Opinion: Biden Leads With His Jaw Wall Street Journal
Why Democrats are worried about these voters of color drifting to Trump in 2020
Fresno Bee
An overlooked voting bloc is emerging as a potential problem for Democrats: young men of color. Male African American and Latino voters — particularly those under the age of 35 — are showing a surprising openness to President Donald Trump’s re-election bid.
Polls Had Trump Stewing, and Lashing Out at His Own Campaign
New York Times
The president erupted recently at his campaign manager, Brad Parscale, after seeing polling data that showed Mr. Trump trailing Joe Biden in several states.
Walters: Mail voting OK, if done right
CalMatters
Regardless of what happens nationally, California is headed toward vote-by-mail. For the past four decades, California has been loosening restrictions on what used to be called absentee voting and changing laws on voter registration and other election procedures.
See also:
● Partisan Fight Looms Over Voting by Mail Wall Street Journal
Other:
As economy sinks, McClatchy’s plan for quick sale hits roadblock in bankruptcy court
Fresno Bee
McClatchy Co.’s attempt to quickly exit bankruptcy by finding a buyer hit a snag Wednesday when a federal judge ordered all parties to reach an agreement on the sales process even as the nation’s economic uncertainty deepened.
COVID-19 has taught us the internet is critical and needs public interest oversight
Brookings
The COVID-19 pandemic has graphically illustrated the importance of digital networks and service platforms. Imagine the shelter-in-place reality we would have experienced at the beginning of the 21st century: a slow internet and nothing like Zoom or Netflix.
People Are Talking About ‘Travel Bubbles.’ But Could They Work?
New York Times
Australia and New Zealand floated the idea of a regional alliance that would let those inside travel but keep the coronavirus out. But in other parts of the world, establishing one would be tricky.
Study: Americans trust Fauci more than Trump or their own governors
Stockton Record
Dr. Anthony Fauci is cited most often as the official Americans rely on for information regarding the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Ruiz Foods closes production lines in Dinuba, Tulare to safeguard workers from coronavirus
Fresno Bee
Ruiz Foods closed several production lines at facilities in Dinuba and Tulare to safeguard employees from the coronavirus.
See also:
● Woman claims her mother contracted COVID-19 at frozen Mexican food company plant abc30
● Ruiz Foods stops some operations due to COVID-19 Visalia Times Delta
● Employee at Fresno Cargill facility tests positive for COVID-19, company says abc30
● Workers Scared As Trump Orders Meat Plants To Open During Coronavirus Crisis Capital Public Radio
● Trump order on meatpackers raises questions about its effect Roll Call
● Food-Plant Workers Clash With Employers Over Coronavirus Safety Wall Street Journal
● New York Dairy Farmers Feel the Squeeze From Coronavirus as Milk Sales Dry Up Wall Street Journal
● EDITORIAL: Trump’s meat supply fix is a recipe for coronavirus disaster Los Angeles Times
Farmers forced to let crops rot as food bank demand soars
CalMatters
For many farmers, it’s more cost-effective to let crops rot in the fields. They can’t afford to harvest it if there is no market for it, and food banks can’t cover the full cost of labor.
See also:
● California Aims To Connect Farms Dumping Goods To Desperate Food Banks Capital Public Radio
Riley’s Brewing switches to making hand sanitizer during COVID-19
Fresno Bee
Locally-owned Riley’s Brewing is mass producing hand sanitizers for hospitals, first responders, senior care facilities and large companies and employing folks laid off from their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
California SNAP recipients can now shop for groceries online
abc30
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new program to help California food banks provide boxes of fresh food to those in need during the pandemic.
California to provide more food benefits for schoolchildren
Los Angeles Times
With California campuses closed because of the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that low-income families would receive $365 per child to buy food during the next to make up for the loss of free and reduced-priced lunches previously provided by the schools.
Money for meals for California seniors could end in 2 weeks
AP News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s first-in-the-nation plan to pay for and deliver three meals a day to vulnerable seniors during the coronavirus crisis has less than two weeks to launch before federal funding runs out, government documents show.
Getting Through Coronavirus, Explained: The Food Supply Chain Breakdown
Eventbrite
Experts discuss where the breakdowns in the food supply chain are happening and how they can be resolved.
A family of strawberry growers had big dreams. Then came the pandemic
Los Angeles Times
The pandemic age gives this normally kind farm-life gesture a new layer of risk. Could this organically grown fruit have been contaminated by something other than regular old dirt?
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
‘Crazy Bernie’ fined again by the city of Fresno for keeping his furniture store open
Fresno Bee
Bernie Siomiak, perhaps better known as “Crazy Bernie,” was fined $5,000 Wednesday for keeping his furniture store open during the city of Fresno’s shelter-in-place orders.
See also:
● ‘Crazy Bernie’ fined $6,000 for violating Fresno’s COVID-19 order abc30
Coronavirus and courts: Appeals court says California judges can still require bail
San Francisco Chronicle
A state appeals court ruled Wednesday that an order for California courts to eliminate bail for all but the most serious charges was not binding on a county’s judges.
‘Fake insurance plans’ from health care sharing ministry triggers lawsuit, attorney says
Fresno Bee
A California couple said they were saddled with thousands of dollars in medical expenses after a health care sharing ministry misled them into purchasing what one attorney described as “fake insurance plans.”
Emergency $0 bail schedule not mandatory for all inmates, appeals court rules
San Diego Union-Tribune
The 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego rules that courts can set bail at higher than $0 for some defendants under the COVID-19 Emergency Bail Schedule.
Public Safety:
Over 70% of tested inmates in federal prisons have COVID-19
Fresno Bee
The response from the federal Bureau of Prisons to the growing coronavirus crisis in prisons has raised alarm among advocates and lawmakers about whether the agency is doing enough to ensure the safety of the nearly 150,000 inmates serving time in federal facilities.
See also:
● Terminal Island prison inmates have worst coronavirus outbreak in federal system Los Angeles Times
● COVID-19 infects more than half of inmates at Terminal Island prison in San Pedro ABC7
● California prisons report 194 coronavirus cases, plan to bunk inmates in groups of eight San Francisco Chronicle
● Opinion: The spread of coronavirus in correctional facilities cannot be ignored AEI
Throwing A Spotlight On Women Prison Inmates’ Coronavirus Fears
LAist
Lashauna Blanks is an inmate at the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Corona. She has a job washing the prison ambulance and other vehicles that transport sick inmates to the hospital. Blanks fears she gave the virus to her cellmate.
American cruise ship workers denied disembarkation at Los Angeles
Axios
Americans are among thousands of cruise ship workers stuck at sea because of a CDC order issued in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. But the CDC says it’s up to cruise liners to ensure they meet the legal safety requirements during the pandemic.
EDITORIAL: Rancho Cordova police officer who beat child in viral video must be held accountable
Sacramento Bee
The viral video of a Rancho Cordova police officer violently attacking a child on the ground in shocking and shameful. The officer sits atop the child, yanking his body around with great force and punching at his face – all because the 14-year old allegedly had “tobacco products.”
Fire:
A ‘fire of infections’ could sweep California evacuation centers. Here’s the plan to stop it
Fresno Bee
Public health experts are worried again about the spread of disease in crowded evacuation centers. They say the norovirus outbreak in Butte County should serve as a stark warning to disaster relief organizations and government officials planning for the next wildfire season.
Webinar to Spotlight Prescribed Burns as Fire-Fuel Management Tool
Sierra News
UCCE Mariposa is offering a free online webinar series focusing on the use of prescribed burns as a vegetation and fire fuel management tool.
Fires are coming. But PG&E and some cities are holding up battery backups
Los Angeles Times
Some solar workers have been ordered down from rooftops after neighbors called the police, solar industry officials say.
See also:
● Judge orders PG&E to overhaul power line inspections, record-keeping San Francisco Chronicle
● PG&E Ordered by Judge to Overhaul Tree Trimming, Line Inspections Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Ties of Lawyer for PG&E Fire Victims Have Some Survivors Querying Settlement Vote
KQED
A potential conflict of interest on the part of a lawyer representing PG&E fire victims is prompting questions about the integrity of an ongoing vote by fire survivors on their multi-billion-dollar compensation deal with the utility.
ECONOMY/JOBS
Economy:
US economy shrank 4.8% last quarter, with worst yet to come
Fresno Bee
The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate last quarter as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country and began triggering a recession that will end the longest expansion on record.
See also:
● US economy shrank 4.8% last quarter, with worst yet to come Stockton Record
● U.S. economy, in clear sign of recession, shrinks 4.8% in first quarter due to coronavirus Los Angeles Times
● U.S. Economy Shrank at 4.8% Pace in First Quarter Wall Street Journal
● Worst Economy in a Decade. What’s Next? ‘Worst in Our Lifetime.’ New York Times
● Which city economies did COVID-19 damage first? Brookings
● EDITORIAL: The Government Economy Wall Street Journal
Costco stores to require customers wear masks – and it’s not the only place in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Starting Monday, all Costco stores in the Fresno area will require customers to wear masks or other face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They’re not alone.
See also:
● Costco makes customer masks mandatory. What are Modesto stores’ coronavirus policies? Modesto Bee
Upbeat news on a possible coronavirus treatment powers U.S. stocks, lifting Dow more than 500 points
Washington Post
Small but significant scientific advances against covid-19 sent stocks bursting upward Wednesday, all but ignoring sobering data that shows a U.S. economy in paralysis.
See also:
● Stocks Rise as Fed Pledges Lasting Support for the Economy Wall Street Journal
Gears Jammed Again During Relaunch of Small-Business Relief Program
Bloomberg
The relaunch of a government relief program for small firms got off to a rocky start Monday, with lenders reporting being shut out of the overwhelmed U.S. Small Business Administration’s system amid a flood of loan applications and concerns about when struggling companies will get the funding they need.
See also:
● Clovis Businesses Left High and Dry Clovis Roundup
Will pensions be ‘on the chopping block’ in recession? California Supreme Court to hear case
Sacramento Bee
Former Gov. Jerry Brown predicted two years ago that public pensions would be “on the chopping block” during the next economic downturn. Next week, with state and local budgets teetering amid the coronavirus outbreak, the state Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that could determine in part whether Brown’s prediction will come true.
How will movie theaters make customers feel safe after coronavirus?
Los Angeles Times
No one knows when public health guidelines will allow multiplexes to reopen. And when they do, it’s unclear when people will feel safe going into a darkened auditorium with a crowd of strangers.
See also:
● What will reopening Hollywood look like? Los Angeles Times
Restaurant vendors are now selling to the public. Here’s why it might hurt them instead of help.
Los Angeles Times
But are home deliveries viable for business? Not even close, Chen said. “Each transaction is so much lower than a restaurant, it’s not really possible to make money.”
Commentary: It’s time to review AB 5 if policymakers really want to restart California’s economy
CalMatters
The April 30 second anniversary of the state Supreme Court’s Dynamex decision and the Assembly Bill 5 it subsequently unleashed should be reviewed with all due dispatch if policymakers are sincerely committed to restarting the state’s economy.
Jobs:
Headed back to work? Here are tips on avoiding coronavirus exposure in your workplace
Fresno Bee
Multiple states across the country are looking to return to some sense of normalcy as governors forge ahead with plans to reopen their economies.
Washington Post
More than 3.8 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to the Labor Department, as the coronavirus pandemic’s economic toll burrowed deeper into the American workforce.
See also:
● Unemployment surge pushing state funds toward insolvency Hanford Sentinel
● State Unemployment Funds Going Broke From Record Flood of Claims Bloomberg
● Staggering job losses hit California low-wage workers. Recovery won’t be easy after shutdownSacramento Bee
● Stocks Drop After Jobless Claims, Consumer Spending Data Wall Street Journal
● California Unemployment Insurance Claims During the COVID-19 Pandemic California Policy Lab
● Answering your questions about applying for and receiving California unemployment benefitsSacramento Bee
● An Analysis of Unemployment Insurance Claims in California During the COVID-19 PandemicCalifornia Policy Lab
● Unemployment Benefits and the Real Value of Work Law & Liberty
States weigh workers’ comp for frontline workers against the cost
Politico
State policymakers praising the heroic efforts of frontline workers are quietly making grim calculations about which professions should gain access to lost wages, hospital bills or even burial costs — changes estimated to top $11 billion in California alone.
San Jose furloughs more than 1,000 employees to offset coronavirus-related losses
Mercury News
Faced with a $45 million budget shortfall and just two months left in the fiscal year, San Jose has announced furloughs for more than 1,000 of its temporary and part-time employees who don’t receive benefits.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Fresno’s Central Unified schools change direction on grading policy for students
Fresno Bee
Central Unified School District reversed course on its grading policy this week, saying that students will be required to turn in assignments for the rest of the school year.
This California public school might be the last in the state to close amid coronavirus
Fresno Bee
A Tulare County elementary school — believed to be the only public school in California to remain open in April amid the coronavirus pandemic — has closed its doors, The Bee confirmed late Wednesday.
Madera Tribune
Joined by hundreds of volunteers, and teachers, the district staff determined to do all they could to mitigate the disruption to each child’s education — to minimize the harm that the children might endure for something over which they had no control.
See also:
● The COVID-19 cost of school closures Brookings
● To get English learners in core classes, Modesto City Schools reworks Language Institute Modesto Bee
With coronavirus still here, open schools in July? Here’s what Stanislaus educators say
Modesto Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Tuesday that California schools could reopen as early as July surprised and frustrated Stanislaus County’s education chief.
See also:
● Questions surround governor’s proposal to open schools early Hanford Sentinel
● Prospective School Timelines, Sliding Reading Skill Levels Capital Public Radio
● California Could Reopen Schools As Early As July, Newsom Says Capital Public Radio
● California teachers resist Newsom’s ‘unrealistic’ call for July start Politico
● Schools are included in Phase Two. Here’s what you need to know Los Angeles Times
● Reopening California schools: 4 things you need to know Los Angeles Times
Tulare County-Based Center Takes Teacher Recruitment Online
VPR
California faced teacher shortages long before schools closed due to COVID-19. Seventy-five percent of the state’s school districts say there are not enough qualified teachers to meet student needs according to the Palo Alto-based Learning Policy Institute.
Higher Ed:
Some Fresno State students still working at farm during COVID-19 outbreak
abc30
The work never ends on a farm. Over 100 dairy cows need to be milked twice a day at Fresno State. While thousands of students check in for virtual classes, 12 students continue their daily duties.
See also:
● Academic activities, extracurriculars continue online at FPU abc30
Parents are out of work. Should student loan requirements change due to coronavirus?
Sacramento Bee
Typically, a student’s eligibility for college loans or grants depends on a family’s tax filings from previous years. But should that change given the huge number of people driven to unemployment by the coronavirus pandemic?
Anxiety builds as California colleges consider how and when to resume on-campus fall courses
EdSource
Millions of California college students and their families are anxiously waiting to hear whether on-campus classes will resume this fall while college administrators are weighing the options to safely return students and faculty to campuses.
A new reality for student parents: Teaching their children’s classes while taking their own
CalMatters
Advocates for students with children say they need extra support from colleges and universities, or they’ll fall behind in their education.
Lessons from the Great Recession Can Protect College Students Today
Public Policy Institute of California
The key is to find ways to limit budget cuts so that public higher education remains accessible to all Californians looking to advance their knowledge and improve their economic well-being.
NCAA proposes letting college athletes get paid for endorsements
Politico
The college sports association would request an exemption from federal antitrust laws as part of its proposal, to establish a “safe harbor” that protects the NCAA from lawsuits filed over its new name, image and likeness rules.
Apprenticeships:
ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY
Environment:
‘The air hasn’t been this clean in a long time.’ Stunning photo shows clear CA night sky
Fresno Bee
A stunning photo from a wildlife officer is documenting California’s improving air quality during the coronavirus pandemic.
Energy:
The oil bankruptcies are just beginning. Here’s who could be next
CNN
The oil crash is blocking American frackers from accessing the cheap credit that fueled their prolific rise. That reversal of fortunes could prove fatal for overleveraged shale oil companies.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Mariposa County reports 2 new coronavirus cases. Merced County total cases rise to 119
Fresno Bee
A day after the first Mariposa County coronavirus infection was reported, two more cases were confirmed Wednesday by Mariposa County Public Health.
See also:
● Madera County Reports Another New COVID-19 Case Wednesday Sierra News
● Coronavirus cases see another big daily jump in Tulare County. One more death reported Fresno Bee
● Tulare County surpasses 600 COVID-19 cases Visalia Times Delta
● Kings County’s coronavirus cases climbs with its highest daily increase yet Fresno Bee
● 8 more COVID-19 cases in Kings County, 79 total Hanford Sentinel
● Kern County announces sixth COVID-19 death, 19 new cases Bakersfield Californian
COVID-19 cases grow in Valley nursing homes. State shows only snapshot, not facility deaths
Fresno Bee
Coronavirus cases continue to surface at more skilled nursing facilities in the central San Joaquin Valley as others aren’t reporting data to the state.
See also:
● Employee at Dycora Transitional Health in Sanger tests positive for COVID-19 abc30
● As death toll rises, more details emerge about Turlock Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Modesto Bee
● Asymptomatic staff, untested at many nursing homes, spreading virus San Francisco Chronicle
● California says 40% of coronavirus-related deaths are at nursing homes. Is it higher? Los Angeles Times
There’s a rural-urban divide in California’s coronavirus infection rates. Here’s the data
Sacramento Bee
Coronavirus has struck California urban and rural counties at different rates. COVID-19 infections, deaths are high in Los Angeles, lower in Sacramento.
Capital Public Radio
The state poison control system says it only started receiving calls about consuming cleaning products after the president’s press conference last week.
What science can tell us about the psychological impacts of coronavirus isolation
Los Angeles Times
When 13 passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrived in Nebraska in mid-February, David Cates was determined to make their mandatory stay as pleasant as possible.
Poop may tell us when the coronavirus lockdown will end
Los Angeles Times
From Stanford to the University of Arizona, from Australia to Paris, teams of researchers have been ramping up wastewater analyses to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Human Services:
COVID-19 testing sites coming to Porterville, Dinuba in effort to expand rural testing
Visalia Times Delta
In an effort to increase COVID-19 testing capacity across rural California, Tulare County has been selected to house two new testing collection sites. The two sites will open May 4 in Dinuba and Porterville. Each site will aim to complete 132 tests per day — 264 total.
Hopes turn to virus drug breakthrough as economies stumble
Fresno Bee
The promise of an effective treatment against the coronavirus — an experimental drug that can speed the recovery of COVID-19 patients — raised hopes Thursday for faster progress in battling the pandemic and restoring wrecked economies and livelihoods.
See also:
● Antiviral Drug Remdesivir Shows Promise For Treating Coronavirus In NIH Study VPR
● Clinical trial of remdesivir may be a turning point in coronavirus fight Los Angeles Times
● U.S. passes 60,000 dead as hopes rise for a promising drug therapy Washington Post
● Fauci: Experimental COVID-19 drug remdesivir shows promise Roll Call
● Race for Coronavirus Vaccine Accelerates as Pfizer Says U.S. Testing to Begin Next Week Wall Street Journal
Elder Advocates: Newsom Close To Giving Health Care Providers Legal Immunity During Pandemic
KPBS
“We understand that Governor Newsom is likely to sign an order,” said lawyer Mike Dark of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform. “We expect it will come out sometime in the next few days after work is completed on some related guidance.”
Health Department’s New System Speeds Up COVID-19 Tests
Sierra News
Madera County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has received its first order of testing cartridges for its GeneXpert molecular testing system, which will allow for more rapid COVID-19 testing beginning today.
Dignity Health Medical Group now offers virtual visits to its Bakersfield members
Bakersfield Californian
Dignity Health Medical Group — Bakersfield is now offering virtual visits with primary and specialty care physicians to its members.
See also:
● Telemedicine key to US health care even after pandemic ends Roll Call
CNBC
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the government has to pay a $12 billion debt owed to insurance companies that participated in a program that existed in the first years of the Affordable Care Act, the health-care overhaul law known as Obamacare.
See also:
● Opinion: Back to our national pastime: ACA lawsuits AEI
IMMIGRATION
Judge orders review process to identify release of immigrant detainees
Kern Sol News
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, today, a federal judge ordered a review process to identify people for release detained at the Mesa Verde Detention Facility in Bakersfield and the Yuba County Jail in Marysville in order to enable social distancing inside the centers.
More than 200,000 in the U.S. on H-1B visas could lose legal status by June
Los Angeles Times
As many as 250,000 guest workers seeking a green card in the U.S. — about 200,000 of them on H-1B visas — could lose their legal status by the end of June, said Jeremy Neufeld, an immigration policy analyst with the Washington, D.C., think tank Niskanen Center.
Commentary: Congress must act boldly on DACA, if the Supreme Court upholds termination
CalMatters
Three years ago, DACA was jeopardized by White House officials when they rescinded the program without proper recourse. Immediately, this rescission was challenged in federal court, placing the status of our lives in legal limbo.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
State takes over PDC site, outlines how sites would be used
Porterville Recorder
Last week the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers completed the retrofitting of six unoccupied buildings at Porterville Developmental Center to be used as an alternate care site to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing:
Homeless population in Kern jumps 19 percent, new data says
Bakersfield Californian
The number of homeless people in Kern County increased by 19 percent, or 250 people, in the past year, according to a report released Wednesday from this year’s homeless count.
Los Angeles Times
In the race to prevent the coronavirus from infecting swaths of homeless communities, hundreds of hotels and motels across the state have answered what is nothing less than a call to public service in a dire emergency.
Opinion: AEI housing market indicators, April 2020
AEI
The American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center released its monthly update to the AEI Housing Market Indicators on April 29th, 2020.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Coronavirus stimulus: Six reasons your $1,200 check may not be in the mail
Stockton Record
If you’re waiting for the money the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, provides, you may be frustrated if your payment hasn’t yet arrived.
See also:
● Still waiting on your IRS coronavirus check? A couple things could be delaying it McClatchy
● ‘What a mess’: Treasury wants back stimulus checks it sent to dead people San Francisco Chronicle
Fed signals it will likely hold rates near zero for months
Fresno Bee
The Federal Reserve signaled Wednesday that it will keep its key short-term interest rate near zero for the foreseeable future as part of its extraordinary efforts to bolster an economy that is sinking into its worst crisis since the 1930s.
See also:
● The Debt Clean-Up That Awaits Us RealClearPolicy
● Fed holds rates near zero — here’s what that means for you abc30
● Opinion: Emerging market risks to the economic recovery The Hill
What Are California’s State Budget Reserves and How Can They Be Used During the COVID-19 Crisis?
California Budget & Policy Center
California is in a much better position to address a budget gap compared to previous recessions because state policymakers prudently set aside billions of dollars for a rainy day.
Bill would extend paid leave tax credits to public employers
Porterville Recorder
A bipartisan bill proposed by five members of U.S. Congress on Tuesday is designed to allow entities such as hospitals, city and county agencies and schools to provide emergency paid leave for their employees.
TRANSPORTATION
Need a job? High-speed rail agency to open training center in Selma
Fresno Bee
Selma has been selected as the site for a workforce development center to train workers for high-speed rail construction in the San Joaquin Valley.
After coronavirus: Your next flight may look like this
Los Angeles Times
You may be wearing a mask. Middle seats could be empty on purpose. And the newest passenger may be a sky janitor. Welcome to what may be airline travel in the post-coronavirus world.
WATER
Grand compromise on California water wars in disarray. Newsom faces multiple lawsuits this week
Fresno Bee
From the moment he took office, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wanted to bring peace to California’s water wars. But now, more than a year later, most of the warring factions are united against his plan for governing the Delta.
Commentary: alifornia and federal government need to resolve differences on water supply issues
CalMatters
The historic cooperation between the state and federal governments that has managed California’s water supply is threatened by this looming battle. We can’t let that happen.
“Xtra”
Fresno Chaffee Zoo gets $1.7 million federal PPP loan. Here’s what it will do with money
Fresno Bee
Fresno Chaffee Zoo received a $1.7 million loan through the federal paycheck protection program for coronavirus impacts and will use it to pay employees and utility bills, zoo officials said.
Clovis Rotary Donates Face Shields to Local Healthcare Facilities
Clovis Roundup
In an effort to help relieve the shortage, the Clovis Rotary Club donated and delivered 2,000 face shields that it purchased from local printing company Dumont Printing, which recently reconfigured its facility to produce the PPE to help fight the novel coronavirus.
Yosemite collaborating with gateway communities amid COVID-19 crisis
abc30
Officials in Mariposa and Madera counties now say the economic impact of the ongoing Yosemite National Park closure and ‘stay at home’ orders is worse than any other disasters they’ve endured.